The Queensland Government has announced that an extra $37 million of funding is set to be spent on women’s and girls facilities as part of the World Cup legacy project – but football fans have been blowing up, as the bulk of the cash is set to go to other sports.
Among the major beneficiaries of football’s World Cup will be $15m to Ballymore Stadium – home of the Wallaroos and Queensland Reds in rugby union – and $18m for a dedicated stadium for women’s AFL.
Queensland will kick in $2m more to the Queensland Women’s Football Legacy Fund, which has seen improvements made to facilities that were used as training bases during the World Cup, including Perry Park, home of Brisbane Strikers, who do not have a women’s team.
The disparity in funding between sports has long been a sore point for football fans, particularly north of the Tweed.
Football is by far the largest participation sport in Queensland, but receives $42 per participant from the state government, compared to more than $650 in rugby union and more than $380 in AFL.
Netball, also a sport predominantly played by women, fares little better, and rugby league and cricket, by far the most popular sports in Queensland, are around half of what AFL gets and a third of the funding allotted to rugby union.
Stefan Mauk, the former Brisbane Roar midfielder now based in Japan, took to Twitter to point out the huge gaps in how different sports are allocated money by state governments, especially when it came to creating the Centres of Excellence that turned recreational players into elite players who could go on to represent the Matildas and Socceroos at World Cups.
According to graphics shared by Mauk, all AFL clubs have received funding from state and federal government for CoEs, as have 12 of the 16 Australia-based NRL clubs. The A-League, on the other hand, has only had limited state government funding and no federal support.
“When NRL/AFL get these handouts, they are talking about the growth in their game,” he wrote.
“Yet, on the back of the Women’s World Cup, we have governments giving it to women’s sport, not just ‘football’.
“On the back of the Women’s World Cup and Men’s World Cup, the government should realise how many people like football (if the participation numbers didn’t make them realise this) and when you see the funding over the past 10 years, it doesn’t make for good reading.
“Grassroots funding is most important because this is where participation is highest. But without a quality league for the Australian players to play in, we reduce the chances of being able to compete at an international level. We have just seen what success does to the country!
A further $200m in women’s sport funding has been announced by the Albanese government following the Women’s World Cup, though again, it has not been specified how much of this will be dedicated to women’s football, which has twice as many participants as AFL, netball or cricket.
Both captain Sam Kerr and coach Tony Gustavsson pointed out the infrastructure problems that football faced in Australia in their interviews following the tournament.
“We need funding in our development,” said Kerr. “We need funding in our grassroots. We need funding everywhere.”
Gustavsson pointed out that Australia lagged behind England, who have the St George’s Park set-up for elite talents in Women’s and Men’s football and that Australia needed to ‘keep up’.
“The passion for the sport is there, the players are there,” he said.
“It’s giving them a fair chance to make sure there’s investment in grassroots football so more can play and stay in the game for longer.
“Making sure there’s pathways for every single player. Make sure the facilities are there to play. It comes down to investment.
“I want to be very clear that I want to see investment now, I really do. I want to see investment. And I mean like a real investment that we’re serious about what we’re doing.”
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also announced that a statue would be built at Suncorp Stadium to honour the epic penalty shootout victory over France, with NSW also adding a mural of the Matildas to Accor Stadium in celebration of their acheivements.
Naturally, many pointed to the expense of such installations, and wondered if it mightn’t be better spent on producing the next generation of Matildas – not to mention that it celebrates a team that, ultimately, came fourth.
“Matildas did well,” wrote Aussie NBA star Andrew Bogut. “Statue? No. A Gold/First Place is a statue and over the top celebration worthy achievement.
“Anything below is good, have a celebration or two, then move on. This goes for all Sports btw. A for effort, N for No statue.”
Nick Kyrgios replied, adding: “Agree. Great effort! Statue for fourth is nuts but they had us all on the edge of our seats! Next time.”
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
So we're talking the last 60 seconds of a game, so about 1/120th of the game. For 119 minutes of those 120 it's a goal and only a goal. And only when scores are level. Rocking Horse poo and Hen's teeth are in abundance comparatively speaking.
Football Fan
Roar Rookie
Why would anyone bother? It's not like the US preferences in everything are right.
Football Fan
Roar Rookie
Not quite true Rowdy. There have been many occasions when a team has tried to get a point when the scores have been close toward the end of the game. Obviously a goal is better but they often deliberately go for a point.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Chris Lewis (August 28th 2023 @ 6:37am) Threads can be hard to follow at times......as #Grem said..........that's why I directly reference the poster I'm referring to. Arguably should also directly include the date/time stamp as well...... ......anyway - - I'll support anyone who shows some journalistic integrity; and even then is open to debate, discuss, politely defend etc their findings. i.e. the science of journalism. I'm always open to new information. btw - AFL took a big hit through Covid and the sporting environment coming out of Covid has been great timing for soccer. How the dust settles over the next 3 or 4 years will be very interesting. I suspect that's why soccer in Australia would love, love, love to get hold of the 2034 event (although I still assert 48 teams is too big in Australia so you'd be sharing with more than NZ and might just be more clumsy that the Vic regional Comm Games!!).
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
the inaccuracy in this article was not a slant at afl.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Lionheart You've gotta admit though - - THIS article was very inflammatory and way off the mark. As I pointed out - plucking just one example out - the Tweet that was reproduced looking at the 2 layers of Govt funding to AFL CofE's - - without any background knowledge (and with a hatred of the club) - I plucked out Essendon and the $10.3 million referenced towards their "The Hangar" development was a partner project with the Australian Paralympics organisation for their Victorian base - the $10.3 mill Govt funded included $4 mill of Fed funding..........to the Paralympics and NOT to Essendon. And no mention of the $10 mill that Essendon sourced themselves. So do you see why I get frustrated with ignorance......either deliberately or just lazily so. Journalistic negligence in this article abounds. There's a narrative being pushed.......a bit like anti-vaxers - - here it's the anti-AFLers and they don't let facts get in their way. Perhaps that's why a couple of us get a little defensive. Happy to pot the AFL when they deserve it.......
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
yes, did not think you would bag a football fan. But I think MM knows his stuff and uses evidence to support his argument which i always like. BTW, i have found a lot of relevant data for my piece which i hope football fans read.
BrisbaneBhoy
Roar Rookie
"Big Ange is now Manager of one of the top 10 biggest Football Clubs in the World." :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: Tottenham are NOT, I repeat NOT "one of the top 10 biggest Football Clubs in the World". Taking nothing away from Ange, and what he is achieving, but you need to get off the drugs.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
can only add that from observation, invariably the first comment is in reply to a comment made by a visitors from the afl tab
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
I think football can tweak it slightly in their favour (relative to what has been the norm for 100 years now).
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Lionheart excellent last line. re first - Rowdy largely covered it - - on the AFL tab there's practically zero reference to any other code. On this tab however - - again and again there's commentary generally based in gross ignorance that is specifically anti AFL (and to a very much lesser extent the NRL). The thing to remember - - while there are sports specific tabs - this IS a multi sport website and on that front page in the "Roaring Hot" column - it's not obvious which tab the comment relates to.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Why so harsh? "Perrenial Parasites" :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Grem
Roar Rookie
Threads are hard to follow at times - I was referring to MM.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
That's a two-way street.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Appropriate nickname for rl after this round and another rectal examination being performed.
Grem
Roar Rookie
I don’t disagree, but there are often more behinds than goals, so they obviously count as a score. No footballer enters the field intending to miss, but they do, no consolation points in football!
Grem
Roar Rookie
When Munro Mike indicated the game was soccer and not football because you can score from your head, I replied with the fact you can score with any part of your body in AFL. A game can be won with the bum, intentional or otherwise, and that is fact. This makes it no more football, than football!
Grem
Roar Rookie
You’ll need to have a chat to Munro Mike.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Because some Football fans say some quite stupid things about Australian Football.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Australian Football has never had to bribe its way into schools in NT, WA, SA, Tas or Victoria. That's about 70% of the area of Australia