Western Australia officially declare support for 2023 Women’s World Cup bid

In recent times, the Victorian and South Australian governments have gotten onside with the 2023 Women’s World Cup hosting bid.

The Matildas are one of, if not our most decorated international sides and to say they deserve to host the largest women’s sporting tournament in the world is a severe understatement.

Ever since the bid was initially proposed, there have been strong suggestions that Perth and the state of WA would be integral to the makeup of the tournament.

On Saturday, WA Premier Mark McGowan and the state government officially declared that the state of Western Australia will indeed be a part of the bid to host a Women’s World Cup.

In theory, a Women’s World Cup would 100% work in Australia, despite clashes with the AFL and NRL seasons. With this in mind, matches at the 100,000 capacity MCG seem to be unlikely.

With that in mind, Perth has become a major talking point when it comes to a host city or where a potential final would be held. Now, with the WA government officially on board with the FFA’s proposed bid, that idea has a base.

The sport of soccer has seen a resurgence to a certain degree in recent times. Perth Glory have re-established themselves as an A-League powerhouse and were unlucky not to be crowned champions last season.

But when it comes to soccer in WA, the main talking point is Sam Kerr.

The Matildas captain is one of the poster girls for women’s soccer all across the globe. She recently made international headlines by signing for Chelsea’s women’s team in England. The Blues currently lead the FA Women’s National League, the Premier League equivalent for women.

She has been and continues to be an inspiration for up and coming soccer players in Australia, especially in her home state of Western Australia.

McGowan subsequently spoke about how it’s a potentially fantastic reward for the Matildas, but how beneficial it could be for his state.

“The WA Government is very excited at the prospect of being part of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2023,” McGowan said.

“We have also partnered with FFA to secure at least two Socceroos games in Perth, including two guaranteed World Cup qualifiers next year and in 2021.

“The benefits to our State will be significant, in terms of having a major economic impact on and providing a massive increase in exposure to the rest of the world.”

We have previously spoken about the prospect of hosting a Women’s World Cup Down Under in 2023 and how it’s benefits would have no end.

The amount of aspiring female players will skyrocket, with many hoping to emulate the likes of Kerr, Lisa De Vanna, Steph Catley and Chloe Logarzo.

As Premier McGowan outlined, the increase in exposure across the globe would do a world of good. The Matildas are already a highly respected side, currently ranked 8th in the world by FIFA and ahead of international footballing powerhouses like Brazil, Spain and Italy.

The game in Australia would benefit hugely and more fans from around the world would start watching our domestic competitions, both male and female.

Compare this to the way in which Qatar became the number one topic everywhere when it was named the host of the 2022 Men’s World Cup.

When soccer fans think of Qatar, they automatically think to how they are hosting that competition, as well as how they recently stunned the continent of Asia by winning this year’s Asian Cup back in February.

The tournament is still two and a half years away and yet, talk about them and the tournament still continues. Imagine when the tournament actually gets underway.

The bid continues to attract major stakeholders and more and more people are getting #onside with it. It goes to show that women’s sport isn’t just emerging from the shadows, it’s becoming a genuine revolution and now, it’s viewed upon by the majority as just as important as the men’s game.

Let’s hope that the 2023 bid is successful because it would be the sustained interest that soccer in this country needs.

 

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The Man Who Built a Women’s Football Program from Nothing is now an Award-Winning Gender Equity Leader

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Image Credit: Football Victoria

Eight years ago, Spring Hills Football Club did not have a girls’ team. Today it has one of the most recognised women’s programs in Melbourne’s west, a senior NPLW side, and a head coach who has just been named Gender Equity Leader of the Year at the Melton City Council Volunteer Achievement Awards.

Tom Markovski, Spring Hills’ NPLW Head Coach, received the award at a ceremony coinciding with National Volunteer Week, recognised for his community leadership, promotion of gender equality and commitment to advancing the status of women and people of all genders in sport. The recognition comes from outside the football community entirely, awarded by a local council celebrating volunteers across every sector of civic life in one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing regions.

Building from scratch

When Markovski arrived at Spring Hills, women’s football at the club did not exist. His first act was to champion the establishment of the club’s first all-girls team, a process that required persuading a club culture built around men’s football that the investment was worth making.

Women’s football in community clubs has historically struggled to access the same facilities, scheduling priority, coaching resources and institutional support as the men’s game. Clubs have been slow to invest in programs whose return is less immediately visible than a senior men’s premiership, and in a growing outer-suburban community like Melton, where volunteer capacity is finite and demand across every program is high, the case for building something new always has to compete with the urgency of maintaining what already exists.

Markovski made the case anyway, and kept making it across eight years of coaching senior and junior NPL teams while simultaneously building the structural foundations of a women’s program designed to outlast any individual’s involvement. The club’s first all-girls team became multiple junior girls teams. Those junior teams created the pipeline for a senior women’s side. The senior women’s side created visible pathways for younger players to see where the game could take them within their own club.

The outcome is a program that Spring Hills now holds up as central to its identity rather than supplementary to it. The club has become a leader in female participation in Melbourne’s west, and recently made history within the NPLW Victoria structure by fielding junior teams coached entirely by female coaches, a milestone that reflects the depth of the program Markovski helped build.

What the Award Recognises

The Melton City Council’s decision to name Markovski its Gender Equity Leader of the Year places his work in a frame that extends beyond football. Melton is one of the fastest-growing local government areas in Australia, a diverse and rapidly expanding community where the institutions that bring people together, like schools, councils, sporting clubs, carry an outsized responsibility for social cohesion.

Mayor Cr. Lara Carli, speaking at the awards ceremony, reflected on the role volunteers play in communities like Melton’s. “Volunteering creates friendships, strengthens communities and builds a sense of belonging,” she said. “It helps people feel connected, supported and valued, and those things are more important than ever in a growing and diverse community like ours.”

For the girls now playing football at Spring Hills who were not playing anywhere eight years ago, Markovski’s contribution is not abstract. It is the specific and concrete fact of having somewhere to play, someone to coach them, and a pathway that leads somewhere.

GIS Masterclass: Fan Engagement and Marketing with Terry Lynam and Karen Grega

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Image Credit: Global Institute of Sport

The Global Institute of Sport recently hosted a masterclass on Fan Engagement and Marketing, bringing together two industry leaders to tackle the field’s most pressing issues.

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS), which offers a Master’s in Sports Business and Sports Analytics through the University of Newcastle, regularly holds masterclasses with industry leaders as part of its curriculum.

The latest focused on fan engagement and marketing, covering two key themes: the growing tension between live sport and online streaming, and the role of data in shaping the fan experience.

The panelists 

Terry Lynam recently concluded her role as General Manager of Fan Experience and Events at Football Australia, overseeing the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on home soil.

Karen Grega is an experienced sports management consultant with a multi-code background. She currently represents Football Coaches Australia (FCA) and Heartbeat of Football, and has previously worked with Sydney Cricket Ground, Venues NSW and Sydney FC.

Live Sport and social media.

Terry Lynam opened with a pointed statement — one she acknowledged would be controversial. She argued that the sense of community unique to live sport is being eroded by social media and ‘snippet’ consumption.

Central to her concern is how marketing teams are failing to segment their audiences, treating casual online viewers the same as matchday fans.

“If they aren’t spending money on the sport we shouldn’t count them as spectators to the same level as match going fans.”

“What we want to consider as marketeers is how much we want to give away and how much we want our live sport element to remain,” Lynam said.

Grega echoed the sentiment, arguing fan engagement ultimately comes down to human connection. “It’s not rocket science.”

She suggested the industry revisit the concept of sport as a family outing to recapture that communal experience.

Data Driving Decisions

Both panelists highlighted data and analytics as central to modern fan engagement.

Grega recalled the introduction of computerised turnstiles as a turning point, enabling teams to track crowd movements and optimise staffing and entry times.

She also noted the continued value of fan surveys in informing marketing decisions.

Lynam pointed to ticketing technology as a significant data frontier.

Modern platforms like Ticketmaster’s ticket-transfer system now provide detailed customer insights.

“It allows us to have a better understanding of who’s getting the ticket and how they transport themselves there or when they arrive,”

“We can personalise their journey and sell content to them,” Lynam commented. 

The discussion also touched on data sourced from social media and on-field player tracking, as well as interactive stadium technology gaining traction in the US.

This included holographic assistants and player headset interactions that bring a broadcast-style experience to live events.

Activations That Educate

Activations rounded out the masterclass, with Lynam detailing how she created a fan zone on a modest budget for the Women’s Asian Cup.

The activation featured charitable partnerships focused on women’s health, including Heartbeat of Football, Endometriosis Australia and Share the Dignity.

“I’m very hopeful that that type of idea gets pushed through on other sporting events,” Lynam said.

Grega elaborated on the Heartbeat of Football activation, highlighting how a competitive element built around CPR and heart health kept fans engaged while also educating them.

“The whole health hub ticked all the boxes — it was immersive, it was interactive, it was there for all ages, both sexes.”

“That sort of blueprint is one that should be replicated as much as possible,” Explained Karen Grega

The masterclass offered students and industry professionals a valuable window into contemporary sports marketing.

As the competition for fan attention intensifies, the blend of live experience, smart data use, and purposeful activations can help define the next chapters of fan engagement.

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