A-League Set to Return on July 16

After months of inactivity, the A-League will officially be returning to action next month.

July 16 is the current date that has been planned out by the FFA. Melbourne Victory and Western United look set to kick things off again on that day.

Former Victory star striker Besart Berisha will face his old side once again after getting the better of them earlier in the season.

FFA’s Head of Leagues, Greg O’Rourke had this to say regarding the season restart.

“We have developed multiple draw options for the completion of the regular season”.

“All options commence with Victory taking on Western United at AAMI Park followed by a game between the table topping Sydney FC against third-placed Wellington Phoenix at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium the following day.

“The reason for having multiple draw options — which our clubs are across — is due to the fact that over the next few weeks there may be additional relaxations in border restrictions and travel movements in Australia, which may enable our clubs from Victoria, Queensland and South Australia to remain and play in their home cities, rather than relocating to New South Wales to complete the season.

“We are confident that we will be able to release the revised draw for the completion of the Hyundai A-League 2019/20 season soon.”

So although the season will definitely be getting back underway, there are still lots of variables at play.

As we already know, due to overseas travel restrictions, the Wellington Phoenix have been forced to play all games on Australian soil. Now, with New Zealand’s COVID-19 count basically at zero (which is great), it’s even more unlikely that the New Zealand government will allow any changes to that.

Furthermore, the Australian government would be silly to even propose the question.

Although the Phoenix have no choice but to stay in their ‘hub’, the FFA appears to be very strong-minded on avoiding the use of hubs across the country.

In the AFL, several clubs from Western Australia and South Australia are now being forced to temporarily relocate to Queensland. This is to avoid any potential exposure to COVID-19.

In the NRL, one player was found to have potentially been in contact with a primary school kid who had the virus, leading to suggestions that his side’s fixtures would need to be postponed again.

The impact that even one A-League player with the virus would have could be catastrophic for the FFA and their plans to restart the season.

Players are now allowed to start training as per usual, starting today Wednesday the 17th of June.

With other competitions around the country starting up again, now is an ideal time for the FFA to get the ball rolling. It will also be a good test of how well the A-League performs compared to its winter counterparts.

The A-League, as we all know is played during our summer and hopefully, with renewed interest, it can showcase itself well against the likes of the AFL or the NRL.

Nevertheless, we think it’s safe to say that we’re just glad to have live sports back as we start to creep back into normality.

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IMG takes commercial lead on inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup

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Image Credit: Vietnam Football Federation

IMG has been appointed to lead the global commercialisation of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, giving the new Southeast Asian national-team competition an established international sports business partner ahead of its first edition.

Under the strategic partnership, IMG will manage worldwide media and sponsorship rights sales while also overseeing broadcast production for the tournament, which takes place from 24 September to 5 October across Indonesia and Hong Kong, China.

The inaugural competition will feature 14 national teams, including all 11 ASEAN members alongside guest nations, with matches split between two divisions. Division 2 fixtures will be played in Jakarta and Badung, while Division 2 matches will be played in Hong Kong.

The agency’s role will include selling sponsorship and media inventory internationally while helping establish the broadcast infrastructure required to present the tournament to audiences outside Southeast Asia.

The partnership builds on IMG’s existing strategic relationship with PT Garuda Sepak Bola Indonesia, which has been working with the Football Association of Indonesia since 2025 on areas including commercial strategy, media rights, production and digital development.

For FIFA, the tournament creates another international football property in a region with a large and increasingly connected football audience.

For IMG, it adds another major regional property to a football portfolio that already includes competitions and organisations across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

The immediate challenge will be turning the inaugural tournament into a sustainable commercial property capable of attracting broadcasters and sponsors beyond its first edition.

If successful, the FIFA ASEAN Cup could provide Southeast Asian national teams with a recurring commercial platform while giving IMG another foothold in one of football’s developing markets.

GIS Sydney continues to connect students with Australia’s sports industry

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Image Credits: Global Institute of Sport

Following the launch of its Sydney campus in 2025, the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is continuing to establish itself in the nation’s sports industry. A leading provider of degrees and executive education in sport, GIS provides students the chance to study at two of Australia’s biggest sporting venues: Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Programs such as Sports Analytics and International Sports Business are delivered in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, and feature the chance for students to gain exclusive access to the sports industry.

More than 50 guest speakers have shared their experience with students studying at GIS Sydney, representing organisations like FIFA, Red Bull, Cricket Australia, and the AFL. While learning about the regional and national sports industry in the classroom, students have also had the chance to gain an international perspective through GIS’ signature Global Sports Summits, which have given Sydney students access to iconic sporting venues around the world from London to Miami.

Outside of the iconic venues students can call their classrooms, the organisation prioritises the real, industry placements needed to put theory into practice by providing each student with 140 hours of relevant work experience throughout their studies. Included in this are several sporting organisations who are keen to welcome GIS students on board, including the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA), Football Coaches Australia, and Basketball NSW.

GIS also has a partnership with popular network and app Yakka Sport to connect students with paid employment opportunities while they study.

Behind these advancements at the GIS Sydney campus is an Industry Advisory Board which features a host of experienced figures from the world of sport. Included in the Asia-Pacific branch is Chair James Rosengarten, GM of the Melbourne Renegades; Kevin Jang, Managing Director of CAA Stellar Korea; and Brad Lloyd, GM of the Carlton Football Club.

Since launching, GIS’ Sydney campus has ultimately combined its locations and industry connections to provide the next generation of sports professionals with the knowledge, network, and confidence to tackle the rapidly evolving sports industry.

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