The Australian Professional Leagues' (APL) hesitance to transition the A-League Women into a fully professional competition is prompting a significant departure of top female footballers from Australia, according to former Adelaide United captain Dylan Holmes. With the league's 19th season approaching in two months, the A-League Women faces its second major wave of player exits, fueled by a growing disillusionment with the league's direction and decision-making.

Concerns Over Stagnation

Holmes expressed frustration over the lack of progress, especially in light of the recent successes of women's football globally. "On the women's side, we're seeing leagues around the world exploding, we're seeing investment taking off, we're seeing the growth of the game, and here we don't feel like enough is being done to realise the potential that we believe is in the A-League Women in Australia," she stated during an appearance on The Far Post Podcast. Following the Women's World Cup and the Asian Cup, she questioned, "if change hasn't happened after those two huge events in this country, then when is it going to?"

Player Exodus and Future Prospects

Holmes, who debuted in the A-League Women in 2014 and is now leaving for an overseas study opportunity, noted that the current wave of departures is more pronounced than in previous years. She believes that the league has stagnated while women's club football abroad continues to advance. This latest exodus echoes a similar trend five years ago when prominent Matildas like Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord left to pursue full-time football opportunities.

As a former player delegate and executive committee member of the players' union, Holmes highlighted the recent breakdown in negotiations with the APL regarding a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) as a key issue. She emphasized that the negotiations revealed significant disparities in vision and expectations between league administrators and the players themselves. "The CBA was a bit of a sticking-point because we had just released the Ready For Takeoff report, we had done all this research, we had shown all this data and the possibilities of what can happen when there's thought," she explained.

As the A-League Women prepares for its upcoming season, the call for change grows louder among its players, who are eager for a future that reflects the progress seen in women's football worldwide.