Capital Football calls on government funds to save Throsby Home of Football

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a $200 million package for women's sport facilities on Saturday on the back of the Matildas' success at the World Cup.

Slavich welcomed the funds, but said the money will quickly be diluted when spread across multiple sports and states and territories. The funding will be distributed via a grants process, with organisations required to submit applications to access the cash.

Capital Football will lodge a submission for money to be contributed to Throsby, however there are fears the process to secure funding will drag on for more than a year. Applications won't open until early next year, with an expert panel to guide the distribution of funds.

The ACT government has committed $29 million and the association $4.5 million to the trouble-plagued project, however a further $20 million is needed to build the long-delayed centre of excellence.

Slavich recently met with an ACT senator and has move conversations planned with senior federal government officials as he outlines the importance of the facility to both Canberra United and grassroots soccer.

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"At this stage we have zero federal government money invested," Slavich said. "We have to get an unsecured loan to help finance our proportion of it, which is one of the biggest any member federation has ever had to pay for facilities in our country.

"We're trying to push ahead with the project but with the timeline, we need [funding] now. The project's already delayed due to COVID and other factors. I applaud the government for the initiative, it's long overdue.

"My concern is it's going to take too long. By the time we go through the grant submission and they award the grant, we're looking at 2025 before we can use it. That's too late, we need it now."

Albanese's announcement has generated mixed responses from the soccer community. A-League officials were pleased to see more funding for women's sport, however they had hoped for more direct support for the competition.

Many of the clubs are bleeding money, with Canberra United losing $600,000 last year.

While questions have been raised over the value of funding the A-League Women, Australian Professional Leagues boss Danny Townsend said more funds are vital to develop the next generation of Matildas.

"The decisions made today are going to go a long way to inform the success of the Matildas in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup," Townsend said. "So the exclusion of the A-League Women, the place where Matildas are made, is a major concern for the future of our game."

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