29 October 2023
An estimated 7.2 million Australian children participated in soccer in 2022, a stat likely to increase by the end of 2023 following the success of Australia's very own Matildas team in the 2023 Women's World Cup. As a passionate soccer fan and semi-professional player, Kasper Hallam recalls watching every game with his friends and family, “I’d never seen so much support for a women’s soccer team in Australia – everyone was getting around them.”
29 October 2023
Originally from Tasmania, Kasper’s soccer career began at South Hobart FC. Operating since 1910, the club has a rich history and is a pillar in the community with over 350 players and their families supporting the local team. He looks back fondly on his former team and says he "couldn't think of a better place to start out. It's places like this that make you feel like its more than just a game, its a lifestyle - and you're playing with family. Week in, week out".
29 October 2023
At the age of nineteen, Kasper was lucky enough to receive a contract from Melbourne Victory, one of the biggest soccer clubs in the nation with over 590,000 supporters. Although moving to Melbourne was daunting, he says he has no regrets at all, despite being dropped only a year later, “to be honest, it was a bit disappointing but the whole experience was unreal and it’s opened my eyes to the professional opportunities that are out there, even outside of the A-League”. Kasper currently plays for Dandenong Thunders FC, a National Premiers League club based in Melbourne’s South-East.
29 October 2023
As the cost of living shows no signs of slowing down, Australians will be looking to save where they can which unfortunately for some families may be extra-curricular sports. From uniforms, to equipment, to club fees, participating in soccer can see Australian parents spending hundreds of dollars every season, with the cost of higher National Premier League teams charging excess of $1,000. Having played for most of his life, Kasper is familiar with this predicament and encourages families of passionate players to “explore all your options and see if there is any kind of scholarship and contract you can apply for, there’s a lot more opportunities out there than you’d think”.
29 October 2023
“Just being a young guy from Tasmania, you don’t actually know too much about what things are out there and it’s real exciting all the opportunities”. Despite growing up 800 kilometres away from his current club, he feels the bonds he’s formed with his team mates makes him feel at home and reminds him of why he loves to play.
29 October 2023
With twelve teams in the Men’s A League, Kasper’s dreams of playing professionally are not over and he feels confident that there are enough opportunities out there for him to make it again. “At the moment I’m tossing up a few offers from different NPL clubs, seeing which club will be the best fit and where I can improve my game more. Luckily still getting paid too”. He hopes to see more similar opportunities for women in soccer too, as he knows there is a market for semi-professional players and doesn’t want young players to feel discouraged about not making the big leagues.
3 November 2023
After hanging up her boots at the age of fifteen, Alyssa Grillo looks forward to getting back on the pitch four years later after being inspired by watching the Matilda’s earlier this year. Coming from a Greek-Italian family, soccer has always been a part of her life and she describes her mother’s shock when she announced she wanted she quit and was even coerced to stay on for one extra season, “Mum just couldn’t believe that I didn’t want to play anymore and actually paid me $100 a week the following season just to keep playing, but I just couldn’t do it anymore”.
3 November 2023
Based in Melbourne’s South-East, Alyssa first joined the East Bentleigh Soccer Club, the same club that Matilda’s Vice-Captain Steph Catley started at. It’s here where Alyssa found her love and passion for the sport and quickly became one of the best in her team, before eventually moving onto the Bayside National Premiers League team at age eleven. Despite playing at a higher level and competing interstate, she didn’t have the same love for the game as she used to and felt “it became more of a chore than an actual passion and I started to dread going to matches”.
3 November 2023
More than 26,000 young Australian girls have signed up to play soccer this year, a number that Alyssa says makes her excited and proud. Starting out when she was just five, she recalls begging school mates to join her club as they were constantly under-manned, “we would have to forfeit games on the weekends if even one person was sick because we already didn’t have anyone on the bench”. Now the number of young girls interested in playing soccer in Australia is set to increase even further, with the Matildas becoming inspirational role models.
3 November 2023
With the rise in popularity of women’s sports, Alyssa feels confident returning to the game and hopes to see more broadcasting and promotion of women in sport for the younger generations. “I think AFLW is paving the way for televising women’s sport – you can actually watch it live on free to air TV which is so great and I’d love to see women’s soccer get to that point eventually”. Broadcasting the Matilda’s journey was an integral part in the sport’s popularity, with the Australian government spending $84 million to support the Women’s World Cup.
