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Football Federation Australia have announced that former Socceroo Mark Bresciano and ex-Matilda Amy Duggan will be joining the FFA board.
The pair have taken up director positions at the organisation.
Duggan represented the Westfield Matildas 27 times in a national career which spanned eight years, between 1997 and 2005.
Throughout that time, she netted three goals for the green and gold.
Since finishing her playing days, the 40-year-old has had a successful media career working for Fox Sports, ABC, WIN News and Optus Sport.
Bresciano played 84 times for the Socceroos, scoring 13 goals. He was a member of Australia’s squad at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.
The 39-year-old enjoyed a 20-year professional career, which included stints in the Italian Serie A with Lazio, Parma and Palermo.
Since retiring, Bresciano has been involved in consultancy work with the FFA, where he was a member of an advisory panel to find the coach that would take the Socceroos to the 2018 World Cup.
FFA Chairman Chris Nikou said he was delighted to welcome both individuals to the board.
“Amy and Mark have had stellar football careers and are highly respected members of the football community.”
“My fellow directors and I very much look forward to working with them as we navigate this particularly important time in Australian football.”
“We are delighted to have their skills and experience in the Board Room, and look forward to Amy and Mark making a significant contribution to our game in their new roles.”
Melbourne Victory has celebrated a new partnership with Australian wellness brand, Hydrodol. The deal will see both parties collaborate for the rest of the 2024/25 A-Leagues season.
Hydrodol is a significant supplements provider across Australia, New Zealand the Asia Pacific, supplying customers with cutting edge products tailored to assist with hydration and a range of other health concerns.
Together, Melbourne Victory and Hydrodol will join their philosophies of driving health and fitness forward in order to bring attention to healthy living practices among the Australian football community.
Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, expressed admiration for the partnership.
“We are delighted to welcome Hydrodol to the Melbourne Victory family,” she said in a press release.
“This partnership reflects a shared vision of supporting individuals to perform at their best whether they’re on the pitch, in the stands, or in their daily lives. Together, we aim to provide meaningful benefits to our fans, players, and the broader Victory community.”
‘Hydrodol is passionate about empowering people to feel their best, whether they’re elite athletes or everyday Australians,” she said via press release.
“Partnering with Melbourne Victory, Australia’s biggest football club allows us to connect with a vibrant community that values health, performance, and well-being.”
Melbourne Victory Director of Football, John Didulica, outlined the significance of the club’s collaboration with Hydrodol in a press release.
“To lead successful football programs, it is essential that we look to partner with companies like Hydrodol, who can help maintain and improve our players’ recovery from the demands of professional football and readiness to compete each week,” he said via press release.
For the remaining games of the 2024/25 season, fans and spectators will be able to see Hydrodol advertisement material at the Home of the Matilda’s and AAMI Park, as both Melbourne Victory and Hydrodol work to bolster the health and wellbeing of the community.
In a landmark initiative for women’s football, FIFA has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reaching 60 million female players worldwide by 2027.
The comprehensive plan, supported by 13 distinct development programmes, is available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking a significant step forward in the sport’s global evolution.
FIFA also took the announcement to highlight the achievements for women’s football in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC).
The recently enhanced FIFA Women’s Development Programme underscores the organisation’s strengthened commitment to expanding the women’s game.
The upcoming 2025 calendar promises several groundbreaking developments for women’s football.
The Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, while Morocco makes history as the first African nation to stage the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The latter tournament sees significant expansion, growing from 16 to 24 teams and shifting to an annual format.
International competition reaches new heights with continental championships scheduled across multiple confederations.
The pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 commences with African qualification matches, while major regional tournaments including the UEFA Women’s EURO and OFC Women’s Nations Cup will crown new champions.
In a significant advancement for club football, all six confederations will host their respective continental club championships for the first time.
This renewed focus comes amid unprecedented growth in participation rates, particularly evident in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-host nations.
New Zealand has reported a remarkable 27 per cent surge in female participation since 2022, with particularly strong growth among Māori and Pasifika communities, showing a 14 per cent increase.
A strategic partnership between New Zealand Football and Māori Football Aotearoa further strengthens grassroots development.
New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell voiced the federations successful results.
“The expansion of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand has been extraordinary, with the Women’s World Cup serving as a genuine catalyst for growth,” he explained via official FIFA press release.
Across the Tasman, Football Australia’s Growing Football Fund Community Grants programme continues to foster development at the grassroots level.
The latest round of funding benefits 118 recipients, complementing the 121 projects supported in March 2024.
This initiative particularly emphasises regional development, with nearly half the grants allocated to areas outside major metropolitan centres.
The grants provide essential support for women’s football development, encompassing coach education, introductory programmes, and vital equipment procurement, further cementing the sport’s foundation at the community level.
Also within the AFC, footballing powerhouse Japan has successfully hosted the continent’s first female-exclusive Pro Licence coaching course.
A collaborative effort between FIFA, AFC, and the Japan Football Association (JFA), represents a significant milestone in professional football development.
The intensive seven-day course attracted participants from fourteen nations, featuring presents such as AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men’s national team coach Hajime Moriyasu.
Participants gained valuable practical experience through observations of pre-season training sessions at both J.League and Nadeshiko League clubs.
JFA Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama emphasised the programme’s strategic importance and inclusivity.
“This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater success in their current coaching positions and secure future success,” Kageyama explained via official FIFA press release.
This initiative aligns with JFA’s renowned long-term development philosophy and a significant advancement in creating pathways for women in professional football coaching.
This newly improved strategy at the global scale will hopefully allow for more women in both professional and amateur spaces to get the opportunities they deserve in football.
It also highlight’s that AFC & OFC nations, including Australia, will have a strong place within the growth of women’s football.
Read more on the FIFA Women’s Development Program here.