This week, we present part 1 of our first review of the 2023-24 A-League Women season in Australia. After approximately one-third of the season (10 teams have played 8 games out of 22, while two have played six), we look at the top seven—the playoffs were expanded for this season to six teams from four—and three teams are deadlocked for fifth place, so we included all three sides this week.
We also look at the 2023 AFC Women's Champions League Group Results, which included the 2022-23 Australian Champions Sydney FC. Next week we will look at teams in eighth through twelfth place: Brisbane Roar, Western Sydney Wanderers, Central Coast Mariners, Adelaide United and Canberra United. We will also have news next week on A-League expansion (men and women) into Auckland, New Zealand with American ownership.
2023-24 A-League Women Review—Part 1
Off the field at the league level, attendance is up this season, no doubt as a knock-on effect of the Matildas run to the semifinals this past summer at the Women's World Cup Finals. On the A-League Women's first weekend—which opened as a stand-alone round for the women, before the A-League men started a week later, for the first time ever—as Central Coast and Newcastle staged a F3 derby in Gosford which brought in 5,735. This was a regular season record that was shattered just hours later when 11,471 watched the Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanders derby at Allianz Stadium. It surpassed the previous record of 9,519 at last season's Grand Final with Sydney FC defeating Western United 4-0 at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta. The first two games total attendance of 17,206 alone broke the record for any women's round in the history of the league, which was 15,955 and had stood for nine years. Four other games during the 2023-24 season opening weekend added 7,927 fans to the round total for a new record of 25,133.
Network 10 commentator and former Canberra United midfielder Grace Gill—who won one cap with the Matildas and played for a short time in the Czech Republic—said about the combined attendances in Sydney and Gosford that: "It fills my heart with joy hearing that 17,000 fans [came] in one day for the Liberty A-League. That's eyes on our game. That's eyes on these wonderful players… (these) are really momentous times in our game."
Nick Garcia, Commissioner of the A-Leagues, said: "Our plan for the FIFA Women's World Cup started more than two years ago and today, we have three new women's teams in the league, a full home and away season of 22-rounds, and an unprecedented 198% growth in memberships across the league. Playing the opening round in mostly major stadia was part of a strategy to create new experiences and connect with more fans, and we are delighted to see the round record broken on day one, in just two matches."
In addition, the league has implemented a free ticket scheme that allows children under the age of 16 to go any ALW game of the club of their choice—this author believes that this is a key strategy to bring more youth players to professional games and other leagues around the world should look at implementing this creative approach.
Note: The only league club to commit to holding both men's and women's A-League matches at the same venue are the Central Coast Mariners at the picturesque Central Coast Stadium on the water's edge.
Injured Matildas and Melbourne Victory player Elise Kellond-Knight added that the World Cup set a high bar for entertainment, and the challenge was for the A-League Women to match it: "Great stadiums, full houses, just the whole production has been amazing. No one can ever replicate the World Cup; it's just a once in a moment type thing, but we need to do our best to do that."
She wanted to see even more investment for the women's league and equality in player treatment with the men's professional league: "The girls need to be playing in good facilities fans want to go to. I also think that we need to pump a lot more investment into the facilities we're actually training at. And we need to be on full-time 12-month contracts where we have access to staff 24/7."
The salary cap for the A-League Women was increased from AU$500,000 to AU $600,000 per league club for this season. The minimum wage for players in the competition is $25,000. Teams are allowed to sign five imports this season, up one from 2022-23.
Last season, the three Melbourne area sides: City, Victory and Western United, all advanced to the playoffs along with Sydney FC. After approximately one-third of the season (8 games for every team except for Sydney FC and Canberra United, who have played six matches) these sides would again would make the playoffs in 2023-24 at this point (though Western United is tied for fifth with Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets, but are technically in seventh right now due to a goal difference of (1) compared with the Jets), along with Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets and surprise packet Wellington Phoenix.
Sydney has played two fewer games so far this term and can be expected to move up from their current fifth place tie, particularly as 2023 WWC Finals revelation Cortnee Vine returned to the Sky Blue after missing some early games with a hamstring injury suffered while on national team duty, and has continued with her outstanding performances for club and country over the past year, notably scoring the only goal six minutes from the end of their 1-0 win away against Newcastle on December 9.
Perth Glory (5-2-1 W-D-L—17 points—Tied for First)
The Glory has been the story of the season so far and are fulfilling the promise they showed under head coach Alex Epakis during the past two years, just missing the playoffs both season. This season, after a slow start in scoring, English import and former youth international Millie Farrow (27)—who played earlier this season with North Carolina in the NWSL—is tied for fourth along with the Victory's Rachel Lowe among league goal scorers with four tallies. Grace Jale and Susan Phonsongkham each have three goals and Glory is fourth in the league for team goals with 14, only three behind leaders Melbourne City (17). Perth's only loss of the season was to Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand (2-1) in Round 6.
Hannah Lowry (20) scored two goals, her 9th and 10th in her career, with the second coming in the 96th minute, to power a come-from-behind 2-2 deadlock with Melbourne Victory in Perth on November 18 in Round 5. Australian full international Rachel Lowe had a brace as well for MV.
Gace Jale (a New Zealand full international and 2023 WWC Finals team member who is in her third season in the A League after time with Canberra) and Susan Phonsongkham scored on a rocket shot in their first game win over Western United (2-0) on October 14. In Round 4, the two players again each scored, with Jale scoring her third goal of the season and Young Matilda Phonsongkham scoring a late winner in injury time in the Glory's come-from-behind 2-1 win over Adelaide United at home. Dylan Holmes opened the scoring just before half-time for the visitors at Macedonia Park. Phonsongkham has been the talk of the season so far and her superb dribbling skills are a difference maker. She had a tremendous off-season in the state league NPLW NSW with Bankstown City in between Liberty A-League seasons, scoring 17 goals in 23 games.
Melbourne City (5-2-1—17 points—Tied for First)
Hanna McNamara is second in the league in scoring with 6 goals after 8 games (tied with Sophie Harding of Western Sydney), two behind Canberra's Serbian international Vesna Milivojevic, who is on 8 goals. Rhianna Pollicina (26), who scored 9 goals in 18 games earlier this year with NWSLW side APIA Leichhardt, has three goals as does New Zealand international Hannah Wilkinson. City leads all twelve teams with 17 goals, but their defense is only eighth best with 14 goals allowed.
American Emina Ekic, who played so well last season on loan with City and scored four goals in six matches before fracturing an ankle, has returned to the league and Melbourne City as a free agent after Racing Louisville waived her two months before her original contract expired, allowing her to move to the Australian league early. Ekic (24) is now a free agent and plays internationally for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ekic was one of Racing Louisville's original players, with the club selecting her with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft. In three years in Kentucky, Ekic tallied three goals and one assist in 38 appearances, including eight starts. A Louisville native, she played at the University of Louisville with 29 goals and 19 assists in four years. She finished her collegiate career fourth on U of L's all-time scoring list and is tied for second in all-time assists.
Canadian international goalkeeper Lysianne Prouix (24) has started all 8 games thus far with City, while assistant coach and long-time Australian international Melissa Barbieri-Hudson, has not played a match, after playing in 25 games over the past two seasons.
Melbourne Victory (4-2-2—14 points—Third)
Victory has had slow starts over the past few seasons and they lost their first two games this campaign (a pair of 2-1 losses at home to Brisbane and away to Western United) but are playing better now and gone six consecutive games without a loss (two ties). Lydia Williams (35) has had a successful return to the A-League after four seasons in England and France—having not played at home since the 2019-20 season with Melbourne City and won the league title, one of her four titles in the A-League Women with three at City and one in Canberra—and has played in all eight games this season.
As a team, the Victory is tied for third in team defense with 9 goals allowed, even with Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix. Australian youth international Rachel Lowe leads the club with four goals, with consecutive braces in a home win over Newcastle Jets (4-0) and a 2-2 tie on the road against Perth Glory. Two of the team's imports, American McKenzie Weinert (25), who was a little used substitute for Seattle's OL Reign in the NWSL over the past two years, and Japan's Kurea Okino (24), who came to the team's attention in the off season by scoring 31 goals in 20 games for Victoria state league side Boroondara-Carey, each have three goals.
Wellington Phoenix (4-1-3—13 points—Fourth)
Wellington has been a very pleasant surprise in their third season, after finishing in last place in the franchise's first two seasons in the league. Unfortunately, Phoenix midfielder Grace Wisnewski was lost for the season after an early season ACL tear. The team replaced her with American attacker Isabel Cox (22) on an injury replacement contract for the remainder of the Liberty A-League season. She just finished her fifth season at the University of North Carolina. Cox has passed on entering the 2024 NWSL College Draft in order to play professionally in New Zealand.
In Western Wanderers' 3-0 defeat at home to the Phoenix, Wellington put together an impressive second-half performance in Round 2 to score three goals through Venezuelan international Mariana Speckmaier (25), Macey Fraser (20)—a New Zealand youth international—and Manaia Elliott (18), who played for New Zealand in the U-17 WWC Finals in 2022 in India. Speckmaier, Fraser and Emma Main (24), who played at the U-17 WWC Finals in 2016 in Jordan, all are tied for the club lead with two goals.
Wellington Phoenix won back-to-back games for the first time in their Liberty A-League history after defeating Brisbane Roar 2-1 in Round 3 at home. Mariana Speckmaier broke the deadlock in the sixth minute at Sky Stadium before legendary New Zealand international Annalie Longo came on for the first time and scored a beautiful goal to seal the points in the 85th minute. A stoppage-time rocket from American Mia Corbin reduced the deficit but the high-flying Phoenix defeated Brisbane for the first time ever after two deadlocks and one loss over the past two years, while the Roar's perfect start to the season came to an end.
The Nix then added to their record by winning a third on the trot by shocking 2022-23 league runner-up Western United 3-1 in Wellington. The Phoenix spent time early this season on the top of the table and, if they keep up their bright play through the second half of the season, could be playing in the playoffs for the first time in their three years in the league.
On November 25 in Round 6, Wellington won again at home by defeating then first place Perth Glory 2-1 in the distance derby between the two teams that are farthest apart in the league (3,270 miles) coming from behind after English import Mia Farrow scored her first goal in the 21st minute for the Glory, with goals by American import Hope Breslin (24) and Chloe Knott. Spackman has been very impactful all season and was particularly good against Perth in driving the attack and drawing the Glory defense out of position.
Wellington Phoenix star Chloe Knott was released from the remainder of her Liberty A-League contract after deciding to step away from football. Knott (27) has yet to miss a game for the Phoenix in their history (38 games in total) but the vice-captain made the decision to put her professional football career on hold due to the challenges of working a full-time job alongside her Wellington commitments.
Her game winner against Perth was her fifth league goal. Knott explained: "The decision to leave the team has been the toughest one I've ever had to make and is not something I have taken lightly. I feel lucky for all the lessons and experiences I have had over the past three seasons, and mostly for the connections and friendships I'll have for the rest of my life. I'm at a stage in my life where I feel free and empowered to choose the spaces that are most conducive to my personal fulfilment and becoming the person I want to be."
Unfortunately, Knott's stepping away from the game at such a young age is an indication that there is still much work to be done to pay players enough so that they don't have to choose between full-time employment and playing their sport, a choice that at times football does not win.
In defense, the Phoenix is tied for third in the league in goals allowed with 9 (with Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners), behind Sydney FC, who have allowed only 5 goals but played two fewer games, with new Canadian international goalkeeper Rylee Foster (25) playing in all but one game in an outstanding comeback season from a devastating car accident she had while playing for Liverpool of the WSL (see more in: https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/the-week-in-women-s-football-a-league-preview-part-ii-nz-australia-name-wc-qualifying-squads-4474374).
Sydney FC (3-1-2—10 points—Tied for Fifth)
Reigning champions Sydney FC currently sits on the edge of the expanded playoff positions but has played two fewer games as they participated in the 2023-24 Asian Champions League (see more below). Fiona Worts, an English forward and former Golden Boot winner with Adelaide in 2021-22, has been an inspired signing by Sydney during the off season, as she has scored three goals in four regular season matches, including two in her return to Adelaide on November 18 in a 3-1 win, with veteran forward Princess Ibini scoring the other goal from the penalty spot.
Sydney FC brought in American defender Jordan Thompson (25) as an injury replacement for sidelined captain Natalie Tobin, who tore an ACL in her knee during the derby win against Western Sydney (2-0) in the opening game of the season. Thompson will stay with Sydney through the end of the A-League Women season. Thompson spent the last two seasons with the Washington Spirit, including as cover for USWNT players while they took part in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She also signed for Israeli side Hapoel Raanana in September, scoring in her final game on October 6 before returning home after the outbreak of the war.
2023 Asian Champions League
Sydney FC was one of eight teams competing in the 2023 Asian Champions League, the fourth edition of this tournament. In early November, Sydney went to Tashkent, Uzbekistan to face host nation representative FC Nasaf, Bam Khatoon FC of Iran and Hyundai Steel Red Angels of Korea Republic. Fiona Worts scored four goals and Hannah Keane once as Sydney began with a 3-0 win over Bam Khatton FC and a 2-1 triumph over FC Nasaf. In the battle of two unbeaten sides for the Group B title and a berth in the Asian club championship Final early in 2024H, Hyundai Steel Red Angels defeated the Australian champions 3-0. The Uzbek and Iranian sides drew their final match 1-1 to finish with 1 point each.
In Group A, Urawa Red Diamonds easily qualified for the Asian Regional Club Championship Final by scoring 20 goals and allowing only 1 for 9 points in Chonburi, Thailand against Gokulam Kerala FC of India (4 points), host nation side Bangkok FC (3 points) and Hualien of Taiwan (1 point). Kiko Seike of Urawa Reds led the goalscoring table for both groups with 6 goals and was on last summer's impressive Japanese WWC Finals side in Australia/New Zealand.
Newcastle Jets (3-1-4—10 points—Tied for Fifth)
A 4-2 home win over stuttering Western United (see above) and the three standing points gained vaulted the Jets from a tie for ninth to a tie for fifth and into the playoff spot after Round 8, tied with Syndey FC and Western United. The Jets opened the season with a 1-0 win away against Central Coast Mariners thanks to an 81st minute goal from Melina Ayers. but then gained only one point from their next four games before a shocking 4-3 win away against Canberra United, led by two goals by their new signing just hours before, American-raised and Philippine international Sarina Bolden, who finished last season with Western Sydney. She scored the winning goal in the Philippines 1-0 win over host New Zealand that ultimately cost the Football Ferns their first ever Round of 16 qualification at this summer's WWC. Another signing after the season started, Emily Van Egmond, scored a goal and added an assist in the game. Emily Van Egmond, the daughter of Jets head coach Gary, played with the Jets for four games on a guest loan contract after winning the NWSL Shield for the regular season title this season with the San Diego Wave. The midfielder has previously had 59 appearances for the club after making her debut in 2008 as an inaugural member of the Newcastle Jet's Women's team.
In their one tie this season, Jets captain Cassidy Davis scored a 92nd minute tying goal in a 1-1 draw against Western Sydney Wanderers at home. Davis also surpassed Tara Andrews (who had 131 appearances before retiring at the end of last season) to become the most capped female in Jets history in the match.
The Jets, just before the season started, signed DR Congolese international Kizinga Ndjoli Exaucee "Kiki" after previously playing in Turkey with Ataşehir Belediyespor. Kiki has also spent time playing for Éclat Sport in her homeland of the DR Congo. She left the club after a few weeks and did not play a game. However, the club brought in another import to replace her, one that has scored goals where-ever she has played, including in the A-League last season and in the Women's World Cup Finals this past summer—Sarina Bolden. Bolden has 44 caps for the Philippines, scoring over 28 goals for her country. Bolden has three goals for the Jets in her three matches tied for the team lead with the Van Egmond—gone after her loan period has ended—and veteran Jet Lauren Allen, who scored five goals in 18 games last season.
Western United (3-1-4—10 points—Tied for Fifth)
Western United has had an inconsistent season thus far, starting out by gaining only 4 points out of 12 from their first four games. The team faced some major turnover early in the season as Mark Torcaso resigned as head coach after six rounds in order to focus on his other coaching position as Philippines Women's National Team head coach, a job he added after the World Cup Finals this summer. The second year side in A-League Women appointed former Western Sydney Wanderers boss Kat Smith as his replacement. Torcaso will consult with the team in an advisory role in order to continue the club's development pathway for young players in the western part of the Greater Melbourne region.
Torcaso said: "The club has meant everything to me—the players, the staff and everyone involved in it. To be part of this is something so special and unique. I cannot wait to continue watching this team evolve—this team has the capabilities to go all the way. My connection with the women's team will remain, just in a different way. I am looking forward to this and helping in whatever way I can."
Western United general manager of football Mal Impiombato added: "I, and the entire football club, wish to express our immense thanks to Mark for his incredible work in bringing our A-League Women program to life… We wish him continued success with the Philippines and look forward to the continued contribution he will have at our club through his advisory role." Torcaso's assistant coach Helen Winterburn also has left to take a full-time position as football coach at Central Coast Sports College in Gosford, in New South Wales.
Last season, after a slow start, Smith led the Wanderers to their second-best ever points tally in a Liberty A-League season. Smith said upon her signing: "This is a great opportunity. Building on the foundations and aiming for the next level is an exciting challenge. Our key focus will involve meticulous planning and preparation, effective communication and continuous improvement."
In round three, Australian U-20 international Kahli Johnson (19) scored on an 86th minute blast that gave Western United their first ever draw in their Liberty A-League history, against Melbourne City (2-2). Last season's Golden Boot winner, American Hannah Keane, scored early for Western but then Holly McNamara and Hannah Wilkinson scored for City. In the game, 16-year-old midfielder Avaani Prakash entered to set an A-Leagues record as the youngest player in club history, men's or women's.
Prakash came on in the 38th minute after an injury to Melissa Taranto. Prakash had signed a contract with WU just five days before and has played for Australia at the U-16 and U-20 levels. A-Leagues announcer Grace Gill said on 10 Play: "Incredible, 16 years old (and) getting the opportunity at Western United. She plays in the Bulls FC Academy in NSW and went to the Westfield Sports High School in Sydney… a huge opportunity."
The Australian women's league has always brought in teenagers over the years, but now these youngsters are signing professional forms at an earlier age.
A big boost to the side for 2023-24 was that American goalkeeper Hillary Beall (24), the league's goalkeeper of the year in 2022-23, signed a new contract with Racing Louisville and came on loan again to Western United. Beall signed a one-year contract with Louisville through 2024 with a club option for the 2025 campaign. Last season in Melbourne, she played in 18 regular season matches, recording five clean sheets and 61 saves as the expansion side made the Grand Final.
The loan deal with Western United runs through August 2024 but includes language to allow early termination after the Australia season ends in April of 2024. Racing goalkeeping coach Sergio Gonzalez said: "Hillary's experience with Western United last year was great, and I know this go around will just build on that. She is focused on developing and growing as a goalkeeper, and she works hard to get better every day. I'm looking forward to watching her progress this winter."
At Louisville, where she began in 2022 after playing at the University of Michigan, she has been a backup to Racing's starting backstop Katie Lund, playing in only four regular season matches in 2023 for Racing Louisville. Western's internationals TJ Vlajnic (33) of Serbia and Jaclyn Sawicki (31) of the Philippines have again provided veteran leadership to a young side. Western United is still in a good position to make the playoffs again this season, but needs to ramp up its team scoring (11 goals, tied with Adelaide for seventh in the league), as Khali Johnson (19), in her second season with Western and third in the league, Hannah Keane (30), Matilda Cloe Logarzo (280 and Adrianna Taranto (24), who is in her second season and played with state league side Calder United that provided a strong base of players last season, are tied as the club's top scorers with only two goals each.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham is on the global game of women's football. Get your copy today.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey
