And so they should.

The Matildas are set to become full-time professional athletes for the first time after a bitter pay dispute over the disgraceful deal they receive in comparison to their male counterparts.

Fairfax Media reports that the Football Federation of Australia has offered contracted players a deal that would allow them to forego part-time jobs and receive the national minimum annual wage and finally be the professionals they deserve to be.

The Matildas have been locked in a bitter wage dispute.

In early September the national women’s soccer team withdrew from training camp demanding better pay.  The women soccer players have a contractual base salary of about $21,000 per annum, plus about $500 in match fees.

That’s 15 times less than the men’s national soccer team, the Socceroos, who got paid approximately $7,500 per match during the World Cup.

The Matildas also sought changes to their work conditions including more flexibility in their contracts to allow players to pursue work overseas, as well as better travel conditions to ensure they’d be on par with their male counterparts.

Goalkeeper Lydia Williams said at the time “It simply unfair to continue to expect us to make enormous sacrifices to play for Australia.”

Fairfax Media reports that the FFA negotiated with the players’ union, Professional Footballers Australia and has offered a two-tier deal to the players allowing about 10 of the best selected to earn a minimum salary of $44,000 with the remaining half to be guaranteed the minimum salary before match fees and other bonuses.

David Gallop: “Funding for the Matildas would be devoted to an immediate 10 per cent pay increase.”

In a statement FFA Chief Executive David Gallop said ” [The] FFA had taken the position that the priority for new funding for the Matildas would be devoted to an immediate 10 per cent pay increase, with annual increases rising to 15 per cent across the term of the CBA.”

Fairfax Media report that after receiving the offer yesterday players have not yet accepted the terms with other sticking points still to be agreed upon.

Conditions surrounding maternity leave still to be finalised.

One of the biggest is a clause allowing contracted players to play in leagues overseas – that pay more – instead of the 12-round W-League season back home.

There are also issues relating to maternal leave and parental care. The previous deal saw new mothers returning to football forced to pay for all travel and accommodation costs to bring babies and carers along on tour and pregnant players weren’t even guaranteed pay after the expiration of their six-month contracts.

The Matildas have not commented on the offer.