Football Australia have released the Domestic Match Calendar for 2023/24, with key dates for the elite men’s and women’s competitions, and transfer and registration windows.

Also included in the schedule is a placeholder timeline for the proposed National second Tier competition, which may include four Hellenic based clubs.

Victorian clubs South Melbourne Hellas and Heidelberg United, NSW team Sydney Olympic and QLD side Olympic FC are all currently in the Request for Proposal phase.

The A-League will begin in October while National Premier League competitions will start back up in February next year. A March to September placeholder timeline has been given for the second-tier competition.

The schedule was designed to align with key international football events and has been regulated to pause where necessary while the Australian national senior teams are in action.

The rescheduled 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar next year is not included in this regulation.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson said all leagues and clubs can now plan thoroughly for the next year and allows players to be available when it the time comes to represent Australia.

“Our national teams have another busy 12 months ahead with FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers commencing later this year, the staging of the rescheduled AFC Asian Cup in Qatar in January plus Olympic Qualifiers for both our CommBank Matildas and Subway Olyroos ahead of Paris 2024 meaning it’s crucial for our best domestic-based players to be available for these fixtures and tournaments,” he said.

“We are currently in a golden window for Australian football which started with the Subway Socceroos’ outstanding showing at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year and continues this month with Australia co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup. There has never been a more important time for our game to be united and aligned, allowing it to seize upon the increased interest and best maximise opportunities to engage fans, audiences, and the commercial sector.

“With so much activity occurring at a local and international level, the development of the Domestic Match Calendar isn’t an easy task, however, it’s an important piece of work which was achieved through the ongoing collaboration between stakeholders from across the game.”

Key dates include:

  • A-League Men’s 2023/24 Regular Season to commence from October 20, with the Grand Final to be contested in May 2024
  • A-League Women’s 2023/24 Regular Season to commence from October 13, with the Grand Final to be contested in May 2024
  • Final match of the 2023/24 calendar to feature the 2023 Australia Cup Final with a date TBC
  • National Premier Leagues 2024 Seasons – both men’s and women’s – to commence from February 2 next year (men’s) and conclude by September 8
  • Placeholder between March 2024 and October 2024 for the commencement of the National Second Tier competition
  • Player welfare windows included in both men’s and women’s calendars to ensure players can obtain rest/take annual leave between seasons/elite football commitments

Here is a full look at the calendar.