Football Coaches Australia presents ‘The Football Coaching Life Podcast’ S2 Ep 7 with Gary Cole interviewing Dr Craig Duncan

Avatar
Craig Duncan

Dr Craig Duncan is one of Australia’s top ‘Human Performance Scientists’. In the good old days Craig was a Strength and Conditioning Coach, it’s amazing how things change!

Craig played for NSW as a junior before realising his best bet in the world of athletic performance was via a university degree. He speaks about how his role today is to take a holistic approach with footballers to ensure that they are as best prepared so as to enable the coaches to do their magic with them on the pitch.

He has worked with various sucessful coaches, including Vitezslav Lavicka at Sydney FC where he won a championship; and with Tony Popovic at the Western Sydney Wanderers where he won an Asian Champions League; as well as alongside  Ange Postecoglou with the Socceroos where he won the Asian Cup and qualified for a World Cup. Craig has also worked Carlos Queiroz with Iran at the Asia Cup. Craig explains how he learned from all of these very experienced coaches.

We spend time discussing the importance of finding a ‘mentor’ for all coaches. And how both mental health and being present can only improve coaching and player performance.

Craig has had to deal with a ‘spontaneous coronary artery dissection’ and a few heart attacks which helped him focus on both his health and his family and also helped him to understand the importance to ‘Be wherever you are’ as well as the importance of resilience.

Dr Craig is also leaving a legacy by sharing his wisdom as both an author and content creator. His one piece of wisdom for coaches is to find a good mentor and not chase the dollars early but rather learn the culture of football.

Please join me in sharing Dr Craig Duncan’s Football Coaching Life.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Theo Fotopoulos outlines vision for Canberra United’s future

Avatar
Image Credit: Lukas Coch

Professional football in the nation’s capital has entered a new era with Australian Sports Group (ASG) officially taking over Canberra United ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Led by Chairman Morris McAllister and CEO Theo Fotopoulos, ASG takes over a club whose future has been uncertain in recent years. Now, the focus has shifted from survival to building a sustainable future for football in Canberra.

Speaking to Soccerscene, Fotopoulos discussed why ASG chose to invest in Canberra United, the importance of preserving the club’s identity, and the roadmap for the chapter ahead for football in the nation’s capital.

Why Canberra?

The investment in Canberra United comes at an important time for the club. The beginning of the 2026/27 A-League Women season is just around the corner, and the prospect of an A-League Men side is drawing closer. Asked why ASG chose to invest in Canberra United and Canberra itself, Fotopoulos’ answer was simple.

“Canberra has stacks of football culture. It is a football city,” Fotopoulos said.

Speaking on the decision to retain the name Canberra United and not undertake a rebrand, Fotopoulos pointed to the club’s history and connection to the community.

“We retained the name, Canberra United, because of the history and the association. We felt there were more positives to retain the name,” Fotopoulos said.

The new ownership also wants supporters to play an active role in shaping the club’s future.

“The fans will be involved in making decisions,” Fotopoulos said.

Fotopoulos revealed that the club is already consulting with fans on the introduction of a nickname and is looking at developing a playing kit that is designed by the fans.

While Canberra offers a unique opportunity for professional football, Fotopoulos acknowledged the club will still compete for supporters’ attention alongside established sporting organisations such as the Canberra Raiders and ACT Brumbies.

Rather than viewing that as a disadvantage, he believes Canberra’s appetite for sport presents an opportunity to grow the club’s presence in the capital.

“It is something that allows us to accelerate the building of the brand in Canberra, Canberrans really love their sports,” Fotopoulos said.

 

The road ahead

The 2026/27 Ninja A-League season kicks off in October, and the priority for Fotopoulos and ASG at Canberra United is to ensure that Canberra is ready to compete not only next season, but sustainably for the years ahead.

“For us, it’s really stabilisation for the women’s. Build that and build the infrastructure around the women then translate that into an additional structure for the men’s program,” Fotopoulos said.

Infrastructure also forms a key pillar of ASG’s long-term vision. Fotopoulos said securing a long-term home at McKellar Park and improving football facilities across Canberra would play an important role in supporting future growth.

He believes better facilities will benefit not only Canberra United but football throughout the ACT and surrounding region.

Importantly, the takeover of the club included an option to introduce a team into the A-League Men’s competition from the 2028/29 season, which is something that ASG intends to pursue.

When speaking about the future of the proposed senior men’s side, Fotopoulos pointed to the quality within and around the organisation that will ensure its introduction.

“We’re quietly confident, the football department is very positive. There are a lot of quality people, both in Canberra and outside of Canberra, that have indicated interest in being part of the elite pathways academy structures that will be the foundation for a new A-League men’s team,” Fotopoulos said.

 

More than a football club

For Fotopoulos and ASG, this investment is about more than just owning and running a football club. The focus extends beyond results on the field to developing an integrated football structure and greater cohesion across the game.

In order to support a strong senior men’s and women’s side, Fotopoulos outlined the importance of establishing strong junior pathways for young players growing up in Canberra.

“One of the other big picture objectives is to finally get to establishing a permanent pathway,” Fotopoulos said.

Fotopoulos believes that these pathways will ensure long-term stability for Canberra United and help form the foundation of both senior playing groups for years to come.

However, it wasn’t just an investment in football in Canberra. It was a vote of confidence for women’s football in Canberra in particular.

While excitement is building around a potential expansion into the A-League Men, Fotopoulos believes that the current moment represents an even greater opportunity for the women’s game.

“If I was to look at any other time in history, this is probably the strongest time to invest in women’s football,” Fotopoulos said.

 

Tottenham Hotspur deliver player development workshop for Football NSW

Avatar
Image credit: Football NSW

The workshop focused on sharing knowledge and insights regarding player development, bringing together more than 120 coaches from across NSW with those from Tottenham Hotspur.

 

Experience, insight and education

Valentine Sports Park hosted the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshop, uniting Football NSW coaches and members of Tottenham Hotspur’s coaching staff to encourage discussion and learning opportunities about player development.

Tottenham’s player development pathway – from the academy to the first team – has produced some of the most respected names in Premier League history, including Harry Kane and Ledley King.

Under the leadership and guidance of Tottenham Hotspur Player & Coach Pathway Co-ordinator (and UEFA A Licence Coach), Jimmy Martin, as well as members of Tottenham’s coaching staff, Shannon Maloney, Kevin Moffatt and Tyler Blackwood, the workshop was a unique opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced coaches in the game.

“Coach education is a vital part of developing football across NSW, and having more than 120 coaches attend this workshop highlights the appetite within our football community to continue learning and improving,” explained Football NSW Head of Football, Edward Ferguson.

Ferguson continued to outline the value of learning from an organisation like Tottenham Hotspur, a team who have helped grow some of the game’s most exceptional talents. The lessons taken will consequently help to inform future approaches to coaching in NSW.

“The focus remains on creating better learning environments for players, encouraging decision-making, creativity and long-term development.”

What the workshop involved

The workshop encouraged coaches to dive into all aspects of player development: the technical, tactical, physical and mental aspects which contribute to the English academy setup.

Furthermore, Maloney, Moffatt and Blackwood – all of whom helped deliver a practical session for attendees – showed how a club’s playing identity can work alongside challenging training environments for players.

Game understanding, creative problem-solving and technical proficiency underpinned the main themes driving the workshop. In an age where individual expression on the pitch appears a dying art, Tottenham Hotspur coaches remain committed to encouraging players to feel confident adapating to a range of in-game scenarios.

Football NSW coaches were also able to attend a Q&A session with King, who spoke about his playing experiences for both club and country.

 

Final thoughts

As Australia continues to nurture the current and upcming generations of talented footballers, workshops such as this are a vital, fundamental part of the journey.

The fastest way to be among the best is to learn from them. The aim now is for Football NSW coaches to take the lessons learned, and apply them to football development in their own academies and teams across the state.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend