A-League, W-League and Y-League to be unbundled from Football Australia

Football Australia and the newly formed Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have announced that terms have been agreed to ‘unbundle’ the A-League, W-League and Y-League from Football Australia.

The unbundling of the leagues from the head governing body of the sport will bring the Australian football structure in line with global standards, separating Football Australia as the regulatory body from the operation of the professional leagues.

The APL will take over the commercial, marketing and operational practices of the professional leagues, as well as all revenue generation responsibilities.

APL will also retain the exclusive right to use the intellectual property rights associated with the E-League.

Football Australia will still retain some regulatory functions of the professional leagues, including matters relating to on-and-off-field disciplinary and integrity matters, the transfer system, the registrations of clubs, players and officials, as well as the domestic match calendar.

Alongside this, new club licensing framework for the professional leagues and control over access to the leagues (whether that is through expansion, promotion/relegation or contraction), the AFC Champions League, FFA Cup and all other domestic and international competitions will also fall under the regulatory functions of Football Australia.

The new model will be implemented through the course of the 2020/21 A-League and W-League football seasons.

Greg O’Rourke will serve as commissioner of the professional leagues for APL.

O’Rourke will report to an APL board consisting of five club directors, one member representing Football Australia and three independent directors, with one of them to be elected chair of the organisation.

James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia, said of the developments: “The unbundling of the professional leagues from Football Australia is a key milestone in the ongoing transformation of Australian football and fulfils our commitment outlined in Principle VIII of our XI Principles. It represents the culmination of a process, which ramped up following the completion of the A-League 2019/20 season, that ebbed and flowed over the course of what has been a difficult 2020.

“The new model respects the fundamental aspects of the global football pyramid and highlights the importance of strong governance principles as Football Australia retains its regulatory functions in respect of the A-League, Westfield W-League and Y-League and the APL takes control over the operational and commercial direction of the leagues, in turn triggering the ability for significant new investment in the quality and marketing of the leagues. Each constituent now has defined roles and responsibilities and the ability to make the right contribution to the growth of the professional game.

“We have been able to create a unique model which draws upon global best practice whilst allowing for local specificities. Significantly, the model establishes a framework for a strong partnership between Football Australia and the APL which recognises the value of a thriving domestic professional league to the ongoing growth of the game in Australia.” 

Paul Lederer, Chairman of APL, said: “This is an historic moment for the future of football in Australia – for the fan, for the player, for the whole game.

“It’s now time to earn and deliver the future our game deserves.

 “The handbrake on the game is off; owners can finally invest in what they own and create value for the entire footballing ecosystem.

 “Players can plan their careers in Australian football, fans can reconnect with the game that they love, and clubs can create meaningful moments for the whole Australian football family.”

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Melbourne Victory’s brand-new infrastructure strategy

Melbourne Victory & SEDA

A-League giant Melbourne Victory has revealed a brand-new extensive infrastructure strategy to foster and support tomorrow’s footballing stars.

The strategic infrastructure plan set out by Victory will aim to develop youth and women’s football programs by providing improved access to world class footballing facilities and player pathways across Victoria.

To achieve this, Melbourne Victory has opted for a campus model to enable players access to connected and consistent facilities across the North, East, South and West of Melbourne, all within an hour’s journey of Victory’s club administrative centre and the A-League Men’s training facilities at Gosch’s Paddock.

The club also intends to build another campus within the Melbourne city centre, with the first campus location to be announced by the club soon, as it continues to review and assess possible sites across the city.

Melbourne Victory Chairman, John Dovaston, explained why the club had chosen the campus model.

“The announcement of this project, and the direction taken, is aimed at ensuring we are best placed to attract and retain football talent across the State,” he said in a press release.

“Our innovative approach will allow us to have a number of campuses with not only an elite focus, but also, an eye on building our community to ensure that all Victorians have an opportunity to participate and engage in our game.”

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the new infrastructure strategy was so important to the club.

“It is well understood that sport and football can influence social cohesion, and it’s our responsibility as a Club to establish infrastructure and programs that can positively impact members of the community, regardless of gender, background or location, whether that be through training the next generation of football stars, or using football as a vehicle to lead, unite, connect and inspire the community more broadly,” she said via press release.

“By enabling Victory to connect with communities across the North, South, East, and West of AAMI Park, our spiritual home, we can truly grow the Victory family and set new standards for elite facilities in our Pathway and community programs.”

The infrastructure project is an important move for the club, allowing it to grow, improve and future-proof its current suite of footballing programs. Currently, Victory operates nine elite and 23 pathway programs, providing services to over 16,000 participants across Victoria. Through the campus model, the club hopes it will be able to more efficiently develop the new generation of A-League and national team players.

“The priority is to provide not just an entry point for individuals to engage and participate in football, but to keep them engaged and provide a holistic journey to grow the Victory family across the State,” Carnegie continued.

“We are excited about the opportunities that the project can provide and the potential for growth for our Club and for football in the future.”

Melbourne Victory will continue to issue updates as it sets on the 5-year-plus journey to complete the entire project. For more information on the club’s major infrastructure strategy, access the plan HERE.

 

WA Community Use of School Sporting Facilities grants open

Soccer youths

The first round of the WA Community Use of School Sporting Facilities Program grants is now open for applications until March 21.

The program is an initiative from the West Australian government aimed to inspire partnerships between schools and community sporting groups to more effectively use sporting facilities and foster a greater sense of community.

Developed in collaboration with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC), and the Department of Education (DoE), the program strives to:

  • improve access to sporting facilities for community sporting groups
  • improve school sports facilities
  • assist schools in developing their facilities for outside hours use without damaging student safety
  • encourage partnerships between schools and community sporting groups

Grants Eligibility 

Program funding is only available to WA public primary or secondary schools, which have partnered with at least one community sporting group under a DoE Community Use Agreement.

Schools applying for funding must prove they need monetary support to develop facilities and assist community sporting groups to use facilities. Additionally, they need an Eligibility Declaration from their partnered sporting grouping to confirm it will regularly access the facilities.

The partnered community sporting group must also meet a range of eligibility requirements:

  • It must be incorporated under the Associations Incorporations Act 2015 (WA),
  • Or it must be an Indigenous organisation under the Corporations (Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
  • Or it must be a company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
  • It must participate in a classified sport under the DLGSC
  • It must be registered under a DLGSC recognised state sport association (SSA)
  • It must enter teams into a local sport program or DLGSC SSA affiliated competition
  • It must have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • It must comply with the Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004
  • It must maintain insurance to cover the DoE CUA

Grants Funding Parameters 

There is up to $50,000 worth of funding available for successful applicants across four different types of one-off investments:

Minor Equipment or Infrastructure

This includes funding for small scale items such goalposts, equipment storage or other minor items or infrastructure.

Minor Playing Surface or Upgrade of Oval or Hardcourts

This includes funding for minor improvements to sports fields and courts, such as:

  1. Resurfacing
  2. Marking
  3. Reticulation
  4. Returfing
  5. Grass oval rejuvenation works

Minor Improvements to Existing Surfaces 

This includes funding for small scale improvements that make sporting facilities safer for outside use, such as locks, cameras, gates, and lights.

Other Relevant Activities That Enhance Facilities Use

This includes funding for activities that would increase the use of sporting facilities, such as for one off payments for staff and equipment.

How to Apply for Grants

Applications for the program can be completed online on the DLGSC website.

Before applying make sure to read the guidelines and have the necessary documentation ready.

Documents you will need are:

  • Signed Community Use Agreement (or letter of intent to enter at CUA)
  • Community Sport Group Eligibility Declaration
  • Quotes, photos, files and documents to use as evidence to support your claim

Applications for the first round of funding must be completed and submitted before March 21 5.00 pm 2025. If you miss out on this round or are unsuccessful, there are two more rounds of grants occurring later in the year.

The second round of applications will open March 24 9.00 pm and close May 16 5.00 pm 2025. While the third round of applications will open May 19 9.00 pm and close July 4 5.00 pm 2025.

 

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