In 677 days, a mere 96 weeks from now, Australia’s biggest ever football event kicks off.
The fever that grips the nation next will not be caused by a virus, it will be football fever. Women’s football fever. Grand final weekends, Bledisloe Cups and the Australian Open, major events that consume us all, will be eclipsed by the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and this time we’re in bed with our friendly neighbours New Zealand as hosts.
As football takes a break through the tail end of a lockdown that has interrupted the 2021 seasons of so many clubs and players around the country, there is an undeniable buzz already building, and it’s only going to get bigger.
As football fans, we know it’s coming. The 2023 Women’s World Cup is less than two years away, and it’s going to be played right here in Australia, in our major cities, in our own backyards.
The Matildas’ unexpected success at the Olympic games returned football to the forefront of our minds. A massive 2.32 million Australian viewers tuned in to the semi-final against Sweden that captured the hearts and imagination of the whole nation – quite a contrast to the 300,000 who would catch a Bledisloe Cup game live on TV.
(Image: Supplied, Nike)
A low-key friendly in Ireland early in the morning of 22 September will bring football back into our consciousness, and should the rumours be validated, two blockbuster friendlies against fierce rivals the United States at the end of November will trigger an avalanche of Matildas jerseys landing under the tree for Christmas.
Our big-game players are sealing massive moves in Europe, most recently Alanna Kennedy to Manchester City, Kyah Simon to Spurs and Emily Gielnik to Aston Villa. They join a host of overseas-based Aussie women lighting up pitches around the world and who are already superstars. They will continue to grow in stature with the exponential growth of women’s football in the United Kingdom.
Now, when they pull on the green and gold to represent their nation, they will be recognised by football fans around the globe. And this is only the beginning.
At home the W-League is doing all the right things. Wellington Phoenix is here, Central Coast Mariners and Western United will be new teams by 2023. This will create a longer season, a deeper pool of players and a better product. The women’s NPL in New South Wales at least has been rationalised into two larger divisions, and we welcome the reintroduction of the missing under-16s level, again giving more games over an extended season for more players at a key stage of their development.
There is no doubt the people now steering football in Australia, with the big picture in mind, are having a dramatic effect on the player pathways with these key decisions. Football Australia, through its impressive five pillars of Legacy ‘23, knows it has one shot at this and is determined to get it right.
The final page of the Legacy ‘23 document calls for “100,000+ content pieces to tell powerful stories of legacy and women’s sport” – a big call. The pool of football journalists remains small in Australia, the opportunities to share stories are limited, and the desperate thirst for women’s football content is not there yet.
In true Australian fashion, the general population and the major media players will cotton on – eventually. In the weeks leading into the tournament the sporting public will be swept up by the juggernaut that is the World Cup, and Australia will be the centre of the footballing world for one glorious month. The mainstream media will finally be interested, women’s football’s stars will be burning brightly.
But it starts now for the real fans and the football media. Football Australia has played its hand to parlay the tournament into a lasting impact, and we need to have the content to underpin our insistence that Australian women’s football is the real deal. As lovers of women’s football, as eager fans of the world game and as willing contributors to its success, even if we are at first shouting into the abyss, we must be shouting about this now.
The final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 in France was watched by a live worldwide audience of 82 million people. The average live audience across all games was 17 million people per game and the total reach, the total number of viewers who tuned in to the tournament across all platforms, was over a billion people. That is simply incredible and unthinkable, even 15 years ago.
With the increase in popularity of the women’s game as a whole, there is no reason a tournament in less Euro-friendly time zones cannot match or even eclipse those figures. This is a monumental opportunity to showcase Australian football and to show the world our passion and fervour for the women’s game. All eyes are on us. We should be making a fuss right now.
Content writers, journalists, social media gurus, commentators and bloggers, this is a rallying call. Stop pretending that the World Cup is way into the future. Football Australia is fast-tracking major changes to our beautiful game in order to harness the power of the World Cup, and we need to be aligned to this forward thinking.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that will shape the game in our country for years to come. With media outlets boasting a football desk of one, the likes of Ray Gatt and The World Game exiting the building with no replacement and football continuing to struggle for column inches, we appear to be doing the exact opposite of what we should be doing right now.
We’ve got 22 months to come up with 100,000 articles. Who’s with me?
Texi
Roar Rookie
Apology accepted
Jordan Sports Fan
Roar Rookie
Stan Sport pretty decent this morning for UCL but needs picture in picture like kayo being that games are on concurrently. So too are they for tennis and rugby for fan subscribers of those sports. It should also allow you to pick back up where you left off if you start but dont finish a video. That is a fairly reasonable and basic requirement.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Much of it is driven by improving equity in discretionary purchasing power, however increased public exposure, the increasing scope of women’s sport and the evolving views of parents regarding role models for their daughters also contribute (as do many other factors). All these increase the ability of female athletes to influence consumption patterns, Football is no exception. It wasn’t that long ago the Matilda’s put out a nude calendar just to raise awareness of their existence. Now fans are debating which young talent will best fill the shoes of a domestic players who’ve departed for Europe. Things change.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Would be happy with anyone but Optus at this stage but am leaning towards Stand as Paramount is just crap ATM but will see if i change my mind over the next 12 months or not
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
'Football needs TV ratings FACT, its what they(APL,FFA) are getting paid for to get people watching what don’t u get about that?' This is where we will start to disagree. The FA's job is to govern the sport Australia wide, not to be pre-occupied with how any of the National teams rate. I'm not sure where you got that idea from. The sport existed and prospered long before there was FTA TV and will continue to do so after FTA TV slowly peters out. 'Ratings are importin if something doesn’t rate the networks usually dumps that program from its channel/main channel ala SBS.' I think you may have missed the statement that Paramount + now actually are part owners of the sport here in Australia. So, as an owner, they will be in a better position, than say SBS ever was, to offer ideas and suggestions as to how this should look on :- (A) FTA TV ; (B) Paramount + ; (C) Streaming platforms in the future. Live sport isn't treated the same as a 30 minute series, it is a long term project. Again we will have to disagree about comparing numbers, you are saying [I think] it is the be all and end all to any decision about the sport. While I am saying the money people will be taking a longer term view. Sure lets see how the FAA Cup rates tonight, I suspect that only the real die hards even know it is on. So I am thinking in the 20,000 - 50,000 mark. I guess you will be gauging how Channel9/Stan rate in the mornings round of the European Champions League as well.
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
The statement " “what are the numbers now” and cast an eye on “what were the numbers and what are the numbers forecasted to be.” has been used for the past 20 years in Australian soccer. Every year the attendance numbers drop. This season will be no different.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Sorry what Texi, not Stuart said; ‘Women’s football fever. Grand final weekends, Bledisloe Cups and the Australian Open, major events that consume us all, will be eclipsed by the FIFA Women’s World Cup.’ My apologies.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Football needs TV ratings FACT, its what they(APL,FFA) are getting paid for to get people watching what don't u get about that? Ratings are importin if something doesn't rate the networks usually dumps that program from its channel/main channel ala SBS. As i have said ratings so far for the Shockeroos have been dire compare to 3rd rate Rugby and Netball. Lets see how the FFA Cup game rates tonight to see where we are at.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I didn't know Kennedy was joining Raso at Man City. That's good news. Didn't see many games on the weekend but caught Kerr's two goals, with ease (gifts actually) and Gilnieck looking like she owns the front end, as usual. And lots of youngsters coming through the W League, great stuff.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Punter Yes, that's exactly what I said.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
I don’t have an issue about stating facts, as long as they are selected ‘facts’. As I understand the ratings system, if it is a system. There are certain types of ratings, FTA, numbers of TVs on a certain channel at a certain time. Of course they don’t take into account the number of people who choose to watch it on some other appliance or those who record it to watch at later more convenient time. Now I am not saying you are wrong to tell us that the numbers of TVs that are on at a certain time on a certain channel are more or less than at another time, but to draw a conclusion from it to say said sport or team is more or less popular because of those numbers is a tad unfair. Until they can show me comprehensively that the number of people watching a sporting event equates to it’s overall popularity, all those numbers are, are just a talking point, no more or less. To imply I or others live in a bubble but not the real world shows a lack of understanding and really reflects poorly on you.
chris
Guest
Yeah not many people up at 4am
chris
Guest
Punter, I'm pretty sure Pip/"Bettega" wont be going to any games. He'll be too busy rocking in his chair looking at the ratings and reporting on here when they are low, but will go missing when they are good.
chris
Guest
Your form of "debate" is to deride football at every opportunity. There are lots of things to deride in your sport, AFL. Why waste peoples time with coming on here telling us...not much?
c
Roar Rookie
100 % the media creates an interest and the media in this country has no interest and until the current crop of media depart that ain't going to change
Punter
Roar Rookie
Let me quote from Stuart's article; 'Women’s football fever. Grand final weekends, Bledisloe Cups and the Australian Open, major events that consume us all, will be eclipsed by the FIFA Women’s World Cup.' So maybe a bigger buzz in the WWC then the 1981 or 1993 under 20s world cup.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
It seems like a long time ago, but Australia has hosted at least one U20 WC, maybe an U17 WC as well? I have a vague recollection of watching all the Australia games on SBS, and the games got huge crowds. It generated a bit of buzz about the game. I think I am pretty safe in predicting the buzz around the WWC will be even bigger.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Not half-empty Rodger, just sceptical about Aussie sport fans. I am all for you and others going hell for leather writing up the sport - it can only do good and would go some way to filling the alarming gap left by mainstream media. But...here on the Football tab at the Roar it should be OK to speak honestly about the challenge the sport faces in gaining and sustaining attention from Oi Oi Oi sports fans. I think everyone would agree it's a very complicated issue.
Sam
Guest
Chris, I love good debate and this forum offers that in spades. I watch many sports so don’t give that “no interest” rubbish. You are as passionate about football as anyone gets - but some balance and reality would be of great benefit to your outlook.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Wallabies v Springbok metro 263,000 As for the China game it didn't even rate for the ratings to pick up so it was below 12k