Brad Maloney: From the class of 1991 to Joeys coach

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Brad Moloney
Image credit: Football Australia

Few supporters who witnessed the gallant deeds of the 1991 Australian World Youth Cup squad as they progressed to the semi finals of the tournament – only to be eliminated by the host nation Portugal via a Rui Costa piledriver – would question the squad’s claim to being our greatest ever youth side.

The names just rattle off the tongue with talent like Bosnich, Kalac, Popovic, Muscat, Okon, Seal, Stanton, Corica, Bingley, Sorras and Babic directed by the coaching supremo, Les Scheinflug.

Significantly, Brad Maloney, the current Joeys coach, shared that wonderful journey with his team-mates in the Class of ’91.

All those years may have past but Maloney still carries the tradition of the famous squad in his DNA and is looking forward with great confidence to the Joey’s first Asian Cup match against Saudi Arabia on June 16 in Thailand.

At stake in this series is a place in the World Cup later this year.

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, Brad Maloney discusses the squad’s preparation for the tournament and his expectations, the realities of Australian youth football and his commitment to the Australian game after his eight-year coaching stint in Malaysia.

ROGER SLEEMAN

Was it a hard decision to return to Australia after all those years in Malaysia and Asia?

BRAD MALONEY

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Asia working with some great people and for eight years I was fortunate to work with national teams at all levels from youth teams to the senior squads.

To come home was a pleasant surprise for me as it’s always good to work in your home country and I really enjoy the task with these young players we have here at the moment.

R.S.

Harking back to the 1991 World Youth team, what are the emotions which are evoked?

B.M.

Great memories I’ll never forget and the team, camaraderie and spirit were unbelievable.

The quality of the players in the squad was fantastic and our achievements from humble backgrounds – going to Portugal and reaching the semi finals in front of 120,000 home supporters against the likes of Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Joao Pinto who all had magnificent careers, was unforgettable.

It would be nice to replicate such success with the current youth teams.

R.S.

Is the 1991 success the benchmark which you would set for yourself in your current position?

B.M.

Had a similar conversation with somebody the other day about previously reaching the semi finals of the u/20 competition in 1991 and Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

We’ve done it in the past and I would like to recapture that glory and perhaps go one better.

R.S.

From the very outset when you were appointed to the role last August, what was your initial strategy to get things right?

B.M.

I cut my stay in Malaysia and came back to Australia as soon as I could, scouting players and identifying even more talent. We had a monitoring list which had been put together but I knew I had to build on that and widen the net for talent which has happened in the last ten months or so.

Therefore, the squad we’ve assembled for this Asian Cup is competitive and with good preparation in the next few weeks and good acclimatisation, I believe we can achieve something.

R.S

Realistically, can you really be happy with only 16 days preparation?

B.M.

A lot of other nations in Asia are already full-time at this age, even some from the age of 12 meaning by this tournament stage, they’ve been together full-time for 4-5 years.

We could do things differently but at the moment players are with their clubs.

R.S.

Talking about preparation, do you think the players have had adequate development in their formative stages and up to now?

B.M.

We’re relying on A-League and NPL academies to influence the player’s development and it would be great to have the best players playing together in a full-time environment against high-level opposition.

Unfortunately, at the moment a lot of these players aren’t playing at senior level or in first team football.

R.S.

Are you happy with the technical level of our players?

B.M.

Every country brings its own culture of playing styles and a number of the Asian countries are technically gifted, but I don’t think we’re too far off.

Physically we have a presence which we try to combine with technical aptitude.

R.S.

Are you happy with your current coaching staff?

B.M.

I am and they were in place when I took up the role – very knowledgeable, loyal and there is a great respect amongst us.

Moving forward we could add more expertise but at the moment we’re doing well.

R.S.

Who are the key players in the squad, those who could make the difference?

B.M.

Nestory Irankunda is a huge talent with all the headlines he’s made in the last few months and he was involved early in our qualification phase.

He’s now ready to be involved in a big way in these Asian Cup matches and the other key players are the Central Coast pair Miguel de Piccio and Anthony Pavlesic and Sydney F.C.’s Mitch Glassen.

Also, the core group we’ve had up to now know what to expect from me. Hopefully, the squad will jell in the lead up to the first game.

R.S.

If you were Carl Veart would you have started with Irankunda in the return leg of the semi-final against the Mariners?

B.M.

That’s the coach’s decision.

Obviously, Carl knows his capabilities and how to manage his abilities because he works with him every day and when he has come on the pitch he’s made a massive impact.

R.S.

What do you know about your opponents in the Asian Cup and how good are they based on your advanced information?

B.M.

The Saudis have played about a dozen friendly matches leading into the tournament and we expect them to be good quality and very tough.

We met China in the qualifiers, and though we got a result that day, we do expect improvement from them and another challenging match.

Tajikistan were actually in the finals last time when they met Japan and will also be hard to beat. Luckily, two viewings of their matches before playing us will be a big help for our chances.

The top two teams qualify for the quarter finals and our crossover group is Japan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and India. The winner of the quarter final will qualify for the World Cup.

R.S.

Beyond this, what are your short term to medium term plans in coaching?

B.M.

I love working in national team setups as I’m now familiar with the landscape, particularly in Australian space. My fervent aim is to achieve with this current group.

R.S.

Would you return overseas?

B.M.

I’d never say never and I’m still in contact with the people I worked with in South East Asia, but at the moment my focus is to achieve success with Australia.

R.S

Looking back to 91, so few of those players are involved in the game. How can we change that?

B.M.

There’s not a lot of opportunity, illustrated by only Popovic,  Muscat, Okon, Corica and I working full-time in the game.

However, I’m definitely all for fast tracking Socceroos but you have to have the right people for the right job in the right environment.

R.S.

Your opinion of the A-League?

B.M.

I’ve seen many matches since I’ve been back in the country, including the Sydney derbies and the final series.

I believe the overall standard of football is high.

R.S.

Your former team-mate Steve Corica has a wealth of young talent at Sydney F.C.

Isn’t it time he cleared the deck of older players and gave these youngsters their chance, just as he was given a break to play senior football at Marconi all those years ago?

B.M.

Steve is a very experienced coach and I’m sure he’ll make the right calls.

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Gold Coast International drives futsal growth as international interest surges

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Image Credits: Experience Gold Coast

The 2027 Gold Coast International is set to be the biggest year of growth in the tournament’s history. The tournament has become one of Australia’s premier futsal events. Attracting the best teams from not just Australia but around the world. Andrew Parkes is the founder and managing director of the Gold Coast City Futsal Association and an advisory board member at Football Queensland. He says the tournament, and its international reputation, is only strengthening.

“Registrations are actually a step up from what they were last year,” Parkes said.

“We’ve got several teams from New Zealand. At the moment, we’ve got some Pacific Island teams that have expressed interest in coming. We got interest from Japan, and from England as well.

“We’ve got over 140 teams so far, and that’s not including anything from the local areas.”

Over 200 teams attended the 2026 edition, and the Gold Coast International is well set to break that record next year. The figures show the tournament is becoming more than a local competition. It is building a strong national and international presence.

Football Queensland and Football Australia unite behind growth

Parkes believes collaboration has played a major role in the development of futsal in Queensland. The tournament is sanctioned by both Football Queensland and Football Australia. He praised Football Queensland for its work across the sport. He said the organisation has helped create a stronger and more professional futsal system. This relationship between state and national bodies and the event has allowed the Gold Coast to play host to the national competition as well. This ensures shared resources including referees and courts.

“Football Queensland have been a major driving force and a godsend in relation to the development of futsal,” Parkes said.

“We’ve got the nationals the week before the Gold Coast International now. We’re working in harmony and synergy and supporting each other.

“I think the proofs in the pudding, not just with the Gold Coast International, but with the exposure and obviously the diversity of teams that attend. But then the further development in our local leagues, and that’s resulted in.”

E-sports adds another pathway for players and clubs

E-sports has become another major part of the Gold Coast International. Parkes said he had explored the idea for several years and that the tournament allows the community to grow beyond just the physical players on the court. The use of e-sports also allows friends and families to have an interactive experience with simulators and games whilst at the Gold Coast International.

“We launched e-sports about 2 years ago, just with a bit of a light feel. We’ve incorporated the competition into the tournament fees, which is excellent. So it doesn’t cost anybody anymore to be part of it,” Parkes said.

“It actually allows the clubs and academies to extend on their current offerings as it is at the moment and allows gaming players to be part of the club, to be part of the atmosphere and to join and that unity and be part of that sporting community.”

“We had three times the amount of teams that we had from the first year of e-sports. We’re looking to probably even double that again this year, which is really exciting as well.”

New pathways shape the tournament’s future

Parkes wants the Gold Coast International to keep expanding. He is now looking at ways to create pathways beyond the tournament itself. He said the use of its international experiences that can be earned through the tournament is not only about investing in players. But ensuring coaches have a more time-efficient avenue to be involved with futsal. It also gives more coaches the chance to work with players at an international tournament.

“We’ve now created the Gold Coast International All Stars, which is now embraced by many of the coaches and the players,” Parkes said.

“That also provides coaches who don’t have the time or the ability or whatever for the state teams, and the commitment that they need to put in the state teams throughout the year.”

“It allows us to have a lot more outreach to far more coaches that have a lot of passion and enthusiasm, and be part of the Futsal community. They want to build on the players’ abilities but may not have that year-long or eight-month-long exposure that is required by the state Futsal team coaching staff.”

For Parkes, the future is about widening access while continuing to raise standards. The tournament is growing its international reach, strengthening partnerships and creating new opportunities for both physical and e-sports players. The Gold Coast International is no longer just a tournament. It is becoming a broader platform for the development of futsal and its wider community.

For more information on the Gold Coast International and to inquire about competing in the 2027 edition, visit their website.

The Spreadsheet Is Dead: Majestri’s Fix for How Clubs Actually Assess Players

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If you’ve ever sat through a club’s end-of-season review, you’ll know the drill. A coach pulls out a folder of notes, someone half-remembers what a player was like back in Round 3 and a parent quietly wonders what they actually got for their rego fees beyond a team photo. Football club platform Majestri says it has a fix for that, and it’s built directly into its Player Assessment module.

Why clubs bother assessing players in the first place

According to Majestri, clubs run player assessments for one of three reasons – usually more than one at once. Some are chasing genuine development, using the data to lift the level across their high-performance squads. Others are after a fairer way to pick teams, putting every player on the same measurable scale so selection is based on evidence rather than a coach’s gut feel about who “looks the part.” And for clubs operating under a Football Australia or state federation licence, assessments at set intervals often aren’t optional – they’re a compliance requirement, with the paperwork to prove it when asked.

Whatever the motivation, Majestri’s pitch is the same: don’t let that assessment data die in a spreadsheet on someone’s laptop.

Build your own assessment, your way

There’s no one-size-fits-all template here. The Assessment Designer lets technical directors set their own criteria, sort them into whatever categories their coaching staff already use – think core skills, possession, defending, attacking – and decide what each point on the rating scale actually means. Crucially, every criterion also gets a comment field, because a bare number rarely tells the full story of a player’s development.

The Assessment Module Builder for an NPL Juniors assessment
The Assessment Module Builder, showing an NPL Juniors assessment with a 1-10 rating scale banded from under performing through to excelling and role-specific criteria grouped into core skills, possession, defending and attacking. Source: Majestri.

Build it once and it’s reusable every time that assessment cycle comes around, so every player and every coach – is working off the same yardstick.

Something for the parents to actually take home

One of the more relatable pain points Majestri is targeting: most families never see much tangible return from a season of fees beyond a team photo. Player Assessment addresses that with report cards – colour-coded against the same scale coaches used, grouped by category with averages calculated automatically, and delivered as a PDF or an interactive web page a parent can read without needing a coaching badge themselves.

A player report card for an under-15 player
A report card for an under-15 player, colour-coded from under performing to excelling, with a score for every criterion and a group average across core skills, possession, defending and attacking. Source: Majestri.

 

Turning the numbers into something useful

The real value, though, sits in what Majestri calls the Player Analysis Lab. This is where clubs can plot a player against their team-mates or an entire age group across two categories at once, spotting clusters and outliers at a glance. Every score gets read against the group average – so a “7” actually means something in context – and clubs can report at the broad category level or drill into individual fields underneath. The results can be filtered down and exported for selection meetings or grading purposes.

The Player Analysis Lab comparing players in an under-15 and under-16 squad
The Player Analysis Lab comparing seven players across under-15 and under-16 squads, with a scatter plot, a sortable table of scores against the player average, and controls for choosing which categories and fields to report on. Source: Majestri.

The admin side nobody enjoys, made easier

Beyond the flashy analytics, there’s a practical layer built for the volunteers actually running the process:

  • Sweep monitoring – a quick view of which assessments are done and which are still outstanding, organised into defined assessment periods so progress can be tracked against peers.
  • Individual development plans – every player gets a personalised plan, and clubs can group common improvement areas to run cross-team training sessions that lift the whole club rather than just one squad.
  • Access control – coaches and technical staff can only see assessments for the teams they’re responsible for, and completed assessments are only visible to people linked to that player’s registration.
“Hard numbers to draw on when you review coaching staff and curriculum – and something tangible for the players and parents who pay the fees.” – Majestri

 

The bigger picture

Majestri frames all of this as sitting on top of the club’s own data – assessment results live on each player’s profile inside the platform rather than in a spreadsheet that walks out the door when a technical director moves on. For committees, it also means hard numbers to lean on when reviewing coaching staff or curriculum, rather than relying on anecdote.

It’s a fairly clear read on where club administration software is heading: less about digitising paperwork for its own sake, and more about making the data clubs already collect actually work for player development, team selection and compliance  without adding to the workload of the volunteers who run the show.

For more information on Majestri’s Player Assessment module, visit majestri.com.au/player-assessment.

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