Futsal receives major boost in NSW through new partnership

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Image credit: Football NSW

Carbiz will become the new Naming Rights Partner of Football NSW‘s premier futsal competitions in a deal set to run for two years.

 

Committed to growth

From its beginnings as a second-hand car dealership in 2016, Carbiz has seen incredible growth over the past decade. It now operates as Australia’s leading replacement car provider with over 12 branches, 200 staff and 500 partnerships.

No strangers to progress, hard work and community support, the Carbiz family is now aligning itself with one of Australia’s fastest-growing sports. Through this partnership, Carbiz will support the continued rise of futsal across New South Wales and the broader Australian football landscape.

“This is a fantastic partnership for Football NSW and for futsal in our state,” said Football NSW CEO, John Tsatsimas, via press release.

“Carbiz is a brand built on service, resilience and community values, which strongly aligns with our own vision for football and fustal in New South Wales.”

In 2022, futsal participants across Australia reached 58,453 – an 8% increase on the previous year. In 2025, however, this number rose to 63,425. Numbers in NSW also saw growth in this period, increasing from 4,682 to 5,230.

So with the highly-regarded and community-driven Carbiz backing the game’s development in NSW, futsal will launch into an exciting future.

 

Community connection

Competition and the desire to win are key aspects of any game – especially football.

But at the heart of the grassroots game is a fundamental wish to unite the local community. Thus, finding partners who understand this commitment – and are eager to match it – is so essential.

Furthermore, Carbiz CEO, Alex Rodov, outlined why the company aligns so well with Football NSW’s futsal future.

“At Carbiz, we’ve always believed that strong communities are built through connection, opportunity and teamwork.”

“Sport plays a vital role in bringing people together, and futsal is one of the fastest growing and most exciting forms of the game.”

“As a proudly Australian owned business, we’re excited to support a competition that creates opportunities for young athletes, strengthens local communities and inspires the next generation.”

The agreements will see the newly-named Carbiz Futsal Premier League and Carbiz Futsal Premier League 2 become key environments which support talent development, local participation and engagement with futsal as a whole.

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Why the A-League’s collective bargaining negotiations matter

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The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) remain at odds over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), with players recently rejecting the league’s latest proposal ahead of the new A-League season.

The APL has made financial sustainability its priority in CBA negotiations. After several challenging years, the league is looking to keep club costs under control while still offering a slight increase to salary caps and minimum wages. It’s a cautious approach designed to give clubs greater financial certainty.

The PFA believes caution alone won’t grow the game.

The PFA has rejected the proposal, arguing it does not go far enough to support the long-term growth of the game. The players’ union says greater investment is needed if the A-Leagues are to remain competitive, retain talent and increase their commercial value.

These negotiations are taking place at an important time for Australian football.

Australian football has become increasingly successful at producing players for Europe and Asia, but that success comes with a trade-off. Clubs often lose their best talent, with the A-Leagues providing an ideal platform for players to showcase their ability. However, rather than being the final destination, it has increasingly become a stepping stone to bigger opportunities abroad.

While this pathway has produced a large share of the next generation of Socceroos and Matildas, it has also left A-League clubs in a constant cycle of rebuilding, with success on the pitch often followed by the departure of their brightest stars. As a result, player recruitment and retention have become central issues in discussions about the long-term growth of the domestic game.

The issue of player retention was also highlighted this week by Matildas captain Sam Kerr.

Kerr said many Australian players would consider returning to the A-League Women if the league offered stronger professional conditions and salaries. While her comments weren’t directly about the CBA, they highlighted the same issue confronting the men’s and women’s competitions alike.

With negotiations stalling, the outcome of the CBA is likely to shape not only player conditions, but also the financial framework and competitive direction of the A-Leagues for years to come.

Football West runs Indigenous pilot program during NAIDOC Week’s 50th anniversary

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Image Credit: Football West

Football West ran a pilot program for Indigenous children at the Sam Kerr Football Centre during NAIDOC Week’s 50th anniversary. Former Socceroo David Williams delivered the session.

This year’s national NAIDOC theme, “50 Years of Deadly,” marks five decades since the movement began. It honours the Elders, artists and communities who built it.

“Having these young indigenous kids here at the Sam Kerr Football Centre was great to see,” Williams said. “The feeling they got running around the same pitch the Socceroos and Matildas have trained on was special for them and me.”

A player turned administrator

Williams retired from professional football in November 2025 after a career-ending ACL injury. As a teenager he trained with Club Brugge and Liverpool, and coach Miron Bleiberg once described him as the “best Australian prospect since Harry Kewell.”

He went on to become the first Indigenous player to represent Melbourne City, scored in the UEFA Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt, and won the Indian Super League with ATK.

Since retiring, Williams has moved into administration at Football West. He also sits on the Indigenous Football Australia Council, which oversees the grassroots initiative John Moriarty Football.

A name with its own history

Football Australia named Williams head coach of the Charles Perkins XI last year, the governing body’s national Indigenous youth team. Football Australia renamed the side in 2025 in honour of Dr Charles Perkins AO, following endorsement from the Perkins family and the National Indigenous Advisory Group.

Perkins, an Arrernte and Kalkadoon man, played for Adelaide Croatia and Pan Hellenic in the 1950s. He went on to become the first Aboriginal Australian to graduate from university and a leader of the 1965 Freedom Rides.

Football Australia has described the renamed team as reflecting a commitment to embedding cultural identity and leadership within its high-performance pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.

What happens next

“After living out my dream as a professional player, to now being able to offer experiences like this and hopefully inspire the next generation of young Indigenous footballers is very rewarding,” Williams said. “There is also a lot of talent that we can tap into.”

He said running the session during NAIDOC Week let Football West mark two things at once. “Creating a fun session for these kids during NAIDOC Week meant we could celebrate culture and sport in one go,” he said.

Williams wants the session to become a regular fixture rather than a single event. “Going forward, I would love to put on more of these programs throughout the year and get more indigenous youngsters playing football,” he said.

Football West has not yet confirmed funding or a schedule for further sessions.

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