A-League Women/Matildas transfers and delistings

[libelous]

I’d like to see positive stuff, as we had head of issues in Aus men’s football, with so many fans being Eurosnobs. They have no interest in Aus men’s football.

I know where you are coming from though. It is probably a good idea to discuss issues in ALW.

You could write an article in Fan View?

I think we all like to see positive things in our game and I’m aware that it’s easy to be critical but as we don’t have a football media anymore fans forums are the only place to air our opinions about the game.
I think it’s great to have someone like @ honest spurs fan who gives us a good summary of happenings in the ‘women’s game’ .
I do have some thoughts on where women’s football should be headed and I will write an article in Fan View in the coming days.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

ANOTHER AUSSIE in Leah Blayney’s coaching team: Kory Babington!!!!

 

[libelous]

ANOTHER AUSSIE in Leah Blayney’s coaching team: Kory Babington!!!!

I can’t, for the life of me, understand the celebration of losing so much football talent to overseas clubs.
Maybe someone can explain the logic to me.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

I can’t, for the life of me, understand the celebration of losing so much football talent to overseas clubs.
Maybe someone can explain the logic to me.

This could be the next Matildas coaching team. The experience should be good.

Some talent goes so other talent can be created. Some talent returns too. Katrina Gorry might be back at Brisbane Roar. We’re still yet to see the best of Daisy Brown, Dani Butrus, Indi dos Santos, Shelby McMahon, Ilona Melegh, Teresa Morrissey, Willa Pearson, Talia Younis, etc. There could be some kid coming through right now that we don’t even know about yet. If we kept everyone here it’d be much harder for them to break through.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/leah-davidson-addick

Leah Davidson is headed to Charlton Athletic from Melbourne City and will become teammates with Grace Johnston. She'll be under contract at the side for the next two seasons through the end of WSL season 2027-28.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

We’re still yet to see the best of Daisy Brown, Dani Butrus, Indi dos Santos, Shelby McMahon, Ilona Melegh, Teresa Morrissey, Willa Pearson, Talia Younis, etc.

Indiana Dos Santos is only just making her return to play from an ACL injury and Ilona Melegh has had just the one full season between the sticks, as has Teresa Morrissey. Willa Pearson still has plenty of time ahead of her to develop as a player along with Shelby McMahon who also has experience playing continental football, and arguably Skye Halmarick could be added to the list also.

 

[libelous]

This could be the next Matildas coaching team. The experience should be good.

Some talent goes so other talent can be created. Some talent returns too. Katrina Gorry might be back at Brisbane Roar. We’re still yet to see the best of Daisy Brown, Dani Butrus, Indi dos Santos, Shelby McMahon, Ilona Melegh, Teresa Morrissey, Willa Pearson, Talia Younis, etc. There could be some kid coming through right now that we don’t even know about yet. If we kept everyone here it’d be much harder for them to break through.

If there is no league for them to play in then what?

 

[HonestSpursFan]

If there is no league for them to play in then what?

Except there is?

 

[HonestSpursFan]

https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/leah-davidson-addick

Leah Davidson is headed to Charlton Athletic from Melbourne City and will become teammates with Grace Johnston. She'll be under contract at the side for the next two seasons through the end of WSL season 2027-28.

ANOTHER ONE!!!! We’ll now have 12 Aussies in the WSL next season and 16 in the WSL and WSL 2!!! This means we’ve already nearly recovered the numbers we lost in the WSL (in 2025–26 we had 13) and window’s still open till September!

Given the calibre of the other WSL signings proving that the WSL is the best league in the world and strengthening the league across the board, plus the quality coming into the WSL 2, I see this as proof we’re actually improving. It was only a while ago that people thought WSL clubs wouldn’t want our players, and now we could have up to 20 in the top two tiers next season.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

If there is no league for them to play in then what?

If there is no league overseas for them to play in and they can't make it in the Dub then they'll just play in Member Federation comps and undergo their development there instead.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

If there is no league overseas for them to play in and they can't make it in the Dub then they'll just play in Member Federation comps and undergo their development there instead.

Which I doubt will happen. Canada had that only two seasons ago though.

 

[libelous]

Except there is?

Except there is?

I don’t think you understand the precarious position that the ALW is in.

 

[libelous]

If there is no league overseas for them to play in and they can't make it in the Dub then they'll just play in Member Federation comps and undergo their development there instead.

I was referring to the domestic league.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

I was referring to the domestic league.

Even if the Dub ceases to exist players will be forced to ply their trade in Member Federation comps anyway.

 

[libelous]

ANOTHER ONE!!!! We’ll now have 12 Aussies in the WSL next season and 16 in the WSL and WSL 2!!! This means we’ve already nearly recovered the numbers we lost in the WSL (in 2025–26 we had 13) and window’s still open till September!

Given the calibre of the other WSL signings proving that the WSL is the best league in the world and strengthening the league across the board, plus the quality coming into the WSL 2, I see this as proof we’re actually improving. It was only a while ago that people thought WSL clubs wouldn’t want our players, and now we could have up to 20 in the top two tiers next season.

So we are producing all this talent but the domestic league can’t pay its way.

 

[libelous]

Even if the Dub ceases to exist players will be forced to ply their trade in Member Federation comps anyway.

Of course there will always be somewhere for them to play but it won’t be professional and we’ll have no chance of attracting Matildas to end their careers here.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

I don’t think you understand the precarious position that the ALW is in.

The league itself isn’t unstable. It’s the clubs that are unstable.

So we are producing all this talent but the domestic league can’t pay its way.

They come from the domestic league.

 

[libelous]

The league itself isn’t unstable. It’s the clubs that are unstable.

They come from the domestic league.

The league itself isn’t unstable. It’s the clubs that are unstable.

They come from the domestic league.

If the clubs are unstable then so is the league.
As far as the talent drain is concerned we obviously are not selling players to overseas clubs which itself would help with the cost of running the clubs.
When James Johnson was here he tried to show clubs how the football ecosystem works, obviously it was all in vain.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

As far as the talent drain is concerned we obviously are not selling players to overseas clubs which itself would help with the cost of running the clubs.

Dub sides are trading players to overseas clubs but in the case of players like Holly McNamara we're just letting them fall out of contract and walk for free instead.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

If the clubs are unstable then so is the league.
As far as the talent drain is concerned we obviously are not selling players to overseas clubs which itself would help with the cost of running the clubs.
When James Johnson was here he tried to show clubs how the football ecosystem works, obviously it was all in vain.

I just don’t understand why we always have to be negative. Why can’t we just be happy that we’ve got dozens of players in the best leagues in Europe, plenty of whom are competing for silverware and the highest honours in the beautiful game?

Like, obviously it’s really disappointing that football in this country is administered poorly, but there’s still good news. If we’re able to produce players that can get exported to clubs in top leagues, that’s a huge positive. China and South Korea aren’t doing that at the moment and they’ve got two of the best teams in Asia.