Works underway for South Australia’s new home of football

Liam Watson

Construction of a new world-class State Centre at Gepps Cross has officially commenced, to provide opportunities for grassroots through to elite participation.

The $24 million project represents an exciting new chapter for South Australian football. Football SA President Sam Ciccarello and Football SA CEO Michael Carter were joined by the Hon. Corey Wingard MP at the sites location.

As the new facility will cater for all levels of the sport, it will offer a game-changer for anyone looking to get involved.

“The State Centre of Football will play a key role in this bid as a world-class training facility and going forward it will also have the capacity to facilitate FFA Cup matches and other national and international training and events,” Minister Sport Recreation and Racing Corey Wingard said.

“I’m excited about the huge potential this project has to engage more people of all ages to play football which is part of our Game On strategy to get South Australians moving.

“The State Centre will form part of the State Sports Park which will become an integrated, multi-use community and elite sports hub that is greener, more accessible and more welcoming.”

The facility will be located in the north-east corner of the State Sports Park, adjacent to Briens Road. Its feature include the following:

  • One natural turf show pitch with 1,000 seat grandstand and 5,000 spectator capacity
  • Two full-size synthetic pitches
  • Six change rooms, referee change facilities and gymnasium
  • Ten 5-a-side pitches
  • Football South Australia Administration Headquarters
  • Football Museum
  • Kiosk, café and bar facilities

“This is a hallmark event for football in South Australia,” Football SA President Sam Ciccarello said.

“From its conceptualisation, to designing a venue for social, grassroots and tournament football, as well as providing for an impressive, modern administration building, the State Centre for Football will be an important realisation of Football SA establishing a home of football, while also enabling quality facilities that will be of benefit to our community.

“The Centre could only happen with significant investment from the state government and we express our gratitude and appreciation to the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing, the Hon Corey Wingard, and Premier Steven Marshall for their support.”

The project is managed and coordinated by Built Environs, where it’s expected that the works are completed in 52 weeks.

“This is a really exciting day for the game in the state. Infrastructure has been a key strategic driver for the organisation over the past 7 years,” Football SA CEO Michael Carter said.

“The State Centre for Football will be a great facility that will connect grassroots to the elite and importantly provide a home for social participants via the state’s first 5 A-Side venue. I look forward to seeing the development progress.”

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Football Australia Expands Mental Skills Program for Match Officials Amid Sustained Focus on Referee Retention

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football Australia has confirmed a second national webinar for match officials, led by sports psychologist Dr Liam Slack, extending a referee development series introduced after strong engagement with an initial session on managing match-day pressure.

The upcoming session, themed “parking with purpose,” will focus on decision-making strategies designed to help referees process on-field calls and reset attention quickly across a match that can present hundreds of individual decisions. Dr Slack, who also consults with The Football Association and the AFC Referee Academy and previously spent over a decade as a performance psychologist with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited in England, brings substantial elite-level experience to a program open to officials at every level, from grassroots to professional.

The theme builds on work Dr Slack has already delivered within Australian officiating. He recently led a session with Football Australia’s National Referee Academy on the same concept, framing the ability to consciously park a decision and refocus on the next phase of play as a trainable skill rather than an innate trait, one that separates officials who reset quickly under pressure from those who don’t. He has also addressed more than 100 Football Australia elite match officials and staff on developing a stronger match-day mentality, an indication of how embedded this psychological framework has become across the officiating pathway rather than remaining a one-off intervention.

The expansion of the webinar series reflects a broader shift in how football administrators are approaching referee attrition. Rather than treating retention purely as a recruitment or pay problem, the program signals an institutional acknowledgment that the psychological demands of officiating, particularly the compounding pressure of split-second decisions under public scrutiny, are a material factor in whether officials remain in the game.

It rests alongside other measures adopted across Australian football in recent years, including visible identification programs for junior referees and structural reviews of referee departments at state federation level, all aimed at the same underlying issue: a shrinking pool of match officials relative to demand.

Football Australia has not detailed metrics for assessing the program’s impact on referee numbers, though the recurring engagement of an internationally credentialed specialist across multiple tiers of the officiating pathway suggests sustained institutional investment in the approach.

Football Victoria elevates fan enjoyment with Streets partnership

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Image credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com

Football Victoria (FV) revealed last week a new partnership with ice cream giants, Streets. The brand will become an exclusive ice cream partner for the next three years.

 

An iconic brand for joyful experiences

As a well-known and popular ice cream brand with people all around the nation, Streets will now look to support the fan experience in Victoria through its products.

It reflects FV’s commitment to delivering a family-friendly and memorable experience for spectators. Both on and off the pitch, the organisation is striving to elevate the experience for fans and families alike.

“Football Victoria is always looking for ways to elevate the experience at The Home of The Matildas, and this partnership does exactly that,” explained FV Executive Manager of Commercial and Facilities, Chris Speldewinde.

“It’s a fantastic fit for our community and we’re looking forward to what the next three years will bring.”

Furthermore, Senior Brand Manager at Streets, Ryan Katz, emphasised the brand’s role in community sport and in creating memories beyond the action on the pitch.

“Streets is proud to join Football Victoria as its exclusive ice cream partner,” Katz said.

“There’s nothing better than enjoying a great game with a classic ice cream in-hand, and we’re excited to be part of those moments across the state.”

 

Understanding community football

Community football is all about these moments. Sunny days, the family together, and a sweet treat in-hand while supporting a local team alongside friends and neighbours.

This is why a partnership between FV and Streets is particularly important.

Not for its commercial value, but for what it tells us about both parties’ understanding of what matters to fans. From young fans to experienced matchday-goers, everyone wants to find enjoyment while watching the game.

And while the 90 minutes of action is the focus, the experience of a local matchday is truly defined by interactions with fellow supporters and smaller – but no less significant – moments of happiness during the day.

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