The Northern Territory became the first state or territory in Australia to recommence competitive community football after resuming their Women’s and Men’s Premier Leagues on Friday night.
In a double header, The Hellenic Athletic Women were victorious 4-1 in their Women’s Premier League matchup against NT Yapas, whilst the Hellenic Athletic Men went down 4-3 to Mindil Aces FC.
Both matches were live-streamed on the FFA’s Facebook and Twitter platforms, as well as the My Football YouTube channel, with over 30,000 views registered across the two games to date.
Renowned football figures including former Socceroo Craig Foster and Fox Sports’ Simon Hill were involved in the commentary setup for the matches.
FFA CEO James Johnson was pleased that competitive action was back underway in Australia.
“Many congratulations to Football Northern Territory and the NT Government for the close collaboration and the hard work that has enabled the return of football,” he said.
“I’d like to thank every football participant in the Territory for the part they have played in helping to supress the spread of COVID-19, by adhering to government regulations during the period of restrictions.
“As the most popular club-based participation sport in the country, football has an important role to play in the recovery of our nation post-coronavirus, and it’s great to see Football Northern Territory leading the way and kicking off the re-booted season in Australia.”
Football NT CEO Bruce Stalder revealed the rest of the territory’s Men’s Premier League matches will be broadcast online this season.
“We are extremely excited that for the first time, all of the games in the Men’s Premier League this season will be livestreamed on the FNT Facebook page and YouTube Channel, showcasing our game and the Northern Territory to new audiences both in Australia and around the world.”