Melbourne Victory Managing Director Caroline Carnegie on the club’s rebuild

Caroline Carnegie has been leading Melbourne Victory FC through their rebuild before the start of the new A-League season as Managing Director of the club. In an exclusive interview with Soccerscene, she discusses the challenges faced so far, making a better A-League, and how clubs can re-engage lapsed fans.

What has been the biggest challenge of being Managing Director of Melbourne Victory so far?

Caroline Carnegie: There are a lot of challenges at the moment. There are the broader COVID-related challenges which everybody is experiencing, and then there’s the club-specific ones. Without sugar-coating it, we obviously had our poorest season on record last year. So coming in there were a lot of challenges that we needed to deal with and a lot of them centred around member sentiment and fan engagement. There was also making sure that across all our stakeholders we were communicating our direction and what was happening at the Club. I think our fans and members are pretty realistic. Although we certainly want to win silverware every year, we know it won’t be the case every season, which means we need to be really clear with everyone about what we want to achieve and the direction of the Club, which we have lacked a little bit certainly over the past couple of years.

Since stepping into the role, I have tried to make sure that we challenge the way we’ve been thinking about our business and how we go about delivering on and off the pitch. This means everything from the smallest to the biggest detail has been or is being stress tested, and we are all really testing ourselves as to whether we’ve been doing things in the best way or we can be a little bit more progressive, and to make sure that we put our members and partners first in everything we do moving forward. One of the things I was keen to do early was to put a true Director of Football in place, which I did first up with John Didulica. It is a role that the Club has needed for a while, and appointing JD has meant we now have a consistent whole of football approach from top to bottom with men and women.

While we can’t implement it all in 30 seconds, our planning is around making sure that all of our programs are truly elite and we progress our academy programs to be able to provide a true pathway into Melbourne Victory senior men’s and women’s over time, and also to make sure that we treat our men’s and women’s elite teams with equality. We know if you support Melbourne Victory you support our teams. Our men or women and our business is trying to make sure we promote that in all aspects of what we do.

Another example of trying to listen and deliver what our people want was the decision to return all of our home games to AAMI Park – which was so well received by our members and fans.  They had been calling out for that move for a really long time and I am glad the Club could deliver it and we cannot wait to make AAMI our fortress this season – and beyond of course. The move to do that was also important so we could show all our stakeholders that we are listening, and everybody is working very hard at the Club to position Melbourne Victory at the top of everything we do.

We are also excited that we will have a member’s forum a little closer to the start of the season – hopefully in person – to provide our people with a chance to have their thoughts and feelings about the Club heard and to share them with our team.

How much input did the A-League clubs have with the re-branding of the A-League and the W-League under one banner?

Caroline Carnegie: They had a lot to do with it.  APL is now owned by the Clubs since unbundling occurred earlier this year, and the Board of APL includes Club Chairmen.  The Board and the Clubs were involved in the decisions and it was great that we could be the first league to come out and show true equality in naming our men’s and women’s leagues consistently.

How important is it to have a dividing identity and geography between the three Melbourne teams?

Caroline Carnegie: It’s really important. It is important for all teams – not just the Melbourne clubs – to have a clear identity and target demographic, and geographically separating just helps us to be individually stronger.  It creates an environment where we can also promote the game on a broader scale and build a little ‘cross town’ rivalry at the same time.

What initiatives are Victory and the A-League taking to re-engage lapsed fans?

Caroline Carnegie: From a league level you’ll see a lot of changes to start with. We’ve just come through the unbundling process from FA which means at APL there is definitely a big focus on making sure that everything is reviewed, and a new and fresh approach is undertaken. It is really exciting to see what the team there is doing, and great that our Club can be a small part of that.

At Victory, as I said before, we are spending a lot of time trying to make sure we communicate better and in a more transparent and targeted manner with our people. We want our family to know who does what at Victory, what our plans are and the direction we are heading.  You should have started to see that so far in the off-season with the level and quality of engagement, even through our social channels.

We have made sure our player announcements are different and we are creating really exciting, dynamic content that speaks to our fans, and our membership campaign was another great example of that.

We have adopted a member-centric approach, and hopefully our fans can see that and want to jump on board and join the movement. After a couple of difficult years for everyone, we certainly continue to need their support and we are looking forward to seeing them at AAMI Park in Round 2.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Melbourne Victory’s brand-new infrastructure strategy

Melbourne Victory & SEDA

A-League giant Melbourne Victory has revealed a brand-new extensive infrastructure strategy to foster and support tomorrow’s footballing stars.

The strategic infrastructure plan set out by Victory will aim to develop youth and women’s football programs by providing improved access to world class footballing facilities and player pathways across Victoria.

To achieve this, Melbourne Victory has opted for a campus model to enable players access to connected and consistent facilities across the North, East, South and West of Melbourne, all within an hour’s journey of Victory’s club administrative centre and the A-League Men’s training facilities at Gosch’s Paddock.

The club also intends to build another campus within the Melbourne city centre, with the first campus location to be announced by the club soon, as it continues to review and assess possible sites across the city.

Melbourne Victory Chairman, John Dovaston, explained why the club had chosen the campus model.

“The announcement of this project, and the direction taken, is aimed at ensuring we are best placed to attract and retain football talent across the State,” he said in a press release.

“Our innovative approach will allow us to have a number of campuses with not only an elite focus, but also, an eye on building our community to ensure that all Victorians have an opportunity to participate and engage in our game.”

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the new infrastructure strategy was so important to the club.

“It is well understood that sport and football can influence social cohesion, and it’s our responsibility as a Club to establish infrastructure and programs that can positively impact members of the community, regardless of gender, background or location, whether that be through training the next generation of football stars, or using football as a vehicle to lead, unite, connect and inspire the community more broadly,” she said via press release.

“By enabling Victory to connect with communities across the North, South, East, and West of AAMI Park, our spiritual home, we can truly grow the Victory family and set new standards for elite facilities in our Pathway and community programs.”

The infrastructure project is an important move for the club, allowing it to grow, improve and future-proof its current suite of footballing programs. Currently, Victory operates nine elite and 23 pathway programs, providing services to over 16,000 participants across Victoria. Through the campus model, the club hopes it will be able to more efficiently develop the new generation of A-League and national team players.

“The priority is to provide not just an entry point for individuals to engage and participate in football, but to keep them engaged and provide a holistic journey to grow the Victory family across the State,” Carnegie continued.

“We are excited about the opportunities that the project can provide and the potential for growth for our Club and for football in the future.”

Melbourne Victory will continue to issue updates as it sets on the 5-year-plus journey to complete the entire project. For more information on the club’s major infrastructure strategy, access the plan HERE.

 

Australian Championship set to revolutionise domestic football

Football Australia has unveiled the “Australian Championship,” a groundbreaking new competition that promises to reshape the nation’s football landscape.

Officially launching in October 2025, the Championship will serve as a vital bridge between state-based competitions and the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s system, bringing clubs, players, and communities closer together.

This announcement comes on the heels of the October confirmation of the National Second Tier (NST) format, marking a significant milestone in Australian football.

The Australian Championship will provide a national platform for clubs and players to showcase their talent while fostering stronger connections with fans and communities across the country.

Competition Format and Vision

The Australian Championship will feature 16 teams competing in a dynamic format designed to balance competitive integrity and fan engagement. The competition will include:

Group Stage: Four groups of four teams playing home-and-away fixtures.

Elimination Finals: The top two teams from each group advancing to knockout rounds.

Grand Final: The inaugural champion to be crowned in December 2025.

This structure highlights Football Australia’s ambition to create an inclusive, exciting, and commercially sustainable competition that celebrates the depth of Australian football talent.

Football Australia Chief Executive Officer James Johnson spoke on the importance of this announcement for the future of Australian football.

“The Australian Championship is much more than a competition – it’s a national celebration of football; uniting proud historic clubs, emerging talent, and inter-generational community connection. It reflects the core values of Australian football: authenticity, opportunity, and ambition,” Johnson said in the press release.

“This competition will complement the A-League, NPL, and Hahn Australia Cup, providing a connected, meaningful pathway for players and fans alike. Today’s brand launch is a statement of our commitment to grow domestic football in Australia and unlock its full potential.”

Founding Clubs and National Representation

The competition will include eight Foundation Clubs with storied histories, such as APIA Leichhardt FC (NSW), Avondale FC (VIC), Marconi Stallions FC (NSW), Preston Lions FC (VIC), South Melbourne FC (VIC), Sydney Olympic FC (NSW), Sydney United 58 FC (NSW), and Wollongong Wolves FC (NSW), representing some of the strongest footballing traditions in the country.

Joining them will be eight Member Federation clubs drawn from the National Premier Leagues (NPL) across all states and territories.

This model ensures representation from every corner of the national football community, giving grassroots and state-level clubs an opportunity to compete on a larger stage.

Core Pillars of the Australian Championship

The Australian Championship aims to unite Australian football under the following key values:

Authenticity: Honouring historic clubs, iconic venues, and long-standing rivalries.

Discovery: Showcasing emerging talent and rising stars from across the nation.

Connection: Strengthening ties between grassroots, state competitions, and professional pathways.

Pride and Belonging: Celebrating football’s ability to bring players, fans, and communities together.

A New Era for Australian Football

With its launch, the Australian Championship is set to redefine the country’s domestic football ecosystem, creating new opportunities for players, clubs, and fans. Football Australia’s initiative reflects a commitment to building a thriving national competition while staying true to the rich heritage and passion that underpin Australian football.

As October 2025 approaches, anticipation will only grow for what promises to be a transformative moment in the nation’s sporting history.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend