Dixon announced as Queensland Community Female Administrator of the Year

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Football Queensland

Albany Creek Excelsior club secretary Sarah Dixon has been named Queensland Community Female Administrator of the Year.

Dixon was awarded the honour as part of Football Federation Australia’s (FFA) Female Football Awards.

Dixon became club secretary at the start of 2018, after beginning her involvement with the club as a volunteer team manager for her son’s side.

“I love being part of my club because it’s our own little community, everyone genuinely cares about each other and wants the best for each other,” Dixon said.

“I’ve made so many friends and am so grateful for the connections I’ve been lucky enough to make, not only through my club but by building rapport with other clubs also.”

Dixon was named Volunteer of the Year at the 2019 Football in Queensland Awards Night.

She said there has been plenty of highlights during her time at the club.

“Favourite moments for me are seeing people smiling or having fun playing sport and just meeting wonderful people with awesome stories and backgrounds. To know that we as a committee have helped to facilitate that, is such a strong sense of achievement,” Dixon said.

“I love seeing people being developed into amazing players, brilliant coaches or mentors and being part of something bigger than myself.

“Seeing genuine happiness and the positive aspects of the game. It’s incredible to see what people can achieve when they’re encouraged to be the best they can be.”

In addition to her role as club secretary, Dixon continues to play herself, as well as cheer on her son.

“Football has become such a huge aspect of my life. Whether it’s helping to run the club, to watch my son develop and continue to love the game or for me to run around and forget everything else exists for that period of time that I’m running around on the park,” Dixon said.

“I play with an amazing group of women who have been there for me both on and off the pitch. And to me, that’s what it’s all about.

“A group of people, men, women, children from all walks of life; all coming together over a common love and connection. If you stop to think about that, it’s actually pretty amazing!”

 

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Football Australia backs AFC calls for FIFA governance reform

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Image Credit: Football Australia

Football Australia has backed calls from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for stronger governance, transparency and accountability at FIFA.

Pressure continues to grow on world football’s governing body following the collapse of its controversial commercial proposal.

Football Australia said it supports the AFC’s position that the events of recent weeks should be met with “clear and credible action” to strengthen FIFA’s governance systems.

The Australian governing body said its priority was a “transparent and appropriately independent process” to establish what happened, why it happened and where governance, communication and decision-making processes fell short.

The statement follows a joint call from the AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF for greater accountability within FIFA after President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to create a commercial entity involving the sale of stakes in World Cup-related assets was abandoned.

The episode has since triggered a wider governance dispute in football, amid mounting calls for structural changes within FIFA.

FIFPRO Europe president David Terrier argued that the organisation needs sweeping governance reform rather than simply a change of leadership.

Football Australia stopped short of explicitly calling for Infantino’s resignation, instead aligning itself with the AFC’s broader call for institutional reform.

“Football Australia will continue to engage actively and constructively with and through our Confederation, the AFC, and alongside our fellow Member Associations as this process progresses,” the governing body said.

The position gives the AFC further backing from one of its major member associations.

FIFA faces an increasingly public and volatile debate over how power, commercial decision-making and accountability should operate within the global game.

Infantino remains in office and is seeking re-election, with the next FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

GIOCA and Avondale FC partner to honour club’s Italian heritage

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Image credit: Avondale FC

In an announcement made via social media this week, GIOCA revealed Avondale FC as its latest club partner.

 

Shared heritage, common goals

Both GIOCA and Avondale share Italian identity and heritage, with the NPL Victoria side embracing its Italian roots since its beginnings in 1984.

Founded by Italian immigrants, Avondale FC (then known as “Keilor I.C.K.A.”) became a cornerstone of the Avondale community following a relocation in 1999.

And now, over 40 years since its founding, Avondale will honour its past with a partnership built for the future.

Teaming up with GIOCA – a brand established by footballers, for footballers – kicks off an alliance which combines a respect for history while bringing clubs and kits into the modern game.

“We’re excited to partner with Avondale FC to design, develop and deliver their Teamwear as they prepare for the upcoming Australian Championship and the 2027 NPL Victoria season,” GIOCA said via social media.

“A powerhouse club with a proud Italian heritage, this partnership hits close to home.”

“It was only fitting that we launched it surrounded by people, culture and traditions that connects us to our heritage.”

 

Announcing a special type of Teamwear

The shirts which represent the clubs we love all hold a deep history. They connect us to a team’s beginnings and the values which brought them to where they are today.

Therefore, establishing a kit designed and developed by both GIOCA and Avondale demands respect for the shared Italian culture underpinning both organisations.

In a unique photoshoot to promote the new kit release, players from both the men’s and women’s team were captured not in the glitz and glamour of the pitch, but in the ordinary settings which mean the most to the community.

Photos showed players in a garden enjoying a game of ‘scopa’, as well as in a bar alongside coffees and special editions of La Gazzetta dello Sport.

It is partnerships such as this which truly capture the attention of fans and players alike. The creative announcement reflects an important part of the club’s culture, and demonstrates that history and the future are not so distant after all.

Click here to see the official announcement on GIOCA’s social media.

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