Hakeem al-Araibi takes up full-time role at Football Victoria

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Football Victoria (FV) and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) have announced that Hakeem Al-Araibi’s role as FV’s Community and Human Rights Advocate will now be a permanent full-time position.

Al-Araibi was released from a Thailand prison earlier this year, after being detained there for a period of more than 70 days. His story garnered attention in Australia and around the world, with former Socceroos captain Craig Foster leading the charge to bring al-Araibi home.

Read More: How Hakeem Al-Araibi’s triumphant return to Australia demonstrates the beauty of soccer

He was released from the prison in February after a worldwide campaign.

The 25-year-old returned to play for Pascoe Vale FC in March, whilst also representing FV at community football clubs, gala days and various other events in Victoria and around the country.

Al-Araibi received his Australian citizenship after his return to Australia this year.

“I am very proud and happy to be able to work in the Victorian and Australian football communities full-time to share my story. I want people to continue to play football because it’s a very important part of the community and our lives,” Mr al-Araibi said.

FV CEO Peter Filopoulos and PFA Chief Executive John Didulica claimed Hakeem’s work inspiring Victoria’s multicultural football communities was extremely successful and that it was important to put him in a full-time position in the FV setup.

“Hakeem’s story shows the true power and positive impact football can have both here and around the world. His strength and resilience make him truly an inspirational person and emerging young leader,” Mr Filopoulos said.

“We are very proud to continue to work with Football Victoria to ensure Hakeem’s ongoing employment. Hakeem’s campaign was a great demonstration of the power of the game united, so to be able to continue to work with Hakeem and our colleagues within the football family at FV is genuinely important and of great benefit to so many young players,” Mr Didulica concluded.

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Sydney Derby viewership revealed as Network 10 back football on primary channel

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Image Credits: A-League

Friday night’s opening fixture of the 2026/27 A-League Men’s season reached reached an audience of 434,000 people nationally across the free-to-air 10 Network. Less than a week on from the 207,000 that watched the Australia Cup final, it represents further reason to be cautiously optimistic about the season ahead.

Network 10 broadcast the Sydney Derby on it’s primary station, as opposed to last season’s airing on 10 Drama. The shift gives the opening match of the season a more prominent place on free-to-air television; whether the network continues to select choice matches to enjoy this status remains to be seen.

The figures show a positive trend in comparison to January’s meeting of the same sides, which attracted total broadcast audience of 114,000 and a national reach of 258,000 on Channel 10. Both matches faced fierce TV competition with January’s match rivalling the Australian Open on Nine and the 2026/2027 opener with the 2026 Men’s & Women’s Rugby League World Cup airing matches across the Seven Network on the same night.

The opening-round figure offers an early indication of the audience the competition can attract. Future rounds will show whether the A-League can maintain that reach across the season. The league will also look to convert that television exposure into sustained interest in its clubs and matches. Strong viewing figures can help strengthen the case for football in the Australian sporting market.

For now, the 434,000 national audience alongside strong attendance at the Australia Cup final provides a positive starting point for the 2026/27 campaign. The next challenge is to build on that audience as the season progresses.

Football Queensland remove fees for match officials in 2027

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Football Queensland has announced referee enrolment fees across the state will be removed in 2027, to help create an affordable and accessible pathway to officiating.

The decision marks another moment in FQ’s ten point plan to transform refereeing.

Whereas referees in Victoria can be charged between $100-$250 annually, FQ have opened the doors for all.

CEO Robert Cavallucci said in a statement via FQ, ‘Football Queensland is proud to confirm that all match officials will pay $0 in FQ enrolment fees to referee in 2027, in a major boost for Queenslanders as we make it even easier for participants in every corner of the state to become a referee.’

As football grows at an exponential rate in Australia, so too does its need for officials. 

This welcoming and direct route to refereeing will hopefully see football in Queensland benefit in numerous ways. More trained officials means more games can be played; with more games comes more talent, and further opportunity for it to develop.

Cavallucci continued: ‘By reducing barriers to officiating through the removal of match official enrolment fees for 2027, Football Queensland’s additional investment in referee ‘match day’ development and training will also see a significant expansion of the statewide match day coaching program, delivering benefits to match officials in every region.’

With increased investment comes recognition the development of referee welfare frameworks must continue to be improved. A central aspect to FQ’s strategy is the concept of rest and rotation; with more referees comes the ability to step out of the high-pressure environment on the pitch on occasion, ensuring burn out of stress can be regulated in what is ostensibly a challenging job.

Football Queenslands commitment to the game via officials should be celebrated and inspire other organisations to do the same. Investing in officials can only further advance football in Australia.

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