Melbourne City FC W-League

[belaguttman]

The MCFC W-League team deserves a sub-forum of its own rather than just one thread in what is the mens team forum. What do you think mods?

[Dylan]

They film the NPL games so it would be great if they played at the training ground they would film it. They have those large black towers there to put a camera on. If they streamed it online it might force foxtels hand to broadcast it (like what happend with the FFA cup)

[fiji19]

Now need Emma Checker

[Pete Heartspur]

The only people that enjoy women's sports would be the ones that enjoy the disabled Olympics

Does this include winter olympics? I appreciate the effort of someone with one leg skiing down a mountain more than I do of someone with two legs.

[Jun]

The only people that enjoy women's sports would be the ones that enjoy the disabled Olympics

Could say the same about the A-League.

[hakz7]

Should take Koren as well. At least he'd be able to play at a level he's suited to.

[Shahanga]

I like how we are making the other teams sweat!

interesting to note how low the salary cap is, just 150k. I'd be interested to know if all associations/clubs even spend that or not.

[Dylan]

is it true that we are the only W league club that is self funded? Or do we take money off the association like everyone else?

[Tesla]

If the salary cap is $150k then these are semi-professional teams and not professional teams. Only the US has fully professional woman's soccer AFAIK.

[Falastur]

Does this include winter olympics? I appreciate the effort of someone with one leg skiing down a mountain more than I do of someone with two legs.

I went to events at both the Olympics and the Paras in 2012. Got to be hhonest, the Paras athletes were far more impressive all-round.

 

If the salary cap is $150k then these are semi-professional teams and not professional teams. Only the US has fully professional woman's soccer AFAIK.

I think you're right, though people are starting to ask the questions in England, and some teams are virtually making their squad professional by hiring players as community workers to get around the salary restrictions.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Falastur

[M13]

$150k salary cap..

How the heck can anyone expect a club to have a 25 player squad on 150k. We have to let CFS give them part time jobs I guess, community coaches etc.

[Falastur]

$150k salary cap..

How the heck can anyone expect a club to have a 25 player squad on 150k. We have to let CFS give them part time jobs I guess, community coaches etc.

In fairness the WSL isn't much better. They have no cap per se but they have a rule that only each team can only pay four players £20k+ and everyone else must be under that, thereby enforcing semi-pro status.

[belaguttman]

The "Victory" women's team in at least partially paid for by FFV, do the visitors contribute anything of their own money?

[Shahanga]

The "Victory" women's team in at least partially paid for by FFV, do the visitors contribute anything of their own money?

My understanding was it was the FFV's team in all ways except the jersey. I know the FFV even advertised for a new coach for the side. 

Anyone know for sure?

[jw1739]

My understanding is that the W-League is and was intended to be a semi-professional league only, and hence the low salary cap. Players are paid very little - indicative range $1,000-$10,000 per season. The women's teams are described as being "affiliated" with the various A-League teams, and in a number of cases were or are actually run by State football bodies - Melbourne Victory, Adelaide and Perth being examples - and merely shared the A-League club's name and kit for marketing purposes. Sydney and WSW women's teams are run by those two clubs, but in Sydney's case were (in 2014) paid entirely by sponsors and not Sydney FC itself. So the precise situation probably varies from season to season.

I'm sure we're setting up our women's team to be an integral part of Melbourne City, once again demonstrating that we're the only real football club - or the closest that we can get to being one - in the A-League.

[Dylan]

Cant wait till we have an entire youth setup. Probably should look at what South Melbourne does for at least some ideas. We have the room out at Latrobe and Latrobe are very keen to have us there, at least in a club sense we are well on our way to being the dominant presence. 

[agoalie]

My understanding was it was the FFV's team in all ways except the jersey. I know the FFV even advertised for a new coach for the side. 

Anyone know for sure?

correct. Tards contribute no money. 

[Murfy1]

Actually it seems all A-League clubs pay at least a little for their respective W-League teams:

 

While W-League teams - with the exception of recently crowned champions Canberra United - are supported by A-League owners and carry the A-League brand, they are also partly funded by state federations and government-funded training centres.

It's believed Newcastle is the only W-League team wholly financed by its parent club, but the real cost of funding a women's team is about $80,000 to $90,000 a season for the various A-League owners.

Despite the low cost base, the fact that none of the three expansion clubs included in the A-League in recent years - North Queensland Fury (now defunct), Gold Coast United and Melbourne Heart - have chosen not to field a W-League side suggests the owners are still not convinced.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/glory-lost-future-of-wleague-in-balance-20120321-1vke1.html

 

So there's a cost for all A-League clubs, hence why Central Coast Mariners pulled the plug on their W-League team in 2010, and why Perth Glory threatened to cut their W-League team in 2012.

 

That's finance. It a good question who runs the W-League team though, and I'm not fully sure. I thought it was the A-League clubs (who, in theory, know about football and how to run a football team), but perhaps there's some state bodies input on the running of the W-League teams. With regards to Melbourne City's W-League team, it does seem that it's entirely run by Melbourne City, which can only be a good thing IMO and the likes of De Vanna has been impressed by how Melbourne City wants its W-League to operate.

 

The league was aimed to be semi-pro because effectively no where in the world has yet managed to have stable fully professional women's league that's been running for more than 3 years-- see this fantastic article http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0c34da84-637b-11e4-8a63-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3fZLlerXe and this good in-depth piece on the women's game in the US http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/world-cup-guides/world-cup-2015-guide/womens-professional-leagues-in-notable-countries/womens-professional-leagues-in-notable-countries-united-states/.

I'm hoping City can develop some real top class practices with the Melbourne City W-League team, because it would be great for us to have a successful W-League team, and there will be significant dividends for the first places in the world that can truly get the women's game right (all the indicators show women's football is steadily making gains, hence Melbourne City has a chance to become a real powerhouse for the women's game in Australia, and perhaps even a power in the women's game internationally).

   

[belaguttman]

correct. Tards contribute no money. 

Then the team currently labelled as 'Victory' in the W-League should now be playing as FFV

[Kinnibari]

I like how we are making the other teams sweat!

interesting to note how low the salary cap is, just 150k. I'd be interested to know if all associations/clubs even spend that or not.

Not even close. There is a really great interview with Heather Reid, the CEO of Canberra United, by Richard Parkin of Leopold Method. Here are some key points, but it's a good read in full. I've included part of it below, but you can read the whole thing here (link embedding not working properly sorry so here's the URL: http://leopoldmethod.com.au/radio-interview-with-heather-reid-about-canberra-united), and I encourage you to do so.

Key points:

- She says that in practice, clubs spend about $50-60,000 on salaries

- Canberra United's total budget is about $300,000, not including the travel that is paid for by the FFA. She thinks clubs that are run by member federations, such as Football West or Northern NSW or Football Federation Victoria, have budgets that are anywhere between $150,000 to perhaps $200,000.

- the FFA provides each club a small grant either to help with marketing or to help with international players - about $40,000

She also discussed the potential for us to join the w-league (this interview was a while back) and wasn't really keen:

"The other possibility is a team out of Melbourne, with Melbourne City showing interest. But again, Melbourne Victory as run by FFV, still has three or four overseas players on its roster. I think the depth within the Melbourne Premier League and other competitions throughout Victoria could possibly sustain a developing team, but I wouldn’t like to see a Melbourne City team come in where they’ve got the money to basically buy, you know, three top quality overseas players plus a guest player, and impact on – not the stability – but the level playing field that might be there for the other clubs."

It will be interesting to see what impact us coming into the league has on the competition as a whole. It might put pressure on the other clubs to lift their games, or they might just decide they can't compete anyway. Our training facilities are certainly a massive draw card, as De Vanna mentioned. Hopefully we'll get a longer season, since more playing time is essential for player development. (Also for our players, I hope that in the same way Man City players come out here that Melb City players go over there.)
 

Anyway, here are some quotes from the interview:

RP: Can you briefly run our listeners through how much it costs to run a W-League team? 

HR: Well our budget is just over $300,000 – not a lot of money in the greater scheme of things – but still it’s a reasonable amount to provide our players with a small payment for the season as well as also medical bills, travel that’s not covered by FFA, our accommodation, meals. We have a uniform sponsor so that sort of saves us a certain amount of money but the bigger expenses really are around about, you know, the training venue hire, the office for the coaching staff.

We don’t have our own base as such so we pretty much use the AIS and other high level training facilities throughout the past seven seasons. That costs money of course, it doesn’t come for free. Coaching staff and of course the other support staff that go with that, from an assistant coach, goalkeeper coach, strength and conditioning coach etc. It’s a pretty lean outfit but one that, you know, the stability has been there since day one.

I think compared to other clubs that are run by member federations, such as Football West or Northern NSW or Football Federation Victoria, looking after their women’s teams, you know, there is never certainty from one year to the next that Melbourne Victory will be supported by FFV or the A-League club. I think their budgets are anywhere between $150,000 to perhaps $200,000.

RP: Yeah certainly it, as you mentioned, that unique position that Canberra United has in the sporting landscape helps your budget and your relationships with sponsors is critical there. Looking at the salary cap though, I mean if we look at the A-League I think it’s something like $2.55 million, while the salary cap for the W-League is $150,000. Are you as a club hitting that, are any of the clubs in the W-League hitting that salary cap?

HR: Ah, well, I don’t want to be too controversial but there is absolutely no way that clubs are anywhere near $150,000 in salary. I think that’s an absolute ideal. In fact the other CEO’s of the Federations are saying, you know, we need to actually cap it at around $50-60,000. That’s about what it is, apart from…

RP: So almost a third of the cap is being taken up, possibly?

HR: Yes, yes, I mean it’s a little bit unusual in that the amateur players and the Australian based players are on amateur agreements. And, you know they would be paid anything from, you know, a weekly fee or a match fee to a flat seasonal fee. So I have a process whereby our rookie players and our new players might be on as little as $500 for the whole season, which could be 20 weeks if you include pre-season. $500 really just covers their petrol money if that, right through to maybe $7,500 for our top player for the whole season.

So for the local Australian based players they sort of sit in that $50,000 amount, and the foreign players… it’s fair to say most of the foreign players don’t come here for the money, they come here for the off-season training and experience and change of lifestyle. The expenses associated with foreign players isn’t so much in their wages but more are in the return airfares. Most of them are coming from the US now, so that’s around $4000 at least, and then some accommodation and board that they need while they’re here. So a foreign player could cost anywhere between $10-12,000, certainly from my club anyway, and they’re in a slightly different bracket to the amateur players. But the salary cap is a bit of a furphy, Richard.

[...]

RP: Certainly though, getting back to the idea of revenue streams, it’s a small percentage that’s coming through gate and merchandising. Let’s talk about the marketing support that you get from FFA. What are they doing to increase the interest in the W-League?

HR: So the FFA provides each club a small grant either to help with marketing or to help with international players. I guess it’s public knowledge that each club gets $40,000 from FFA which is a far cry from the $1.2 million or whatever the A-League clubs get directly from the broadcast rights. But until the broadcast rights, generally, for the A-League increase and there’s some share of the pie that goes to the women’s teams, then that’s basically what we’ve got.

[...]

RP: Obviously having additional games will increase the revenue that comes in but it’s also going to increase the cost of the clubs. We know the FFA subsidise some of the travel, but looking outside Canberra United, could some of the clubs afford the extra costs that extra rounds would necessitate?

HR: Well I think you’re right in that you get an extra home game, so you have the capacity to generate income, which would then perhaps cover any costs that you would have in the away game. So the away game costs essentially are about $1800. We pay about $1800 on average for one night’s accommodation, you then have meals on top of that – we cover our players for breakfast lunch and dinner – I’m not sure if the other clubs do that as well. Certainly while we’re away we don’t expect our players to pay for anything.

So that could be on average another $500-600, and then if you make $3000 on the gate for your home game then you’ve pretty much averaged that cost out. For the FFA they’re up for 18 traveling passengers for 14 teams traveling away, and probably match officials as well. So I think they would work it out at around $100,000 a round. So there’s another $200,000, and I think, Richard, in the greater scheme of things with what FFA spends on a whole lot of stuff, finding $200,000 in the budget for the W-League to play an extra two rounds shouldn’t be that difficult.

RP: Yep. Now you mentioned that you think the current number of teams – eight teams – is sufficient for the volume of talent. Would you like to see down the track the W-League expanding? There’s certainly been interest from the South Coast [of NSW], from North Queensland… would it jeopardise the competition if those teams came in as early as next year or the year after?

HR: Personally I think it would. I believe that the next franchise should come from Queensland, I think there is a great deal of talent in Queensland it’s just a question of where it’s based, and of course there’s only the one A-League club that sort of survived in Queensland.

A team from North Queensland would add a lot more expense to the competition and if we spoke just from pure practical reasons that would be a challenge. Also, from other practical reasons, another team from the South Coast, South Sydney region could see the demise of maybe a Newcastle or a Wanderers. I mean, we’ve already got Newcastle Jets, Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers and Canberra all within a very small geographic reach there for the talent that’s in that region.

You know, South Coast, I would like to think that if they came in they wouldn’t have an adverse impact on the capacity for Wanderers to build a stronger club. I think the Wanderers management really needs to do a lot more to support the coach and other people behind the W-League team there. They were a little bit undercooked this year I would suggest.

The other possibility is a team out of Melbourne, with Melbourne City showing interest. But again, Melbourne Victory as run by FFV, still has three or four overseas players on its roster. I think the depth within the Melbourne Premier League and other competitions throughout Victoria could possibly sustain a developing team, but I wouldn’t like to see a Melbourne City team come in where they’ve got the money to basically buy, you know, three top quality overseas players plus a guest player, and impact on – not the stability – but the level playing field that might be there for the other clubs.

[illeatyourheart]

Is there any chance that we would go after Elysse "the most marketable Australian athlete" Perry? She's always been a personal favourite of mine since I want her life.

[Jun]

Is there any chance that we would go after Elysse "the most marketable Australian athlete" Perry? She's always been a personal favourite of mine since I want her life.

If she can manage her commitments to both football and cricket. Unfortunately they've conflicted a lot in the past.

[M13]

In fairness the WSL isn't much better. They have no cap per se but they have a rule that only each team can only pay four players £20k+ and everyone else must be under that, thereby enforcing semi-pro status.

Stephanie Houghton earns £60k p.a playing for City and England.. That´s about $120k

[Falastur]

Stephanie Houghton earns £60k p.a playing for City and England.. That´s about $120k

Fair enough, didn't realise it was that high. However, I stand by my comment - the WSL is not much better for enforcing low salaries on about 20 players in the squad.

[M13]

Fair enough, didn't realise it was that high. However, I stand by my comment - the WSL is not much better for enforcing low salaries on about 20 players in the squad.

The FA guarantees some wage levels though.. Not really sure how it works

[jw1739]

 

She also discussed the potential for us to join the w-league (this interview was a while back) and wasn't really keen:

"The other possibility is a team out of Melbourne, with Melbourne City showing interest. But again, Melbourne Victory as run by FFV, still has three or four overseas players on its roster. I think the depth within the Melbourne Premier League and other competitions throughout Victoria could possibly sustain a developing team, but I wouldn’t like to see a Melbourne City team come in where they’ve got the money to basically buy, you know, three top quality overseas players plus a guest player, and impact on – not the stability – but the level playing field that might be there for the other clubs."

It really fascinates me to see this kind of comment coming out of the football establishment. Just as FFA panicked that City might run away with the A-League and hastily brought in the Lampard Rule on loan players, here is the CEO of a W-League team not wanting to disturb the "level playing field" of the W-League. IMO just typical of the antiquated thinking that bedevils football in this country. The arrival of City Football Group on the Australian football scene is an opportunity to grow the game right across the board, not a threat.

[Shahanga]

But if city come in players who are good enough to play for a top 10 side  in the world might want more than $500/season. We couldn't have that. 

Also Reid completely missed the point that regardless of who city sign this will create spaces for younger players across the league. She was speaking from pure self interest.

[Murfy1]

W-League games to be played as A-League curtain-raiser and broadcast live on Fox Sports

 

TOM SMITHIES 

JULY 13, 2015 

 

WOMEN’S football will get fresh TV exposure under a broadcast deal being formulated to build on the Matildas’ success at the World Cup.

One of the W-League fixtures will be played every Sunday during the women’s season as a precursor to the A-League game at the same ground, broadcast live on Fox Sports and possibly a free to air network.

It’s understood the ABC is very interested in showing the games and has held talks with Fox about “simulcast” coverage, eight months after the national broadcaster culled its W-League coverage in the wake of selling off its outside-broadcast units.

Each week the chosen game would kick off some two-and-a-half hours before the A-League fixture at the same ground, to allow time for the latter’s pre-match warm-up.

Fox Sports’ full HD broadcasting facilities would be used as they would already be in place, reducing the cost considerably.

Though no formal deal has yet been reached, the economics of the concept mean it is being viewed favourably by broadcasters keen to engage the Matildas’ growing profile.

A-League clubs would be encouraged to market the games strongly with all-inclusive ticket and membership deals.

The new W-League deal comes on the back of the Matildas’ remarkable run to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, beating holders Brazil in the Round of 16 before succumbing to Japan in the quarterfinals.

That game, which kicked off at 6am on a Sunday, averaged 345,000 viewers on SBS with a peak audience of 681,000.

The W-League itself will expand to nine teams this season, with Melbourne City joining the competition and making an instant impact with the signing of Matildas striker Lisa De Vanna.

Last November the ABC confirmed it would axe its W-League coverage along with other sports including women’s basketball, ending an association with the women’s football competition going back to its inception in 2008.

The broadcaster blamed more than $250m of cuts to government funding, but has been aware of its charter commitments to broadcast women’s sports.

On Monday night Fox CEO Patrick Delaney confirmed the pay-TV network would show the W-League games next season, adding: “It’s a fantastic outcome for women’s football in Australia and will be the perfect complement to our live Sunday afternoon A-League coverage.”

“Football fans will now be able to watch the best male and female footballers in the country every week.”

Various other options have been canvassed to cover the W-League, including live streaming of matches, but none offers the exposure that sponsors want.

Meanwhile, Melbourne City have signed the former EPL defender Aaron Hughes. The 34-year-old, recently released by Brighton, has signed a one year deal after being persuaded to join City by former Fulham teammate Damian Duff who spent last season at the A-League club.

 

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/w-league-games-to-be-played-as-a-league-curtain-raiser-and-broadcast-live-on-fox-sports/story-fnii0fc3-1227440637705

[Jun]

Great initiative, but I wonder how that will work with the Wellington Pheonix and Central Coast home games on Sundays?
Our first home Sunday is 21st of Feb

No doubt the 12 game W-League season will be over by then

Edited July 13, 2015 by Jun

[M13]

The question is how CFG will manage to orchestrate their womens teams.. Manchester got its team (and stadium!), New York is in talks about having a team, Melbourne is starting up.. Length of seasons, wage caps or no caps, loan rules etc etc.

[jw1739]

Louisa Bisby has been appointed as Team Manager for our W-City team.

http://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/article/city-in-the-community-update/hslwklm8nnjgzur0bcegsp08

 

[True Until I die]

To be fair, that was announced at the start with the creation of the team. But good luck to her and to Simon Zappia as well

[jw1739]

To be fair, that was announced at the start with the creation of the team. But good luck to her and to Simon Zappia as well

Apologies. TBH I probably wasn't taking much interest in W-City at that time.

Anyway, I like those Community Updates - IMO something we are doing well and keeping something of the Heart alive.

[fidrildid6]

http://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/article/melbourne-city-fc-announces-four-new-w-league-players/1gw8m0yum1ks41khnj78qgy4jx

Just signed 4 new players. Cbf making a thread for each though. Larissa Crummer, Alex Chidiac, Beatrice Goad and Monique Iannella.

Edited September 4, 2015 by fidrildid6

[Luke]

pretty much 4 young matildas, should be a class team 

[Kinnibari]

Only know of Crummer and Goad but they've looked good.

[Falastur]

I'm starting to wonder if the scouting reports got lost in a fire and they could only save the first few letters of the alphabet. So far we have one surnames beginning with A, two Cs, two Ds, a G and an I.

Obviously I know nothing of these players, but they sound interesting prospects. Is it usual for W-League teams to staff their squads overwhelmingly with teenagers, though?

 

[M13]

I'm starting to wonder if the scouting reports got lost in a fire and they could only save the first few letters of the alphabet. So far we have one surnames beginning with A, two Cs, two Ds, a G and an I.

Obviously I know nothing of these players, but they sound interesting prospects. Is it usual for W-League teams to staff their squads overwhelmingly with teenagers, though?

 

Given the mini-wage cap we can perhaps pay teenagers with just some airplane tickets and a free car..

[Deviant]

Alex Chidiac would be my first choice. Younger, talented and plenty of international experience. 

 

Meikayla Moore would be my second pick. Again, same credentials although she is a NZ international. 

 

Erin Nayler to accompany and learn from Melissa Barbieri in goals.

 

Emma Checker would cost too much to get her over from victory... only because they would make it hard for us. I'd rather spend the money on Alex Chidiac.

Welcome Alex.

[M13]

We got a squad yet?..