Soccerscene the only online publication dedicated to the Australian and international football industry. It serves as a practical guide for those involved in the business of running a football club and bringing readers up-to-date research and development across all football matters providing insights, discussion and information related to topics that matter.
Melissa Barbieri celebrates 25-year professional milestone
Australian footballing legend Melissa Barbieri celebrated 25 years of football over the weekend.
Having captained Australia to their 2010 AFC Asian Cup win, and been a part of four Women’s World Cups with the Matildas, Barbieri has experienced an incredible footballing career that doesn’t appear to be slowing down. She is continuing to shine for A-League Women’s side Melbourne City, who currently sit in second place on the table.
“I want girls to play for longer. I want every girl to be able to say, ‘I can play the game that I love for as many years as ‘Bubs’ did’,” Barbieri told Network Ten following City’s A-League Women win over Western Sydney.
“I continue to play because we have got a start, with a good CBA and girls can actually play the sport that they love for a good wage, a decent wage, but we’re not where we can be.
“I want to be able to say to all those little girls out there that want to play soccer for Australia: you can play anywhere in the world, not just for Australia.
“That’s the hope for me. 2023 is going to open up a lot of doors for a lot of people, not just in the game where you’re playing it with the ball at your feet but in administration, in leadership roles, in so many positions.
“Women just need to put their hand up and want to be a part of it and I can’t wait to see where this game grows in the future.”
The occasion marked 25 years since Barbieri first lined up for Victoria Vision against Canberra in the Women’s National Soccer League on February 7, 1997. Since then, she has earned 93 caps for the Matildas and has enjoyed a spectacular career in the domestic competition where she is the oldest player in the A-League Women’s at 41 years old.
It is especially remarkable considering Barbieri began her career as a midfielder, before transitioning to life as a goalkeeper in 2000. And after sitting out 2016-17, Barbieri came out of retirement, and has gone on to become a crucial cog in the City Women’s A-League side this season.
“It’s amazing – you can’t explain how important she is for everyone in the dressing room. Every time someone has debuted for our team, she brings flowers to the girl the next morning. She’s not just a player, she’s not just a mentor, she’s a mother as well,” coach Rado Vidosic said.
“To have her with us, I hope she’s going to stay when I’m 70, so another 10 years and she can be part of this. It’s really remarkable what she has achieved.”
Soccerscene has launched Survey 4: Commercial Confidence in Football, calling on clubs, sponsors, governing bodies, commercial leaders and football industry professionals to assess whether the game is making the most of its enormous commercial potential.
Football has the audience, participation base and community reach to be one of Australia’s most powerful commercial platforms. But does the industry have the commercial strategy, professionalism and infrastructure required to turn that potential into sustainable growth?
That is the question at the centre of Soccerscene’s latest industry research.
The survey examines how attractive grassroots football is to potential commercial partners, what industry professionals believe is limiting football’s commercial potential, and whether clubs are presenting themselves professionally enough to sponsors.
It also explores what sponsors value most when engaging with football – from community reach and participation scale to brand alignment, values and purpose – as well as whether improved facilities could directly contribute to stronger sponsorship outcomes.
Is football fully capitalising on its commercial opportunity?
Football continues to provide brands with access to highly engaged communities across grassroots, community and elite environments. Yet the commercial landscape remains fragmented, with clubs operating with vastly different levels of resources, capability, governance, media infrastructure and commercial expertise.
Soccerscene’s survey is designed to capture the industry’s perspective on where the opportunities exist – and where football may be leaving commercial value on the table.
The research will look specifically at four key areas:
Commercial attractiveness – How attractive is grassroots football as a commercial partnership?
Commercial barriers – What is holding football back from reaching its full commercial potential?
Club professionalism – Are clubs presenting themselves effectively and professionally to sponsors?
Sponsor value – What are sponsors really looking for when they invest in football?
The survey also asks whether better facilities would have a direct impact on sponsorship outcomes, highlighting the potential relationship between infrastructure, commercial presentation and investment.
Have your say
Soccerscene is encouraging football clubs, sponsors, commercial professionals, governing bodies, administrators, media professionals and industry stakeholders to participate.
The findings will contribute to Soccerscene’s ongoing program of industry research, designed to provide a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities facing football and the organisations operating within it.
Take the Survey: Commercial Confidence in Football
South Melbourne is knocking on the A-League’s door again. The four-time National Soccer League champions formally signalled their intention to enter the A-Leagues earlier this month, opening discussions with the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) over potential A-League Men’s and Women’s licences. The timing was significant; the announcement came a day after the APL terminated Western United’s licence.
But South Melbourne’s ambitions are bigger than simply replacing Western United. The club and its co-president, Bill Papastergiadis, believe its recent success has demonstrated that it is ready for professional football once again. South won the inaugural Australian Championship in 2025, is competing professionally in the Oceania Professional League and has continued to make its mark in the Australia Cup, including a 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in July.
Time to open up
For co-president Bill Papastergiadis, however, the push is ultimately about something bigger than South Melbourne.
“The aspirations of South Melbourne, regarding A-League football, are not just a story about South Melbourne. It’s a story for the football public and the football community,” Papastergiadis said.
“It’s a story for all of us because football is a metaphor for life’s aspirations and football revolves around the ability to inspire, to improve, and to succeed.”
Papastergiadis believes the current structure of Australian football has created a ceiling for clubs outside the A-Leagues, one that limits ambition and, ultimately, competition.
“At the moment, the glass ceiling stifles that competition and stifles those aspirations, and at that upper level, and it’s to its detriment,” he said.
South Melbourne’s argument is closely tied to the history of the NSL, when clubs could be promoted and relegated based on their performances rather than being permanently separated into different tiers. Papastergiadis remembers the intensity that came with that system when South resided in the top flight of Australian football.
“I myself remember the intensity of the matches for the clubs that were in the relegation zone. Back then during the National Soccer League,” he said.
“It keeps clubs on their toes. Everyone is engaged when they know that there are ramifications for their actions and conduct. If there are no ramifications for that, how do you have accountability?”
That philosophy sits at the heart of South Melbourne’s A-League push. The club does not simply want to join the existing system; it wants to challenge the idea that the highest level of Australian football should be closed off from the rest of the pyramid. South Melbourne won the inaugural Australian Championship but, unlike in other systems, is not rewarded with top-flight football. The club has continued strongly in 2026, knocking out A-League side Adelaide United in the Australia Cup.
South Melbourne and Bill Papastergiadis celebrate a win in the Australia Cup Image Credits: Bill Papastergiadis
“Where is it in the football dictionary that winning a title doesn’t give you the opportunity to progress within the football pyramid?” Papastergiadis asked.
“All of the matches involving A-League clubs have been incredibly tight, and the majority of them were knocked out in the earlier rounds by numerous NPL clubs.
“So we can compete on the field; our crowds in the Australian Championship were comparable to some of the A-League crowds, quite often far better.”
That, he argues, makes South Melbourne a viable proposition.
“We are a viable option. It’s time to open up football and give it back to the public. The public deserves it, and it belongs to everyone.”
A familiar ambition
This is not the first time South Melbourne has tried to enter the A-League.
The club was overlooked when the competition was established in the mid-2000s and again in 2018, when the licence ultimately went to Western United. The latest attempt therefore carries history. The club that missed out on the opportunity to join the A-League in 2018 is now pursuing a place in the competition following Western United’s exit. But Papastergiadis is reluctant to predict what happens next. For now, South Melbourne has done what it believes it needs to do: start the conversation.
“It’s very early for me to comment on our prospects in relation to the A-League at this point,” he said.
“What we’ve simply done is done the appropriate thing, which is to write to the APL. Advise of our intention, advise of our interest.
“It’s in their hands to tell us if they’re interested in this story, if they’re interested in this outcome, and if they’re interested in this conversation.”
Papastergiadis has already briefly spoken with APL chief executive Steve Rosich, who responded to South Melbourne’s initial approach.
“I had a conversation with Steve Rosich. He responded to our letter immediately, and we spoke on the phone, and it was courteous,” Papastergiadis said.
“We advised of our intention. He thanked us for that. I indicated that we would progress to provide more formal document and he said he’ll wait to see that.
South Melbourne is ready to make their bid Image Credits: Greek Herald
There is no guarantee that South Melbourne will receive a licence, and Papastergiadis is clear that the next step is not entirely in the club’s hands.
“There is no certainty in this process,” Papastergiadis said.
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s up to Football Australia too, to show us the path forward. We need a path forward, and it’s up to the governing body to also work with us.”
The sustainability for Melbourne
The collapse of Western United has inevitably changed the context around South Melbourne’s bid.
Western United announced that the APL had terminated its participation agreement on August 10, while saying it would seek new ownership and a pathway back into the A-League. The club also emphasised the importance of maintaining a professional football presence in Melbourne’s west and continuing its academy and community programs. South Melbourne is now one of the clubs looking towards the opening created by Western United’s departure. But Papastergiadis does not celebrate another club’s demise.
Western United’s fans are left without an A-League club Image Credits: AAP
“I do want to make the point that I’m not happy about any club folding,” he said.
“I believe in football and in the football product, and I believe in football clubs.
For the players from juniors to senior levels, they must be gutted at Western United. Their administration staff, their coaching staff, they must all be gutted. So I feel for them.”
It is a notable distinction. South Melbourne’s ambition may have been reignited by the circumstances surrounding Western United. But for South there is a new opportunity to add to Melbourne football rather than take something away from it. The prospect of South Melbourne joining Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory in the A-League would immediately raise questions about whether the market could sustain another club.
A benefit to all
Papastergiadis has little doubt and points to Melbourne’s size, sporting culture and existing interest in football as reasons for optimism.
“Absolutely. We won’t cannibalise the football-attending public. We will increase it.” He said.
“There is significant potential within the Melbourne market. We reside in the largest city in Australia, and we reside in the sporting capital of Australia, if not the world.
“We will add to the fabric of football and will increase the attendance through derbies. It’s a positive.”
That is ultimately the argument behind South Melbourne’s latest attempt to break into the A-League. The club believes the benefits would extend beyond Lakeside Stadium. South Melbourne’s recent Australian Championship success, professional status in Oceania and strong performances against A-League opposition strengthen it’s case. NPL clubs can compete at the highest level, even if promotion and relegation remain off the table.
For now, South Melbourne can only wait. The APL and Football Australia will determine whether that football product has earned it a place at the top table. But Papastergiadis believes the question is worth asking, not just for South Melbourne, but for Australian football itself.
“Whatever South can achieve in regards to breaking through that glass barrier, then that’s not just the win for South, but it’s a win for football across the board.”
