Newly elected Capital Football board member Grace Gill says it's important for young women to see what pathways they can take after a career on the field.
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The former Canberra United player hopes to advocate for women on and off the field in her new role, pointing to the importance of role models for young women after they finish playing.
Gill says former Matilda Kate Gill and Amy Duggan, the Canberra-born former footballer and now television presenter, were people who showed what life after a playing career could look like.
"I'd like to advocate for women and girls to be able to see that there is an opportunity to be involved in sports administration beyond your time on the field," Gill says.
Gill is humbled people have confidence in her to sit on the board, but says it's still early days and she wasn't just angling for the spot after being a player.
Gill, who has a communications and stakeholder engagement background, reckons she has much more than just a player's perspective to add to the board.
After three years away, the W-League would be unrecognisable after an upward trajectory in player quality over the last decade, Gill says.
"The W-League is no longer a developmental league. You're expected to perform and you're expected to have a level that sees you there."
At the local club level, where Gill plays for Canberra FC, development remains the focus for the squad.
"We have a lot of young girls coming through that I look to support and bring up and develop through their confidence and playing ability," Gill says.
"I find it really humbling that girls look up to me and aspire to see what path they can follow."
Canberra FC will play a new look Olympic squad this weekend in what is always a competitive match up. Olympic will be hoping to come back from a heavy loss to the Canberra United academy side last week.
"I think they'll be a little bit hurt but really raring to improve from their performance last week," Gill says.
But Gill certainly isn't feeling complacent in the early weeks of the season.
"If we can deliver on the way that we play and the way we know we can play, we'll have a good game," she says.
