New Professional Footballers Australia’s Co-President Matilda and A-Leagues legend Tameka Yallop discusses her new role and how excited she is to continue growing the game heading into the future.
Q: Tell us what it means to be elected into the new role as Co-President of the PFA?
Yallop: “It’s exciting. I think for me, even just coming on board with the Executive was kind of my way to give back to football, because it’s honestly given me so much. To be able to step up and do that extra bit again is exciting for me. It gives me some gratitude in the work.
“It also allows me to say thank you to the PFA, for everything they’ve done for me as a player and then how I can put my two cents in to help PFA move forward as well.
Q: What will your new role entail?
Yallop: “I think it’s just about making sure I’m on top of everything that goes on with the running of PFA and the guidelines and the standards that PFA set for themselves to work by and to live by.
“I guess it’s a little bit more of making sure we’re upholding sort of the standards that we want, the values that we’re pushing as well, and working collaboratively with the rest of the Executive to make sure the PFA are putting their best foot forward, which they have done for many years.
“So for me, I feel like it’s kind of just maintaining the standard, rather than changing too much, because I think the PFA has got an amazing name for itself with the quality of work it has done.”
Q: What have your experiences been with the PFA throughout your career?
Yallop: “They were integral for the Matildas when we first made a stand to get contracts and to get some kind of payment or remuneration back for playing for the [Matildas] jersey. They were massive in that.
“For me individually, they were the first people that I turned to when I got my first offer to go overseas. Back then as a teenager, it was pretty daunting.
“I had PFA every step of the way for that, and I think for most of my career overseas, I’ve always touched base with PFA and used their education platform as well, which has really helped me develop my career off the field.”
Q: Working alongside Jackson Irvine and Elise Kellond-Knight in this new role, how excited are you about that opportunity?
Yallop: “I think the enthusiasm they both have for this kind of work is something they’ll live up to.
“They’ve both had their own careers on the football field and and now they’re both doing integral parts to help football field as well. So I’m excited to work with their passion that they have for the game.”
Q: What excites you most about taking on this new role?
Yallop: “Growing up playing with KK (Kellond-Knight), I’m sort of in same boat as her.
“We both want to leave the women’s game stronger than when it started for us as youngsters.
“I’m right on board with creating that professional environment here, but also making sure the standard of the league, and not just the top league in Australia, but pathways for women’s sport continues to grow and continues to get more and more sustainable as well.”
Q: In terms of professionalising the A-League Women’s competition, how important is continuing to pressure decision-makers to ensure it’s something that happens sooner rather than later?
Yallop: “We’re at an integral part in where we are at the stage of women’s football and where it could get to and I think now is the time that you don’t want to take your foot off the pedal. You want to keep pushing, but that also means maintaining what you’ve already established as well. So I think that’s really important.
“Football off the field gives so much more to the community as well and if we can really grow the women’s game here, I think there’s a lot more benefits that community football can have for females in Australia and not just our elite Matildas that we have and players that go overseas as well. I think it’s more of a community viewpoint from it as well, that it’ll bring so much benefit to young women and I guess aspiring girls in Australia.”
