Canberra NPL clubs will have the chance to win cash prizes for the first time this season across both the men's and women's competitions, with the code's body putting its money where its mouth is.
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It was announced at the NPL launch this week that Capital Football would, in addition to trophies, offer cash prizes to the premiership and grand final-winning sides in both of Canberra's top competitions.
Capital Football chief executive Chris Gardiner believed it was the first time cash prizes had been offered in Canberra's NPL.
He said the exact amount for all four cash prizes would be announced next week, but the premiers' prize would be more than the grand final amount.
"Those prizes are the same amount for the men and the women's. [It makes] it very clear that when we put some money into the game, both forms of the game get treated equally," he said.
"That's part of Capital Football's determination to recognise the efforts and the resources that go into getting teams on the field by our NPL clubs, and is reflective of our decision that we want to invest in the NPL to make it a strong competition.
"Obviously, it's not extravagant or life-changing but I think it's symbolic."
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Canberra Croatia FC striker, and last season's golden boot winner, Brittany Palombi said it was great to hear the prize money would be equal across both competitions.
Her side took out the premiership in 2021 after only losing one game before COVID-19 cut the season short.
"I think this is my 10th year playing first grade now and not once has there ever been talks of a cash prize, so I actually was sitting there and was quite taken aback. I was like, 'Oh, that's really nice'. It's good for Canberra as well because I feel like we have always been a competition that's one step behind other competitions around the country," she said.
"As soon as he first said it, I thought, 'Well the men's payment is going to be more and then the women's will be less'. That was my first thought, but then when he said that it's going to be equal for both I thought that was really good. And I think with the movement in all sports across Australia, I think that's where it's going now."
Tigers FC won the men's premiership last season and one of the side's defenders Jared Tonini agreed it was a great step for the game and could provide that extra bit of incentive for sides throughout the season.
In addition to the prize money, all NPL men's and women's games will be streamed free of charge on new platform NPL TV, with a weekly highlights package, making the jump from BarTV.
There was one casualty of that decision, with the men's under-23s will no longer be streamed as a result.
Gardiner said in order to introduce the four cash prizes, and to bring the game across to the new platform, the under-23 men's competition was not included in the new streaming service.
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