Two key working groups have been given wide remits to tackle burning issues in Australian football  beyond establishing the new A-League structure, a second division and promotion and relegation.

Local club costs are a key part of it, said Nikou, with the aim of reducing sky-high players fees charged to help fund NPL first teams. Among the options being looked at is a renegotiation of transfer fees between NPL sides and A-League clubs which could replace the current standard $10,000 fee.

The national structure of the NPL and a second tier and its format are also all still on the table, and a replacement for the loathed National Club Identification Policy – which marginalised ethnic heritage clubs.

"The NCIP has been put to bed," vowed Nikou.

"Our job now is to distill a position that is more inclusive and allows the clubs that have been around for a long time and supported our sport to be proud of their history and their contribution."

The new regime's first 100 days has been overwhelmingly overshadowed by the sacking of Alen Stajcic and the subsequent fallout.

The board's deputy chair Heather Reid stood down from her role for personal reasons in the midst of the row after accusations direct messages on social media had been sent to a range of people by one director, spreading potentially defamatory innuendo about Stajcic's dismissal. 

Nikou and Gallop both insisted the sacking was the right move, but conceded they may have handled things differently.

"It's a learning curve, isn't it," said Nikou. "As a board we have committed to certain media protocols - no Twitter. But you want to be as transparent as you can.

"There's no doubt there's been some teething problems, I'm not going to lie. But you move forward."

He added: "We made a decision that I'm comfortable with.

"Obviously it impacted a lot of people so the consternation was not intended. It was in the best interest of the Matildas.

"If we had more time, it might have been a different process but we had to make a call based on those recommendations."