A-League Fixtures to be Played in Empty Stadiums

Image via nationalpremierleagues.com.au

The FFA have today confirmed that all A-League, W-League and NPL fixtures across Australia will be played, but in empty confines.

This decision follows the news that the government that anyone travelling into Australia must go through a 14-day self-exclusion period to avoid spreading the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Following their 3-0 loss at the weekend, the struggling Melbourne Victory will not be playing in the next two matches of the A-League season. As they are returning from Wellington, New Zealand, they must enter the self-exclusion program.

As will the Phoenix, who have been instructed to play all remaining A-League fixtures in Australia.

The W-League Grand Final, set to be played between Sydney FC and Melbourne City, will be played behind closed doors with no fans admitted and only players, coaches and registered officials and ground staff allowed entry on the day.

A date has not yet been made official for the Grand Final, leaving open the possibility for postponement of the game should the current situation worsen.

All NPL and state league FFA Cup fixtures have been given the green light to go ahead, but with strict safety measures implemented by the FFA in order to reduce the chances of people contracting COVID-19.

This will perhaps have the biggest impact on the game, particularly at the community level.

Soccer at the community level is dependent on its fans and a reliable source of income on game days through ticket sales, food, drink and other means.

Some may feel the more sensible decision for NPL and state league FFA Cup fixtures would be to temporarily postpone, but that’s an argument for another time.

FFA CEO James Johnson had this to say in a press conference earlier today.

“The scale of football means that we have a key role to play in maintaining the health and well-being of Australians, as well as their families and the wider community. We are doing so by allowing people to play, in line with the current Government position but with additional guidance to further improve social distancing at football fields around the country.”

“We have been working closely with our stakeholders, Government health officials and our own chief medical officer to develop our policies for the whole of the game following the COVID-19 outbreak. The situation is subject to constant change, and further measures may be necessary in the future.”

“The health and safety of all members of the football community, including players, coaches, referees, volunteers, administrators and fans continues to be of paramount importance. We will continue to work with the Government and seek advice as the situation changes.”

The half an hour long press conference can be found at the Twitter link above.

The ever-evolving virus has resulted in many decisions such as this eventually overturned in favour of complete postponement. It happened in the Serie A and La Liga in the past few weeks.

Games were allowed to go ahead in empty stadiums, but eventually the remaining fixtures were postponed until further notice.

More recently, the Premier League reluctantly followed suit after news surfaced that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for COVID-19.

Juventus defender Daniele Rugani and Valencia centre-half Ezequiel Garay are two other recent cases of players who have tested positive following the postponement of their respective domestic competitions.

Do you feel the A-League will eventually bite the bullet too? Or are they doing the right thing by trying to get matches played?

Let us know on Twitter @Soccersceneau and get involved in the discussion. Furthermore, don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more news just like this.

But above all else, stay safe during these tough times.

 

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South Canberra FC Breaks the Mold: Equity-Driven Model Earns ‘Club Changer’ Honour

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Image Credit: SCFC

South Canberra Football Club has been named Club Changer of the Month for April, in a recognition that reflects a broader shift across Australian football toward rewarding clubs that are actively dismantling the structural barriers limiting women’s access to the game.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has just delivered record crowds and unprecedented visibility for women’s football in Australia, and the Club Changer program is now asking what comes next. Its decision to name South Canberra Football Club as Club Changer of the Month for April signals a clear shift in how the program defines contribution: away from participation numbers alone, and toward the equity frameworks that determine whether women stay in the game once they arrive.

South Canberra FC built that framework from the ground up. Established in 2021, the club set out to give women and female-identifying players a safe, inclusive environment to play football at any level. It runs entirely on volunteers, operates as a not-for-profit, and is governed by an all-female committee with 13 of its 14 coaches identifying as female.

 

Building the infrastructure of inclusion

In 2026, the club secured grant funding and put it to work immediately. Two coaches are completing their C Licence qualification, and ten coaches, players and community members have undertaken the Foundations of Football course, which directly tackles the cost and accessibility barriers that exclude women out of coaching pathways.

The club also commissioned a female-specific strength and conditioning program with sports physiotherapists ahead of the 2026 season, targeting injury prevention and explicitly supporting players returning after childbirth.

SCFC’s leadership team draws from LGBTIQ+ individuals, First Nations people and veterans, strengthening the club’s connection to the communities it was built to represent.

The Club Changer program is backing clubs that do this work- clubs that treat equity as infrastructure rather than aspiration. At a moment when Australian football is under pressure to turn its biggest-ever surge of women’s interest into something lasting, SCFC’s model offers a clear answer to the question of how.

Football NSW announces 2026 First Nations Scholarships as pathway access program enters new phase

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced the recipients of its 2026 First Nations Scholarships, with ten emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players from metropolitan and regional NSW receiving support designed to reduce the financial and structural barriers that have historically limited First Nations participation across the football pathway.

The scholarship program, developed and assessed in collaboration with the Football NSW Indigenous Advisory Group, targets players across both elite and development environments – recognising that talent identification alone is insufficient without the resources to support progression once players are identified.

Co-Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group Bianca Dufty said the calibre of this year’s recipients reflected the depth of First Nations football talent across the state, and the importance of structured support in converting that talent into long-term participation.

“Their dedication to football and the desire to be role models for younger Aboriginal footballers in their communities is to be celebrated,” Dufty said. “I’m confident we will see some of these talented footballers in the A-League and national teams in the future.”

 

Beyond the pitch and into the pipeline

The 2026 cohort spans both metropolitan clubs and regional associations, an intentional distribution that acknowledges the particular barriers facing First Nations players outside major population centres, where access to development programs, qualified coaching and pathway competitions is more limited and the cost of participation more prohibitive.

The next phase of the program will introduce First Nations coaching scholarships, extending the initiative’s reach beyond playing pathways and into the coaching and administration pipeline – areas where Indigenous representation remains among the lowest in the game.

The structural logic is clear. Scholarships that reduce financial barriers at the entry point of elite pathways matter most when they are part of a sustained ecosystem of support rather than isolated gestures. Football NSW’s collaboration with the Indigenous Advisory Group provides that continuity, ensuring the program is shaped by the communities it is designed to serve.

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