Just one female coach, one female CEO: new data paints disappointing picture of football governance
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
MEDIA RELEASE
March 4, 2026
Women’s football advocacy group Women Onside have today published their annual report that tracks the number of female coaches in Australian professional football (soccer) and compliance with gender equality governance standards established in 2017.
The latest Women Onside Index and Coach Tracker found:
Just one A-League Women club has a female head coach;
Six of the 11 governing bodies in Australian football have met the 40/40/20 gender equality target for female board members;
Just one of the 11 governing bodies has a female chief executive; and
Four of the 11 governing bodies have a female chair.
The absence of women head coaches across the game paints a troubling picture. Only the Wellington Phoenix are coached by a woman, Bev Priestman. The appointment of Joe Montemurro as Head Coach of the Matildas in 2025 marks a 12-year streak of male coaches for the national women’s side. Just three teams competing at the Women’s Asian Cup have women head coaches; on Thursday, the Matildas face one of those teams - Iran, who are managed by Marziyeh Jafari.
Coaching is not the only area where football in Australia is lagging in progress toward gender equality. In 2017, Women Onside was established as part of a push for the adoption of a gender representation policy in football governance, where boards must be comprised of at least 40% women. Football Australia adopted the policy, but Women Onside has found that close to a decade on, only 55% of the football governing bodies in Australia are compliant with this policy.
Football Australia itself has failed to meet this representative standard. Australian Professional Leagues (APL), which manages the A-Leagues, were the worst performing in this area, with only one woman – Ebru Köksal - on its board.
The Women Onside Index and Coach Tracker were pioneered by founding board member, the late Maria Berry AM. Last week, Women Onside announced the establishment of the Maria Berry AM Coaching Scholarship program, in partnership with Football Coaches Australia and Melbourne Victory, to support female and gender diverse coaches in the round ball game.
Kerry Harris, Chair, Women Onside
“While some progress has been made towards gender equality in football over the past decade, our latest Index and Coach Tracker demonstrate the work still to be done. It is timely to release this research during the Women’s Asian Cup – a landmark moment for football in this country which reminds us of the need to harness the Matildas effect for long-term structural change.”
“It is not good enough that there are so few female coaches and administrators in the round ball game in Australia. More must be done by Australia’s governing bodies for football. Women Onside will continue to call out the failure to make more progress. There should be women in football everywhere; until there is, work must continue.
About Women Onside
Women Onside is a national independent non-profit organisation advocating for women and gender diverse people in Australian football (soccer). We exist to connect, empower, and amplify voices across all levels of the game, driving cultural and structural change through advocacy, education, and community building.
For media enquiries contact comms@womenonside.com.au
Comments