A-League rivals unite to build sports industry career pathway

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A-League rivals Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory have joined forces off the pitch to provide a new education opportunity for students to further support their communities.

After the successful launch of the Melbourne Victory Sport & Business Program in Victoria this year, Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC have launched a new dual Diploma program for students in New South Wales in 2022.

The Sport & Business Programs are a one-year dual diploma powered by SEDA Group (SEDA), the leaders in applied learning in the sports industry. Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in everything from football specific high-performance activities, such as coaching and sports science, to other areas around the business, including sponsorship, fundraising, event management, media and marketing.

Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the sports industry, the first year of the Melbourne Victory Sport and Business Program has given inaugural students the opportunity to thrive.

Student Joel Martin had the opportunity to work with the Melbourne Victory coaching and membership teams working on a blended approach to his work placement.

“There were a lot of positives for me to come out of the program placement. In planning for large scale projects, I have learnt from not just from Melbourne Victory but also other experts in the sports industry,” Martin said.

Students will benefit from invaluable practical help on their career path, within the sports and recreation industry. Innovative new courses are designed to offer on-the-job training within professional football.

Football leads the way as the only Australian sport to have three A-League clubs offering this type of course for the benefit the sports community.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director Caroline Carnegie:

“Our partnership with SEDA has been essential to our education pillar. This has been an exciting way for Victory to identify and develop the next generation of talented off-field administrators and support staff just like Joel.”

Sydney FC Chief Executive Officer Danny Townsend:

“Sydney FC are committed to making an impact on the educational journey of students who want a career in sport. We aim to expose students to a range of learning opportunities which will help them in designing their own careers and make positive contributions to their community.”

Western Sydney Wanderers Chief Executive Officer John Tsatsimas:

“Students will not only have the opportunity to work directly on exciting projects such as our Community Development Programs but also connect in with some of our leading industry experts from the club across sports science and marketing.”

Applications are open to all eligible Year 12 graduate students for the new diploma program, beginning in February 2022.

Prospective students can head to seda.edu.au for more information.

Students and parents will have the opportunity to attend information sessions being held prior to upcoming A-League Men’s fixtures.

Sydney FC Sport and Business Program Information Session – Pre-game Saturday November 27 vs Macarthur at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium (5:30pm – 6:30pm)

Western Sydney Wanderers Sport and Business Program Information Session – Pre-game  Sunday November 28 vs Newcastle Jets at CommBank Stadium (4:30pm – 5:30pm)

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Melbourne Victory and BYD drive innovation through new major partnership

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Image Credits: Shutterstock

Melbourne Victory has officially welcomed BYD as a Major Partner and the Club’s exclusive Motor Vehicle Supplier for the next 12 months. At a partner launch bringing together the two organisations, the focus is on building around innovation, growth and a drive for success. The partnership will place BYD at the centre of Melbourne Victory’s fan experience. The brand will feature on the front of both the A-League men’s and women’s home and away jerseys. This gives BYD a strong presence across matchdays, broadcasts and digital content throughout the season.

The partnership extends well beyond the playing kit. BYD will be integrated across Melbourne Victory’s media, Academy and community assets. The two organisations will also collaborate through Member and pathways programs. This creates opportunities for BYD to connect with Victory supporters across multiple touchpoints.

For BYD, the partnership provides a direct connection with Melbourne Victory’s growing supporter and member base. The automotive brand has built a rapidly expanding presence in Australia and New Zealand. Its partnership with Victory provides another platform to build awareness and engage with Australian consumers. BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins said the alignment between the two organisations was a key factor behind the deal.

“At BYD we’re enormously excited to welcome the Melbourne Victory into the BYD family as an exclusive automotive partner,” Collins said.

“What really appeals to us was the culture of innovation and the hunger for success.”

That alignment is reflected in the way the partnership will operate. BYD will not simply appear on Melbourne Victory assets. The brand will be connected to the Club’s members, fans, business network, pathways and community programs. Melbourne Victory Managing Director Caroline Carnegie said the partnership reflects a shared ambition for continued growth. She also highlighted the organisations’ common focus on leading, connecting and inspiring their communities. Together, Melbourne Victory and BYD will bring the partnership to life across matchdays, media, community initiatives and supporter experiences throughout the 2026-27 season.

Episode 4: “You could have sold it out twice”: Peter Filopoulos on why unification is the way forward

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PETER FILOPOULOS sees Saturday’s Australia Cup final between Melbourne Victory and South Melbourne Hellas as a ‘unification event’ that must be harnessed as a window to the future – rather than a means of stirring up old division – if Australian football is to progress.

“This game sold out organically, and having run marketing, corporate affairs and communications at Football Australia previously, I don’t think they would have needed to spend one single dollar on marketing,” Filopoulos told Soccerscene Unfiltered.

“You could have probably sold it out twice! This tells me it’s the sort of product the fans want; it’s authentic and taps into the new and the old, and demonstrates culture as a real asset. You couldn’t have scripted it better.

“If I was in a decision-making position at the A-League, I’d be looking very closely at why fans have responded in such an emphatic way.”

Filopoulos has seen it all across his near-35 year career in sports administration, which by his calculation has been split evenly inside the Australian football tent and outside it – but when outside, always with at least one eye glancing back.

Fifteen years across AFL clubs Hawthorn & North Melbourne as that code moved from a financially traumatic 1990s into a wealthier new millennium; five years at Football Australia: ‘easily the most transformative period for Australian football in its history’; stints with Etihad Stadium and even a period ‘completely out of my comfort zone’ at Swimming Australia.

There’s been crisis management, stepping in as Perth Glory CEO after the 2015 salary cap scandal; he’s seen the A-League’s boom times under the Lowys & Fox Sports’ 2018 broadcast deal; he’s enjoyed the euphoria of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

But all stems back to the National Soccer League and South Melbourne Hellas, and his bold decision to take on the Club’s inaugural general manager position in December 1993, aged just 25.

“I wasn’t ready… but what it taught me is when an opportunity is presented to you, just say ‘yes’ and work out how to do it later. I’ve used this throughout my career, and that was one of those instances where I threw myself in the deep end.

“I had my career mapped out, and was working quite happily in accounting. But I was a passionate fan and having grown up at the old Middle Park, it was a natural ‘yes’ – and I was young enough to take a risk.”

With today’s A-League financially ailing and great clubs of yesteryear enjoying what Filopoulos terms a ‘renaissance’ – and agitating as vociferously for a return to the top flight as at any point since the demise of the NSL – he feels it is again time for bold leadership, and a little risk.

“You can have all the ambition in the world, and in being part of a club, you’re a custodian. But as I’ve always seen it, you need a sustainable commercial model: sound ownership, sound facilities, revenue, etc…

‘But you also need to understand how to tap into that asset of culture. What we’re seeing with the Australia Cup final is a result of culture, right? You need to create it amongst your fans, and know who your fans are, and tell them what you’re striving for. Bring them along on the journey!”

Catch the full chat with Peter Filoupolos on Soccerscene Unfiltered: from ‘eyeballing’ Frank Arok and backing Ange Postecoglou, overcoming resource challenges at Football Victoria, to the rise of the Matildas, and plenty more…

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