“I’ve played 25 years and I’ve only just gone past 150 games,” says Melissa Barbieri, legend of the Matildas and Liberty A-League.
“In 25 years, I’ve played 150 games. Now, goalkeepers sit on the bench a lot – I get that. But 150 games in 25 years, that’s not good enough.
“To see (the ALW expanding) means the next player who hits 25 years will have that many more games under their belt.
“I want to say I’m excited, I’m happy, but the initial reaction is: it’s about time.
“I don’t want to stifle the excitement. I want to acknowledge that we should have had this a long time ago – but I’m still so very grateful for the fact it’s happening now.”
At 42 years of age, Barbieri has spent more than a quarter of a century devoting her life to football, in a career which began in the 1990’s, when Barbieri played in the Women’s National Soccer League, the then-premier division of women’s football in Australia.
A lot has changed since then.
On Wednesday morning, the Australian Professional Leagues announced the ALW would extend to a 12-team, 22-round, full home-and-away schedule by 2023-24, with Western United joining the competition next season before Central Coast Mariners take the team total to an even 12 the following campaign.
READ: ALW TO WELCOME MARINERS, FULL HOME-AND-AWAY SCHEDULE BY 2023-24
Barbieri looks toward the future of women’s football in Australia with excitement, knowing exactly how far the game has grown throughout her time as a player.
“We’re going from a place of (being) grateful for just the ability to play. We didn’t have payments, we were just so grateful to be able to fly and play for free that we didn’t have to pay for that opportunity,” Barbieri told KEEPUP, reflecting on the start of her career.
“Looking at it moving forward in 2023-24, at players choosing this as a job. This is their income – what a beautiful feeling that you can choose to work on a football pitch doing what you love. It kind of seems surreal knowing that your job is something that you love so much.
“It’s such a dream come true for so many.”
When pondering the potential beneficiaries of Wednesday morning’s announcement, Barbieri’s mind travelled in two directions: firstly, to recognise what kind of drawcard an extended season would be for overseas talent, with the numbers showing the ALW will no longer lag behind the top leagues around the world in match minutes.
READ: EXPANDED ALW TO RIVAL TOP LEAGUES WORLDWIDE IN MATCH MINUTES
Then Barbieri thought of Holly McNamara. The teenage forward, a budding Matildas prospect and Barbieri’s Melbourne City teammate in 2021-22. McNamara was a breakout star of the recent ALW campaign, with an ACL tear halting the 19-year-old’s tilt for Player of the Season honours as she made her league bow.
Barbieri looks at McNamara and sees a flag bearer for the next generation of young, Australian talent set to reap the benefits of the league’s expansion.
“I want to bring people’s minds back to Holly McNamara,” Barbieri said. “She was an unknown until Melbourne City had her in the lineup.
“This kid has come from nothing. Those are the kids we want to shine a light on, for the people watching and scouting. You never know when a player might turn the corner. Just because you discounted them before, doesn’t mean they’re not going to be right up there when it counts.”
Next season, McNamara will look to return from her ACL injury to competitive action through the ALW, with the inclusion of Western United into the competition bringing more games and match minutes for McNamara to ready herself to make a tilt to reclaim her spot in the Matildas squad in time for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Perth Glory’s 19-year-old sensation Hana Lowry is another from a cohort set to benefit.
For three seasons she has increased her game minutes and appearances in the competition, scoring and assisting goals from attacking midfield and cementing herself as one of the exciting young Australian talents league-wide.
Lowry, who recently travelled to New Zealand with the Young Matildas squad to take on the Young Football Ferns in Auckland, New Zealand, says the prospect of an 18-game season in 2022-23, and 22 games the season following, adds extra incentive to remain in the ALW to both develop her game and push to make the senior Matildas squad.
“It’s super exciting,” Lowry told KEEPUP. “Over the last few years you’ve seen how the league is continuing to grow. I think this is definitely a step in the right direction to align with other leagues throughout the world.
“It’s going to attract lots of players; I think previously, having a shorter season meant it was difficult for players to commit to that. But now that it’s extended I think it will just grow Australian football.
“(Younger) girls will look up to players like us and think that’s where they want to be. I think in a few years time it will be the perfect environment to produce the next Matildas, it will be a really good place where they can make that step.
“The biggest factor for some of the players moving overseas is getting those game minutes. I think if we’re able to get that whilst also being at home, playing in front of family and friends and being in an environment where you feel you can really perform at your best – and you’re getting those minutes, too – then I think it’s really good. I can get that exposure to the professional environment but also be able to be where I enjoy being.
“Even if you just look at some of the Matildas now: Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord etc, they were produced in this league. Now we know that it’s getting expanded, it could be an even bigger opportunity for us to really compete to be in that team in the next few years; I think that’s really exciting.”
The challenge is set for the likes of Lowry, McNamara and the next crop of Matildas to seize the opportunities created by a longer domestic campaign.
An equally exciting challenge is set for the APL, says Barbieri, to capitalise on the growth of the league and interest created by the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to captivate and grow the Australian audience, and use this week’s announcement as a stepping stone to greater things, a greater game.
“I think it’s time for us to step into the world game,” Barbieri said.
“If we want to be a top 10 nation, we have to have a top 10 league. We have to be a league where people choose us not because it’s a break between one season and the next, they’re choosing us because we have such a good environment.
“Having teams in the league is just a start; it’s about making sure each team is looked after and well supported, because that’s where we are going to keep players around for that bit longer.”
