A-League Women (currently known as the Ninja A-League for sponsorship reasons),[2] formerly the W-League, is the top-division women's soccer league in Australia. The W-League was established in 2008 by Football Australia (then known as Football Federation Australia) and was originally composed of eight teams of which seven had an affiliation with an existing A-League Men's club. As of the 2022–23 season, the league is contested by twelve teams.[3] The league, as well as the A-League Men and A-League Youth are administered by the Australian Professional Leagues.[4]
 | |
| Founded | 25 October 2008 |
|---|---|
| First season | 2008–09 |
| Country | Australia (11 teams) |
| Other club(s) from | New Zealand (1 team) |
| Confederation | Asian Football Confederation |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| International cup(s) | AFC Women's Champions League |
| Current champions | Sydney FC (5th title) (2023–24) |
| Current premiers | Melbourne City (3rd title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Sydney FC (5 titles) |
| Most premierships | Sydney FC (5 titles) |
| TV partners |
|
| Website | aleagues.com.au |
| Current: 2024–25 A-League Women | |
Seasons now run from November to April and include a 23-round regular season and an end-of-season finals series playoff tournament involving the highest-placed teams, culminating in a Grand Final match. The winner of the regular season tournament is dubbed "premiers" and the winner of the grand final is dubbed "champions". The premiers qualify for the AFC Women's Champions League, starting from the 2024–25 season.
Since the league's inaugural season, a total of five clubs have been crowned premiers and five clubs have been crowned champions. It has been currently running on a semi-professional basis, but talks about professionalisation have been emerging, beginning with the name change and placing of all women's clubs into one single Australian Professional Leagues operation and management in 2021, which served as the precursors for complete transition to professionalism of the A-League Women.[5][6]
Melbourne City are the current premiers, having won their third title; Sydney FC are the current champions, having won their fifth title.
History
edit
Between 1996 and 2004 the Women's National Soccer League (WNSL) was Australia's top women's soccer league. In 2004 it was discontinued alongside the men's National Soccer League.
After Australia qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, head coach Tom Sermanni felt the establishment of a professional league was vital for continuing the development of players.[7] Football Federation Australia established the league the following year.[8] The W-League was initially composed of eight teams: Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets, Perth Glory, and Sydney FC. Seven of the eight teams were affiliated with A-League clubs, and shared their names and colours to promote their brands. The eighth club was Canberra United.[9]
The W-League's inaugural season commenced on 25 October 2008, with Perth hosting Sydney at Members Equity Stadium.[10] After ten rounds, the regular season finished with Queensland Roar as the top-placed team, becoming the first W-League premiers, and advancing to the semi-finals along with the second-, third- and fourth-placed teams. Queensland faced Canberra in the 2009 W-League grand final, defeating them 2–0 to take the champions trophy.
Central Coast Mariners were forced to withdraw from the 2010–11 season due to a lack of funding,[11] but returned in 2023–24.[12]
When Western Sydney Wanderers joined the A-League for the 2012–13 season, they also entered a team into the W-League, returning the competition to eight teams. From 2012 to 2014, the W-League champion team qualified into an international competition, the International Women's Club Championship.
On 13 May 2015, Melbourne City were confirmed to compete in the W-League from the 2015–16 season.[13] The club had a remarkable inaugural season, winning all 12 of its regular season games and winning the Grand Final.[14]
From the inception of the competition the league was run by Football Federation Australia, the governing body for the sport in Australia. In July 2019, the FFA relinquished operational control of the league to each of the clubs, now represented by the Australian Professional Leagues.[15]
The league commenced a further expansion program starting in 2021, with Wellington Phoenix commencing in the 2021–22 season,[16] Western United for the 2022–23 season,[17] and Central Coast Mariners for the 2023–24 season.[12] Future expansion is planned for the 2025–26 season, after the award of a licence for an Auckland-based team for both A-League Men and Women.[18]
Crowds have improved remarkably in 2023, on the back of the Matildas performance in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The record A-League Women's crowd (including finals) was set on 14 October 2023, with the match between Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers drawing a crowd of 11,471.[19]
Around 15 April 2024, the 2023–24 A-League Women season become the most attended season of any women's sport in Australian history by recording a total attendance of 284,551;[20][21][22][23] the season finished with a final total attendance of 312,199.[24]
Competition format
editThe A-League Women regular season typically runs from November to April and consists of 23 games per team (22 home and away, plus one additional "Unite Round" fixture),[25] with the highest ranked team winning the title of "Premier".[26] The top six teams in the regular season then advance to the knockout finals series (single elimination finals, two-legged semi-finals), with the Champion determined by the victor of the Grand Final.[27]
On 12 December 2022, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) announced that the grand finals for the 2022–23 and two subsequent seasons would be hosted in Sydney,[28] a move which received considerable backlash.[29][30] On 18 October 2023, the APL announced that the Grand Final hosting rights would revert back to the original format, and instead a new "Unite Round" was introduced, with a regular season round having all its games played in Sydney.[31]
Special events
editPride Round
editPride Cup is an Australian organisation dedicated to advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community in sport. It was founded in 2012 after former Australian rules footballer Jason Ball came out publicly as gay, and his club in Yarra Glen, Victoria showed their support by staging a "Pride Cup". This led to the establishment of the annual AFL Pride Game in 2016, and the idea soon spread to other codes.[32] After Adelaide United player Josh Cavallo became the first openly gay top-flight male footballer in October 2021, the A-League partnered with A-League Women to stage a single Pride men's and women's doubleheader during the 2021-22 season.[33]
On 24–26 February 2023, both the A-League Men and Women's competitions staged their first-ever Pride Round, the first occasion in which the leagues had "come together to recognise and promote inclusion for the LGBTQIA+ community". Part proceeds from ticket sales across all of the round's fixtures were donated to Pride Cup.[33] In 2024, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) announced the continuation of the round, as well as providing inclusion training to all players and key stakeholders. The A-Leagues would be collaborating with the PFA and Pride Cup, who would help to deliver the training. The annual Pride Cup double-header between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory would take place in March, and several men's and women's teams would celebrate by engaging community groups and using indicators such as rainbow corner flags, armbands, special Pride kit and/or rainbow socks.[34]
Unite Round
editSince the 2023–24 season the Australian Professional Leagues has held a "Unite Round". During this round, all matches are held in a single city. The round is currently in partnership with Destination NSW, and was introduced after the Grand Final decision was reversed in October 2023.[35]
| Season | Dates | City | Venues (matches) | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | Total | ||||
| 2023–24 | 12–14 January 2024 | Sydney | Allianz Stadium (4), CommBank Stadium (4), Leichhardt Oval (4) | 36,203 | 11,222 | 47,425 |
| 2024–25 | 22–24 November 2024 | Allianz Stadium (6), Leichhardt Oval (6) | ||||
Clubs
edit
| Future clubs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joining |
| Auckland FC | Auckland, New Zealand | TBD | TBD | 2024 | 2025–26[37] |
Performance record
editPerformance and ranking of clubs based on their best regular season result in the W-League and A-League Women.
| Rank | Club | Best result | 08–09 | 09 | 10–11 | 11–12 | 12–13 | 13–14 | 14 | 15–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–20 | 20–21 | 21–22 | 22–23 | 23–24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney FC | 1st (5 times) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Brisbane Roar | 1st (3 times) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
| 3 | Canberra United | 1st (3 times) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 11 |
| 4 | Melbourne City | 1st (3 times) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | Melbourne Victory | 1st | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | Perth Glory | 1st | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 7 | Newcastle Jets | 2nd | 2 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 6 |
| 8 | Central Coast Mariners | 2nd | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
| 9 | Western United | 2nd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | Adelaide United | 3rd | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| 11 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 3rd | — | — | — | — | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| 12 | Wellington Phoenix | 8th | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 11 | 8 |
|
Organisation
editSquad formation and salaries
editAn A-League Women squad is required to have a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 26 players.[citation needed] Players typically receive a one-season contract,[citation needed] with many playing in leagues in other countries during the A-League Women off-season. Due to the A-League Women season running during the off-season of several leagues around the world, many foreign players have played for teams in A-League Women and vice versa.
In 2015, teams in what was then the W-League had a salary cap of A$150,000.[38] Individual player salaries varied, with one player reporting to The Sydney Morning Herald in 2012 that whilst some players earned A$10,000, others earned nothing.[39] In 2014, it was reported that Sydney FC players were paid salaries ranging from $1,000 to $6,000.[40] Players could also earn money playing overseas and may therefore be considered by Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) as professional.[41]
Some clubs are owned by their state soccer associations, including Adelaide United and Newcastle Jets.[citation needed]
For the 2017–18 season a minimum salary was introduced at A$10,000. The average salary therefore rose from A$15,500 to A$17,400. A salary cap was set at A$300,000.[42]
The total salary floor, or minimum salary spend, for the 2020-21 season rose to A$294,000, growing to A$315,000 in the 2021-22 season, with a salary cap of A$450,000, as part of a five-year deal that woulf see the salary floor rise to A$390,000 by 2025-26.[43] The deal also included improved standards in training venues, travel and accommodation, high performance staffing, and player workloads.[43] The A-League Women minimum annual wage in 2021 was A$17,055.[44] This increased to A$25,000 in 2023 owing to the extended season, which was a full home-and-away schedule for the first time. As of March 2024[update], players are contracted for 35 weeks for a 22-round regular season, with four extra weeks for those playing in the finals.[45]
A 2023 survey showed that most players in the league work and/or study part-time, having to supplement their part-time income. According to the PFA, most players "earned at or close to the minimum" in the previous season, with around 60 per cent of players having had to work second jobs; by way of comparison, only 15 per cent of A-League Men were working second jobs, with the vast majority of those working fewer than 10 hours per week. After the success of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand, there were renewed calls to make the competition a full-time one.[45]
Branding
edit
The competition was known as the Westfield W-League from its inception in 2008 until 2021, under an agreement with Westfield as the naming rights sponsor.[46] The main logo design was shared with the A-League men's competition. In 2017, Football Australia undertook a major rebranding and redesigned its logos for the W-League and A-League to be in line with its own logo, and those of its member federations.[47]
After governance of the league was handed to the Australian Professional Leagues in 2020, there was another rebranding in September 2021, which saw the competition being renamed to A-League Women.[48] Liberty Financial became the league's new naming rights sponsor shortly afterwards in December 2021 and the competition was then known as the Liberty A-League Women.[49] Since September 2024, the league is known as Ninja A-League Women with home appliances company SharkNinja as the current naming rights sponsor.[2]
Stadiums
editA-League Women games have been played in 33 stadiums since the inaugural season of the A-League.
Broadcasting
editThe 2018–19 season marked the first time that fans were able to watch every W-League game. All matches were broadcast or streamed on Fox Sports, SBS Viceland and the My Football Live app. Thursday Night Football was also introduced, meaning 13 stand-alone regular season matches will be played in prime-time and broadcast live on Fox Sports.[50] The Football Federation Australia (FFA) reached a deal with ESPN+ for broadcast rights to W-League games in the United States. ESPN+ will carry at least 17 W-League matches in the 2018–19 season.[51] For the first time ever W-League games would be broadcast on YouTube and Twitter in territories without a traditional broadcast partner.[52]
In the 2019–20 season, ABC TV broadcast one game per weekend. Fourteen rounds of that season were broadcast at 4pm on Sundays, as well as the whole W-League 2020 Finals Series.[53] Fox Sport's contract with the A-League, which was renegotiated in June 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, concluded in July 2021.[54]
From July 2019 to the end of the 2020–21 season, Foxtel broadcast all matches with ABC broadcasting one match per round live on its primary channel.[55]
Since August 2021, as part of a five-year deal with ViacomCBS, the A-Leagues have been broadcast by Network 10 and Paramount+ (Australia) streaming service.[56][57] As of the 2022–23 season, Paramount and Network 10's free-to-access streaming service 10Play stream all matches.[58]
In New Zealand, A-League Men and A-League Women matches are broadcast on Sky Sport / beIN Sports.
Current broadcasters
edit| Territory | Network |
|---|---|
 Australia
|
Network 10 |
| Paramount+ | |
 New Zealand
|
Sky Open |
| Sky Sport | |
| Pacific Islands | Australia TV |
| Pasifika TV | |
| International | Sport24 (in-flight and ship only) |
| YouTube (unsold markets only) | |
 Ireland
|
TNT Sports |
 United Kingdom
| |
 Spain
|
LaLiga+ |
Referees
editA-League Women features female referees and assistant referees from Australia. Notable referees include:
- Kate Jacewicz, who refereed nine of the first eleven Finals.[59]
- Katie Patterson
- Casey Reibelt
Honours
edit| Season | Premiers (regular season winners) |
Champions (Grand Final winners) |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Queensland Roar[a] | Queensland Roar |
| 2009 | Sydney FC | Sydney FC |
| 2010–11 | Sydney FC | Brisbane Roar |
| 2011–12 | Canberra United | Canberra United |
| 2012–13 | Brisbane Roar | Sydney FC |
| 2013–14 | Canberra United | Melbourne Victory |
| 2014 | Perth Glory | Canberra United |
| 2015–16 | Melbourne City | Melbourne City |
| 2016–17 | Canberra United | Melbourne City |
| 2017–18 | Brisbane Roar | Melbourne City |
| 2018–19 | Melbourne Victory | Sydney FC |
| 2019–20 | Melbourne City | Melbourne City |
| 2020–21 | Sydney FC | Melbourne Victory |
| 2021–22 | Sydney FC | Melbourne Victory |
| 2022–23 | Sydney FC | Sydney FC |
| 2023–24 | Melbourne City | Sydney FC |
Records
editMost appearances
editAs of 11 February 2024.[60]
Players listed in bold are still actively playing in the A-League Women.
| Rank | Player | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michelle Heyman
|
174 |
| 2 | Kim Carroll
|
158 |
| 3 | Teresa Polias
|
157 |
| 4 | Tameka Yallop
|
154 |
| 5 | Clare Polkinghorne
|
152 |
| 6 | Caitlin Cooper
|
151 |
| Gema Simon
| ||
| 8 | Ellie Brush
|
145 |
| Emma Checker
| ||
| 10 | Cassidy Davis
|
144 |
Top scorers
editAs of 11 February 2024.[61]
Players listed in bold are still actively playing in the A-League Women.
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michelle Heyman
|
105 |
| 2 | Samantha Kerr
|
70 |
| 3 | Tameka Yallop
|
61 |
| 4 | Kyah Simon
|
50 |
| 5 | Emily Gielnik
|
48 |
| 6 | Tara Andrews
|
45 |
| Leena Khamis
| ||
| 8 | Ashleigh Sykes
|
44 |
| 9 | Lisa De Vanna
|
42 |
| Kate Gill
|
See also
edit
- AFC Women's Club Championship
- A-League Women records and statistics
- Women's soccer in Australia
- Australia women's national soccer team
- Women's National Soccer League (WNSL) – defunct Australian women's national league
- A-League Men
Notes
edit- ^ Queensland Roar changed their name to Brisbane Roar for the 2009 season onwards.
References
edit- ^ "Our International Broadcasters – KEEPUP". Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ a b Rosengarten, Jake (12 September 2024). "SharkNinja announced as new naming rights partner of the A-League Women". A-Leagues. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "'A special day': Western United to join A-League Women next season". ABC News. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ Official site Archived 30 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "W-League name scrapped as Australian soccer rebrands under A-Leagues banner". SportsPro. 29 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ "History of Women's Football in Australia". Football Australia. 23 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ Grainey, Tim (26 November 2013). "Grainey: A closer look at the Westfield W-League". Equalizer Soccer. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "Women in a league of their own". Football Federation Australia. 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
- ^ "W-League to debut in October". Fox Sports. 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 6 August 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
- ^ "Girls shop to the top". FourFourTwo. 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 September 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
- ^ "Statement regarding Westfield W-League". Central Coast Mariners. 29 July 2010. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Central Coast Mariners confirm first signing after officially being accepted into Liberty A-League women's competition". Central Coast Mariners. 17 October 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ Hytner, Mike (13 May 2015). "Melbourne City FC to field a W-League side next season". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ "Melbourne City crown perfect season with W-League grand final win over Sydney FC". The Age. 31 January 2016. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ^ "FFA reaches in principle agreement for independent A-League". The Roar. 2 July 2019. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ Andrew Voerman (10 September 2021). "Wellington Phoenix to field women's team in W-League with quota of Australian players". stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "We're In! Western United to join W-League". Western United. 3 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Auckland to enter A-Leagues from next season as US billionaire adds another sporting franchise". ABC News. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ "Single-round Liberty A-League attendance record smashed in Round 1… after just two games!". A-Leagues. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ Tu, Jessie (15 April 2024). "Women's A-League games most attended season of women's sport in Australian history". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "History made! 🥳⚽️🇦🇺 The most successful season in Liberty A-League history has set a new benchmark for women's sport in Australia". Facebook. A-Leagues. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "Women's A-League down to four contenders after first stage of finals series". Friends of Football. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "INVEST IN WOMEN'S SPORT. The Tillies effect 😤 In a record-breaking week one of the Finals Series, the A-League became the most attended season, of any women's sport, in Australia ever. Surpassing the AFLW 2023 cumulative attendance total for the regular season + finals series". Instagram. The Female Athlete Project. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "Thank you for making season 2023/24 of the Liberty A-League the biggest in the 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 🇦🇺❤️ A 127% increase on last year. Just incredible". Facebook. A-Leagues. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ Comito, Matthew (17 July 2024). "Dates announced for 2024-25 A-Leagues season". A-Leagues. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "W-LEAGUE". Soccer Way. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ Rosengarten, Jake (31 March 2024). "Fixtures locked in for Liberty A-League finals series: What you need to know". A-Leagues. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "Why Sydney is the new home of the A-Leagues Grand Finals". 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "'Terrible decision': A-Leagues' move to sell off grand final rights to Sydney sparks fan anger". TheGuardian.com. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ Rugari, Vince (12 December 2022). "'Absolute disgrace': A-League grand final move slammed by fans, owners and a Socceroo". Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "A-Leagues announce first ever Unite Round to take place this season". A-Leagues. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "About". Pride Cup. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ a b Lynch, Joey (7 February 2023). "Australia's A-Leagues launch first Pride round". ESPN.com. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "The 2024 A-Leagues Pride Celebration is this week: Everything you need to know". A-Leagues. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "A-Leagues scrap controversial Grand Final decision in favour of Unite Round". ABC News. 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Sam Kerr Football Centre". Austadiums. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Auckland expansion team awarded full A-Leagues license". A-Leagues. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ "Fairer wages for women to dominate CBA talks". theworldgame.sbs.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^ "W-League 2013: Melissa Barbieri has to sell possessions to play". smh.com.au. 4 November 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ "You can't accuse Sydney FC's W-League team of doing it for anything other than the glory". dailytelegraph.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ Scanlon, Jill (20 October 2015). "The W-League Will Be Looking To Follow The Matildas Pay Deal Path". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
While this is not a full-time professional workload wage, the women can also earn money playing overseas and are therefore considered by the PFA to be categorised as professional.
- ^ "W-League players to get huge pay increase for new season". espnfc.com. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Salary cap changes, pay boost for W-League, A-League players". thewomensgame.com. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Monteverde, Marco (9 September 2021). "A-League: New agreement will allow clubs to spend extra money outside of salary cap". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ a b Lewis, Samantha (5 March 2024). "A-League Women players urge APL to create full-time competition amid Women's World Cup boom". ABC News. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "FFA and Westfield announce partnership extension across Women's National Teams & Westfield W-League | Matildas". www.matildas.com.au. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "FFA reveal new branding and A-League logo". SBS Sport. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "The W-League is no more — say hello to A-League Men and A-League Women". ABC News. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ Smithies, Tom (1 December 2021). "Liberty signs as A-League Women naming rights partner". A-Leagues. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Fans able to watch every match of the Westfield W-League 2018/19 Season". 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "ESPN+ Acquires Broadcast Rights to Westfield W-League in the United States". 10 August 2018. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "Fans in more corners of the globe set to watch Australian football this season". 18 October 2018. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "ABC TV becomes Free-to-Air Broadcast Partner of the Hyundai A-League". A-League. 3 October 2019. Archived from the original on 3 October 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "Foxtel and FFA come to an agreement over A-League and W-League". Mumbrella. 22 June 2020. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "ABC strikes deal with FFA to become free-to-air home of football in Australia". ABC News. 3 October 2019. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ "A-League announces Channel 10 as new broadcast partner in five-year deal". ABC News (Australia). 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "Network 10 and Paramount+ to deliver double the football action on Saturday nights". A-League. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "10 Bold, Paramount+ home of 2022–23 A-League". TV Tonight. 7 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "Kate Jacewicz to referee the Westfield W-League 2019 Grand Final". Football Federation Australia. 13 February 2019. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "Australia W-League Women All-time appearances 1–50". worldfootball.net. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- ^ "Women A-League Women - All-time Topscorers". 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.