FOOTBALL Federation Australia says it is well-placed to weather the storm as rival codes invest huge sums of money into women’s sport and begin plotting future raids on football’s top female talent.
Women’s sport is enjoying unprecedented mainstream interest at domestic level, following the wild success of the Women’s Big Bash League in the summer and ahead of the launch of the women’s AFL and a turbocharged Australian netball competition, powered by AFL and NRL-supported franchises, next year.
The Matildas will step into the spotlight over the coming weeks as preparations ramp up for the Rio Olympics.
FFA has no plans to increase spending on women’s football or to expand the W-League in the short term - but the governing body is confident the foundations that have been in place for years will hold the game in good stead as women’s sport steps into a highly commercialised and competitive new era.
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READ NOW“We’re very aware of the other sports that are spending more in this space but we’re staying firm to our strategy, which is growing the A-League and W-League together,” FFA’s head of women’s football Emma Highwood said.
“We feel the Matildas is a real asset towards that and a good run in Rio will allow us to leverage that.
“We’ve also been in this game (women’s sport) for a while and what you’re seeing now is off the back of years of work in that space.”
Football last year overtook netball in terms of participation for girls aged between six and 13, according to Roy Morgan, and FFA believes that popularity will serve as the bedrock of their plans around the women’s game.
For the first time, the A-League draw for next season is being constructed at the same time as the W-League’s, meaning the possibility of more televised double-headers on Fox Sports and ABC. There is also a growing appetite from broadcasters for more Matildas content after their Olympic qualifiers rated strongly on the Seven Network earlier this year.
FFA is hopeful football’s international lure can also help the sport hold onto its best players.
The AFL has launched a talent search program in an attempt to poach elite female athletes from other sports.
Former Matilda Brianna Davey, who played with W-League pacesetters Melbourne City last season, is one of several footballers tossing up whether to make a permanent switch to women’s AFL with the Western Bulldogs.