Sam Kerr’s investment call exposes A-League Women’s financial struggles

Jul 14, 2026 - 13:30

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Sam Kerr’s investment call exposes A-League Women’s financial struggles

Australia captain Sam Kerr has criticized the ongoing financial instability that continues to dog the Ninja A-League Women.

Speaking after her unveiling as Gotham FC’s newest NWSL signing, Kerr called for more investment in Australia’s top women’s league. Her comments carried extra weight given her own history with Perth Glory, where she took her first steps in professional football.

“In Australia, we want to retain our national team players. We want to retain as many top-level athletes that we can, but without the investment, the players can’t stay.”

Tournament momentum has not solved league instability

The APL — the body that oversees the A-Leagues — has failed to capitalise on the momentum that was generated through hosting both the 2023 World Cup and the 2026 Asian Cup.

The latest World Cup sits third in the all-time list for average attendance, and the Asian Cup shattered all previous attendance records. While there was a post-World Cup bounce in crowds, with a total of 312,199 in the 2023/24 season, this number shrank to around 190,000 spectators last season.

Financially, the outlook is bleak. One of the main causes of this was the now-abandoned digital strategies, such as the KEEPUP app. This alone lost the APL an estimated $40 million.

That led to a huge reduction in central funding that was allocated to clubs. Reimbursement nosedived from $2 million to just $530,000. That has had a huge knock-on effect on clubs.

Clubs face uncertain futures across the league

Canberra United have been searching for a buyer for over three years. There does look to be some light at the end of the tunnel here, with the APL conducting due diligence on two final interested parties.

In May, Adelaide United announced they would be undergoing significant cost-cutting measures that would affect both staff and players. On the playing front, Isabel Hodgson, Ella Tonkin, Erin Healy and Matilda McNamara have all departed The Reds after their contracts expired. Star striker Fiona Worts left for South Korean side Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels in March.

Central Coast deal adds to funding concerns

The fragility of the women’s game was further hammered home when, in June, Total Growth Soccer Holdings took control of Central Coast Mariners. However, the deal did not include the women’s team.

The official reason was a ‘lack of expertise in the women’s game.’ It’s a situation that Kerr explicitly mentioned during her press conference.

“I’ve been reading this week about Central Coast Mariners and some of the stuff that’s happening in Australia at the moment, and it’s quite disappointing to be honest.”

Speaking on the Mariners’ deal, APL CEO Steve Rosich said they’ve “begun working with parties to seek specific investment in the women’s team — and we’re working to ideally arrive at an outcome on this on or before 31 July to enable the team to operate in the 2026/27 season.”

Three clubs. All adding huge benefits to the league. Canberra, the only club independent of a men’s team in the league, Adelaide, a side that have broken club records in the last two seasons, and the Mariners, champions in 2025.

All of whom are struggling to find proper funding.

It’s a worrying sign for a league that has stagnated in recent years.

Player wages remain a major concern

Once a destination for the world’s best, boasting the likes of Nadine Angerer, Kim Little, Jess Fishlock and Sofia Huerta, while helping to produce the “golden generation” of Matildas such as Kerr, Steph Catley, Ellie Carpenter and Caitlin Foord, among others, it now offers an average salary of just $30,000 per season.

That ranks last among professional women’s sports competitions in Australia, falling behind cricket (WBBL), netball (Super Netball), and Aussie Rules (AFLW).

This has led to as much as a staggering 62% of players having to take on additional jobs to make ends meet.

With a lack of incoming star power to boost the marketability of the league and the best in the league leaving for bigger wages overseas, it remains to be seen how the slide can be halted before a much-needed rebuild can begin.

Frustratingly for the league’s biggest export, the wait could be a long one.