“It’s a hard thing for people to be able to put into perspective - what the more experienced players had to sacrifice just to get the league off the ground. We actually played for free,” Simon said.

“Football is much bigger and much more than money. When you get down to the core of why you play, it’s never for money, you play because you genuinely love the game and you’re passionate about its growth, but at the end of the day, we are professional athletes and need to make a living,” she said.

In 2017, the W-League introduced a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the first time.

The CBA ensured that all players received a minimum wage and protection in the way of income and healthcare along with an increase in investment in both team salary cap and minimum league spend.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3 points last night 🤸🏽‍♂️

A post shared by Kyah Simon (@kyahsimon) on

“The changes that have come into effect, like the CBA are huge,” she said.

“That’s the reason we and those who played before us, made those sacrifices, to get to where we are now.

“I’m really pleased and excited for where the League is, but there is still so much room to improve and keep following that upward trajectory.”

As for her hopes for the next 10 years of the W-League, Simon said she wants the league to continue to grow and become world renowned.

“As players within the W-League, we want to be known as a league that is competitive and is one of the best in the world,” she said.

“We want to see the league continue to expand in the way of exposure and promotional interest. We want to continue to attract international players who are drawn to playing in Australia because of the reputation of the W-League.

“Our ultimate goal is to grab not only the attention of Australia but the world.”