Football Coaches Australia upholds the need for fair pay and suitable employment conditions in coach survey report

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FCA

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) – Australia’s national Association for supporting qualified coaches at professional, semi-professional and community levels – have today released a report outlining the importance of upholding fair pay and suitable conditions for coaches. The report coincides with the Australian Professional Leagues’ (APL) announcement of an expanded Liberty A-League season, and Football Australia’s (FA) recently published Domestic Match Calendar (DMC), for the period of October 7, 2022 to October 7, 2023.

The report comprises the results of two independent surveys conducted by FCA, during Season 2021-22, in partnership with The University of Queensland. The first – a National Premier Leagues (NPL) and A-Leagues (APL) coach survey – was conducted in October 2021, and the second – a Liberty A-League coach survey – was conducted in March 2022

The report can be read in full HERE.

Throughout FCA’s discussions with Australian football’s professional and semi-professional coaching cohort, it was made clear that many did not feel secure enough in their employment to negotiate contract terms, especially where there is not a Collective Agreement in place, which can lead to the potential exploitation of coaches, particularly in women’s football.

The release of the survey report aligns with FCA’s discussion with FA, and the APL, regarding the adoption of an A-Leagues coaches’ standard contract and a national grievance resolution process.

Consultation between FCA and the APL will be an ongoing process. A joint FCA and APL working group, comprising FCA Executive Committee members Phil Moss, Sarah West, Catherine Cannuli, Brad Crismale and Glenn Warry, and APL senior management Danny Townsend, Greg O’Rourke, Helena Dorczak and Emma Burrows, will undertake these discussions over the coming months.

Football Australia (FA) has previously committed to shifting cultural perceptions by focusing on women in leadership within their membership of ‘Male Champions of Change’. A key focus of the FA plan is ‘How do we define gender pay equity in football and what steps and commitment is required to close the gap?’. As Australian football moves towards the conclusion of the FA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan (2019-2023), FCA believes actions are now required to apply the gender equity framework for women coaches.

The Liberty A-League coaches believe that the expansion of the Liberty A-League makes the discussion around their employment conditions highly relevant. For many Liberty A-League coaches, their ability to sustain their coaching roles within their current portfolio football coaching careers, or in combination with their full-time jobs, is extremely difficult.

FCA has identified that there is an inequity regarding employment conditions, and what coaches are paid, in the A-League Women compared to A-League Men, and an inequity regarding what women coaches are paid. FCA believes the following will provide an excellent framework for all coaches – Men and Women:

  • A-League Standard Contracts/Grievance process.
  • Improved employment conditions and opportunities for coaches within the Liberty A-League.
  • Salary bands for Assistant coaches, Goalkeeping Coaches, Analysts.
  • Working with FA and APL to action the gender equity framework for women coaches within the FA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan (2019-2023).

At this stage FCA have not completed any research into the commercial viability and funding model for the ALW. FCA is keen to work with the APL and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) on this model.

Danny Townsend, Chief Executive Officer at the APL, stated:

“At the APL we are committed to creating and maintaining the highest standards and conditions for players and coaches in professional football. The FCA Coach Surveys Report has produced important findings that the game needs to address and we welcome the chance to work with FCA and other important stakeholders in the football pyramid to tackle them collectively.

“We support the move to standardise coaching contracts, and we also want to work with our clubs to increase the opportunities being given to women coaches in professional football, as well as safeguarding better conditions for all coaches across the A-Leagues.”

Phil Moss, Football Coaches Australia President, stated:

“The coach surveys that FCA conducts are a critical piece of work designed to give our members a voice on the challenges we face, specifically around working conditions. The results, in context, show we have work to do in terms of improving those conditions. Coaching is a profession – a highly skilled profession – which must have working conditions commensurate with the role.

“The proactive, positive and solution focused approach shown by Danny Townsend, and his team at APL, aligns brilliantly with ours and fills us with confidence that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Together we can work through the issues and arrive at a place that will play a significant role in taking the game forward in Australia.

“Increased opportunities for coaches in the men’s and women’s game is a great start and we are pleased to be working closely with APL and other stakeholders within the game to implement standardized working conditions, including but not limited to standard coaching contracts.”

Sarah West, Vice President Football Coaches Australia, stated:

“The expansion of the Liberty A-League is certainly a positive step in the right direction for Australian Football, however important steps must be taken to ensure it doesn’t thrust those working in the league deeper under the poverty line.

“Coaching is a demanding role with significant pressures, expectation and responsibility, and the wellbeing of coaches depends on the ability to earn a live-able wage which fairly compensates for their responsibilities and real working hours.

“As shown by the FCA Independent surveys of Licenced Football Coaches report, around half of the coaches and 75% of the analysts working in the Liberty A-League last year held a job outside of football and all of them found juggling both roles challenging. That’s not the best situation for Australian football.

“Furthermore, the number of coaches – Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Analysts – who are being paid less than the Australian minimum wage rings major alarm bells.

“We can’t expect to produce the best possible football product and be confident that our players are being adequately protected, cared for and their needs catered for if our coaches – the people ultimately held responsible – are stretched so thin just trying to pay the bills and keep their heads above water.

“This situation is also counter-intuitive to growing coaching talent, because many great people walk away before they reach their potential, due to the challenges of managing several jobs, families and maintaining good mental health.

“It’s great that the APL and other stakeholders have agreed to come to the table to address this important issue. If we don’t – there will simply be no enduring legacy left from next year’s Women’s World Cup.”

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Ernie Merrick: ‘There are many clubs that would be fantastic additions to the A-League’

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Ernie Merrick will be forever recognised as a key figure through the A-League’s golden early years. Appointed Melbourne Victory’s foundation manager in 2004 he led the club to not just silverware, but legitimacy and respect in a serious sport city.

A Scottish migrant and PE teacher by trade, Merrick was the youngest of the NSL’s managerial crop when he started with Preston in 1987 in the era of Thomson, Arok & Matic; when he finished with Newcastle in 2020 he was the elder statesman in the A-League age of Postecoglou, Popovic and Arnold.

For the places the game took him and all he achieved – including time as national team manager of Hong Kong – Victory supporters can comfort themselves in the fact that for whatever they feel towards Merrick and his iconic group of players, that feeling is mutual.

‘Yes, definitely,’ Merrick told Soccerscene Unfiltered when asked if managing Victory was the highlight of his career.

‘I think success is [fans] having identification with players, especially. We had Victorian boys playing for Victory.

‘That second year I was determined to have a complete pre-season. Archie Thompson bought me a birthday cake with 200 candles and said “Ernie, we’ve had 200 training sessions. We should celebrate this” – so he was looking forward to a big year, and we won the Grand Final 6-0.’

Nearing 20 years on, Victory and the A-League in general haven’t managed to drive forward as would have been hoped. Unsurprisingly that comes as painful to Merrick, as does the change in landscape regarding his other great passion and contribution in player development. 

‘I’m disappointed, as would most people be, that it’s struggled so badly. To me, there’s something missing,’ said Merrick of the current state of the A-League.

‘Those players we produced at the AIS and VIS went on to be the golden generation. Unless the league is fixed, there’s going to be ongoing problems with the financial status of things.

‘You just cannot earn enough money from selling a youngster, who you might get a million for, who then becomes worth several million in a few years if he does well. Maybe there’s a bit too much of selling players early.’

As someone who gave enduring service across Australia’s two domestic leagues, his voice holds weight in the consideration as to whether it’s time to now blend the, in today’s hyper-corporate landscape.

‘South Melbourne and Preston are two clubs that are perfect for the A-League, I think, down the track. They’ve set up, they’ve endured, they’ve been resilient, they’re playing good football and they’ve got a home base with a home crowd, which is far better than starting a club up from scratch.

‘All those players coming through those squads and the number of supporters they’ve got would be a huge addition. In Sydney too, there’s Marconi – there are so many good clubs around that I think would make a great addition to the A-League.’ 

Merrick also spent thirteen years as head coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport. He feels modern player development is an equation we still haven’t got right, post the closure of the AIS’ football program in 2017.

While many argue the move to club-based academy structures has seen Australia fall more in line with global practice while still producing players of quality, Merrick still feels there is merit in a national high performance program, in addition to club academies.

He was in the process of setting up state academies through the Member Federations during his time as Football Australia’s chief football officer from 2022-25. While the Victoria project was short-lived, academies in Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia continue to run, but it appears the broader expansion of the concept has been abandoned.

‘I think both systems should work [together] equally well. When I started with the FA program clubs thought they would lose players to us, but I didn’t take any of their players. We offered the opportunity of a high-performance program to other youngsters.

‘We could develop players completely; we weren’t restricted to playing 4-3-3 to combine with the way the first team were playing. We provided more of a rounded education, and good players can play in any system.

‘We managed to affect the coaches involved so they were up to date with the latest information on methods of coaching, etc.’

Catch the full chat with Ernie Merrick on Soccerscene Unfiltered: from being two-footed by a 15-year old Kevin Muscat to his enthusiasm for the future of the Socceroos, his memories of Wellington and Newcastle, and plenty more…

Grassroots Investment is key to ensuring passion for Australian football remains – and grows

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Melbourne's Federation Square. Credit BBC Sport/GETTY IMAGES

Australian football is continuing to grow, with record attendances and TV viewership up year-on-year due to the increasing value and demand of games across the country.

What started as a small ember stoked by a cultural heritage brought from Europe, has borne a league invested in by foreign states and major global equity firms, and a country that consistently supports its national teams at major tournaments globally; the fire is truly alive. But, can it be sustained and given even more life?

Ann-Marie Balliana, secretary of Illawarra club Fairy Meadow United, spoke with Soccerscene.

‘The biggest challenge for football in this country is how to take advantage of huge grassroots numbers and translate this into support for other levels of the game,’ said Balliana, formerly a long-term CEO of Football South Coast.

‘Instead of capitalising on this huge asset of participation numbers, it appears football is unfortunately bound by limited investment and various layers of internal boundaries.

‘There are lots of opportunities for football to rise to the next level, and significant work required to get there.’

The World Cup proves football belongs in Australia:

The success of the Socceroos in reaching the last six consecutive men’s World Cups has greatly boosted the domestic interest in football, with the 2026 World Cup highlighting how far the team has come, and how many people are behind them to succeed.

The SBS and SBS On Demand coverage of the tournament reached over 18 million Australians (64% of the population) and over 209 million hours were consumed via these sites.

Meanwhile, over 10,000 dedicated fans paid up to AUD $25,000 to watch their country participate live in North America. 

I took in the tournament from Melbourne, and the energy among the city was undeniable. Bubbling with excitement were people conversing who usually wouldn’t, and there lay an air of calm between the 90 minutes of euphoric nation-wide highs. 

Federation Square was at full capacity (7,500) for many of the group games and the knockout match against Egypt- despite the 4.00am kick-off time.

Alongside that, AAMI Park held 6,000 more spectators in the early hours of the day for the knockout game. Despite the time zone killing any convenience, the fans diligently showed up.

The post-World Cup glow also took effect: Queensland selling out both recent friendlies against Brazil.

World Cup 2026 TV ratings

Match Overall reach Average audience viewership Key detail
Final: Spain vs France 5.26m (peak) 2.69m Most watched World Cup match in SBS history
Australia vs Paraguay 4.84m 3.09m Highest viewed fixture for Socceroos
Australia vs Turkey 4.78m 3.04m Top performing early fixture

The rise of the domestic game persists:

Domestically too, figures show Australian football is continuing to grow.

October’s 2026 Australia Cup final between South Melbourne and Melbourne Victory was not only a match that will be remembered by fans for its entertainment and underdog storyline, but for investors and governing bodies that can clearly see the growing market for football in this country.

AAMI Park had its record attendance broken as 29,911 spectators packed in to watch the game. Furthermore, the TV viewership of the Cup final had a 56% increase from the previous year. The demand for football is growing significantly.

A-League Stats and Records 2025/26 season:

  • 3 sold out finals games- 22% increase on attendance last season.
  • 27% increase in digital viewership on Paramount+ and 17% on 10 Streaming.
  • For the last four seasons, over 1.3 million fans have  attended games throughout the campaign
  • TV viewership exceeded 11 million views.
  • Social media reached over 7 million people (10% increase).
  • Newcastle Jets, Adelaide United and Perth Glory all broke their previous attendance records.

The Cup final saw a non A-League club win the trophy for the first time in competition history.

South Melbourne fans. Credit SMFC

‘It also showed that NPL clubs such as South Melbourne have a fantastic support base, and this shows the potential of football to really capitalise on the community support that does exist for clubs,’ said Balliana.

‘The costs of running an A-League club are clearly the biggest issue in growing our national competition, and without significant investment through broadcast, government and other revenue streams, there are limited opportunities to take advantage of huge grassroots numbers.’ 

England is widely regarded as having the best domestic competitions on the planet, largely due to its impact on communities right across the country. However, its most attractive quality is competitiveness, and this is best showcased in the FA Cup.

Teams across all divisions have the chance to play against each other, which occasionally sees semi-professional ‘non-league’ sides the opportunity to play against a giant, such as Manchester United or Liverpool. 

Often referred to as the ‘magic’ of the cup, there is a belief that any team can win on any given day – even if their odds of succeeding are the football equivalent of what David had in beating Goliath.

The magic is in the upsets, and that competitiveness is what ties the whole football pyramid together. For the game in Australia to grow, and to sustain itself,  matches must be competitive from the first minute to the last, from the A-Leagues to the grassroots pitches all across the country.

The importance of grassroots football:

To understand football- from financial investments, market growth, popularity or simply emotional attachment – you have to start at the bottom of the pyramid.

The base of football in every country is the grassroots game. It lays the foundation, and both the future of the A-League and the Soceroos & Matildas is entirely in the hands of the grassroots level. 

Globally, amateur matches are played everyday. Those clubs have a youth system, in which the talent pool is small, and so more established clubs recruit players from that pool. This process continues all the way to the world’s elite. Domestic talent comes from grassroots football, and without domestic talent, the game is nothing.

Once a fire is lit, it needs a constant fuel source to keep it alive. If the wood is wet or rotting, the fire will slowly dissipate into ash. To keep that from happening, the fuel needs to be re-supplied so it steadily grows. Neglecting grassroots football is the quickest way for the game to decline and it is why it is imperative that it is well-funded.

‘Grassroots football is where children start their journey in football.  It’s where players fall in love with the game and develop a passion for playing,’ said Balliana.

‘This not only applies to players, but also administrators, coaches and referees. Grassroots football creates opportunities for all roles across football providing pathways across all levels of the game.’

Recently, Football NSW pledged over AUD $200,000 to three amateur clubs. The funding will allow them to upgrade facilities, create more inclusive and accessible environments and improve the fans match day experience.

Additionally, since 2020 the Dickinson Foundation set up the Active Kids Grant and has provided over AUD $5.5 million worth of equipment and uniform to support over 1000 community clubs. In 2026, 40 football clubs were supported nationwide. 

Commitment to grassroots is necessary, nation-wide. With it, clubs can grow and give players the opportunity to improve and be noticed by more established teams. Investing in grassroots football is investing in the future.

Finance and infrastructure:

As the game has grown throughout the pyramid, so too has investment in it. Globally speaking, football is an industry that has boomed in the digital age, and grown beyond what was previously conceived as possible. Some investors were early; others are riding the wave hoping it never breaks, but inevitably it will.

Everything has to peak, yet that doesn’t mean all conclusions are negative Whatever the fate of the financial wave, neither a tsunami nor shallow brake will impact people’s true love of the game. The game may take many forms, but the fans will be there for generations to come.

In 2021, US private equity firm Silver Lake acquired a 33.3% minority stake in the A-League for AUD 140 million that valued the whole organisation at AUD 425 million.

The finances of the APL have been an issue in the years since, and what becomes of their relationship with Silver Lake remains to be seen. In positive news, Network 10 & Paramount+ recently renewed their broadcast deal worth AUD 100million for an additional two years, so interest is there. Domestically, football has plenty of space to grow.

‘There is always a direct relationship between World Cup success and increased participation given the exposure of football is heightened and more people want to play,’ Balliana continued.

‘However, this also comes with challenges as infrastructure is clearly not to the level it needs to be to support the size and growth of football across our region and the country.’

As audiences grow – particularly when it comes to our national teams – the fire will continue to need fuel, and that can only be sourced organically from the ground up.

Through the continued development of grassroots football, football can still grow to be the dominant sport in this country.

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