Applications open for Sport Australia’s Women Leaders in Sport Grants

Liam Watson17/02/2021 8:00 am17/02/2021

Sport Australia is now accepting applications for the 2021 Women Leaders in Sport (WLIS) Development Grants and Leadership Workshops.

The WLIS Development Grants and Leadership Workshops form part of the broader WLIS program, featuring activities that help women in the sports industry obtain new skills, knowledge and qualifications to progress their leadership pathway in the sector.

The programs are run by Sport Australia, partnered with the Office for Women. The highly regarded WLIS workshops mark its 20th year, where over 25,000 women in the sports industry have achieved leadership development since 2002.

Women working in the sports industry can apply for individual grants up to $10,000 to support their professional development and to attend online leadership workshops. Organisations are able to apply for leadership development grants up to $20,000 that covers workshops, seminars and conferences for staff.

“We know that having a greater balance of men and women in executive leadership positions makes sporting organisations more dynamic and well-rounded in the way they conduct their businesses,” Sport Australia Acting CEO Rob Dalton said.

“Having that diversity at a leadership level has a direct impact on engagement in sport and ultimately, positively impacts the bottom line for sports.

“It is vitally important to ensure that our next generation of female sports leaders are provided with genuine development opportunities, which is what this program delivers and why it has been extended and expanded for a four-year cycle.

“Sport Australia is so pleased the Australian Government has acknowledged the importance of the WLIS program with an increased funding commitment of $3.4 million over the next four financial years, ensuring the program can expand and deliver even further development opportunities for women to reach their leadership potential in our industry.”

Individuals and organisations have until Wednesday, March 17 2021 at 5pm to apply for the WLIS Development Grants and Workshops.

Previous ArticleOne-on-one with John Aloisi: “I want to coach again”Next ArticleFIFA appoints Chief Operating Officers for Women’s World Cup 2023

Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Patrick Irving16/04/2026 8:55 am16/04/2026

Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Football NSW supports Female Coaches CPD as Women’s Football Surges

Declan Chan15/04/2026 6:15 am14/04/2026

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Football NSW has used the platform of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to deliver a targeted professional development workshop for female coaches, bringing together scholarship recipients for an evening of structured learning and direct engagement with elite women’s football.

Held at ACPE last month, the session was open to female coaches who received C or B Diploma scholarships through Football NSW in 2025. Coaching accreditation carries a financial cost that disproportionately affects women, who are less likely to have their development subsidised by clubs or associations operating in underfunded community football environments. Scholarship access changes that equation at the point where many women exit the pathway.

Facilitated by Football NSW Coach Development Coordinator Bronwyn Kiceec, the workshop focused on goal scoring trends from the tournament’s group stage, with coaches analysing attacking patterns and exploring how those insights could translate into their own environments. The group then attended the quarter-final between South Korea and Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia.

The structure of the evening mattered as much as its content. Female coaches in community football rarely have access to elite competition environments as a professional resource. The gap between the level at which most women coach and the level at which the game is analysed and discussed tends to reinforce itself. Placing scholarship recipients inside a major tournament, as participants rather than spectators, closes that gap in a way that a classroom session cannot.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented across all levels of the game in Australia. The pipeline that will change that depends not only on accreditation access but on the professional networks, peer relationships and exposure to elite environments that male coaches have historically taken for granted.

The workshop forms part of Football NSW’s ongoing commitment to developing female coaches through scholarships and structured learning opportunities.