Anthony Di Pietro retires as Melbourne Victory Chairman

Staff Writer
Image credit: Olav Dias

Anthony Di Pietro has announced that he is retiring as the Chairman of Melbourne Victory FC, following the completion of the 2022/23 season.

Di Pietro has spent 18 years as a Director and 13 seasons in the position of Chairman for Melbourne Victory, as will now step away from official Club duties.

Di Pietro advised the Board and staff on Thursday morning that due to upcoming business commitments and confidence in Victory’s platform for growth, they were the deciding factors for his decision.

Di Pietro – who will still remain a major shareholder – thanked the Club, its staff, players, members, fans, partners, sponsors and fellow shareholders for their support since inception.

“Since joining our Board in 2006, we have enjoyed many highs and battled many challenges along the journey,” Di Pietro stated via press release.

“Whilst this season’s on-field performances did not yield trophies, or come close to our expectations, we are standing on a strong platform for the future.

“Melbourne Victory is now part of an international strategic partnership through 777 Partners with our Men’s and Women’s pathway programs linked from the grassroots to an international level.

“Our ability to recruit players, coaches and support staff is in the best position it has ever been and our community programs are the most comprehensive we have seen, with a focus to live our vision of leading, uniting, connecting and inspiring through football.

“Most importantly we continue to herald inclusion and diversity in football, which can be seen through our support and investment in the Afghan Women’s Team – which is something every member of the Melbourne Victory family should be proud of.

“Like families, we all have great times and challenging periods, but when we all stick together as proud Victory people, we know we will come out the other side bigger and better.

“This is a unique Club and I have met and worked with some fantastic people, all of whom have shaped Melbourne Victory and I’ll forever be grateful for the privilege of being a part of the Club’s journey.

“Melbourne Victory has been integral to my family and my life for 18 years and my family and I will continue to be dedicated members and fans. I will always be a strong supporter of the Board, management and Club.”.

Victory’s Managing Director Caroline Carnegie thanked Di Pietro for his leadership, investment and drive.

“As a Club, Melbourne Victory could not be more thankful for the dedication, service and commitment that the Chairman has provided to us all over the course of the past 18 seasons,” Carnegie added via press release.

“The amount of work and time, let alone passion, which goes into being the Chair of a Club like Victory cannot be underestimated and there will be no other Anthony Di Pietro.

“The Chairman, along with his family, have had an amazing journey and shaped and moulded this Club into the powerhouse we know and love.

“We are grateful that the Chairman will continue to be part of our boys and girls in blue as a major shareholder, albeit stepping away from his official Club duties.”

Under Di Pietro’s leadership, the Club has achieved:

  • Two A-League Men’s Championships
  • One A-League Men’s Premiership
  • Two Australia Cups (formerly FFA Cup)
  • A history making treble
  • Three A-League Women’s Championships (including back-to-back Championships in 2021 and 2022)
  • An A-League Women’s Premiership
  • Hosted international heavyweights including Liverpool, Manchester United and Juventus
  • Developed one of the strongest and most prolific community departments of any sports Club in Australia
  • Introduced the Afghan Women’s Team to the Club’s football structure
  • Returned the Club to its home at AAMI Park
  • Secured the future of Melbourne Victory through an historic sports investment partnership with the 777 Group.

John Dovaston has been appointed as the new Club Chair, replacing Di Pietro effective immediately.

Dovaston is the Current Director and has been an independent board member for eight years – he will be Melbourne Victory’s first independent, non-shareholder, Chairperson.

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The Man Who Built a Women’s Football Program from Nothing is now an Award-Winning Gender Equity Leader

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Image Credit: Football Victoria

Eight years ago, Spring Hills Football Club did not have a girls’ team. Today it has one of the most recognised women’s programs in Melbourne’s west, a senior NPLW side, and a head coach who has just been named Gender Equity Leader of the Year at the Melton City Council Volunteer Achievement Awards.

Tom Markovski, Spring Hills’ NPLW Head Coach, received the award at a ceremony coinciding with National Volunteer Week, recognised for his community leadership, promotion of gender equality and commitment to advancing the status of women and people of all genders in sport. The recognition comes from outside the football community entirely, awarded by a local council celebrating volunteers across every sector of civic life in one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing regions.

Building from scratch

When Markovski arrived at Spring Hills, women’s football at the club did not exist. His first act was to champion the establishment of the club’s first all-girls team, a process that required persuading a club culture built around men’s football that the investment was worth making.

Women’s football in community clubs has historically struggled to access the same facilities, scheduling priority, coaching resources and institutional support as the men’s game. Clubs have been slow to invest in programs whose return is less immediately visible than a senior men’s premiership, and in a growing outer-suburban community like Melton, where volunteer capacity is finite and demand across every program is high, the case for building something new always has to compete with the urgency of maintaining what already exists.

Markovski made the case anyway, and kept making it across eight years of coaching senior and junior NPL teams while simultaneously building the structural foundations of a women’s program designed to outlast any individual’s involvement. The club’s first all-girls team became multiple junior girls teams. Those junior teams created the pipeline for a senior women’s side. The senior women’s side created visible pathways for younger players to see where the game could take them within their own club.

The outcome is a program that Spring Hills now holds up as central to its identity rather than supplementary to it. The club has become a leader in female participation in Melbourne’s west, and recently made history within the NPLW Victoria structure by fielding junior teams coached entirely by female coaches, a milestone that reflects the depth of the program Markovski helped build.

What the Award Recognises

The Melton City Council’s decision to name Markovski its Gender Equity Leader of the Year places his work in a frame that extends beyond football. Melton is one of the fastest-growing local government areas in Australia, a diverse and rapidly expanding community where the institutions that bring people together, like schools, councils, sporting clubs, carry an outsized responsibility for social cohesion.

Mayor Cr. Lara Carli, speaking at the awards ceremony, reflected on the role volunteers play in communities like Melton’s. “Volunteering creates friendships, strengthens communities and builds a sense of belonging,” she said. “It helps people feel connected, supported and valued, and those things are more important than ever in a growing and diverse community like ours.”

For the girls now playing football at Spring Hills who were not playing anywhere eight years ago, Markovski’s contribution is not abstract. It is the specific and concrete fact of having somewhere to play, someone to coach them, and a pathway that leads somewhere.

Aussie partners with two A-League clubs in cross-state alliance

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

Australia’s largest retail mortgage broker will team up with Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers, representing Aussie’s commitment to supporting and connecting people through football.

 

Opposing teams, United partners

The alliance between Aussie, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers reflects a unique approach to investing in Australia’s football landscape.

It encompasses both communities and supporters across Melbourne and Sydney, with Aussie’s presence in both cities now firmly embedded into local, grassroots networks.

“We’re excited about this partnership because it represents much more than a traditional sponsorship,” explained Aussie National Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Ryan Ferguson via press release.

“It’s about connection, community, and being part of something that reaches people in a meaningful and authentic way.”

Both Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers also commented on the unique nature of the partnership.

“The joint venture is a game-changer in how brands and sports teams can collaborate beyond the traditional instruments of a partnership and stands apart from the existing relationships in our sporting landscape for the betterment of our stakeholders,” said Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie.

“For the first time, two iconic clubs are coming together in a joint-venture sponsorship that delivers unmatched reach, community impact and business innovation,” added Western Sydney Wanderers CEO, Scott Hudson.

 

National stage, local commitment

As Australians grapple with soaring property prices and financial uncertainty, having access to a platform like Aussie is immensely valuable.

So now that Aussie will begins its venture alongside Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers – two clubs with extensive fanbases – it now has the means to make real, local impact.

Two major cities. Two footballing identities. All aligned under the same vision for community reach, growth and innovation.

“Aussie is a national brand, but at our heart, we are built on local relationships,” continued Ferguson.

“Every day, our brokers are working with customers in their communities, helping them navigate the journey of finding, buying and owning their own home. That’s why this partnership feels like such a natural fit.”

Ultimately, while the alliance will build on the business and community networks of the two A-League outfits, the impact will extend far beyond the boundaries of the pitch.

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