A little over three months ago most W-League teams hadn't signed a player.
But as of about 9pm Canberra time on Sunday night, the W-League's first regular season will be over.
Around 20,000 spectators will have passed through the gates and more than 100 goals will have been scored.
The biggest crowds have turned out in Canberra and some W-League games televised on ABC have recorded higher ratings than some A-League games on pay TV. But there have been some teething problems.
Football Federation Australia loudly proclaimed each club would have a $150,000 salary cap even though only two clubs, Queensland and Canberra, were actually paying all their players. Teams only had about six weeks to come together, from recruiting players to a pre-season. The players' official gear is still arriving despite there being just one week of the regular season to go. Referees have been anything but consistent and games haven't always been even.
But overall has the new W-League been a success?
Matildas coach Tom Sermanni thinks it has been.
''I think in the amount of time in which we got it up and running this year, I think both on and off the field it's been more than what I expected it to be,'' Sermanni said.
''I think on the field we've seen competitive games and lots of goals and good football.
''Overall the games have been entertaining. The crowds have been excellent, particularly in Canberra and Newcastle. We have been given terrific support media-wise as well.
''I think as an entity it's been much, much more successful than I could have hoped for.''
On the pitch, it's been the W-League strikers that have been particularly successful. The 100th goal of the competition was scored in round eight and the average was just under four goals a game.
But Sermanni said people shouldn't blame slack defence.
''I think it's a catch-22, yes from a purist perspective, you often don't want to see that many goals scored,'' Sermanni said.
''But as a tool to promote the games and encourage people to come to the games and also to encourage us to play attacking football, the number of goals have been a very positive aspect.''
Canberra United's Rhian Davies and Sasha McDonnell believe the league was worth coming back for.
Although not officially retired from the Matildas, Davies said she was very unlikely to play at the international level but felt differently towards national competition.
''It's definitely made me interested in playing again at this level,'' Davies said.
McDonnell, from Queensland, played in the last national league and scored a goal in the last WNSL final. She took a year off from elite soccer in 2007 and only returned once the W-League started.
''It's been a good place to start and hopefully I can get back into the Matildas,'' McDonnell said.
Both said the new league was different to the old WNSL. Davies said the WNSL was technically better and a quicker paced game, while McDonnell said there was a new buzz within Australian women's soccer.
''There is a lot more media coverage and I think the support has been great, especially in Canberra,'' McDonnell said. ''Last time no one really knew about it but now you can go out in Canberra and people know you who are.
Off the field, Canberra United will finish this season a winner. The club's chief executive Heather Reid said it was on track to meet its $150,000 budget.
''With the late call we only had six weeks to get all the operational and commercial agreements into place,'' Redi said.
''We were lucky in that we had three key sponsors the ACT government, CFMEU and ActewAGL come on board quickly.
''It's also been disappointing, and I think the FFA would agree, that we haven't been able to get our merchandise on time which would have helped the bottom line, but I don't think we will make a loss.''