The Central Coast Mariners are pleased to announce the first signing for our A-League Women’s side, with the team officially set to enter the Liberty A-League Women’s competition for the 2023/24 season.
Local forward Annalise Rasmussen, a long-time women’s academy member, has become the first signing for the club heading into the side’s first season.
Her progression into the Liberty A-League Women’s side symbolises the opportunity that will now be available for youth players on the Coast.
Females in the region will have a direct pathway from academy prospects to Liberty A-League Women’s players, and eventually National team stars.
Rasmussen’s deal comes off the back of a big week for the Mariners Liberty A-League Women’s side. Football Australia’s Board has officially approved the licence, meaning that the team will enter the league for the 2023/24 season.
“Football Australia is excited to see a team from the Central Coast return to participate at the national level in the Liberty A-League Women competition,” Football Australia’s CEO, James Johnson said.
“As we look ahead to the CommBank Matildas playing against Thailand in November and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, this is a once in a generation opportunity to supercharge women’s football in Australia.”
James Johnson
The side will also be playing every match at the home of the Mariners, Central Coast Stadium.
This is in line with an upcoming agreement with Venues Live.
Following years of success with the club’s female academy, the Mariners inclusion in the Liberty A-League Women’s competition now marks a move to provide female footballers with an opportunity to become CommBank Matildas while still staying on the Central Coast.
Central Coast Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp is pleased to finally see the Mariners football ecosystem completed, after what has been a long road to have an A-League women’s side enter the competition.
“It is so exciting to get to this point finally,” he said.
“Every young footballer on the Central Coast can now see a pathway from grassroots all the way through to the national teams without having to leave the Coast.”
Mielekamp is also excited by the prospect of the women’s side playing their home matches at Central Coast Stadium, which has seen renovations completed to make it an optimal ground for female football.
“Playing at Central Coast Stadium was integral to everything that we as a club are passionate about. That is what we do for the boys, we produce Socceroos, and now our task is to produce Matildas,” he said.
“We can only do that if we give them the same opportunities, our facilities and expertise are there, so to be playing at Central Coast Stadium, which we deem as the best stadium in Australia for female professional football, was an absolute must.”
The Mariners are also debuting the Julie Dolan scholarship, which will support a female footballer associated with the Central Coast academy in their academic journey.
Primary source: Media Release, 17 October, 2022 Central Coast Mariners