- Kate Gill didn’t hold back in an online column
Former Matildas star Kate Gill has turned heads after explosively labelling women’s football a ‘rigged game’ – before slamming the lack of prize money on offer at the Asian Cup.
Gill, 41, didn’t mince her words in a blistering column for News Corp, calling for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to stop being ‘indifferent’ and pay female stars such as Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler what they are worth when representing their nation.
‘Eight teams (from the Asian Cup) will go home with nothing…let that land,’ she said.
‘This tournament (in Australia) is projected to generate more than $113million in revenue, but the attitude has always been the same. Prove your commercial worth first, then we will invest.
‘It’s a rigged game. You can’t generate the revenue they demand without the investment they withhold. ‘The AFC can afford to pay these players properly. They are choosing not to.’
Gill – who scored 41 goals in 86 appearances for the Matildas between 2004 and 2015 – wasn’t finished yet.
Former Matildas star Kate Gill (pictured, middle) has labelled women’s football at international level a ‘rigged game’ – and then slammed the lack of prize money on offer at the Asian Cup
Gill called for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to stop being ‘indifferent’ and pay female stars such as Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler what they are worth when representing their nation
Gill believes the Asian Football Confederation are misogynistic and ‘fear’ the rise of the women’s international football (pictured, Matildas star Ellie Carpenter)
She stated her belief that the AFC refuses to invest in the women’s international game due to a clear case of misogyny and questioned why the prize pool for the Asian Cup is eight times less than the men’s equivalent.
‘It’s fear. Namely what happens when women’s sport is properly resourced, marketed and respected,’ Gill continued.
‘Holding back prize money isn’t a budgeting decision. It’s a statement about whose success they are willing to fund.
‘That is misogyny. Not the subtle kind, but the structural, institutional, deliberate kind.’
Gill did praise Football Australia for being proactive after the Matildas previously went on strike in 2015.
Through collective bargaining, the Tillies at the time achieved equal pay.
As a result, they were finally viewed on the same level as the Socceroos following FA’s investment.
Fast forward to 2023 and the Matildas became the nation’s favourite sporting team after qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Cup.
The Matildas last won the Asian Cup in 2010 – but the early signs are promising, with wins against the Philippines (1-0) and Iran (4-0) this week in the group stage.
Their next match is against South Korea on March 8 in Sydney.
