Football Victoria secures exclusive referee apparel deal before 2024 season

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Football Victoria and Macron
Image via Football Victoria

Football Victoria’s (FV) referees will wear Macron branded apparel for the 2024 season and beyond, after a partnership between FV and the Italian sportswear company was agreed.

Macron are a globally recognised football brand that currently supplies kits for UEFA and several high-profile football federations globally. It maintains a strong reputation for producing top-quality sports apparel that is both environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.

The sportswear company will provide FV’s referees with three high-quality match kits, as well as an entire range of sports apparel – including warm-up jackets, pants, compression tops and shorts, plus accessories.

FV acting CEO Karen Pearce believes the new deal is an extremely valuable one to its referees.

“Referees are a vital part of the football community and we’re committed to them on and off the pitch. We’re thrilled to partner with an international brand who has such a strong footprint on football from the community to the professional level,” she stated via media release.

Key to the deal, though, was Macron’s provision of ‘women’s cut’ apparel, which will provide female referees with a more comfortable refereeing experience. This has been recognised by acting CEO Pearce as a hugely symbolic moment.

“Macron produces quality apparel, but also aligns strongly with Football Victoria’s values, including a commitment to a more equitable football landscape,” she added.

“Gender equity is at the forefront of everything we do. Our women, girls and gender diverse referees will now have the option of wearing uniforms that are designed specifically for them.”

Macron CEO Gianluca Pavanello also spoke glowingly of the new partnership.

“Our logo, the Macron Hero, already features on UEFA match officials’ jerseys and on those of many other Federations all over the world. Now, it will also appear on the kits of one of the most prestigious Australian Football Federations,” he stated.

“Elegance, style and attention to detail are the characteristics of the garments that we are proud to make available to Football Victoria’s men’s and women’s refereeing sector.”

The deal between FV and Macron provides a huge boost for referees, who as an integral part of the game, require access to the highest quality apparel to ensure they can officiate efficiently and effectively.

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“We Found a Better Way” – Cavallucci Reveals How Football Queensland Cut Costs for Players

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Image credit: Football Queensland

On Episode 16 of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch Podcast, it was a special episode with FQ CEO Rob Cavallucci to discuss the issues surrounding Australian and Queensland football ahead of a big 2026 year.

Many topics around the issues in Queensland football were discussed including Futsal’s incredible growth, update on Perry Park’s upgrade plan and driving player retention in certain youth age groups.

However one important topic that was discussed in detail was the fact that Football Queensland have the most affordable player registration fees in the country, and Cavallucci explained how they balanced the revenue lost from this big decision whilst also ensuring the sport is accessible for all.

“We made a decision 5-6 years ago, when I became CEO, and we looked at the game and how it was structured. The main issue we found was the lack of support from the commercial sector and the government sector,” Cavallucci expressed on the podcast.

“This meant there was always going to be significant cost pressure on the game. So we had to find a way to get us on a different path.”

FQ are no longer heavily reliant on the revenue made from registrations and have found solutions to ensure they maximise revenue in other areas of the sport to allow the fees to drop.

“We transformed the governance and competition structures. For competition we had the conference-based leagues, the pyramids, the junior FQ Academy system… all of those things allowed us to transition away from a reliance on registration fees,” he said.

“Registration fees used to represent 50% of our revenue and now it’s down in the 20’s.”

The key was in FQ’s ability to appeal to the government and private sector for more money, and the approach to this has been transformed by Cavallucci since he arrived as CEO in late 2019.

“Importantly we repositioned ourselves to appeal more to the corporate and to the government sector,” he said.

“Our corporate revenue is more than 20 times higher than it was five years ago. Our government revenue used to rake in $2 million a year, now it’s up to $30 million a year.

“The difference there has allowed us to maintain really affordable registration fees for everyone.”

Click here for the full interview with Rob Cavallucci, on Episode 16 of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch Podcast – available on all major podcasting platforms.

Kingborough Lions Elevate Training with SPR Conditioning

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Image Credit: Kingborough Lions United FC

Kingborough Lions United FC has announced that SPR Conditioning will be added to the club’s NPL Men’s High-Performance Program for the upcoming season.

The Tasmanian NPL club have a huge focus on their junior program and the pathways towards senior football, with high-performance playing a huge factor in succeeding at the NPL Men’s level.

Sam Rossetto, Director of SPR Conditioning, will work closely with Kingborough’s coaching team to enhance their pre-season structure and elevate player performance across all areas of strength, conditioning, and recovery.

Sam will work alongside Kingborough’s Strength & Conditioning Coach, Nick Atwell, who will aim to continue building on the foundations of the high-performance program.

The program, led by Kingborough Head Coach Jon Fenech, focuses on developing players through assigned training methods for the club’s NPL team.

SPR Conditioning’s mission is to empower individuals of all ages in Tasmania to reach their full potential through expertly crafted strength and conditioning programs.

Additionally, SPR provides training facilities and employs a team consisting of tertiary-level exercise scientists, physiotherapists, and exercise physiologists.

SPR’s motto, ‘train with the best be the best’, aspires to cultivate a community where every individual can achieve their fitness goals, surpass their limits, and emerge as the best version of themselves.

Conclusion

The addition of SPR Conditioning to Kingborough Lions United’s high-performance setup highlights the growing emphasis on sports science within the NPL.

As physical preparation becomes increasingly important in modern football, partnerships like this demonstrate how clubs are investing in evidence-based training to support player welfare and performance.

By integrating structured strength and conditioning programs, Kingborough aims to enhance player longevity, reduce injury risks, and align its training standards with those seen in professional environments.

It marks a progressive step for Tasmanian football and reflects the club’s commitment to continuous improvement.

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