Editorial Board:
Kieran Yap – Co-Chief Editor/Writer:
I’ve been a football fanatic since being obsessed by Roberto Baggio and Ronaldo as a child in the 90’s. At the 2000 Olympics I was lucky enough to watch the legendary Mia Hamm play live. Since then I’ve seen some players of similar calibre play in Australia with A-League Women sides. I’m a lucky husband and doting cat-dad who dreams of writing a movie about the life of Hayley Raso and will take a sickie to watch the Matildas.
Ben Gilby – Co-Chief Editor/Writer/Mentor
Ben is a member of the prestigious Football Writers’ Association and is part of the media team at Perth Glory, responsible for providing weekly written content on the A-League Women’s team. During the NPLW WA season, he is the women’s team media lead for Perth Azzurri and guests on the Perth Football Podcast discussing the matches and goings on in the league.
Ben founded Impetus in September 2019 and was chief editor of the site from 2019 until the beginning of January 2024 when he announced his decision to step down to solely concentrate on writing. He now writes about Australia’s national women’s teams, its players wherever in the world they play their club football, and the Australian domestic game for Impetus. Ben additionally mentors some of the site’s youngest contributors and has been a judge in the Women’s Football categories in the Football Content Awards for both 2024 and 2025.
Genevieve Henry – Writer/Photographer
I have been in love with football my whole life, but the first time I ever watched the Matildas in 2015, a newfound passion was born. Since then, I have been photographing and writing about football whenever possible with the hope of being involved with the sport in a new way, other than playing.
Ava-Marianne Elliott – Writer
Football has been a huge part of my life ever since I was a child. I was born and raised in a family of avid Arsenal supporters, so there was always some kind of conversation going on in my household about football, and that really sparked my interest in the game. At seven-years-old, I first stepped onto a pitch, and I knew I was never going to look back. From my roots in a WSL club’s academy system to the present day, my love for football has only grown and evolved into a deeper passion for the women’s game specifically. Through all the difficulties I faced being a woman in football, with very few role models and little to no support from my mostly male peers and coaches, I found a lot of comfort in writing about my personal experiences moving into my teens.
Witnessing the growth across the globe within women’s sport and the shift in attitudes towards women’s football has been incredible. I hope that I can contribute to an even bigger shift in attitude towards women’s football. Writing for Impetus is a huge privilege; the experience I gain whilst writing about the sport I love is invaluable, and I’m very grateful to be part of the team.
Catherine MacKenzie – Writer
I did not enjoy football for most of my early life. When I was a teenager, I eventually tired of watching my family watch Manchester United every week and decided to join in. Within a year, I had a poster of David De Gea (United’s then-goalkeeper) on my wall, and I was obsessively following United and the Premier League.
When United women re-formed in 2018, I started following them, although like many, my passion was truly ignited whilst following the Lionesses in 2022. To go from women’s football being banned for 50 years to filling Wembley with 87,000 people for a Euros final against Germany…that is amazing progress which still gives me goose-bumps.
My day job involves looking at data as a social researcher, and I like to approach football in a similar way. I always like to think about the social narrative that surrounds women’s football and often find that just as interesting as the football itself.
I’m still just as passionate about Manchester United and the Lionesses, but I have a burgeoning interest in other leagues around the world too. I follow the Scottish Women’s Premier League, the Eredivisie Vrouwen in the Netherlands, the Frauen Bundesliga in Germany, the NWSL in America, and the Saudi Premier League too.
When I’m not watching football, I’m probably either talking about it or playing with my cat.
Gethin Thurlow – Writer
Having loosely followed the WSL since 2014, my interest in women’s football peaked at the same time as my interest in writing – summer 2022. After finishing my A levels I decided to combine the two and it’s just built naturally from there. Some of my standout moments in journalism so far have been getting to interview the commentator Vicki Sparks and the first Black captain of the Lionesses Mary Phillip. As a journalist I like to cover issues/leagues that don’t get reported on so much by the mainstream media as there are plenty of stories out there worth being shared and read.
Our Team:
Adam Johnstone – Photographer
With over 15 years in media, Adam has built up a football photography portfolio over the past few seasons, mainly shooting EFL games. Based in Wiltshire, but covering all over the UK, Adam photographs a variety of matches for Impetus.
Adrian Geremia – Photographer
Adrian is a young photographer based in Melbourne, Australia, who provides outstanding images for us from the Melbourne-based clubs in the A-League Women and the NPLW Victoria.
Aimee-Lou Caldecourt – Writer
My passion for women’s football started when I was nine, when I watched my first game at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton, my hometown, and since then my interest has grown to me wanting to pursue a career in this industry.
Growing up, I was surrounded by football, so I couldn’t not fall in love with it, and because I can’t play, writing is the best option. I’m currently a Multimedia Sports Journalism student studying at the incredible Wembley Stadium, and I’m falling more and more in love with football every day, which I didn’t think was possible!
Alice de Koster-Kitto – Writer
Based in the suburbs of Sydney, Alice covers the game in Australia regularly for Impetus.
Alyce Collett – Writer
Alyce is based in Melbourne, Australia, and provides Impetus with weekly coverage of the A-League Women as well as regular coverage on Irish women’s football and feature articles on the UK game.
Beck Hartley – Photographer
Beck is a photographer based in Melbourne, Australia, who provides outstanding images for us from the Melbourne-based clubs in the A-League Women and the NPLW Victoria.
Bethany Monkhouse – Writer
A committed fan of Manchester City, Bethany contributes regular deep-dive analysis of players for Impetus.
Boh Blythin – Writer
Football has always been a part of my life, with a die-hard Manchester United fan for a dad, the sport was always discussed. My passion for football, specifically the women’s game, has grown massively over the past two seasons. I was struggling a lot with myself and my identity when I found an interest in the game. Since then, walking through the turnstiles and watching such a thrilling sport has been my ultimate peace. This made me realise that I wanted to be more than a fan on the sidelines and instead make an impact on the game.
From there, I started writing personal blogs, photographing the game, sharing my personal thoughts, and uploading them all to social media. I’m more than excited to be a part of the Impetus team and develop myself in the sports media industry to preach the importance of the women’s game.
Cat Bryant – Photographer
Based in Perth, Western Australia, Cat provides us with regular photography from the NPLW WA competitions.
Chloe Reynolds – Writer
I’ve been a football fan for as long as I can remember – I’m a massive fan of Everton’s men’s and women’s teams. It wasn’t until 2020 that I started writing about sports and found my love for the women’s game and for journalism. I currently hold two degrees in both football journalism and sports journalism. You can catch me at WSL games up and down the country and Lionesses fixtures wherever they play. I am also a his on the EFC Women’s Report Show and appear on the Absolutely Football Podcast Women’s Football Show.
Clare Wood – Photographer
I’ve been into photography, based in Leeds, for a number of years, and watched womens football since 2022.
I suffered a period of severe anxiety in 2023 and made it my goal to get out to a WSL game in 2024. I managed early that year, and it changed me and gave me the confidence to go out more, but having a camera in my hand always helped give me more confidence so I combined the two loves and started out in my sports photography journey to promote women in male-dominated sports, I now cover some local lower level teams and established a link with an WSL team.
Danja Gerwig – Photographer
Danja provides Impetus with quality photography from across Europe, particularly Barcelona Fememi, and the Scandinavian leagues.
Denyse McCulloch – Photographer
Provider of photographs to Western Australia NPL Women’s side, Subiaco, Denyse has given us permission to use her shots of matches involving the club as part of our coverage of the competition.
Ella McShane – Writer
Hailing from Western Australia, Ella has also lived in London, where she has covered the WSL, WSL2, and Lionesses for Impetus. Now returning home to Perth, Ella will be reporting on all aspects of the women’s game in Western Australia from professional levels to the state and regional leagues.
Eloise Smallbone – Writer
Football has always been an important part of my life, and I grew up in a family of avid Arsenal supporters. But watching the Lionesses win the Euros in 2022 inspired me to pursue a career in this industry. I am excited to be a part of the Impetus team and cover the most important games, stories, and features within the world of women’s football, as the game continues to develop in an incredible way.
Emily Robinson – Photographer
I have always loved taking pictures and capturing moments that I’d be able to have for life. After being surrounded by football in my family my whole life, it’s only in the last few years that I’ve fallen in love with the sport, and watching the moment that the Lionesses won The Euros back in 2022 is something that I will never forget. When I went to my first ever football match, which was England v Netherlands at Wembley in 2023, I took a few pictures of the stadium and atmosphere, and when looking back on them, I knew instantly that being a Sports Photographer is what I wanted to do. Since then, I have taken my camera with me to a couple of WSL games before joining Impetus and have become a photographer for Gloucester City Women.
Emma Burke – Writer
Impetus is proud to have Emma, one of the inaugural 10 members of the Our Game Women and Non-Binary Persons In Football program in Australia, on our team. A respected writer in the country, Emma is a key part of our group of writers covering both the Matildas and A-League Women.
Emmanuel Faith – Writer
Based in Nigeria, and being a SDG 5 advocate (Sustainable Development Goal Five – which promotes the “adoption and strengthening sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels), which involves writing articles and speaking at various panel events, I am actively involved in empowering gender equality, and that includes in football.
Having supported Chelsea since 2005, I started watching women’s football actively in 2014 during the U20 World Cup, where Nigeria reached the finals against all the odds. I later watched the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and club football in 2019. I write about women’s football because I believe that the media has a crucial role in popularising this beautiful game.
Emme Fortnum – Writer
Football has always been a part of life within my family, but last year I really started to get into it. Watching matches from home turned to attending games and it really sparked something, a new passion, a new interest that I wanted to pursue. I then found I wanted to be a sport journalist and that changed everything really. Starting to write for Impetus has opened so many doors I never could have done on my own. My first game was a WSL Arsenal v Brighton match and it was incredible, 4 rows from the front and that just changed something, I knew I wanted to be involved in the industry for the rest of my life but couldn’t figure out where I’d fit in, I always wanted to be a writer, a journalist but never believed I could actually go for it, then I just sent off a few articles and had a really positive response, I found my thing, my passion and that’s what led to to Sport Journalism. Impetus has given me so many opportunities and I want them to continue for as long as possible.
Hope Robinson – Writer
I first got into football after watching the Lionesses win the Euros in 2022, and that moment sparked both my love for the game and my interest in writing about it. While I enjoy producing match reports and previews, what excites me most is exploring the social and political dimensions of women’s football and the wider impact the game has beyond the pitch. I am currently studying English at the University of York and hope to build a career in journalism, and writing for Impetus is an amazing platform and opportunity that I am excited to continue as I develop my voice and skills.
Isabelle Campbell – Writer
Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Isabelle is now studying in Melbourne. She provides weekly coverage of the A-League Women and NPLW WA for Impetus.
Jean-Pierre Thiesset – Writer & Photographer
I was born in France where I have spent most of my life except for seven years in USA (1993 to 1999 in Pennsylvania, 2002 Atlanta). I played football when I was young and then went on the coaching side for young men (U7 to U15) in different amateur clubs.
When I retired at the end of 2017, I started to follow women’s football more closely, and I loved it so much that I cannot quit it now! What I like about Women’s football is the fair play and the skills of the players. It is incredible to watch them play. Furthermore, the players are so easy to approach and so available and kind to the fans.
I support Olympique Lyonnais – OL – and France teams (both Men and Women), and I am a member of OL ANG’ELLES the Women OL fans club, and of the Rouge & Bleu OL fans club. I also support all women who play football when they do not play against my teams.
Jonathon Hagger – Writer
Based in New Zealand, Jonathon is a huge fan of Wellington Phoenix and played a key part in Impetus‘s coverage of the 2023 World Cup matches that were played in that country. He now provides regular coverage of the A-League Women and the women’s game in New Zealand.
Kris Goman – Writer & Photographer
Kris is a Sydney-sider who became obsessed with women’s football during the 2019 Women’s World Cup. She takes up the story: “I’d had a passing interest prior, watching the occasional W-League on a Saturday afternoon on the telly and did get to witness Norway beat Germany in the semis of the 2000 Olympics, but the 2019 World Cup kicked off a passion that turned me into an avid fan. Late 2019 saw me travelling to the USA to watch the USWNT play Portugal and catch a few NWSL games. Since then, I’ve attended all the W-League matches in Sydney and a couple in Canberra and Newcastle as well as all the Olympic qualification matches. I’ve always had an interest in photography (travel and tennis mostly) and started taking my camera to matches to document the games and capture the action. I joined a worldwide writing team to cover the 2020 Challenge Cup, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the coverage of the A-League Women and Matildas for Impetus. I’ve got many favourite teams, the Matildas being top of the tree, but I tend to have favourite players more than teams, which can make it tricky at times to figure out who to support. But I just love watching all women’s football and follow the A-League Women, the WSL, and the NWSL closely, which requires many late nights.
Writing about women’s football also came quite naturally. I’ve always loved analysing and understanding what I’m seeing through words, so when I realised that I could help people understand women’s football through my words and analysis, it was a no-brainer. I’ll always be an Arsenal fan first, but the exciting thing about writing is introducing people to something new, whether it be talent, clubs, or leagues. It excites me what people can do with words to grow the game and show people what there is to learn and see.
Lindsay Cook – Photographer
Based in Hertfordshire, I am a football-loving mum of three. A lifelong Preston North End fan, I started to watch and photograph women’s football when my daughter joined Hitchin Belles, and I became an Impetus contributor in 2024. I love how accessible female football is for families. We have been able to watch top-level football in great stadiums for a fraction of the price. My personal highlight is watching my daughter and her friends as England flag bearers in Brighton against Spain in the Euro 2022 quarter finals against Spain, an amazing experience!
Madeleine Blount – Photographer
I’ve been playing football since I was nine years-old thanks to an encouraging sports coach at school. My love for the Lionesses sparked when Walsall FC gave me a free ticket to their match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since then, I have attended as many of their matches as possible, all around the country. More recently, I have been supporting my local women’s teams, Aston Villa and Birmingham City. My passion for the game has grown to a point where I really want to work in the women’s football industry. I have been exploring many different avenues, from coaching (with a local U9s team) to social media and photography. I am currently looking for the perfect degree to study next year at university to help me reach that career goal. I am part of the team creating content for the Impetus TikTok platform. My personal TikTok account is @madeleineblount.
Maddison Haggar – Writer
Growing up in New Zealand, I fondly remember attending Wellington Phoenix football games with my Dad. Years later, after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was held in our backyard, I myself was hooked too. From the moment Football Fern Hannah Wilkinson hit the back of the net and secured New Zealand’s first ever win at the tournament, I’ve religiously followed the A-League and Women’s Super League.
Now based in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, I am delighted to be contributing to Impetus and combining my passions for writing and platforming women’s sports. I am excited to be focusing on the game in New Zealand and showcasing the country’s talent.
Mariella Prew – Photographer
Usually based in Sussex, but now on a gap year in Australia, I have always been a Brighton and Hove Albion fan, but my passion for the women’s game came at the start of the Euros in 2022. After England’s success, I was eager to see more. Once the 22/23 season began, I started buying tickets to as many Arsenal and Brighton WSL matches as I could, before making the decision to take my family camera with me to the stands at Meadow Park. Since then, I have not wanted to put the camera down, and I am always on the lookout for games I can cover!
Max Parris – Writer/Instagram content creator
I’m a fan of football based in Western Australia, and a keen football journalist at only 14 years of age. I’ve already built a following on Instagram of over 1,200 followers. I’ll be covering the women’s game in the state.
Mia Kipling – Writer
I only started watching women’s football after seeing the Lionesses play and win at the Euros in 2022. I always watched West Ham United, but never really saw anyone I could idolise, as it was all men and I was a young girl enjoying the beautiful game. I’m a severe over-analyser because of being forced to watch the same part of a game 100 times with my dad, so we could see what could’ve happened if they had done the tiniest thing differently, so getting to analyse games and write about them for Impetus is my favourite thing ever.
Olivia Kelly – Photographer
Based in Sydney, my love of women’s football came when I ended up with a ticket to the 2022/23 A League Women’s grand final between Sydney FC and Western United. I have always played myself but had never gotten to a game. Shortly after that I picked up my dad’s old camera and everything clicked. I have a big passion for sports photography and capturing the action but also the small, quieter moments in between plays, crowd reactions, interactions, the emotions of the game in Australia.
Paige Walder – Graphic Design & Artwork:
I’m a graphics designer from Brighton. I create logos, promotional work, and sports graphics. Having played football myself since I was 12 years-old, it has always been a deep passion of mine. Several years ago, I met my girlfriend, who plays professional football around the world. This is what made me realise that the women’s game needs more creative marketing, and that’s where I came onto the graphics design scene! I won the Women’s Football Designer of the Year Award at the 2023 On Her Side women’s football awards for my work for Impetus.
Rachel Gore – Writer
Like many in the UK, my interest in women’s football was amplified during the summer of 2022 when the Lionesses won the Euros. Following on from this, I attended my first ever football match and became an avid follower of the women’s game. Joining Impetus was one of my first steps towards working in the sports journalism industry. I thoroughly enjoy contributing to the site alongside my university studies.
Rob Lizzi – Photographer
Rob is based in Perth, Western Australia, and provides Impetus with photos from Perth Glory’s A-League Women matches as well as all Perth SC’s matches as part of our coverage of Western Australia’s NPL Women’s competition.
Roos Schelen – Writer
I started watching women’s football avidly during the 2019 World Cup, having been a more casual follower since the 2017 Women’s Euros, which my national team won! You may have guessed by now that I am Dutch.
In 2025 I decided to combine my passion for writing with my passion for women’s football, and I love it! You’ll find me writing for Impetus about the Dutch national team, the Eredivisie and the WSL.
Ryan Imray – Photographer
In 2020, after sustaining my 2nd ACL tear, I reluctantly accepted that my playing days were over. Being a shift worker, coaching was not a possibility, so I needed to find another way to stay involved in football, a sport I love and have been involved with my whole life. My local club, Wainuiomata AFC in New Zealand, had no photographer and not much of a social media presence, so I took it upon myself to change that. I taught myself how to take photos and create graphics for the Football Club.
Fast forward to now, and some of my notable achievements and accolades are: In 2024 becoming the Wellington Phoenix Academy Photographer, an Accredited A-League Photographer for three seasons, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Official Photographer, head of media for Wainuiomata Football Club winning Social Media Account of the Year in 2021 and a finalist in 2022 and 2023.
In 2022 I was a Capital Football Photographer of the Year Finalist, in 2023 I was fortunate enough to be the Capital Football Photographer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Recipient, 2024 I was voted by the football community in Wellington to be the recipient of the Capital Football Personality of the Year Award and I was fortunate enough to be nominated and voted as a finalist for the 2024 Wellington Regional Sports Awards Volunteer of the Year Category.
Ryan Miller-Woods – Photographer & Photography Co-ordinator
I’m an Australian of both Northern Irish and Scottish descent. With Football, I’ve loved watching the game from a very young age. The overall appeal of it is that it really does bring people together from the passion it exuberates, the historic rivalries that exist between teams, the highest of highs as well as the lowest of the lows the game can provide, the drama a match can bring at a split second, the determination a player and/or team can have to come in clutch and most importantly make it count in the dying seconds of a match and so much more that I’m not even close to scratching the surface in regards to how special Football really is. Apart from my love of football, I am the host of a motorsport podcast called ‘The Next Generation (A F2 and F3 Podcast)’ since March 2021 and have an audience in Australia, the United States of America, England, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, Brazil, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. I am also massively into photography, and my pictures from the match between the Matildas and the USA in November 2021 were published on the Area Sports Network website to an audience of 9,149 people.
Ryan is also in charge of photography content for all of Impetus’ coverage of the Matildas and the A-League Women.
Sophie Puodzius – Writer
I became interested in women’s football after the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 win and regularly began attending matches at Arsenal in the WSL and Milton Keynes in the FAWNL.
Analysing standout players whilst watching games has become one of my passions, so getting the chance to research such talented players and produce articles for Impetus is a dream come true.
Tilly McDonald – Photographer
Tilly is based in Melbourne, Australia, and provides Impetus with photography from the Melbourne-based clubs in the A-League Women and has captured the Matildas for us.
impetusfootball.org 