W-League expansion is something that gets lumped in the too-hard basket, but it’s something that is worth exploring at least in the hypothetical space.
As of the 2018-19 season the W-League plays a 14-round season with byes to account for the odd number of teams, with the Central Coast Mariners still yet to join the league. The championship is played as a two-week knockout finals series in late January and early February, with the season wrapped up before the end of the summer.
First cab off the rank, the season needs to be extended to a full home-and-away tournament with every team playing each other twice. The logistics of this falls into a couple of different solutions to the problem of scheduling with international windows and other international competitions. This article isn’t setting out to solve the issues, merely present options and start a conversation.
To start with, increase the size of the squad to include more international guest spots and permeant youth spots in the squad. This is to immediately address the concerns that the international players, both the Matildas and Young Matildas and the internationals, play around the world in other competitions too. Increasing the number of guest spots to plug holes in the team and have younger players on list enables teams to absorb player unavailabilities.
With the increase in squad depth, introduce midweek games during the school holidays. Play extra games during the Christmas and new year school holiday period to capitalise on spectators needing something to keep the kids amused, and playing midweek night games during summer is a way to do it. Have it for only a short spurt of time, and match teams that equally have the increased workload to keep it as fair as possible. Pair this with guest signings and you could easily have an American or English player come for a five-game, three-week deal.
Another idea, learning from women’s basketball, is to increase the gruelling away matches by having midweek games scheduled so that Adelaide and Perth are linked together. For example, Canberra would play Adelaide on Saturday and then play Perth Glory on the Wednesday night before returning back to Canberra to play on Sunday again. Similar double-ups could link the two Melbourne teams and two Sydney teams with each other, Newcastle with Brisbane and Canberra with the Sydney teams. It wouldn’t work every week, but it’s another possible idea for the mix.
A final possible idea is to open the season with a carnival format in Melbourne or Sydney. Have all teams play four games in a condensed period of two weeks and base them in one city for the period. Include an extra trophy at the end of the competition for the specific period, then have all competition points roll into the main competition. This would be a potential fix if the shortened calendar period is the only calendar window available.
There is no easy fix to the perceived problems, with Australian women’s football needing to slot into the USA and European fixtures. However, if the conversation doesn’t start, ideas won’t be generated and the league won’t progress. Women’s football being played in the summer of sport against the basketball and the cricket means it will have to innovate and adapt to survive.
reuster75
Roar Rookie
Football in this country is afflicted with a “we can’t do it attitude”, that needs to change to a “how can we do it” attitude otherwise we are holding ourselves back. Well said, and the w-league actually has the potential to become one of the premier women's football leagues. It already attracts world class international players who all rave about their experience of playing here. Australia's best female footballers all play in the league so we get to see them week in, week out which forms a greater attachment. The w-league has so much to offer the game as a whole in this country if only the FFA could recognise what a potential goldmine they have right under their noses.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Huh?
Wayne
Roar Guru
W-League is on Fox Sports and SBS. With every game Live Streamed on YouTube (International only) and MyFootball App.
stu
Guest
Correct.....it is going strong on the field. To lob a bomb into the discussion, some of the codes are, let me say, difficult to watch on TV. I have no problem of the contrary view, but I could suggest some of the codes exposure on TV is because of government pressures for this to happen. Not sure but just feel a sense of patronising towards the ladies.
stu
Guest
Not often the 'cynic' is in the same basket as the 'realist'' however I see no problem with that. Ladies may well choose what sport their child plays, but I could pretty much gaurentee those playing soccer are watching the major sports on the TV, and that is being a realist. All codes had to build and promote women's sports, this is a political dictum otherwise funding would be impacted. The decision, I feel, is based on political correctness. So, soccers comittment to women's sport was based on......money.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
The bubble that is west Australia, and the smallest professional sport in the world .,
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
We want to be the AFL, 18 (16 teams), average attendance of around 35,000, millions of people watching the grand final. Youn know what i mean.
Waz
Roar Rookie
err, we’re not the AFL. You watch A League crowds drop off next year when the new junior season starts, just like they do every season - Roars crowds drop off noticeably and I’m sure that’s reflected at other clubs. It’s just not possible to expect kids/parents to be out during the day, often for between 3 and as much as 6 hours for an away game and then do another 4 hours for an A League game later in the day. And that’s assuming there’s no direct conflict - games are played fruday, Saturday/Sunday mornings and afternoons. And then you’ve got all the parents coaching, officiating, administering, volunteering and generally making junior clubs tick. I know people who can be at my local junior club for ten hours a day at weekends.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Womens soccer is going strong, so the timing is perfect for expansion.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The salary cap has remained unchanged for 10 years now.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Works fine in the AFL. And if we did move it, the juniors are obviously more interested during there season so they will have more chance of wanting to go to a game. I'm not saying we should move at all. I am a huge fan of playing football in the summer.
Waz
Roar Rookie
But then it would conflict with junior football and likely lead to a massive fall off in crowds and viewing.
Old Greg
Guest
If the A-League moved to a calendar year season (eg February-November) there'd be more space on TV for the W-League.
Wayne
Roar Guru
As it stands, the salary cap is $150,000. So the additional funds are not a huge burden
Waz
Roar Rookie
FIFA provide the FFA with US$5m each year, some of that money (30% say if we base it on participation?) can be used to this cause. Sponsorship of the womens game also pulls in another seven figures, the tv deal is minute compared to men’s but the government allocated $30m to emerging sports so we can claim some of that surely? Then there’s participation awards for FIFA WWC’a which is very lucrative, and that’s before we get to clubs like City and Sydney who are prepared to invest. Football in this country is afflicted with a “we can’t do it attitude”, that needs to change to a “how can we do it” attitude otherwise we are holding ourselves back.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Correct, that’s my understanding too. The full home/away season is the priority, then increasing payments when possible.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“due mainly to political correctness” ... nah, there is a bit of that around, but the cynical view is the reality that women are deciding which sports their kids play and watch so women’s sport is an attempt to further that cause. Football has an obligation to advance women’s football just based on the massive amount of women and girls participation.
stu
Guest
Well.....as women's sport is on the political landscape due mainly to political correctness, it would not be impossibly to seek special 'womens's affairs funding for the advancement of equality'.....or something along those lines. The opportunity may well be there for the taking, and I am sure AFL would have the smarts to 'create' it.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Just one question, who is going to pay for these marquee players, where is the money coming from for these ideas? Is it from the crowds? Or the TV deal? Or selling merchandise? Or where exactly?
Paul
Guest
After listening to Emma Highwood, expansion is the last agenda item in womens football in Australia.