Sutherland Shire Football Association withdraws from senior women’s competitions in 2024

Sydney’s biggest football association has made the shock decision to not field representative senior women’s and youth girls teams next season. Find out why.

Sutherland Shire Football Association’s 2023 first grade and under 20s women’s squad.

Sydney’s biggest football association will not field representative senior women’s and youth girls teams next season, citing an internal pay dispute amid claims of a potential mass defection to a rival club.

As the Matildas captured the country’s imagination, Sutherland Shire Football Association (SSFA) released a statement revealing it would not participate in Football NSW’s women’s first grade, under 20s and girls youth league competitions for 2024.

The statement said earlier this year there were “discreet meetings” and unauthorised negotiations to transfer its representative women’s and girls youth league programs, which compete in League One, to the Sutherland Sharks Football Club (SSFC).

However, it said such a transfer was not feasible due to licensing constraints. The Sutherland Sharks have been contacted for comment.

Despite SSFA CEO Jeff Stewart telling this publication it had the state’s largest female football participation rate, hosting almost 7000 participants, the decision to abstain from the women’s competitions was due to demands from players, coaches, and managers.

The Sutherland Sharks and Cronulla Sharks have a joint bid to become one of 10-16 teams in a national second-tier professional football competition. Picture: Richard Dobson

Sutherland Sharks FC.

When questioned about these demands, Stewart said it included the separation from SSFA and calls for a “significant budget” and increased player payments.

“The SSFA was not in a position to levy a sizeable fee on our grassroots participants to fund a small group of less than 20 players,” Stewart said. “Others in the market may be better placed to afford such.”

Despite the association’s disappointment, Stewart said the decision would allow SSFA to focus on player development from the community level and provide “all players” with a pathway that best suits themselves.

On Facebook, users responded to the club’s statement saying it was a “massive blow for women’s football on the back of a fantastic” World Cup and another said it was “no wonder” the Sutherland Shire continued to lose its talent to others footballing clubs.

Given the growing support and enthusiasm for women’s football, Stewart said the association taking a step back from fielding representative female teams would allow it to create a “more robust and supportive framework for the future”.

While only indicating the decision was for 2024, Stewart said it would be assessed year-to-year and would be subject to demand, field space in the Sutherland Shire and depth of talent.

Stewart said the association would continue to field side’s in Football NSW’s junior girls competitions. SSFA’s First Grade women’s team currently sits in ninth position in League One.