BOTN

Westfield W-League
the National Women's Football Competition
Launched for Season 2


(Representative players from the 8 teams)

The CEO of Football Federation Australia Ben Buckley, together with sponsor Westfield, today launched the second season of the Westfield W-League for women, at the FFA headquarters in Sydney.


(FFA's Ben Buckley)

"The first season of the Westfield W-League showed that it is important for talented women footballers and is also important in the national women's sporting landscape," said Football Federation Australia (FFA)CEO, Ben Buckley.

"The Westfield W-League helps improve the skills and match preparedness of talented women athletes, and gives them greater opportunity to play high quality competitive sport to their potential.

"The women's game globally is growing in popularity and stature and is one of the few sports available for talented women athletes to represent their country from an early age," said Buckley.

"From a football perspective, the Westfield W-League helps in eliminating a competition gap for our top women players and better prepare them for participation in international competition through the Asian Football Confederation."

Many of Australia's top women players also play in overseas domestic leagues, such as the USA and Norway, and the timing of the Westfield W-League season will enable this to continue.

Buckley said that, in a sign of the emerging prestige of the Westfield W-League in women's football, the competition this season will also include international players from the USA, Denmark and Chinese Taipei.

"The Westfield W-League has another dimension, and that is the significant number of women who enjoy watching and playing the sport for fun and to have a healthy lifestyle."

"The start of the Westfield W-League season follows closely on the recent announcement of Her Excellency the Governor-General of Australia, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, as the Patron of Women's Football", Buckley added.

The league will be played at 17 venues and runs for 10 rounds until 5 December, 2009, then a weekend of top 4 semi-finals (12/13 December), and the final on Saturday 19 December, 2009.

The Westfield Group's support involves women's football ranging from the Westfield Championship for Girls, the national women's teams and the Westfield W-League. The ederal Government also continues support of the women's league. The ABC is again the host broadcaster, on free-to-air TV.


(ABC's Steve Robilliard will front the ABC's programme (archive))

The eight participating clubs are again:

  • Adelaide based: Adelaide United FC
  • Brisbane based: Queensland Roar FC
  • NSW Federation, Sydney based: Central Coast Mariners FC, and Sydney FC
  • Melbourne based: Melbourne Victory SC
  • Newcastle based: Newcastle United FC Jets
  • Perth based: Perth Glory FC
  • ACT based: Canberra United FC


(Football with style Returns)

The Westfield W-League kicks-off this weekend with a 2008 Grand Final reply on Saturday between Brisbane Roar and Canberra United at Ballymore (3.00pm AEST), and the remaining three matches played as curtain-raisers for the Hyundai A-League match.
  • Melbourne Victory v Perth Glory, Etihad Stadium, Saturday 3 October, 4.45pm AEST
  • Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners, Sydney Football Stadium, Monday 5 October, 12.15pm AEST
  • Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets, Hindmarsh Stadium, Monday 5 October, 1.45pm local (2.15pm AEST).

    The teams were still represented by some exciting players who spoke well and answered questions from host Juanita Phillips.


    Alhtough the number of teams has not yet been expanded, and the number of rounds is limited this exciting league will give valuable elite competition for those at the peak of over 100,000 women and girls participating in officially organised football in Australia. It also continues football on FTA TV.


    (The Westfield W-League Trophy)

    By Chris Dunkerley in Sydney for BOTN - Monday 28 September, 2009

    2009/2010 Fixtures pdf

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