Adelaide City FC boosted by major sponsorship with Chemist Warehouse

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Image credit: Brenton Bessell

Sleeping giants of Australian football, Adelaide City FC, have secured Chemist Warehouse as its major sponsor for the upcoming 2024 NPL SA season.

City’s senior and junior playing shirts will feature the logo of the national pharmacy retailer, who are providing substantial benefits to the club’s future operations.

This includes the provision of brand-new medical equipment for each team, and the onboarding of INC Sports Nutrition, a nutrient supplier stocked exclusively by Chemist Warehouse.

INC themselves will become Adelaide City’s official nutrient provider and its senior men’s shirt sleeve sponsor for the 2024 NPL SA season.

Whilst not disclosed, this deal signifies the three-time NSL champions’ intention to return to the national stage after its unsuccessful bid in the first phase of applications for the National Second Tier (NST).

City are poised to enter the NST’s second application process – known as the Request for Proposal (RFP) phase – where demonstrating financial sustainability is key to an applicant’s success.

Also integral to the application is a sustainable development plan that guarantees the future of both the club and Football Australia’s NST vision. Adelaide City Club President, Angelo Carrozza, believes Chemist Warehouse can assist the club in this area.

“Chemist Warehouse is a household name in Australia that will help us build a stronger community, and empower us to meet our Junior Football Development objectives with a pathway to greater opportunities for our club’s future,” he said via press release.

Junior development is at the heart of the club, which has served as the breeding ground for former Socceroos Tony Vidmar and John Aloisi, as well as current national team prospect, Joe Gauci, and several A-League players.

The club is currently affiliated with Italian Serie A side, Atalanta B.C, who are providing coaching resources and training camps for City’s junior teams in a valuable international partnership.

Given the intense financial and developmental scrutiny NST applicants are placed under, Adelaide City are putting their best foot forward to ensure they are in the running for national return.

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Creativity, wellbeing and benchmarking: Football NSW launches 2026 Girls Youth League season

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Over 200 technical directors and coaches descended on Valentine Sports Park this weekend to launch the 2026 Girls Youth League (GYL) and Girls Junior Development League (GJDL) season.

Two core themes dominated the conference: cultivating player creativity and integrating structured wellbeing programs.

Football Australia National Team Coaches Mike Cooper and Alex Epakis led the technical delivery. The duo ran practical sessions focused on intervention methods and decision-making. Their presence ensures the state league speaks the same tactical language as the national pathways.

Benchmarking the Future

The operational spotlight fell on the Club Standards & Benchmarking Framework. Now entering its third year, the policy carries significant weight. Football NSW briefed clubs on how 2026 performance metrics will directly dictate competition structures for 2027.

Football NSW Club Technical Development Manager Neil Mann emphasised the shift away from pure results-based assessment.

“The success of a youth development program should not be determined solely by league outcomes,” Mann said.

“It provides guiding principles to help clubs create positive environments… while allowing clubs to retain their own identity.”

Person First, Player Second

Wellbeing professional Holly Fuda delivered the keynote address. She challenged directors to embed mental health strategies into daily training, rather than treating them as tokenistic add-ons.

Football NSW Head of Football Development Ed Ferguson reinforced this cultural shift.

“The curiosity and contribution across both days is testament to our ecosystem,” Ferguson said.

“Every club in attendance highlighted their responsibility to develop better individuals through football. That puts us in a strong position to create environments built on trust.”

Indonesian Consul General hosted in WA by Football West

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Image Credit: Football West

Football West has moved to strengthen its strategic footprint in Southeast Asia, hosting a high-level diplomatic delegation at the Sam Kerr Football Centre this week.

The newly appointed Consul General of Indonesia to Western Australia, Irvan Buchari, and Consul for Information and Cultural Social Affairs, Antonius Prawira Yudianto, met with Football West executives to map out the next phase of the state’s Asian Engagement Strategy.

Facilitated by Indonesia Institute President and former professional footballer Robbie Gaspar, the dialogue focused on leveraging the “world game” to deepen the sister-state relationship between Western Australia and East Java. This partnership was commercially validated last July during the historic exhibition match between the WA Men’s State Team and Liga 1 giants Persebaya Surabaya.

Operationalising Sports Diplomacy

Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell, who hosted the delegation alongside COO Perry Ielati, emphasised that the visit was about operationalising future opportunities rather than just a ceremonial tour.

“Football West has built very strong ties with Indonesia over the past decade… especially with our sister state East Java,” Harnwell said.

“We have sent many senior and junior sides to compete in Indonesia and hosted visiting teams. These occasions are great sporting and cultural experiences and help build mutual understanding and friendships.”

The meeting highlights the increasing role of sports diplomacy in state government relations. The Persebaya fixture notably attracted WA Premier Roger Cook and East Java Provincial Secretary Adhy Karyono, proving football’s unique capacity to open doors in the region.

Mr Gaspar, a key architect of the relationship, noted the potential for future growth.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Football West to grow the relationship and build meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships with Indonesia,” Gaspar said. “Football is such a powerful platform for connection, trust, and long-term collaboration between our two countries.”

Football West acknowledges the vital backing of the WA Government in driving this strategy, ensuring the code remains a central pillar of Western Australia’s international outreach.

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