Australian Professional Leagues

The Australian Professional Leagues, officially abbreviated to the APL and sometimes referred to as the A-Leagues, are the governing body for the A-League Men, A-League Women, A-League Youth and E-League. Since their formation, they have been mostly independent of Football Australia, but remain under their umbrella.

Following their unbundling from Football Australia, the APL rebranded various aspects of the professional men's, women's, and youth leagues, including the names, logos, and marketing. In 2021, American private equity firm Silver Lake purchased a 33.33% minority stake in the league for $140 million, valuing the league at $425 million. In December 2022, the APL announced that the next three A-League Men Grand Finals, in 2023, 2024, and 2025, would be held in Sydney as part of a $15 million deal with Destination NSW. The announcement was met with backlash from fans, former players, and support groups. The decision led to fans staging walkouts and boycotts, and an incident at the Melbourne Derby on 17 December 2022 where up to 200 people invaded the pitch injuring goalkeeper Tom Glover and referee Alex King. The decision was walked-back in October 2023 and the deal was replaced with Unite Round. Throughout 2024, the APL encountered financial difficulties, leading to 80–130 staff being laid-off, and the fiscal allocation to clubs being reduced from over $2 million to $530,000. In August 2025, the APL recorded an operating profit of $1.7 million, after losses of $57 million and $37 million in the previous two years.