Soccer in Australia: Difference between revisions

| title = SoccerFootball in Australia

| caption = The [[Australia national soccerfootball team|Australian national team]] playing at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]], May 2006.

| sport = SoccerFootball

| nationalteam = [[Australia national soccerfootball team]]

| participation (total) = 1,960,000 <ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.smh.com.au/sport/soccerfootball/soccerfootball-is-closing-in-as-australias-most-popular-sport-20131111-2xcg0.html|title=SoccerFootball is closing in as Australia's most popular sport|publisher=smh.com.au|date=12 November 2013|accessdate=7 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="Football Federation Australia">{{cite web|title=Football participation reaches 1.96 million Australians|url=http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/article/Football-participation-reaches-1.96-million-Australians/78074|publisher=[[Football Federation Australia]]|accessdate=13 November 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131113054839/http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/article/Football-participation-reaches-1.96-million-Australians/78074|archivedate=13 November 2013}}</ref>

'''SoccerFootball''', also known as '''[[Association football|footballSoccer]]''', is the most played outdoor [[team sport]] in [[Australia]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Australia’s most popular sport: Landmark study|url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/football/2016/12/08/most-popular-sport-in-australia/|agency=The New Daily|date=28 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6123-australian-sports-participation-rates-among-children-and-adults-december-2014-201503182151|title=The Top 20 sports played by Aussies young and old(er)|publisher=Roy Morgan |date=19 March 2015|accessdate=9 February 2015}}</ref> and ranks in the top ten for television audience.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5488-sports-viewing-on-tv-201403140213|title= AFL is clearly Australia's most watched Football Code, while V8 Supercars have the local edge over Formula 1 |publisher=Roy Morgan |date=19 March 2015|accessdate=9 February 2015}}</ref> The national governing body of the sport is [[Football Federation Australia]] (FFA), which until 2019, organised the [[A-League]], [[W-League (Australia)|W-League]], and still organises the [[FFA Cup]], as well as the men's and women's national teams (known as the [[Australia men's national soccer team|Socceroos]] and the [[Australia women's national soccerfootball team|Matildas]], respectively). The FFA comprises nine state and territory member federations, which oversee the sport within their respective region.

Modern soccerfootball was introduced in Australia in the late 19th century by mostly [[British people|British]] immigrants. The first club formed in the country, [[Wanderers F.C. (Australia)|Wanderers]], was founded on 3 August 1880 in [[Sydney]], while the oldest club in Australia currently in existence is [[Balgownie Rangers FC|Balgownie Rangers]], formed in 1883 in [[Wollongong]]. Wanderers were also the first known recorded team to play under the [[Laws of Football|Laws of the Game]].

A semi-professional national league, the [[National SoccerFootball League]], was introduced in 1977. The NSL was replaced by a fully professional league, the A-League, in 2004, which has contributed to a rise in popularity in the sport. Australia was a founding member of the [[Oceania Football Confederation]] (OFC) before moving to the [[Asian Football Confederation]] (AFC) in 2006.

[[File:St kilda bfc.jpg|thumb|left|St Kilda British Football Club at [[Middle Park, Victoria|Middle Park]], 1909 – one of the earliest known photographs of a soccerfootball club in Australia.]]

The first recorded match in Sydney under the [[Laws of the Game (association football)|Laws of the Game]] was contested between [[Wanderers F.C. (Australia)|Wanderers]] and members of the [[The King's School, Parramatta|Kings School]] [[rugby football|rugby]] team at [[Parramatta]] Common on 14 August 1880.<ref name="Timeline of Australian Football" /> The Wanderers, considered the first soccerfootball club in Australia, was established on 3 August 1880, by English-[[émigré]] [[John Walter Fletcher]]. Later, in 1882, Fletcher formed the New South Wales English Football Association (also referred to as the South British Football SoccerFootball Association), the very first administrative governing body of soccerfootball within Australia and one of the first to be established outside the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="Timeline of Australian Football" />

In 1883, [[Balgownie Rangers FC|Balgownie Rangers]], the oldest existing club in Australia was founded; the club currently competes in the [[Illawarra]] regional league.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.balgownierangers.com.au/history/history.htm|title=Balgownie Rangers SoccerFootball Club – Club History|year=2006|accessdate=4 December 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824063128/http://www.balgownierangers.com.au/history/history.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 24 August 2006}}</ref> Later that year, the first inter-colonial game was played at the [[East Melbourne Cricket Ground]], between a representative [[Victoria (Australia)|Victorian]] team and one from the neighbouring colony of [[New South Wales]].<ref>{{cite web|title=interstate soccerfootball 1883|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13542233?searchTerm=&searchLimits=l-publictag=interstate+soccerfootball+1883|publisher=trove.nla.gov.au|accessdate=18 August 2013}}</ref>

As soccerfootball continued to grow throughout Australia, John Fletcher's New South Wales soccerfootball association gave inspiration to other states to establish their own governing bodies for the sport. In 1884, Victoria formed its own association, the Anglo-Australian Football Association (now [[Football Victoria]]), as did [[Queensland]], in the Anglo-Queensland Football Association (now, [[Football Queensland]]), and Northern New South Wales, in the ''Northern District British Football Association'' (now, [[Northern New South Wales Football]]). In 1896, the Western Australian SoccerFootball Football Association was formed. In 1900, a [[Tasmania]]n association was formed, and later, the South Australian British Football Association was formed in 1902.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/football-south-africa-timeline-1862-2012 | title=Football in South Africa Timeline | accessdate=August 12, 2019}}</ref>

It was not until 1911 that a governing body was formed to oversee soccerfootball activities in the whole of Australia. The first such organisation was called the ''Commonwealth Football Association''.<ref>{{cite web|title=COMMONWEALTH ASSOCIATION|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19961665|publisher=trove.nla.gov.au|accessdate=18 October 2013}}</ref> However, this body was superseded by the Australian SoccerFootball Association, which was formed in 1921.<ref name="Timeline of Australian Football">{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/worldcup/timeline.shtml|title=Timeline of Australian Football|publisher=New South Wales Migration Heritage Centre, [[Powerhouse Museum]]|year=2006|accessdate=20 December 2013|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118030040/http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/worldcup/timeline.shtml|archivedate=18 January 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Australia is regarded as the first country where [[squad number (association football)|squad numbers in soccerfootball]] were used for the first time when Sydney Leichardt and HMS Powerful players displayed numbers on their backs, in 1911.<ref name=>[https://books.google.com/books?id=6EQC4vTUpGAC&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=squad+numbers+australia+1911+football&source=bl&ots=iTudYH57uP&sig=ACfU3U1HJMt98YyvTaVhbtYFXDNreXRohA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCjeqF6tHgAhXGJbkGHerLBIQQ6AEwC3oECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=squad%20numbers%20australia%201911%20football&f=false ''The Secret Lives of Numbers: The Curious Truth Behind Everyday Digits''] by Michael Millar, Virgin Books, 2012 – {{ISBN|978-0753540862}}</ref> One year later, numbering in soccerfootball would be ruled as mandatory in [[New South Wales]].<ref>[https://mundod.lavoz.com.ar/node/624034 Así nació la tradición de usar números en las camisetas] by Gustavo Farías on ''La Voz del Interior'', 22 Aug 2013</ref>

On 17 June 1922, the first Australian national representative soccerfootball team was constituted by the Australian SoccerFootball Association to represent Australia for a tour of [[New Zealand]]. During the tour the [[Australia national association football team|Australia men's national team]] lost two out of the three matches against the newly formed [[New Zealand national football team|New Zealand side]].<ref name="1922 tour">{{cite web|title=Australia Vs New Zealand 1922|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/museum/index.php/archive/129-australia-vs-new-zealand-1922|publisher=ozfootball.net|accessdate=27 April 2013}}</ref>

With [[British people|British]] and [[Southern Europe]]ans settlers it was immensely popular and this led to establishing soccerfootball as a major sport in the country.

A distinct rise in popularity in New South Wales and Victoria, among other states, was linked to the [[Post-war immigration to Australia|post-war immigration]]. Migrant players and supporters were prominent, providing the sport with a new but distinct profile. SoccerFootball served as a cultural gateway for many emigrants, acting as a social lubricant. SoccerFootball transcended cultural and language barriers in communities which bridged the gap between minority communities and other classes within the country, thus bringing about a unique unity.<ref name="Bloomfield2003">{{cite book|first=John|last=Bloomfield|title=Australia's Sporting Success: The Inside Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NtWto0T5FMEC|year=2003|publisher=UNSW Press|isbn=978-0-86840-582-7| ref = harv }}</ref><ref name="Tamis2005">{{cite book|author=Anastasios Tamis|title=The Greeks in Australia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-DcAcG9FWs8C&pg=PA103|accessdate=1 August 2012|date=30 May 2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-54743-7|pages=103–}}</ref> The most prominent soccerfootball clubs in Australian cities during the 1950s and 1960s were based around [[Demographics of Australia|migrant-ethnic groups]], all of which expanded rapidly at that time: [[Croatian Australian|Croatian]], [[Greek Australian|Greek]], [[Macedonian Australian|Macedonian]] and [[Italian Australian|Italian]] communities gave rise to most of the largest clubs, the most notable being [[South Melbourne FC|South Melbourne]] (Greek-based), [[Sydney Olympic FC|Sydney Olympic]] (Greek-based), [[Marconi Stallions FC|Marconi Stallions]] (Italian-based), [[Adelaide City]] (Italian-based), [[Melbourne Knights FC|Melbourne Knights]] (Croatian-based), [[Sydney United 58 FC|Sydney United]] (Croatian-based) and [[Preston Lions FC|Preston Lions]] (Macedonian-based).

In 1956, Australia became a [[FIFA]] member through the Australian SoccerFootball Association. Though Australia's membership was soon suspended in 1960 after disobeying FIFA mandate on recruiting foreign players without a transfer fee.<ref>http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30015957/hay-ourwickedgame-2006.pdf</ref> In 1961, the Australian SoccerFootball Federation was formed and later admitted to FIFA in 1963, after outstanding fines had been paid. In 1966, Australia became founding members of the Oceania Football Federation (now [[Oceania Football Confederation]]).{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}

Pre-1960s, competitive soccerfootball in Australia was state-based. In 1962, the [[Australian Cup (footballSoccer)|Australia Cup]] was established,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/auscuphist.html|title=Australia - List of Cup Winners|website=www.rsssf.com}}</ref> but its ambition of becoming an [[FA Cup]] style knockout competition went unfulfilled with its demise in 1968. In 1977, the first national soccerfootball competition, the [[National Soccer League]], was founded.<ref>http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/NSL.shtml</ref> In 1984, the [[National Soccer Youth League]] was founded as a reserve and academy league to run in parallel to the National SoccerFootball League. In 1996, the first national women's football competition, the [[Women's National Soccer League]] was founded. The National SoccerFootball League and those for women and youth flourished through the 1980s and early 1990s, though with the increasing departure of Australian players to overseas leagues.

SoccerFootball reached notable popularity among Australian people during the second half of the 20th century. [[Johnny Warren]], a prominent advocate for the sport, who was a member of the Australia national team at their first [[FIFA World Cup]] appearance in 1974, entitled his memoir ''Sheilas, Wogs, and Poofters'' (a reference to the [[Australian English vocabulary|Australian slang]]: [[sheila]], [[wog]], [[poofter]]), giving an indication of how Warren considered the wider Australian community viewed "wogball".<ref name="Timeline of Australian Football" />

In the mid-1990s, SoccerFootball Australia (the governing body for the sport) attempted under the Chairmanship of [[David Hill (businessman)|David Hill]] to shift soccerfootball into the Australian mainstream and away from direct club-level association with migrant roots. Many clubs across the country were required to change their names and badges to represent a more inclusive community.<ref>{{cite web|title=MARKETING MEETS MULTICULTURALISM: DAVID HILL’S NATIONAL MERCHANDISING PLAN, 1996-97|url=http://leopoldmethod.com.au/marketing-meets-multiculturalism-david-hills-national-merchandising-plan-1996-97-2/|publisher=Leopold Method|accessdate=21 December 2013}}</ref>

in the structure, governance and management of football in Australia led the restructure of [[Football Federation Australia]] (previously Australian SoccerFootball Federation, SoccerFootball Australia, Australia SoccerFootball Association) and later in 2005, the succeeding relaunched national competition, the [[A-League]]. The restructuring of the sport in Australia also saw the adoption of "football", in preference to "soccerfootball", to align with the general international [[Names for association football|name of the sport]].<ref name="football as soccerfootball">{{cite web|title=Mainstream Aussie press finally adopting the term football as soccerfootball seen as thing of the past|url=http://www.news.com.au/national/mainstream-aussie-press-finally-adopting-the-term-football-as-soccerfootball-seen-as-thing-of-the-past/story-e6frfkp9-1226486030704|publisher=news.com.au|accessdate=21 December 2013}}</ref> Although the use of "football" was largely cultural, as part of an attempt to reposition the sport within Australia, there were also "practical and corporate reasons for the change", including a need for the sport to break away from the baggage left over from previous competitions.<ref name="football as soccerfootball" /> However, the move created problems within the wider community, engendering confusion due to the naming conflict with other football codes, and creating conflict with other sporting bodies.<ref name="Rosenberga2009">Rosenberga, Buck Clifford. (2009). "The Australian football wars: fan narratives of inter‐code and intra‐code conflict". ''SoccerFootball & Society''. 10:2. pp. 245-260.</ref>

Australia ended a 32-year absent streak when the nation team qualified for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]]. The team's qualification and success in the tournament helped increased the profile and popularity of the sport in the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Australian Socceroos at the World Cup|url=http://www.topendsports.com/events/worldcupsoccerworldcupfootball/countries/australia/history.htm|publisher=topendsports.com|accessdate=24 October 2013}}</ref>

SoccerFootball in Australia is governed by [[Football Federation Australia]] (FFA) which is currently a member of the [[Asian Football Confederation]] (AFC) and the regional [[ASEAN Football Federation]] (AFF), since leaving the [[Oceania Football Confederation]] (OFC) in 2006. FFA is underpinned by nine [[Football Federation Australia#Member federations|member federations]] which oversee all aspects of the sport within their respective region, including the organisation of state league and cup tournaments as opposed to national tournaments which are organised by FFA. Member federations are [[States and territories of Australia|state-based]], although [[New South Wales]] is divided into a northern and southern federation.<ref>{{cite web|title=About|url=http://www.northernnswfootball.com.au/index.php?id=4|publisher=northernnswfootball.com.au|accessdate=31 May 2014}}</ref>

Former and current Australian professional soccerfootball players are represented by the [[Professional Footballers Australia]] (PFA), a [[trade union]] affiliated with the [[Australian Council of Trade Unions]] and a member of [[FIFPro]], the global representative organisation for professional footballers.<ref>{{cite web|title=FIFPRO – The World Players’ Union|url=http://www.pfa.net.au/index.php?id=69|publisher=pfa.net.au|accessdate=31 May 2014}}</ref> The association tends to footballer's pay and conditions, and also protects footballers from unfair dismissal.

According to [[FIFA]]'s Big Count in 2006, a total of 970,728 people in Australia participated in the sport, with 435,728 registered players, and 535,000 unregistered players.<ref>{{cite web|title=COUNTRY INFO Australia (AUS)|url=https://www.fifa.com/associations/association=aus/countryInfo.html|publisher=[[FIFA]]|accessdate=31 August 2013}}</ref> These numbers were higher than the equivalents for other sport codes such as [[cricket]], [[Australian rules football]], [[rugby league]] and [[rugby union]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/436122/ERASS_Report_2010.PDF|title= Participation in Exercise, Recreation and Sport|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |year= 2011|work= |publisher= Australian Government|page= 68|accessdate=22 March 2013}}</ref> In 2013, an audit on the sport by Gemba found that 1.96 million Australians were actively involved in the game as a player.<ref name="Football Federation Australia">{{cite web|title=Football participation reaches 1.96 million Australians|url=http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/article/Football-participation-reaches-1.96-million-Australians/78074|publisher=[[Football Federation Australia]]|accessdate=13 November 2013}}</ref> When coaches, referees and fans are included it is estimated that involvement with the sport is around 3.1 million.<ref>{{cite web|title=3.1 Million people involved in SoccerFootball|url=http://m.smh.com.au/sport/soccerfootball/soccerfootball-is-closing-in-as-australias-most-popular-sport-20131111-2xcg0.html|publisher=smh.com.au|accessdate=28 August 2015}}</ref>

{{See also|Australian soccerfootball league system}}

In Australia, domestic soccerfootball competitions run all year, with the [[Domestic association football season|competition season]] depending on the level of professionalism of the league. The professional league operates during the Australian [[Summer|summer season]] and [[semi-professional]]/[[Amateur sports|amateur]] leagues compete during the Australian [[Winter|winter season]].

The [[National SoccerFootball League (Australia)|National SoccerFootball League]] (NSL) was established in [[1977 National SoccerFootball League|1977]], as the first national top tier soccerfootball competition in Australia, with teams based in five (eventually six) states.<ref>{{cite web|title=A brief history of the NSL (Part I)|url=http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/03/31/a-brief-history-of-the-nsl-part-i/|publisher=theroar.com.au|accessdate=12 September 2013}}</ref> In 2004, the NSL was disbanded and replaced by the [[A-League]].<ref name="A-League launch">{{cite web|title=New national soccerfootball league launched|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/01/1099262765210.html|publisher=smh.com.au|accessdate=12 September 2013}}</ref> The first season of the new league began in [[2005-06 A-League|2005]].<ref name="A-League launch" /> The [[National Youth League (Australia)|National Youth League]] was also launched in 2008 to provide a national youth development league for A-League clubs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Youth league set to kick off|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/youth-league-set-to-kick-off/story-e6frf4gl-1111115721330#.UjEXM9tXtAI|publisher=foxsports.com.au|accessdate=12 September 2013}}</ref> In 2013, the [[National Premier Leagues]] (NPL) was established as a national second tier banner of the sport, underpinning the [[A-League]].<ref name="National Premier Leagues announcement">{{cite web|title=National Premier Leagues|url=http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/nationalpremierleagues|publisher=footballaustralia.com.au|accessdate=13 February 2013}}</ref> The NPL consists of the top-tier league competitions within each state federation (currently eight) in Australia.<ref name="National Premier Leagues announcement"/> The eight league winners compete in a finals series at the conclusion of the regular season to determine the champion.

The [[FFA Cup]] is Australia's national knock-out cup competition involving all teams in the [[A-League]] and other teams qualifying via preliminary competitions. Previous attempts at a national knock-out cup competition include the [[Australian Cup (football)|Australia Cup]] and the [[NSL Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|title=FFA Cup set for 2014 kick off|url=http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/ffa-cup-set-for-2014-kick-off/73770|publisher=[[Football Federation Australia]]|accessdate=2 September 2013|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215145937/http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/ffa-cup-set-for-2014-kick-off/73770|archivedate=15 December 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> As well as the national FFA Cup, each State also has its own cup competition run by its respective State soccerfootball federation. Some State competitions restrict the participants only to professional top flight or semi-professional clubs, whilst others have more open entries via invitation or qualifying rounds.

Similarly to the men's national competition, the women's [[W-League (Australia)|W-League]] replaced the long dormant [[Women's National Soccer League]] as the women's national top tier league in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Australian Womens National SoccerFootball League|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/WNSL/WNSL.shtml|publisher=ozfootball.net|accessdate=12 September 2013}}</ref> The women's league system also involves one national top tier league controlled by the national body and many leagues that run below within each state, with no promotion or relegation linking the two.

National Men's soccerfootball teams of various age groups represent Australia in international competition. Australian national teams historically competed in the [[Oceania Football Confederation|OFC]], though since [[Football Federation Australia|FFA]]'s move in 2006, Australian teams have competed in [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] competitions.

The [[Australia national soccerfootball team]], nicknamed the "Socceroos", represents Australia in international soccerfootball. Australia is a four-time OFC champion, one time Asian champion and [[Asian Football Confederation#AFC National Team of the Year|AFC National Team of the Year]] for 2006. The Men's team has represented Australia at the [[FIFA World Cup]] tournaments in [[1974 FIFA World Cup|1974]], [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006]], [[2010 FIFA World Cup|2010]], [[2014 FIFA World Cup|2014]], and [[2018 FIFA World Cup|2018]].

In addition there is a [[Australia national beach soccerfootball team|beach team]], nicknamed the "Beach Socceroos", which represents Australia in international [[beach soccerfootball]] and a [[Australia Paralympic football team|Paralympic team]], nicknamed the "Pararoos", which competes in international [[Paralympic association football]].

==Women's soccerfootball==

{{Further information|Women's soccerfootball in Australia}}

The participation of Australian women in soccerfootball was first recorded in the early 1920s.<ref name="Timeline of Australian Football" /> It has since become one of the country's most popular women's team sports. As with the men's game, the women's game in Australia saw a large expansion following the [[Post-war immigration to Australia|post-war immigration]], though it is only in recent years that [[Women's association football|women's soccerfootball]] has gained momentum, with such factors as the creation of the [[W-League (Australia)|W-League]] and the success of the [[Australia women's national soccerfootball team]] nicknamed the "Matildas" aiding the increasing popularity of the game.<ref name="Timeline of Australian Football" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Football women are in a league of their own on|url=http://www.afr.com/p/lifestyle/life_leisure/football_women_are_in_league_of_I4ddgPo6dSX6s0V2HnyRDM|publisher=[[The Australian Financial Review]]|accessdate=20 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Women's football on the rise|url=http://www.theroar.com.au/2008/11/15/womens-football-on-the-rise/|publisher=theroar.com.au|accessdate=20 December 2013}}</ref>

Women's soccerfootball was added to the Olympic program in 1996, with Australia first fielding a Women's team at [[Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Sydney 2000]]. Australia fielded a team at the [[Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Athens 2004]] Olympics, but did not qualify for the final Olympic tournament again until [[Football at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Rio 2016]].<ref name="AOC2"/>

[[Futsal]], an indoor variant of soccerfootball, was introduced in Australia in the early 1970s and soon gained popularity after a wet period during the winter football season forced players indoors where they took up the new sport.<ref>{{cite web|title=Futsalroos History|url=http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/futsalroos/history|publisher=[[Football Federation Australia]]|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=History of Futsal|url=http://www.aussieindoorsports.com.au/company-profile/history-of-futsal/|publisher=aussieindoorsports.com.au|accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref>

Pay television is the predominant outlet for both domestic and international soccerfootball in Australia. Some games can also be heard on local radio stations. The [[Anti-siphoning laws in Australia|anti-siphoning list]] which controls what must be kept on free to air television in Australia includes only the [[FA Cup]] games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/LegislativeInstrumentCompilation1.nsf/0/DDCBE7E13B0C054CCA256FCD001DDF08/$file/BroadServEventsNotice2004_22032005.pdf|format=PDF|title= Broadcasting Services (Events) Notice (No. 1) 2004}}</ref> The A-League will be added to the anti-siphoning list, but not until 2014 in order to prevent a breach of contract on the part of [[Football Federation Australia|FFA]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/166576/socceroosSocceroos-games-to-be-added-to-anti-siphoning-list |title=Socceroos games to be added to anti-siphoning list |publisher=Sportbusiness.com |date= |accessdate=26 July 2011}}</ref>

The [[News media|media]] has often been subject to criticism for its perceived negative attitude towards soccerfootball in Australia.<ref>[https://overland.org.au/2014/07/operation-sovereign-football-refugees-and-soccerfootball/ Biron, D. Operation Sovereign Football: Refugees and SoccerFootball. Overland (31 July 2014)].</ref>

The following articles are an incomplete list of Seasons in SoccerFootball in Australia. Each article covers the national leagues played that season as well as the highest state based league played in the first calendar year, as well as games played by all national teams during that period.

|[[2000–01 in Australian soccerfootball|2000&ndash;01]]

|[[2001–02 in Australian soccerfootball|2001&ndash;02]]

|[[2002–03 in Australian soccerfootball|2002&ndash;03]]

|[[2003–04 in Australian soccerfootball|2003&ndash;04]]

|[[2004–05 in Australian soccerfootball|2004&ndash;05]]

|[[2005–06 in Australian soccerfootball|2005&ndash;06]]

|[[2006–07 in Australian soccerfootball|2006&ndash;07]]

|[[2007–08 in Australian soccerfootball|2007&ndash;08]]

|[[2008–09 in Australian soccerfootball|2008&ndash;09]]

|[[2009–10 in Australian soccerfootball|2009&ndash;10]]

|[[2010–11 in Australian soccerfootball|2010&ndash;11]]

|[[2011–12 in Australian soccerfootball|2011&ndash;12]]

|[[2012–13 in Australian soccerfootball|2012&ndash;13]]

|[[2013–14 in Australian soccerfootball|2013&ndash;14]]

|[[2014–15 in Australian soccerfootball|2014&ndash;15]]

|[[2015–16 in Australian soccerfootball|2015&ndash;16]]

|[[2016–17 in Australian soccerfootball|2016&ndash;17]]

|[[2017–18 in Australian soccerfootball|2017&ndash;18]]

|[[2018–19 in Australian soccerfootball|2018&ndash;19]]

|[[2019–20 in Australian soccerfootball|2019&ndash;20]]

[[Category:SoccerFootball in Australia| ]]