The Rise of Women’s Soccer in Australia
Before the 2023 Women’s World Cup (WWC) in Australia, 35-year-old Ella Gordon wasn’t a big fan of sports. However, the Matildas’ success during the tournament changed everything for her. She found herself swept up in the national hype, attending several games and watching others on TV. Soon, she “fell in love” with the sport.
Gordon, a queer woman with a background in musical theatre, shared that she had never felt welcome in professional sports before. “If you had told me two years ago that I would be staying up to midnight to watch 11 women run around a pitch and kick a ball, I would have told you you’re crazy,” she said.
After the tournament, Gordon bought a Brisbane Roar A-League Women’s (ALW) membership and has since attended as many home games as possible. She is not alone; many Australians bought ALW memberships or sought to learn more about the domestic competition following the WWC’s success.
However, support hasn’t always been easy to come by. Many fans, including Gordon, found that the domestic league didn’t meet their expectations in terms of professionalism, both on and off the pitch.
Challenges Faced by Fans
One of the main issues is the inaccessibility of games. While the A-League Women’s initially saw a boost in crowds after the WWC, from an average of 1,583 a match to 2,248 the following season, the numbers dropped back down to about 1,570 a match in the 2024/2025 season.
Melbourne-based Alison Malek, who previously paid little attention to soccer, signed up for a Melbourne Victory Women’s membership after getting hooked during the WWC. However, she hasn’t attended a single match yet. The club’s home ground is in Bundoora, a residential suburb about 15 kilometres north-east of Melbourne’s CBD, which is not near a train line. This makes it difficult for fans like Malek to attend without driving or taking multiple buses.
Gordon also faced challenges due to the Roar’s changing home grounds, making it hard to form a routine or connection. Similarly, Rachael Bettiens, a 40-year-old fan, signed up for a Melbourne City membership but struggled to attend regular games because most were held in Casey Fields, an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s centre.
Bettiens noted that the fixtures for the season included games on Wednesday nights at 4:30pm and 5:30pm, which made attendance difficult for most people. “I think this season I’ve been to one game and it was a double header at AAMI,” she said. “And with that, it was on a Friday at 4:50pm, so I literally had to plan my work day so that I could start early and finish early to get to the game.”
Improvements and Ongoing Issues
The A-Leagues did take club and fan feedback into account and tried to fixture games for the 2025/2026 season at more family-friendly times. However, many venues still lack appropriate floodlights, meaning they can’t host night games. Only 9 out of 110 regular season games fell on weekdays this season.
Despite these efforts, communication about the schedule and other details remains a challenge. Bettiens said information about the Champions League wasn’t well communicated to members, making it difficult for fans to understand what was happening.
Visibility and Media Coverage
Another issue is the lack of visibility for the A-League Women’s. Malek said the Matildas were very active on social media during the WWC, helping her connect with the team. “I couldn’t tell you one player [from Victory],” she said, adding that the ALW didn’t feature much on mainstream news.
Bettiens echoed this sentiment, noting that clubs often prioritised men’s content over women’s. She suggested that broadcasting experts or hosts talking about the game pre-show and at half-time would help fans feel more connected.
While the A-Leagues do have their own channels, including a showpiece “Dub Zone” 30 to 40 minute show on YouTube and Instagram, the content quantity pales in comparison to other domestic competitions on the airways.
Financial Challenges
Financial turbulence continues to hit the league, with broadcast deals lacking the funding for better production. The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) slashed clubs’ funding by almost 75 per cent for the 2024/2025 season, distributing just $530,000, down from nearly $2 million the previous season.
In 2024, five A-League insiders told the Herald Sun, on the condition of anonymity, that the elite competition was in a perilous financial state.
Future Hope
Despite these challenges, there are fans like Gordon who remain hopeful. “Partly it’s a hope that it’s going to get better and I want to be a part of that,” she said. “Because they can’t improve if they don’t have the people there supporting them.”
Gordon also enjoys watching the sport, even if the quality isn’t as good. There’s also the added benefit of pride when Brisbane players get national call-ups, such as goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln, who featured in the recent Women’s Asian Cup, Matildas veteran Tameka Yallop, and fan-favourite Sharn Freier.
