Network groups and conveners
Our special interest groups will be at the heart of Women Onside.
Our networking groups provide opportunities for anyone involved in women’s football to develop the game, develop women in the game and develop themselves in their roles.
Become a member of Women Onside to join our networking groups.
Governance, legal and integrity
Co-convenors - Dr Catherine Ordway and Moya Dodd
Dr Catherine Ordway is a Canberra-based academic specialising in sports law, specifically anti-corruption and integrity. Catherine is an Assistant Professor at University of Canberra and a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne.
Catherine is highly active in the practical application of integrity principles across a wide range of sports and is a tribunal member, media commentator and consultant to sports organisations. Her areas of work include gender equity, anti-doping and corruption. Catherine is a co-founder of Women In Sports Law and Women on Boards.
Moya Dodd is a former Matilda and a partner at a leading law firm. Moya has extensive experience in football governance at three key organisations:
Football Federation Australia (FFA) where she was a Director for 10 years;
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the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) where she was a member of the Executive Committee and a vice president;
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the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) where she was co-opted as a member of the Executive Committee and where she drove gender reform proposals for women to have more inclusion in the decision-making process and for there to be a larger investment in the women’s game.
Moya is currently independent Chair of Common Goal, the international football charity and a member of various international sports committees, including the IOC Athletes Entourage Commission and the FIFA Player Status Committee.
Moya was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Adelaide for her services to women's sports and gender equity.
And when she can, she still gets out to play at her local women’s over 30s competition.
Coaching
Convenor - Julie Ryan
Julie Ryan leads our coaches network, creating a space for female coaches to get together, share their experiences and to advocate for more development and opportunities.
Julie began her football playing career in NSW in 1979 and rose to be NSW State Senior team goalkeeper back in the days before the national league was founded. Since then she has been involved in all aspects of the game as an administrator, board member at club level, referee, active tragic football spectator, coach and Football Victoria coach educator. Julie has a degree in sports coaching and administration as well as a Diploma in Business (Governance).
Julie works in the cards payment industry and has over 20 years experience in service and project delivery. Julie is a member of the Proud 2 Play board of directors.
Officiating
Convenor - Allyson Flynn
Allyson Flynn is a former FIFA assistant referee who enjoyed a distinguished career, highlighted by officiating at two World Cups (Germany 2011 and Canada 2015) and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. She was on the AFC Elite panel from 2006 to 2017 officiating at the Women’s Asian Cup in 2010 and 2014. She was awarded the Asian Football Confederation’s AFC Assistant Referee of the Year in 2013.
Allyson was a W-League assistant referee for 9 seasons and also officiated A League matches as well as AFC men’s matches, including being the first woman to officiate on the AFC men’s Champions League. Allyson is now a mentor to officials in the W-League.
Allyson has a detailed understanding of refereeing from the grassroots to the elite and has previously worked as the Referee Development Manager at Capital Football. Allyson is still an active representative in referee administration and currently is a member of the FFA Referees Committee.
Professionally Allyson is a physiotherapist who is undertaking a PhD researching exercise and Parkinson’s disease.
Victoria
Convenor - Helen Tyrikos
Helen is well-known as one of Victoria’s leading football administrators. She was the General Manager at Heidelberg United Football Club before taking on a role in the competitions department at Football Victoria, then becoming Program Manager Women and Girls for the organisation. In that role she initiated a series of innovative programs for women and girls in regard to administration, coaching and refereeing.
Subsequently Helen has worked for Sport and Recreation Victoria as a Project Officer and has taken on a range of consulting roles in project management. She is currently working in local government with a focus on women and girls in sport and recreation.
Helen is the Head of Women and Girls at Heidelberg United FC where she oversees the club’s NPL Women’s program. Helen is also on the Board of Proud2Play.
Media
Co-convenors - Cheryl Downes, Danielle Warby and Samantha Lewis
The Women Onside media network is a space for anyone working in media and reporting on the women’s game. Commentators, photographers, writers, videographers, analysts, whatever your focus, join us to discuss the current state of play and the future of football media.
Co-convenors Cheryl, Danielle and Sam are very well-known leaders in the women's football space.
Cheryl is a co-founder of Beyond 90 and editor -in-chief Beyond 90 the website and podcast provider of the most wide-ranging coverage of women's football in Australia and Australian women players overseas.
Danielle is currently research women in sports leadership and working in content strategy for a major government services organisation. She is a former editor and writer for the SBS women's sport website Zela and is a co-founder of Siren, the women in sport media collective.
Sam has emerged as one of Australia's leading football writers since pausing her academic research and going full-time into sports writing. She writes for the ABC, Optus, The Guardian and ESPN. And she is also a co-founder and panellist on the entertaining women's football podcast The Far Post.
Supporters
Convenor - Fatima Flores
Fatima Flores has taken on the role of supporter group convenor.
Supporters groups for our women’s professional teams are now a growing area and offer a key means of promoting the game, engaging with fans and helping to develop the sustainable audience base and match day experience that professional women’s football needs.
Fatima will be building on the success of the World Cup Matildas Active support fan group and The Roar Corps to help raise the profile and enhance the resources of supporters groups around the country.