Central Coast Mariners announce return to W-League for 2022/23 season

It’s exciting day for women's football on the Central Coast as the Mariners announce their intention to return to the newly expanded W-League in 2022/23.

It’s an exciting day for women’s football across the Central Coast.

The Central Coast Mariners have announced plans to make a long-awaited return to the newly expanded and revamped W-League.

The Mariners have sent a letter of intent to the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) to join the W-League in 2022/23 and become the second team to represent the region on a national stage.

It comes after the APL announced its plans to expand the W-League with three new teams – Wellington Phoenix, Central Coast Mariners and Western United FC – to the competition ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

The Mariners are set to join the W-League in 2022/23. Picture: Mark Metcalfe

The coast football club indicated they were determined to enter the competition and “complete the pathway to professional football for aspiring females on the Coast and in our Academy teams”, along with ensuring that football remained the top sport in the region.

The Mariners have also made a bid to FIFA for the coast to be nominated as a base camp for the Women’s World Cup in 2023.

Central Coast Mariners chief executive officer Shaun Mielekamp said the news was exciting for the region.

“This is tremendous news and whilst we are excited, we cannot get complacent, as there lies a lot of work ahead of us, hence, we are looking at entering the competition in the 2022/23 season,” he said.

Central Coast Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp says the news is exciting for the coast. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

“The time is finally here after years of hard work, dedication, research and progress for the women’s game on the Coast. The opportunity is now right there for us to take advantage of, and the barriers of our past proposals no longer exist.”

He said the Mariners had thoroughly prepared for this moment, consulting stakeholders, and securing funding and resources for the W-League team.

“We are adamant that our W-League team will require and use all the resources provided to them, in parity to our A-League team and the standards we uphold for them,” he said.

“This will take time as we will have to secure and confirm the correct training and playing facilities, as well as securing significant sponsorship and funding to ensure that the team are prepared and highly competitive in the W-League.

The move is exciting for both junior and senior players. Picture: Troy Snook

“Making this formal submission of intent is a huge step for the club and I look forward to working extremely closely with the APL to ensure that our strategy and submission to enter into the W-League is one of the most exciting and successful expansions ever made by the league

“I know our community is ready and this is also fundamental to the long-term security and stability of the club on the Central Coast. The APL will not take the decision lightly and the reality is, we will have to prove without any doubt to them and the entire football community that we have the funds, resources, talent and infrastructure to deliver this.

“The whole country will be watching, and it is time to unlock and deliver the pathway for talented young female footballers on the Coast which previously was non-existent.”

The Central Coast Mariners will submit a completed strategy and plan for the APL to consider by the end of the year.