The ‘A’ in A-League presumably refers to Australia, although this author’s open source research failed to find confirmation of that.
A generous interpretation for New Zealand could say it refers to Australasia. Either way, the letter ‘A’ has the advantage of also meaning the first or primary league.
Open source research also failed to find a meaning for the ‘W’ in W-League, but presumably it refers to women. Therefore, the names A-League and W-League suggest there is a main competition, and then there’s the women’s competition.
They imply the women’s brand is secondary, or inferior.
It is not just in football in Australian. The secondary ‘W’ exists in AFLW, WBBL and WNBL. Rugby league placed the full word in its NRL Women’s competition.
English football provided a unique name of ‘Super’ to pair alongside the ‘Premier’ League, but still put ‘Women’s’ in the title. Similarly, the United States has Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League.
Spain, Italy, Germany and France all add ‘women’s’ or ‘female’ for their women’s leagues, while the men’s leagues are gender-absent.
This inequality needs to change.
Practical measures do more to provide an appropriate level of gender balance, on issues such as player pay, broadcast and stadium arrangements, league size and length, and female representation off the pitch as managers, referees and commentators.
However, the symbolism of the league names is important.
An excellent example in recent times of the power of words is the Rudd Government’s apology to the stolen generations in 2008. It was historic, powerful and meaningful to First Australians and the entire country.
Words matter.
Remy Siemsen of Sydney FC celebrates (AAP Image/Jeremy Ng)
Think about how often you hear about ‘footballers’ and then ‘women footballers’. Or when we talk about the state of ‘the game’, and also ‘the women’s game’. It is disrespectful and exclusive.
Changing the league names is also easier to solve than many of the practical challenges. It is low-hanging fruit that can act as a vital step forward for the cause of gender equality.
Brand names can always be revised to keep up with the times. It does not hurt the brand; it strengthens it. In 2005, Soccer Australia became Football Federation Australia. In 1998, the Australian Rugby League and the Super League merged to create the National Rugby League.
In 1990, the Victorian Football League became the Australian Football League.
There are numerous ways to provide more equal names for the leagues.
Perhaps the simplest way is to call both our premier divisions the A-League, but the official titles are Men’s A-League and Women’s A-League. Given our love of three-letter abbreviations, they can be referred to as MAL and WAL.
The MAL can have an orange logo and the WAL a red logo like the current A-League and W-League. Each league can also continue to have different lead sponsors.
Second divisions can follow suit and be called the Men’s B-League (MBL) and the Women’s B-League (WBL).
The names in the National Premier Leagues (NPL) seem to vary from state to state, but the Victoria and New South Wales websites refer equally to men’s and women’s competitions.
Our national teams are both Australia, but each have their unique nicknames of Socceroos and Matildas. That is equal.
Sports such as tennis and swimming lead the way on this. There is simply the name ‘Australian Open’, which features Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles; and any swimming competition features events such as the Men’s 100m Freestyle and the Women’s 200m Butterfly.
However, the sports of football, Aussie rules, rugby league, cricket and basketball remain antiquated on this topic in Australia and around the world. Australian football can be a pioneer for all of these sports in creating gender equality in the names and brands of our football leagues.
It would be powerful and meaningful.
stu
Guest
I hear what you are saying. Excersise parity in the naming of the two leagues.....the word parity has now opened the Pandora's box that could destroy the ladies game as pay and skill level does come into play. I don't have the answer as to how that will play out as a business model.
adriandon
Roar Rookie
Further to Waz’s point, here is the same rule for AFL: https://play.afl/senior-club-football Scroll down to read: “should your daughter prefer to play in mixed-gender team or competition they are permitted to do so until age 14”.
adriandon
Roar Rookie
You should have kept reading: “Changing the league names is also easier to solve than many of the practical challenges. It is low-hanging fruit that can act as a vital step forward for the cause of gender equality.” Vital step forward. Doesn’t solve everything. It is a beginning.
chris
Guest
I don't think anyone is saying that women should command the same salaries as a Messi or a Ronaldo. Not in a commercial sense at least. But if the FFA pay Aaron Mooy 10k to play for Australia in a WC qualifier, then that 10k should also be paid to Sam Kerr or Lydia Williams etc. Should Chelsea Womens FC pay Sam Kerr 60 million because that's what they paid for Eden Hazard, uhm no. No one is saying that.
adriandon
Roar Rookie
If A-League is the Australian league and W-League is the women's league, that implies that the men's comp is the main comp and the women's comp is secondary. I'm not talking about pay, or skill level, or who watches what - it's about our industry creating an imbalance in how we look at men's and women's football.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Sporting Apartheid?
stu
Guest
Chris. In the world of tennis, the women’s game to me is more attractive than men’s as less base line strokes. I think the discussion is about soccer and a potential reason why there is no parity in pay or status. The trap is to make it equal pay just because.
chris
Guest
Stu - the A-League, in "A"ustralia is the pinnacle competition that our players can aspire to. Pinnacle for men and pinnacle for women. If you (and others) don't wish to pay money to watch the women, that's fine. But there is no need to call it the W-League, unless we want to rename the men's A-League to the M-League? It's all about perception and marketing. Women's tennis do it better than anyone else in marketing themselves as a product just as good (if not better) than men's. Maybe watch the movie "Battle of the Sexes" and see the garbage women had to put up with in their early days of trying to be recognised.
stu
Guest
Chris....the article clearly states the 'A-League' as a superior competition. I understand what you are saying, but clearly the article is difficult to read.
stu
Guest
Waz.....I have not see yet that, for example a male GP is getting paid more than a female GP in the Qld Health System. In private industry I have not seen a female civil engineer earn less than a male civil engineer on the same hours, same tasks and same employer. Naturally renumeration varies with employer and hours worked so not yet convinced that the argument within one employer hold water. With sport, more so soccer, I am a customer. I find it hard to watch the women's game therefore do not spend money to attend matches. It looks as though the magority follow the same logic. In this case, it has nothing to do with male/female, it has everything to do with what the market is willing to accept.....if it is not good enough it is simply not good enough therefore should not be paid at the same level as top level male soccer players. If we lived in a socialist society the concept may well be adopted, thankfully we are able to freely judge likes and dislikes.
Yawn
Guest
I remember seeing an Aus v NZ One Dayer being advertised on Fox. I thought I didn’t know they were playing and adjusted my daily timetable to watch it. Sat down and turned it on and it was a woman’s game. Very disappointed. I found something else to do. Keep sport separate.
chris
Guest
Well for starters, A-League refers to "Australia". Like J-League for Japan and K-League in Korea. The women we are referring to (who are not as "good" as the men, as so many brilliant minds on here have pointed out) play in Australia. So..call their league the A-League as well. W-League is more a reference to Westfields than womens. We know they are women for heavens sake.
chris
Guest
LH agree with you. I can't believe people are actually saying that men are better than women at football and therefore you cant call the women's "A-League". How about we call the tennis Australian Open the B Tennis Comp (for the women's)?
Waz
Roar Rookie
I can’t speak for other codes but the rules of football prohibit men and women playing in the same team, and even in the same competition. It is permitted at miniroos level but stops after that (I’ve seen exceptions made in junior teams where clubs can’t field a girls team) but by the time you get to senior football men and women can not compete in the same competition. Sam Kerr could not play for a men’s team for example.
Waz
Roar Rookie
I wouldn’t want to get in to that because branding is not my strong point. The NPL for example is both the NPL for men and the NPLW for women - that’s just inconsistent and resonates poorly with the half of our population that have been discriminated against all their lives. So change that. The W-League could do with a reboot anyway and if we host the WC that’s the ideal time to do it. There is more to be gained by fully integrating men’s and women’s sport, as tennis has done successfully, than maintaining an illogical separation based on bias and negative opinion towards the women’s game.
Waz
Roar Rookie
You’re being very selective in your argument; for example - this debate has nothing to do with the current pandemic but has everything to do with decades of women getting less than men, even for going the same jobs in society let alone in sport. That’s the undercurrent behind this and I think it’s time we men got over ourselves and listened for a change. Making some changes based on what the other half of the population is saying won’t hurt.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
FIFA ruled against women playing in men's professional competitions back in 2004. The case was Mexican footballer Maribel Dominguez and whilst the Mexican FA were for it, FIFA ruled there cannot be mixed-gender teams at the professional level.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Exactly right. Sam Kerr could play in the A-League. There is nothing stopping her doing so except her talent vis-a-vis other A-League players. That is also you can't rename it the "Men's" anything - because it isn't restricted to MEN. Geddit? How can Annika Sorenstam play on the PGA Tour for instance? It's not a "Men's Golfing Tour". Same thing with the A-League.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Lol. Beat up sponsors for not tipping more money into a sport that doesn't deliver returns in the middle of a pandemic/recession - the likes of which we haven't seen for 90 years!! Great strategy for winning friends and influencing people that one.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Also, your proposal is nonsensical. Is there any rule to stop Women playing in the NRL? In the A-League? In the AFL? In the NBL? I've seen Women playing in golfing tournaments before dominated by men - but the Women are allowed to play. Why is that? It's because these sports are "OPEN" - they are not closed off to participants of one gender or another. If you want to do what you propose - first prove that the A-League, NRL, NBL, AFL etc. only allow men to play - I believe they largely allow ANYONE to play - including Women. Ergo, you can't suddenly change the nature of the sport and rename them to "Men's" anything. They aren't "Men's" anything - they are OPEN. Prove me wrong on that and then you'll have a case.