Sport
2 November, 2025
Leichhardt Lions roar for women’s and junior football
WOMEN’S football continues to go from strength to strength in Cairns, with Leichhardt Junior Soccer Club leading the charge to grow the game and build strong community connections on and off the field.
Club president Miranda Wilson says the club has made significant strides in recent years to boost female participation and create a welcoming, supportive environment for women and girls of all ages.
“Every club in the region is passionate about football, and we’re all largely volunteer-run,” Ms Wilson said.
“At Leichhardt, almost 30% of our players are women. That’s really strong gender parity for our region and something we’re very proud of.”
Leichhardt FC fields girls’ teams from under-10s through to senior women, covering every Football Queensland Premier League (FQPL) age division. The club also runs “MiniRoos” non-competitive programs, encouraging younger girls to build skills and confidence in a fun, social setting.
This year, the club hosted a ‘Female Football Week Super Saturday’, a community celebration that saw seven Leichhardt teams take to the pitch in one day, with visiting clubs including Edge Hill FC.
“It was a huge success,” Ms Wilson said. “We’ll definitely be doing it again next year.”
The juniors are aligned with Leichhardt Football Club, and the two work closely together to provide a seamless pathway from junior to senior football. Fans are encouraged to follow both clubs on social media for updates, fixtures and news.
While the 2025 season has now wrapped up, Leichhardt’s women are already looking ahead, with pre-season training kicking off in November.
The club’s coaching lineup for 2026 is already in place, with head coach Phillip Fernandez (premier women), head coach Milan Rebic (U23 women) and assistant coach Bianca Field ready to lead the women’s program into an exciting new season.
“We’d love to see more women come down, whether they’ve played before or are completely new to football,” Ms Wilson said. “For us, it’s about camaraderie, fitness and having fun. We focus on social connection as much as competition.”
For more information or to register interest, visit both Leichhardt FC’s senior and junior Facebook pages or email leichhardtjuniors@gmail.com
