We have crossed the 100-day mark in the countdown towards the 2023 Women’s World Cup to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The excitement is building, the competition ball looks stunning, the Matildas kit is impressive and the Australian squad is taking all before them under coach Tony Gustavsson, with the recent victory over the English making a significant international statement.
Numerically, it will most likely prove to be the second biggest sporting event ever held on Australian shores, with only the 2000 Summer Olympics topping the World Cup in terms of sheer dollars generated and the collective number of eyeballs glued to screens around the globe.
To say the country is excited is a considerable understatement, yet a concern that the bulk of that excitement might be emanating from so-called ‘event-goers’ and people not particularly interested in the long-term status and validity of women’s football in Australia remains a viable one.
The question of exactly what legacy the event creates on the domestic scene has been one frequently asked and one only to be answered in the fullness of time.
In essence, the key questions can be simply formed.
Will the Women’s World Cup be a defining moment for football in Australia, the women’s game specifically and provide something tangible in terms of development that aids our international teams at the highest level?
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Or will it be something of an ‘event’, where middle-class Australian wealth snaps up tickets in droves and attends the matches in order to share their participation on social media platforms, before ultimately walking away from football after the tournament, seeking the next big event on the calendar?
Frankly, I fear the latter. The evidence I have to support my fear is simple, real and recent.
There were 12,850 people in attendance at Allianz Stadium to watch Sydney FC fight for a top-six position against Perth Glory on Sunday afternoon.
After a tight first half, the Sky Blues kicked away in the second and eventually earned a 4-1 win that looks to have them locked into the top six and still an outside chance for the A-League championship, despite what has been something of a hit and miss season.
The match kicked off at 3pm and soon after the local win, Sydney FC’s women’s team took to the pitch to take on Western United in a match that would decide the first team through to the A-League Women’s Grand Final.
Sadly, very few people remained in the stadium to watch the contest and by the time United had taken a lead into the second half, even fewer had stayed the course to cheer on Sydney.
I cannot be sure of the final crowd figure, yet the exodus post the men’s match was consistent with modern trends in terms of support and also in direct opposition to the energy, excitement and ticket sales that have been features of the last few months in the lead up to the World Cup in July.
If fans in Australia’s biggest city and one containing the most consistently successful clubs on both the men’s and women’s side cannot manage to find enough people invested in the women’s team’s cause to hang around and watch a semi-final, one wonders for what exact reason the stadiums will be full when the world arrives in around three months’ time for what will be a brilliant, well-attended and globally viewed event.
Based on what we saw at Allianz Stadium on Sunday, the chasm between the folks committed and invested in the domestic game and those who have snatched up tickets for the World Cup without any intention to subsequently become engaged with the local domestic competition appears vast.
I fear it will be event-goers 101 during the World Cup. I’ll be covering it, attending the matches and fully engrossed in what will be a stunning spectacle.
Sadly, I’ll also be concerned that once the performance is complete, the show is done and the caravan exits our two wonderful countries, women’s football and the game overall will be in exactly the same disadvantaged position it was prior to the tournament.
Plenty of people will have made a few bucks, young female players across the country will have been inspired and the chance for real change and growth will be missed.
If just a couple of thousand people in Sydney are even interested in attending a crucial semi-final between their women and the impressive Western United, the chances of the women’s game benefitting from World Cup event-goers is probably slim or none.
Bloke7
Roar Rookie
Update on my earlier comment... was just flicking channels after the Bulldogs game and realised Sydney just won the A-league women's final... I didn't even know about it. Didn't see any articles on the Roar or other major papers. Had I known, and the Dogs not been playing, I would have watched that.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
A well written and balanced assessment. Pretty much sums it up.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
No Indonesia? With over 280 million people in Indonesia, they would be vital to secure the success of the bid. No guarantee there will be an Israeli team in the 2034 FIFA Men's world cup and if there were the Israeli team may be playing in either Australia or New Zealand in their qualifying groups. A solution can be sorted out I am sure.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Forget Indonesia they will be lucky to be hosting an Asian event after what happened with the youth world cup. Now with bigger world cups the prospect of Israel qualifying is a possibility. Australia New Zealand between the two can handle it, AFL they have no more excuses the Gather Round proves they can go to whatever free stadiums there are. Gather round Ballarat, Gather round Geelong, SCG, etc.
Garry
Roar Rookie
"In 1986, Melmac exploded, the Federation ordered the signing of the second Constitution, and the war ended. Presumably in 1990, the year the TV show ended, ALF's friends Skip and Rhonda explained that Melmacians had bought a new planet on which they could live. The new planet was already inhabited, so Melmacians negotiated with the native aliens on the planet. ALF said this when he decoded the message sent in the series finale, "Consider Me Gone.""
At work
Roar Rookie
Fair comment Bloke7, and I suspect very common in Aus.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
“I want to see this as the next big step to bring the biggest tournament of all in the world to Australia, I want a new bid for the Men’s FIFA WC; a joint bid, of Australia/New Zealand/Indonesia.” Will 2034 be feasible for the FIFA Men’s World Cup to be hosted by: Australia/New Zealand/Indonesia? Of course, I will most likely be in a nursing home by then cheering the lads on. :happy: But we can do this!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Hope Solo only does stuff when she gets drunk like most NRL players. De Vanna is a grenade thrower and has a victim mentality and her own reality , like Liz Cambage. I think De Vanna could make a good coach , some coaches work by spreading a victim mentality to the team and have no grip on reality when it comes to the ref decisions.
chris1
Roar Rookie
Very true Hopper. The federal sports minister has said that there will be funds etc but that there needs to be a concentrated effort from all the football state bodies to formulate what they want and where the money will go to. This is not as easy as it sounds given the vast numbers playing the game and being the only real national game with such high participation rates. AFL is Victoria centric and league is NSW centric so it's much easier for them to appear to be "united". The state federation's in football need to be herded together and lay out a coherent and viable plan to the minister. Who it seems is a football tragic. So there is hope.
chris1
Roar Rookie
Brains you are right about Hope Solo. She was an outstanding keeper who set the bar for the next generation of keepers to emulate. And yes she was also attractive and controversial. DeVanna just comes across as bitter and angry and doesn't seem to have much between the ears. It's a shame because she could have been used in media but I doubt anyone would come within cooee of her.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Alex Morgan and Hope Solo attracted attention because of their looks? Are you right in the head? Amy Taylor attracted the attention with that calendar. Hope Solo she was the best goal keeper of her era she actually attracts attention these days because of her run ins with police. She is the De Vanna of USA football though obviously a lot better looking, but also with a meaner reputation having also beaten up her 17 year old nephew. De Vanna on the other hand the best she has done is get Vlajnic who is now at Western United to take a restraining order on her. I think Sam Kerr is as good looking as Alex Morgan if not better she just doesn't doll herself up and go to events. Alex Morgan she only really started doing that recently anyway, Alex Morgan has been at the top level longer, Kerr has only been world class since 2017. Kerr is a pure striker, Alex Morgan more of an attacking midfielder, Kerr is supreme as a poacher and aerially thats why she is the best not because she is great skill wise. Alex Morgan is one of the world best as well, 100 plus international goals she also is a top scorer in the NWSL as well.
Bloke7
Roar Rookie
The truth is most people who go to the WWC are going to be people like me. 'Event seekers' as others have put it. Seeing Cathy Freeman and the Olyroos in Sydney 2000, Webber craned off at the F1 in Monaco, a lot of easy cricket wins by Australia in the 90s, a few State of Origins, 4 rugby league grand finals, Messi win gold at the Beijing Olympics, Australia beating England on Feb 12th 2003 at Upton Park..a few more I can't recollect. I love those big moments and hope to add man more. However, football is and always will be my 3rd favourite sport behind league and cricket This despite my Scottish father, the Rangers shirt I wear regularly (but never in Scotland) and playing over 20 seasons when my knees were younger. I watch a lot of European football..well, all the big matches and Aston Villa games if they're lunch time kick offs in the UK. But after the WWC I'll not watch more football, and certainly not more women's football. Not because I don't respect it but because my time is taken up with my preferred sports and other interests. All that being said, Football Australia shouldn't care about my opinion, but rather the young kids that could turn this experience into a lifetime love of football. That's only going to happen with the kind of smart marketing and grass root investments I'm afraid they aren't capable of doing.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I am saying Sydney FC have less Matildas than they should have thanks to stupid selection policies. Sydney have played a fair bit of the season without the American and she is not even starting now she is not fit enough apparently.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Channel 7 I saw their promo and it was a lot longer than anything Channel 10 has done and this is 100 days before the event. Socceroos , Matildas, A-league the pattern is the same your begging for promos to appear and they do so if your lucky a few days before the event. Channel 10 their promo for the Melbourne Cup went on forever. The big discussion has to be what is Channel 10 doing and why. If you look at the track Channel 7 Olympic ads for the Matildas were big as well. The problem is Channel 10 , the one time I watched their news they didnt feature anything on the A-league after a match day in fact they featured the two rugby league players in a dunny . Vlandys called up Channel Nine when they started to promote rugby to much for his liking, Paramount owns 10 unlike VLandys thats why you see neverending non stop ads on Paramount there. What you dont see is the same treatment given to the A-league.
Aiden
Roar Rookie
Perhaps. I could have maybe got a ticket! But it will be a superb atmosphere for those in the crowd
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
what? Sydney have less because of last couple of Matildas coaches? Melbourne City lifted the bar a few seasons back with Matildas but any team you care to look that has done well has one or two standout players, no more. Take Cortney Vine and the American out of Sydney FC and you’ve got another side.
Aiden
Roar Rookie
This is true. My 14 year old hates the AFL and is bemused by the NRL.
Aiden
Roar Rookie
Some, but limited. Australians have shown an amazing ability to show up for a big event with gusto and then not give two shheee-huuuutes about the sport in club-land. I also follow rugby. The RWC in Australia was a massive success, sold out crowds, huge amounts of very positive media, we came second. Etc etc. and the game has gone backwards every year since. In football’s case it took a single crowd invasion to wreck the good vibes from the WC and really it should not be that easy. What legacy did we get from winning the Asian Cup? Hopefully it will grow the woman’s game and it will indicate to football people, media and politicians that we can put on a highly successful football related event. And then if that’s the car FA and the A Leagues need to actually harness the good vibes. Will they?
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Optus also has the World Cup. Amy Dugan is a very good commentator, pity she'll not be on free to air.
At work
Roar Rookie
A bit more exposure hopefully, although Ch.7 have the rights so they probably don't care about the fate of Ch.10 and the ALW