How Kate Gill earned one of Oz football's top jobs

Kate Gill isn't just one of the greatest Matildas of all time, she now heads up the Professional Footballers Association alongside former A-League defender Beau Busch.

The appointment is a huge one, in the wake of John Didulica's departure and makes Gill one of the most forefront figures in the Australian game at arguably it's most important ever period.

Gill, who will share responsibilities with the equally apt Busch, was nevertheless the natural choice for the role.

Since retiring as the greatest Matildas striker (pre-Sam Kerr) with a whopping 41 goals in 86 appearances in the green and gold, Gill became the first woman elected to the PFA executive in 2014...a long overdue appointment, to say the least.

She worked her way through the ranks to become Didulica's deputy and has since worked tirelessly to secure better pay rates for the Matildas and W-League players, including the landmark W-League CBA deal in 2017 and, of course, pay parity in the national teams.

With 12 years experience between the pair, Gill will now shoulder the responsibility of advocating for Australian footballers in the midst of a global financial crisis.

The looming loss of Fox Sports (the broadcaster has only a single year broadcast renewal) could throw the professional futures of virtually the entire W-League and A-League into chaos. It's a tremendous job, but one that Gill feels extremely equipped to handle.

"It is a privilege to be appointed as PFA co-chief executive," Gill told The Sydney Morning Herald. "The PFA has always been about the players and there is nothing more rewarding than knowing that your peers and former teammates have confidence in you to lead their organisation."

"Kate and Beau have built an incredible rapport with the PFA's membership, possess a strong track record of elevating players and were central in recent collective bargaining outcomes for the players," Lydia Williams added.

"Kate's appointment will also see five women on our 12-person executive, which accords with the 40-40-20 principle and further advances the PFA's longstanding commitment to gender equality in the game's governance and career pathways."