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Ready for take-off:The talent pool for the next W-League season could look very different.Credit:Getty Images

Fearing the best talent being depleted by the rapidly growing leagues in Europe,Australia and the US are forming a strategic alliance to try and encourage their best players to continue playing in both countries. Those discussions have centred around exchange of players and retaining quality while there are even preliminary talks of aligning the two competitions with a form of"super cup"where the champions of the W-League and the NWSL play-off against one another.

"We want to look at commercialising some of the stuff. Do we set up the champions of the W-League playing the NWSL? Do we start doing those sort of things? It’s early stages talking about this kind of stuff,"O'Rourke said.

There has long been a link between US and Australian women's football but never a formal,direct partnership between the two leagues. There are commercial opportunities,sharing of information,coaching and sports science among others but this is a partnership that is largely motivated by fear. A significant loss of talent to Europe could dent the quality and interest of both competitions. In the same year Australia and the US reached out to one another,Real Madrid,AC Milan introduced women's teams while Manchester United were promoted to England's top tier. At this rate of growth,the Matildas will struggle to resist playing for the clubs their male counterparts could only dream of joining.

"With the way that women’s football is growing and the attention the Matildas have had,there are going to be players who have offers and deals in Europe and different countries. I am sure I am among quite a few who have definitely considered it,"Kennedy said."I know that[moving to Europe] is definitely a thought that has crossed players’ minds."

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