AAMI Park to implement facial recognition technology to improve match day safety

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AAMI Park Security at Victory games
Image credit: matteo_it / Shutterstock.com

Melbourne Victory have announced that AAMI Park will be implementing facial recognition technology as part of its security monitoring and surveillance system at the venue ahead of the 2023/24 A-Leagues season.

The goal from the A-Leagues is to introduce several tools to AAMI Park in order to create a safe and enjoyable experience for all attendees, guests, players and staff.

The technology may be used to identify individuals who have been banned by Football Australia, the Australian Professional Leagues, competing clubs as well as persons who pose a threat to the safety, security, or integrity of the event, venue, or precinct.

No Australian football fan has forgotten about the disgraceful riots and actions of the ‘OSM’ Victory supporters at last years’ Melbourne derby – that evening at AAMI Park played a part in the swift decision to introduce this technology for safety purposes.

The technology works similarly to a QR Code like we saw during COVID-19 protocols where the system collects an image of a person’s face that is then converted into a special unique code known as a mathematical template for identification purposes (like a barcode).

Melbourne Victory Managing Director Caroline Carnegie explained what the technology means for future Victory games at AAMI Park.

“We have had an enormous amount of feedback from our members and fans around Stadium security measures and how we can ensure a safe environment for everyone to enjoy our games. As a Club, we are pleased that AAMI Park will have improved security measures in place this season,” Carnegie said in the press release.

“We are extremely excited for the season ahead and look forward to our members and fans supporting our boys and girls in blue and creating an atmosphere that rivals what we witnessed during the recent Women’s World Cup. We want an atmosphere that is representative of everything we love about football and that enables us all to represent our Club together.”

Melbourne Victory are preparing for another big season in both A-Leagues competitions, recently crushing the Women’s team membership records and consistently being a top-three club membership wise in the men’s competition.

This makes it extremely important that the club fixes the glaring safety issue at home games to prepare for this season and try to create a really attractive experience to increase crowd numbers at AAMI Park which have been down over 30% since the 19/20 season pre-Covid.

This technology has already been tried and tested in the Brazilian league at Allianz Parque, home of football club Palmeiras, with great success in its infancy.

The São Paulo Public Security Secretariat (SSP) revealed that the facial recognition technology helped arrest 28 criminals in the first four matches at the stadium, with 253 missing people identified and 146,793 tickets verified by the new tool since they brought it in mid-May 2023.

Initially, the facial recognition technology was brought in with an effort to speed up access to the stadium and also combat ticket touting, however clearly the statistics show that it has a lot of power combatting potential criminals which seems to be who the A-Leagues are targeting.

This move to implement facial recognition to improve fan and staff safety can only be seen as a huge positive and a rare proactive decision made by the A-Leagues.

The importance and magnitude of this move cannot be understated either as it also has the gleaming potential to transform the way we get into future A-Leagues events, how we buy food and merchandise, and the overall fan experience in the stadium.

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Central Coast Mariners Women secure future under Holman Barnes Group

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Image Credits: Central Coast Mariners

The future of the Central Coast Mariners Women has been secured after the Holman Barnes Group (HBG) reached an agreement to become the new operator of the club’s A-League Women program. The deal ends uncertainty surrounding the team’s participation in the 2026/27 season.

The agreement between HBG, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Total Soccer Growth Holdings (TSG) ensures the Mariners will remain in the Ninja A-League Women competition. It also introduces a new operating model designed to provide long-term stability.

The uncertainty emerged following TSG’s acquisition of the Central Coast Mariners’ men’s side and academy in June. The women’s program was excluded from the original takeover. TSG already owns English football side Queens Park Rangers (QPR) and MLS club Los Angeles FC. The omission placed the future of the 2025 A-League Women champions in doubt. It also prompted the APL to seek a sustainable solution ahead of the new campaign.

A new operating model

Under the new arrangement, HBG will oversee all operational aspects of the women’s team. This includes the football program, staffing and day-to-day management. TSG will retain the club licence and continue overseeing the men’s program and academy. It will also support the women’s operation through its broader football network.

The agreement represents an innovative partnership between the three organisations. It has been designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of professional women’s football on the Central Coast. HBG’s plans extend beyond the senior team. They include a strong focus on developing participation pathways and creating greater opportunities for female footballers throughout New South Wales.

Attention turns to the new season

The transition comes at a crucial time with preparations for the 2026/27 Ninja A-League Women season underway ahead of its October 16 start. The new operators are expected to begin managing the program immediately. This remains subject to the completion of the remaining regulatory processes. The team currently has no sponsors and games are expected to be moved away from Central Coast Stadium.

The A-League had previously set a July 31 deadline for new owners to be found to secure a place in the upcoming competition. With that now achieved, HBG will be on the clock to ensure the season begins without disruption and becomes a commercial success.

For the Central Coast Mariners Women, the agreement delivers certainty after a turbulent off-season. It also allows the club to shift its attention to the 2026/27 campaign and the team’s on-field performance.

South Melbourne’s Australia Cup triumph reignites promotion and relegation debate

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Image Credit: The Greek Herald

South Melbourne FC’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 has reignited debate around promotion and relegation in Australian football, with Co-President Bill Papastergiadis stating the result is further proof that ambitious National Premier Leagues clubs deserve a pathway to the top tier.

The Victorian powerhouse produced one of the competition’s biggest upsets at Lakeside Stadium, overturning an early deficit to eliminate the Isuzu UTE A-League side and secure a place in the Round of 16.

While the result was celebrated as another example of the magic of the Australia Cup, Papastergiadis believes the victory carries a much broader message about the strength that exists outside Australia’s professional league.

Speaking following the win, Papastergiadis said South Melbourne’s performance demonstrated why the Australian football landscape should move towards a connected pyramid featuring promotion and relegation.

“The result was South Melbourne FC’s revenge 22 years in the making,” Papastergiadis said.

“It also demonstrates that clubs in the National Premier Leagues have the quality, professionalism and ambition to compete with A-League opposition when given the opportunity.”

For years, South Melbourne has been one of the strongest advocates for structural reform within Australian football, consistently calling for an open pyramid that rewards sporting merit rather than maintaining a closed league system.

Papastergiadis argued that Australia Cup fixtures continue to showcase the depth of talent throughout the domestic game, with NPL clubs regularly proving they can challenge and defeat professional opponents despite operating with significantly fewer resources.

He believes these performances should not simply be viewed as isolated “cupsets”, but as evidence that Australia’s football ecosystem is ready to embrace a promotion and relegation model that provides ambitious clubs with a genuine pathway to the top flight.

The result against Adelaide United adds another significant chapter to South Melbourne’s storied history. One of Australia’s most successful clubs, South Melbourne has long maintained aspirations of returning to the national stage, backed by a passionate supporter base, strong infrastructure and a proud footballing tradition.

For Papastergiadis, victories such as Thursday night’s reinforce the argument that clubs should earn opportunities through performances on the pitch.

“The Australia Cup continues to show what’s possible when clubs from different levels of the football pyramid compete against one another,” he said.

“Our football should be built on opportunity and merit. Clubs that perform consistently and invest in their communities should have the chance to progress to the highest level.”

South Melbourne will now turn its attention to the Round of 16, where it will look to continue its impressive cup run.

Beyond the result itself, however, the victory has once again fuelled discussion around the future of Australia’s football structure and whether the growing strength of clubs outside the A-League should accelerate the push towards a fully connected national competition.

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