A-League Women
A-League Women, known before the 2021–22 season as the W-League, is the main women's semi-professional soccer league in Australia. Started in 2008, it currently has 10 teams, nine in Australia and the other in New Zealand. Eight of the Australian teams and the New Zealand team are partners with clubs in A-League Men. The other team is based in Canberra.[1] Because it is sponsored by Liberty Lending Group, an Australian financial services company, the League is called Liberty A-League Women.
A-League Women started on 25 October 2008 as the W-League.[2]
One game per week is broadcast live nationwide on ABC1.[3]
As of the 2021–22 season, teams in A-League Women have a salary cap of A$450,000 for the entire squad. By comparison, the salary cap for clubs in the men's competition, A-League Men, is A$2.1 million, with each team in that league allowed to sign two "marquee players" whose salaries do not count against the cap.
The league began with eight teams.[4] The Central Coast Mariners had to withdraw from the 2010–11 season. This was because they did not have enough money. Western Sydney Wanderers FC joined the league for 2012–13, followed by Melbourne City FC in 2015–16 and the league's first New Zealand side, Wellington Phoenix FC, in 2021–22. Central Coast Mariners FC will return to A-League Women in 2022–23, and Western United FC will add an A-League Women side in 2022–23.
Clubs
[change | change source]
| Future clubs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joining |
| Auckland (name TBD) | Auckland, New Zealand | TBD | TBD | TBD | 2024–25[5] |
Performance record
[change | change source]Performance and ranking of clubs based on their best regular season result in the W-League and A-League Women. The 2022–23 season is Western United's first season.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney FC | 1st (5 times) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Brisbane Roar | 1st (3 times) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 3 | Canberra United | 1st (3 times) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
| 4 | Melbourne City | 1st (2 times) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Melbourne Victory | 1st | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | Perth Glory | 1st | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | Newcastle Jets | 2nd | 2 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 8 | Central Coast Mariners | 2nd | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | Western United | 2nd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| 10 | Adelaide United | 3rd | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 11 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 3rd | — | — | — | — | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 7 |
| 12 | Wellington Phoenix | 10th | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 11 |
|
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Women in a league of their own". Football Federation Australia. 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- ↑ "Girls shop to the top". FourFourTwo (Australia). 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
- ↑ "Brisbane Roar v Canberra United – Saturday, 3 October at 3pm on ABC1"
- ↑ "W-League to debut in October". Fox Sports. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
- ↑ "Premier League owner confirmed as preferred bidder for A-Leagues expansion licence in Auckland". A-Leagues. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
