Behind the Lens: Joseph Mayers

When it comes to Australian women's football in the last 15 years, there is one presence, once face as iconic as the players at the biggest moments for the game.

Since 2000, Joseph Mayers has been present at the major domestic and international tournaments for women's football and since 2006, he has captured all the emotions.

Mayers has added all but two of the major national tournament finals since 2000 with only lost identification in Season 6 and serious illness in Season 7 preventing him from being present.

A photographer for The Women's Game since 2011, Mayers has taken some eye-catching images in his time and seen a generation of players come and go.

You got into photography because of women's football. Tell us how that came about.

I got involved around 2000 when my friends Rhian [Davies] and Thea [Slayter] started making state and national teams. Then I got to know Sarah [Walsh] and Heather [Garriock] so I used to go and support my friends because I was so proud of them.

At work, I would take my annual leave to coincide with whatever major tournament was coming up from the 2000 Olympics, the 2004 Olympics and tours to the United States or Europe.

I would come back home and the girls would have played a match and I would look at the paper and there would be half a paragraph and no picture. The Australian media manager at the time [Pete Smith] said that no-one would pay to have a photographer at the games.

I was there [at the games] anyway and I was interested in photography so though why not? So I have now been shooting since 2006 and covered Asian Cups and Women's World Cups.

Even now being a freelance photographer and you struggle to get money but I will always shoot the girls for free because it's how I got into photography and it's me giving back to them.

You have been there prior to the W-League. What was like before the competition and why do you think the W-League has been so important?

Before that it was very disjointed. There wasn't really a national league.

They tried to have little national competitions.  Each year they would have a tournament but it changed every year. One year it would be tournament over a weekend and the next it would be over a couple of days. They would change it from year to year so it wasn't consistent.

Whereas the W-League is a proper national competition year in and year out.

Mayers had taken some eye-catching images in his 8 seasons (Photo: Joseph Mayers Photograph)

What grabbed you about the W-League early on?

In the first season, I remember being astounded at how hard the girls went at each other, but in a fair way. Apart from because I know the players, it epitomised why I love women's football.

The first couple of games were so tough in particular when Sydney FC would play Canberra United, they would smash each other.

I clearly remember Danielle Brogan (former Sydney captain) coming in and smashing Hayley Crawford (former Canberra and Newcastle Jets). And it was fair, Brogan came flying in and bang, she cleaned her up. I remember watching them after the game and they were laughing together.

The same happened last week with Alanna Kennedy and Ashleigh Sykes in the second half. Kennedy just dropped the shoulder and the ref had to come in.

But not five minutes later there was a break in play and Kennedy and Sykes were standing next to each other and laughing.

[More: Full Grand Final Coverage]

What is your most memorable grand final?  

When Canberra United won in Season 4 because that was the team I followed.

Canberra have been my team from the beginning because when the W-League started you had Thea, Rhian, Caitlin [Munoz], all the friends were in the team.

They had tried so many times and were so close so many times. They lost the first grand final and then fell short the next couple of years in the semi finals.

It was so great for them because they had been undefeated all season and it was a team that was made up of Canberra people. Young girls who had grown up there and it was a beautiful community.

It was just a great club to be involved with. Heather Reid [Canberra CEO] looked after everyone and it's still the same. I also love going to McKellar Park so winning the grand final there was pretty special and memorable day.

Canberra United's first championship a high (Photo: Joseph Mayers Photograph)

What has been one of the more unusual and memorable moments from the grand finals?

It has to be the streaker in the first W-League Grand Final between Brisbane Roar and Canberra United at Ballymore.

[Laughs] There was a girl who took her top off, left her hat on, picked up her sign and ran around the back where the crowd was and the crowd loved it.

What has kept coming back to women's football?

I wasn't a big soccer fan. Being a Rugby League supporter I just couldn't hack the diving, the carrying on and the theatrics of the men's game.

I mean Rugby League can be a bit of thuggery so it's hard to compare the two but there has to be a middle ground and women's football was the middle ground for me.

Who has been your favourite player to photograph over the seasons?

If I had to pick I'd say Caitlin Foord. You always get great shots of her.

You would have your camera zoomed on her up in defence, you are not taking your photos because she is so far away. Then she just keeps on coming. And coming. Then she comes up the sideline and then comes into your view, you are shooitng away and the she moves past you and passes the ball.

And then, something happens, the other team gets the ball and it goes back the other end of the pitch and then you look and she is back up there again!

You are left thinking "how did that happen?"

Caitlin Foord in full flight (Photo: Joseph Mayers Photograph)

From your early involvement, how have you seen the media side grow in that time?

Every year it has grown and there is a bigger interest. In 2008, apart from the parents in the stands, I was the only one there. Now you can go to pretty much any W-League game and there is going to be at least 4 photographers there so the interest is really good.

It has probably coincided with the boom in social media but also with the girls going so well in China 2007 and then the W-League starting.

I think there is more access to and people can read more on the games with blogs, independent sites and also getting tweets from the games. I think has grown because of social media as well.

What is your future wish for women's football? 

Two things. The minimum salary for the Matildas CBA has to start higher still. You'd have to say $45,000 or something.

The other thing is the W-League clubs being fair dinkum and paying players. They have a salary cap of $150,000 which they don't always use.

Finally, who is your tip for the Grand Final between Melbourne City and Sydney FC?

Probably Melbourne City. But no-one likes a favourite! [laughs]

Melbourne City definitely deserve to win because of their amazing, record breaking season. But we are Australians and we don't like favourites, we like the underdog. [laughs]