O'Rourke agreed "the number one thing that we need to do is ensure the quality of our league", which, somewhat counter-intuitively, might mean avoiding an expansion to a full home-and-away competition.

The W-League boss suggested FFA was leaning towards continuing the current set-up, which dovetails the W-League with the US league, rather than expansion that would prohibit players competing in both.

"We understand that some of our best Matildas will leave these shores and travel to Europe to ply their trade," O'Rourke said.

"We also want to make sure that we are attractive as a league - to be in the top five leagues in the world.

"To do that we need to make sure that we don't put hurdles in front of some of the best Australian players and the best international players by making them choose which league to play in.

"The NWSL is where there's a complementary opportunity where they could play in both."

Changes - including a mild lengthening of the 12-week fixture to incorporate mid-week games - are being considered with an eye to the 2020/21 season.

Other, more wide-ranging reforms as tabled in a media report this week, are seen more as aspirations rather than concrete goals.

The FFA has been criticised by many for a sluggish build-up to this campaign, with fixtures yet to be released less than a month before kickoff.

A focus on the underpinning A-League governance structures and a late shift of broadcast rights to the ABC is to blame for the delay.

O'Rourke said clubs, who have been consulted throughout, were supportive of the fixtures being pushed back which will guarantee a release this week.

The W-League will start on Thursday November 14, following the Matildas' friendly matches against Chile on November 9 and 12.

This later-than-usual scheduling will ensure W-League teams have access to their international players for the competition's opening round - unlike the A-League - and give the competition a bump of interest from the high-profile internationals.

There will also be a bye between the final round of the home-and-away season and the semi-finals to coincide with the March international window, when the Matildas hope to seal qualification for the Olympics.

With Kerr and other senior internationals watching the W-League rather than playing in it, opportunities exist for young talent to emerge and stake a claim for the Tokyo Games.

To that end eyes will be trained on wunderkind Mary Fowler.

The 16-year-old will make her W-League debut this season after signing for Adelaide United with sister Ciara.

The next big thing of Australian football travelled to the World Cup this June in France with coach Ante Milicic only to suffer a hamstring injury on the eve of the tournament and not participate.

Her move is a coup for United, a five-time wooden spooner that has never played in the finals.