Capital Football appoint Ivan Slavich as CEO

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Ivan Slavich
Image via Capital Football

Capital Football has announced that Ivan Slavich will take over as CEO of the organisation from December onwards.

Slavich, a local Canberran, is vastly experienced across business, community, and sports and will unite those skills to help take Capital Football to the next level.

The incumbent CEO has been keenly involved in Canberra’s football community for over 20 years, having played the game and served for over three years on the Capital Football board.

Moreover, Slavich has also sponsored the Junior League and supported the A-League women’s team through his previous corporate interests, contributing $5m to establish an A-League men’s team in Canberra during their bid to join the league.

“We are delighted to announce Ivan Slavich as the new CEO of Capital Football,” Capital Football Board Chair, Angelo Konstantinou, said in a statement.

“Ivan is no stranger to football in Canberra and brings a wealth of knowledge of the game and of running high-level businesses. He has previously been the CEO of TransACT, PARASOL and ASX listed Energy Action. He was a General Manager at ActewAGL for nine years and was a senior executive with iiNet as Head of Federal Government and ACT.

“Ivan has also been very active in the Canberra community, helping to raise more than $25m for community organisations and charity groups over the past decade. Recently, as the CEO of Soldier On, he grew the number of veterans supported from 3,000 to 8,000 tripling the size of the organisation.

“He is also a very strong supporter of Camp Quality who help kids up to the age of 15 impacted by cancer and was the highest fundraiser in the world for Movember who help with men’s health.”

Ivan was the inaugural Chair of the Canberra Cavalry baseball team who won the Claxton Shield for the first time and has been involved with many sporting organisations across Canberra and Sydney.

He is currently the Chair of the Capital region’s very own Service One Alliance Bank, which emerged out of the various Credit Unions in Canberra, the Snowy Mountains, and the NSW South Coast.

He has a Business Degree from UTS, post graduate qualifications from the Securities Institute of Australia, Mt Eliza Business School, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors where he is a graduate and a Fellow (FAICD).

“Ivan brings with him strong Strategic, Leadership and Business Development skills and a passion for Football,” Konstantinou added via press release.

“He will listen to the football community in the Capital region, work out what is working well, what needs to change, and what needs to be implemented.

“Ivan is particularly interested in growing Football in Canberra beyond the current 35,000 participants, focusing on football skills, team development and helping football clubs achieve financial strength and already has plans to achieve this.”

Ivan Slavich will replace current CEO Chris Gardiner, who stepped into the vacant position as the hunt for a new CEO continued.

He has also welcomed the appointment, having stepped into the CEO position to assist Capital Football in 2022.

“2023 will be a crucial year for Football with the impact of the Men’s and Women’s World Cups, and an energised Canberra United in the Liberty A-League,” Gardiner said via press release.

“Ivan is very much the right person to ensure Football can grow and strengthen in Canberra going forward.”

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Football Victoria Backs Campaign to Shield Junior Players from Gambling Harm

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More than 600 sporting clubs across Victoria have enrolled in a state government program designed to limit young players’ exposure to gambling, with Football Victoria now urging its community clubs to join before a late-July registration deadline.

The Love the Game initiative asks clubs to formally commit to a set of principles: refusing sports betting sponsorships, developing internal harm prevention policies, and building environments where coaches, parents and players are equipped to discuss gambling risks with children.

The program’s public health rationale has a sharper statistical edge than its community-facing materials suggest. A 2025 study of Victorian secondary school students aged 12 to 17 found that nearly 30% had gambled at some point, and among those who had gambled in the past year, 7.5% met the criteria for problem-gambling and a further 26.8% were classified as ‘at-risk’. The research, commissioned by the state government and published earlier this year, also found that students exposed to gambling venues and advertising were more likely to gamble or to do so in a risky manner.

The most recent Victorian Population Gambling Study found that Victorians aged 18 to 24 are the group least likely to gamble overall, yet carry the highest rates of harmful gambling across all age groups. Young people aged 18 to 34 are around five times more likely to bet on sports than older cohorts.

When the data lands at the clubhouse door

Football Victoria’s support for the program reflects a broader recognition within community sport that participation rates and club culture are connected. The environments clubs create shape whether young people stay in sport and what norms they carry with them into adulthood. For football specifically, which draws participants across a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, that responsibility is not evenly distributed. Approximately 440,000 Victorians, or 8.5 per cent of the state’s population, are classified as being at some risk of experiencing problem gambling.

The Victorian Government’s program gives clubs more than symbolic membership. Registered clubs receive practical tools to develop governance frameworks around gambling harm, resources for coaching staff and volunteers, and standing as part of a growing network of clubs taking a formal position on the issue.

Researchers have described the current framing of gambling harm as a matter of personal responsibility as inadequate, arguing it is a public health issue requiring a systemic response. Community football clubs, with their reach into households across the state, are one of the institutional levers available to make that response visible.

Melbourne Victory driving strong partnerships with BYD

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TY Lim / Shutterstock.com

The innovative vehicle manufacturer will join the Victory family as a Major Partner and Exclusive Motor Vehicle Supplier in a 12-month deal.

 

Elite performance, accessible for all

The alliance between Melbourne Victory and BYD reflects both parties’ commitment to progress, efficiency and high performance. It brings together two organisations who share vision and values, two fundamental aspects of any successful partnership.

On one hand is a rapidly growing and community-connected manufacturing company with over 100 sites, intent on providing reliable vehicles to Australian families. On the other, a successful club in the heart of Melbourne, with ambitions to progress on the pitch while regularly engaging with the community.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, commented on the strong foundations of the partnership with BYD.

“Founded only a decade apart, there is a shared history of, and ambition for, continued accelerated growth between Melbourne Victory and BYD.”

“Not only is there a clear alignment of our vision and values to lead, unite, connect and inspire, but a mutual commitment to creating a better future for our communities.”

 

Delivering for the community

As part of the partnership, BYD’s branding will feature on Victory’s home and away jerseys, as well as across the Academy, media and Community assets.

Moreover, the agreement comes as a response from Victory to members and fans’ wishes for not just any vehicle partner, but one which is appropriate and coherent to their day-to-day lives. And as BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Collins, explained, the new energy vehicle manufacturer is driving far more than just passengers.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Melbourne Victory, a club that shares our relentless drive for performance and innovation,” expressed Collins.

“As the exclusive vehicle supplier, we’re not just providing new energy mobility; we’re supporting the team’s journey towards a more sustainable future.”

New energy, new partner and new ambitions for Melbourne Victory, who will compete on the international stage next season in the AFC Champions League Two.

And with a partner like BYD to back them, players and fans in the Victory family will be hoping it is the start of a journey to success.

 

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