A-League Women facts for kids
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| Organising body |
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|---|---|
| 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 | Central Coast Mariners (1st title) (2024–25) |
| Current premiers | Melbourne City (4th title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Sydney FC (5 titles) |
| Most premierships | Sydney FC (5 titles) |
| TV partners |
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| Website | aleagues.com.au |
The A-League Women is Australia's top professional soccer league for women. It's currently known as the Ninja A-League because of a sponsorship deal. Before 2021, it was called the W-League.
The league started in 2008 with eight teams. Most of these teams were connected to men's A-League clubs. Today, twelve teams compete in the league. The A-League Women, along with the men's and youth leagues, is managed by the Australian Professional Leagues.
Seasons usually run from November to April. They include a regular season with 23 games for each team. After that, the top six teams play in a finals series. This series ends with a big championship game called the Grand Final. The team that finishes first in the regular season is called the "premiers." The team that wins the Grand Final is called the "champions." The premiers also get to play in the AFC Women's Champions League, an international competition.
Since the league began in 2008, five different clubs have won the "premiers" title, and five different clubs have been crowned "champions." The league has been growing and is now fully professional. This change started with the name change and all women's clubs joining one management group in 2021.
Melbourne City are the current premiers, having won their fourth title. Central Coast Mariners are the current champions, winning their first title.
Contents
History of the League
Before the W-League, Australia had a top women's soccer league called the Women's National Soccer League (WNSL). It ran from 1996 to 2004. After 2004, there was no top women's league for a few years.
In 2007, the Australian women's national team, known as the Matildas, did very well in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. Their coach, Tom Sermanni, believed Australia needed a professional league to help players get even better. So, Football Federation Australia (now Football Australia) started the W-League in 2008.
The first W-League season began on October 25, 2008. Eight teams competed: Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets, Perth Glory, Sydney FC, and Canberra United. Most of these teams shared names and colors with men's A-League clubs.
In the first season, Queensland Roar finished first in the regular season. They then won the Grand Final, beating Canberra 2–0.
Over the years, some teams left and new ones joined. For example, Central Coast Mariners left in 2010 but came back in 2023. Western Sydney Wanderers joined in 2012. Melbourne City joined in 2015 and had an amazing first season, winning all their games and the Grand Final.
In 2019, the league's management changed. It moved from Football Federation Australia to the Australian Professional Leagues. This change helped the league grow even more.
More teams have joined recently, including Wellington Phoenix (2021), Western United (2022), and Central Coast Mariners (2023). There are plans for an Auckland-based team to join in 2025.
The league has become much more popular. In 2023, after the Matildas' great performance in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, record crowds attended A-League Women games. On October 14, 2023, over 11,000 fans watched Sydney FC play Western Sydney Wanderers. The 2023–24 A-League Women season had over 312,000 total attendees, making it the most attended women's sports season in Australian history.
How the Competition Works
The A-League Women season usually runs from November to April. Each team plays 23 games in the regular season. The team that finishes first is called the "Premier."
After the regular season, the top six teams play in a knockout finals series. This means teams are eliminated if they lose. The winner of the Grand Final is crowned the "Champion."
In 2022, it was announced that the Grand Finals for a few seasons would be held in Sydney. However, after some feedback, this decision was changed in October 2023. Now, the Grand Final host is decided differently. Instead, a new "Unite Round" was introduced, where all games in one round are played in Sydney.
Special Events
Pride Round
The A-League Women holds a "Pride Round" to support the LGBTQIA+ community in sports. This idea started with the "Pride Cup" in Australian rules football.
In February 2023, both the A-League Men and Women's competitions had their first Pride Round. It was a special time to celebrate and promote inclusion for everyone. Money from ticket sales during this round was given to Pride Cup. The Pride Round continues each year, and players and staff receive training on inclusion. Teams also show their support with rainbow flags, armbands, and special uniforms.
Unite Round
Since the 2023–24 season, the A-League Women has held a "Unite Round". During this special round, all the matches are played in one city, usually Sydney. This round was created after the decision about Grand Final hosting was changed. It's a way to bring all the teams and fans together in one place for a weekend of soccer.
Unite Round
Clubs in the League
| Current clubs | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach | Captain | Highest finish |
Most recent finish |
| Adelaide United | Adelaide, South Australia |
ServiceFM Stadium Coopers Stadium |
7,000 17,000 |
2008 | 2008 |  Theo Tsiounis |
Isabel Hodgson |
3rd | 8th |
| Brisbane Roar | Brisbane, Queensland |
Perry Park | 5,000 | 2008 | 2008 |  Alex Smith |
Tameka Yallop |
1st | 9th |
| Canberra United | Canberra, ACT | McKellar Park | 3,500 | 2008 | 2008 | Antoni Jagarinec |
Michelle Heyman |
1st | 5th |
| Central Coast Mariners | Gosford, New South Wales | Central Coast Stadium | 20,059 | 2008 | 2008 2023 (re-entry) |
Vacant | Taren King |
2nd | 2nd |
| Melbourne City | Melbourne, Victoria | Kingston Heath Soccer Complex AAMI Park |
3,300 30,050 |
2015 | 2015 | Michael Matricciani |
 Rebekah Stott |
1st | 3rd |
| Melbourne Victory | Melbourne, Victoria | The Home of the Matildas AAMI Park |
3,000 30,050 |
2008 | 2008 |  Jeff Hopkins |
Kayla Morrison |
1st | 4th |
| Newcastle Jets | Newcastle, New South Wales |
No.2 Sportsground McDonald Jones Stadium |
5,000 33,000 |
2008 | 2008 |  Stephen Hoyle |
Cassidy Davis |
2nd | 10th |
| Perth Glory | Perth, Western Australia |
Sam Kerr Football Centre HBF Park |
2,500 20,500 |
2008 | 2008 | Stephen Peters |
Isobel Dalton Onyinyechi Zogg |
1st | 6th |
| Sydney FC | Sydney, New South Wales |
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium Leichhardt Oval Seymour Shaw Park Cromer Park |
20,500 20,000 5,000 5,000 |
2008 | 2008 | Ante Juric |
Natalie Tobin |
1st | 1st |
| Wellington Phoenix | Wellington, New Zealand |
Sky Stadium Jerry Collins Stadium |
34,500 1,900 |
2021 | 2021 |  Vacant |
Annalie Longo |
10th | 11th |
| Western Sydney Wanderers | Sydney, New South Wales |
CommBank Stadium Blacktown Football Park Marconi Stadium |
30,000 500 9,000 |
2012 | 2012 | Geoff Abrahams |
Amy Harrison |
3rd | 7th |
| Western United | Wyndham, Victoria | GMHBA Stadium | 36,000 | 2021 | 2022 | Kat Smith |
Chloe Berryhill |
2nd | 2nd |
| Future clubs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joining |
| Auckland FC | Auckland, New Zealand | TBD | TBD | 2024 | 2025–26 |
Club Performance Over Time
This table shows how clubs have performed in the regular season of the W-League and A-League Women over the years.
| 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 | 24–25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney FC | 1st (5 times) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 2 | Melbourne City | 1st (4 times) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Brisbane Roar | 1st (3 times) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| 4 | Canberra United | 1st (3 times) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 5 |
| 5 | Melbourne Victory | 1st | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 6 | Perth Glory | 1st | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 10 |
| 7 | Newcastle Jets | 2nd | 2 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 11 |
| 8 | Central Coast Mariners | 2nd | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 |
| 9 | Western United | 2nd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 10 | Adelaide United | 3rd | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
| 11 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 3rd | — | — | — | — | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 12 |
| 12 | Wellington Phoenix | 8th | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 11 | 8 | 9 |
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How the League is Organized
Team Rules and Player Pay
An A-League Women team must have at least 20 players and no more than 26. Players usually sign contracts for one season. Many players also play in leagues in other countries when the A-League Women season is over. Because the A-League Women season happens during the off-season for many other leagues, many international players come to play in Australia.
In 2015, teams had a salary cap of A$150,000. This is the maximum amount a team could spend on player salaries. Some players earned A$10,000, while others earned less. By the 2017–18 season, a minimum salary of A$10,000 was introduced. The average salary went up to A$17,400, and the salary cap was A$300,000.
For the 2020–21 season, the minimum amount teams had to spend on salaries was A$294,000. This increased to A$315,000 in the 2021–22 season. The goal is for the minimum salary spend to reach A$390,000 by 2025–26. The minimum yearly wage for a player in 2021 was A$17,055. This increased to A$25,000 in 2023 because the season became longer. As of July 2025, players are contracted for 35 weeks for a 22-round season.
A survey in 2023 showed that most players in the league also work or study part-time. They often need these extra jobs to support themselves. About 60% of players had second jobs. After the success of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, there were more calls to make the A-League Women a full-time professional league.
League Branding and Names
From 2008 to 2021, the league was known as the Westfield W-League. Westfield was the main sponsor. The league's logo was similar to the men's A-League logo. In 2017, Football Australia updated the logos for both leagues.
In September 2021, the league was renamed A-League Women. Then, in December 2021, Liberty Financial became the new sponsor, and the league was called the Liberty A-League Women. Since September 2024, the league is known as the Ninja A-League Women, with SharkNinja as the current sponsor.
Stadiums Where Games Are Played
A-League Women games have been played at many different stadiums across Australia since the league started.
Watching the Games (Broadcasting)
In the 2018–19 season, fans could watch every W-League game. Matches were shown on Fox Sports, SBS Viceland, and the My Football Live app. Some games were also broadcast on YouTube and Twitter for international viewers.
From 2019 to 2021, ABC TV showed one game each weekend. Fox Sports also broadcast all matches.
Since August 2021, the A-Leagues have been shown on Network 10 and the Paramount+ (Australia) streaming service. As of the 2022–23 season, all matches are streamed on Paramount+ and Network 10's free streaming service, 10Play.
In New Zealand, A-League Men and A-League Women matches are shown on Sky Sport and beIN Sports.
Current Broadcasters
| 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) | |
 Hong Kong |
HOY TV |
 Ireland |
TNT Sports |
 United Kingdom |
|
 Macau |
Macau Cable |
 Portugal |
Sport TV |
 Spain |
LaLiga+ |
Referees in the A-League Women
The A-League Women has female referees and assistant referees from Australia. Some well-known referees include:
- Kate Jacewicz, who has refereed many Grand Finals.
- Katie Patterson
- Casey Reibelt
League Winners (Honours)
This table shows the "Premiers" (regular season winners) and "Champions" (Grand Final winners) for each season.
| Season | Premiers (regular season winners) |
Champions (Grand Final winners) |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Queensland Roar | 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 |
| 2024–25 | Melbourne City | Central Coast Mariners |
League Records
Most Games Played
As of July 17, 2025.
Players in bold are still playing in the A-League Women.
| Rank | Player | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michelle Heyman |
199 |
| 2 | Tameka Yallop |
176 |
| 3 | Cassidy Davis |
175 |
| 4 | Casey Dumont |
164 |
| 5 | Kim Carroll |
158 |
| Princess Ibini-Isei |
||
| 7 | Teresa Polias |
157 |
| 8 | Clare Polkinghorne |
152 |
| 9 | Caitlin Cooper |
151 |
| Gema Simon |
Top Goal Scorers
As of July 17, 2025.
Players in bold are still playing in the A-League Women.
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michelle Heyman |
118 |
| 2 | Tameka Yallop |
72 |
| 3 | Samantha Kerr |
70 |
| 4 | Emily Gielnik |
66 |
| 5 | Kyah Simon |
50 |
| 6 | Tara Andrews |
45 |
| Leena Khamis |
||
| 8 | Ashleigh Sykes |
44 |
| 9 | Lisa De Vanna |
42 |
| Kate Gill |
More About Australian Soccer
- 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) – an older Australian women's league
- A-League Men
See also
In Spanish: A-League Women para niños
