Opinion
As the 2021-22 A-League Women season prepares for an exciting finish, thoughts turn towards next season when the ten-team competition may potentially expand to 12.
The Central Coast Mariners and Western United have had licences notionally approved, however there is still no guarantee they will come in for 2022-23.
The APL have confirmed that final approval will only come if both clubs meet criteria that will be assessed in the off-season, and if there is an agreement for a competition window with FA.
Both clubs are busily doing preliminary work with a plan to come in next season.
The Mariners have been scouting for players while Western United have partnered with Victorian NPLW club Calder United, and have a female development squad.
However, one issue that needs to be addressed is the quality of talent available.
While a number of hidden gems miss out on A-League Women contracts, the spread of talent across ten clubs is thin as it is. Bringing in two more clubs could dilute the talent event further.
(Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
At present, the gap between the top clubs and the ones who won’t make finals is huge.
Despite only 12 rounds being played so far, the disparity is already clear to see.
While Wellington Phoenix should not be judged this season, considering they are new and are dealing with challenges outside their control, a look at other clubs makes for interesting reading.
Perennial contenders Sydney FC, Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory make up three of the four finals places as it stands.
Adelaide United, who have never made the finals, have been the success story over the past two seasons. The Reds sit in third spot and look good for post-season action.
However, the gap between the rest is a concern. While the Jets, Canberra and Brisbane all have one game in hand compared to fourth-placed Melbourne Victory, they are well outside of finals contention already.
The Western Sydney Wanderers are 15 points away from fourth-placed Victory, even though they have played a game more.
Considering the Wanderers are always underachievers, they may not be the best example to use. But when I think about it, they epitomise the issue.
If the season was longer, either 18 rounds or 27 rounds, the gap may close between the top teams and the rest. But there is every reason to think it could actually end up much bigger.
The playing stocks of the Sky Blues, Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory is far higher than most other clubs.
Adelaide have been terrific this season while Alex Epakis’ Perth team have performed admirably, considering their circumstances too.
While expansion of the competition in terms of clubs and games has to happen sooner rather than later, the timing has to be right.
There are currently 61 NPLW clubs across six federations in Australia. The bulk of players who play in the A-League Women come from that competition, with a few foreign stars and a sprinkling of Matildas-contracted players also joining.
So the volume of available players is there, but again the question that needs to be asked is whether the quality is there?
Judging by results this season, the answer would appear to be no.
One major problem is the reluctance of some clubs to splash out the cash and invest in quality. The Wanderers, Jets, Canberra and Brisbane (this season) have gone the cheaper option and the results speak for themselves.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
The Wanderers have always had this problem. The one season they made finals (2019-20), they paid for a plethora of foreign stars and were rewarded.
The Jets have struggled due to ownership troubles in recent seasons, Canberra are funded by a member federation (Capital Football) and Brisbane this season have linked closely to the QAS, who are run by Football Queensland.
So if clubs are reluctant to invest, they won’t get the best players, with many Australian stars understandably going overseas.
The other question is, with the diluted talent across the NPLW competitions, do clubs have an incentive to pay more?
A number of former A-League Women and Matildas players have suggested we need to expand the number of games among the existing clubs first, before expanding the competition.
Many feel we need to see how a full home-and-away season looks before throwing two other clubs into the mix.
The answer again comes back to money. If clubs invest in better players, spend money to bring talented Aussies back from overseas, and sign high quality marquees, there is no reason why an A-League Women expansion in terms of games and clubs won’t work.
Silver Lake recently committed to put in $140 million into the APL. While money needs to be spent wisely, investing in building and growing a solid women’s competition is worth it.
The last thing an A-League Women competition needs is a further diluted competition. It will just disenchant fans and sponsors.
With a 2023 World Cup coming to Australia and New Zealand in 18 months, we can strike while the iron is hot.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
It's back, and it's better than ever. The Champions League is one of the great sporting competitions in the world, and if you want…
Mathew Leckie played a pivotal part in Melbourne City claiming an 8-nil win; playing a role in several of his team's goals.
The Mariners must deal with possibly their toughest challenge yet - Kyrgyzstan’s FK Abdysh-Ata Kant in the first leg of the semifinal.
Already four goals up before the 90-minute mark, Florian Wirtz scored to seal his hat-trick and staff couldn't keep the supporters from celebrating their…
With a certain inevitability, Manchester City are suddenly in charge of the Premier League title race. Arsenal and Liverpool both produced lethargic performances under…
