Football Australia confirm wellbeing support

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Football Australia

As part of an expanded partnership by Football Australia, Sport Integrity Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), anyone who has been involved in Football Australia’s national programs will have the opportunity to access free counselling via the AIS Mental Health Referral Network from November 1, 2021 to April 1, 2022.

The move, which offers free access to expert mental health and wellbeing support, includes:

  • Current and former members of the men’s and women’s national teams
  • Current and former members of the A-League Men
  • Current and former members of the A-League Women
  • Current and former members of the A-League Youth
  • All impacted Football Australia staff
  • Impacted family members of the athlete or staff groups above

Importantly, the support extends to all parties involved in the complaint process, including those who submit complaints or reports, and the respondents to those complaints.

Sport Integrity Australia CEO David Sharpe sees the value of the partnership as something that cannot be underestimated.

“We understand that speaking up, or being the subject of an investigation, can sometimes be extremely challenging. Ensuring people have access to professional support if they need it is essential and this partnership provides that through dedicated professionals who are experts in the field of elite sport,” he said.

AIS Director of People Development and Wellbeing Matti Clements was pleased to be able to expand support during the Football Australia process.

“We genuinely want everyone in Australian high-performance sport to be supported and feel like they can reach out for help if, and when, they need it. This year alone the AIS Mental Health Referral Network has received more than 350 referrals. So, don’t ever feel like you’re alone or there isn’t someone you can speak to,” she said.

“Your first point of call when you connect with the Mental Health Referral Network will be with a qualified psychologist who will discuss your concerns and circumstances, then offer to connect you to the most suitable clinician in our network. There’s no obligations, just support.”

Football Australia James Johnson CEO saw the expansion of the partnership as underlining the game’s commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment for players and officials.

“The issues we’re talking about are inherently complex and deeply personal, so it’s important that people are provided the appropriate care and support so they are, and feel, equipped to participate in the process in a way that caters for their specific needs and circumstances,” he said.

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Football Victoria recognised in Pride in Sport Index 2026

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Image credit: Parilov / Shutterstock.com

The Silver Status shows Football Victoria‘s commitment to providing Victorians with a safe, inclusive landscape for all to enjoy the beautiful game.

Everyone’s game

Earlier this month, the Australian Pride in Sport Awards recognised several organisations and individuals across the nation who continue to champion inclusive spaces in the world of sport.

Among the nominees was Football Victoria, who received the Silver Status. FV Executive Manager Equity, Programs and Government Relations, Karen Pearce, expressed her pride at the achievement.

“Achieving Silver Status in the Pride in Sport Index is an important reflection of the work being done across Football Victoria to ensure LGBTQ+ people feel safe, welcomed and included in our game,” Pearce said via official press release.

“We remain committed to embedding inclusive practices across all levels of football, and continuing to create environments where everyone can belong, participate and thrive.”

 

Inclusion matters

While recognition is always a positive reflection of successful work behind the scenes, it is important to remember what the work intends to achieve.

Football – and sport in general – is a unique opportunity to bring diverse communities together, and to compete, spectate and enjoy the game on an equal playing field.

Furthermore, as custodians of ‘the world’s game’, governing bodies, fans and players around the world all share the responsibility to empower marginalised groups to feel included.

Two months ago, The Premier League introduced their own initiative – Premier League With Pride – reflecting their own commitment to ensuring football grounds, schools and academies remain welcoming.

 

Final thoughts

There is no place for hate or abuse in football, whether on a grassroots field or professional stadium.

Football Victoria will continue its journey and commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community – at all levels of the game – for many seasons to come.

Football Queensland to celebrate Female Football Week with statewide events, awards and coaching programs

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Brighton women's football motion
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Football Queensland will mark the 2026 Female Football Week with a program of statewide events, competitions and professional development opportunities running from May 8-17, as the governing body continues to push for broader access and representation across all levels of the women’s game in Queensland.

The nationwide initiative, now a fixture on the Australian football calendar, provides a concentrated period of visibility for female participation across playing, coaching, officiating and administration: areas where structural underrepresentation has historically limited both the growth of the game and the opportunities available to women and girls within it.

“Female Football Week provides us with a valuable opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women and girls across our game while continuing to increase the accessibility of football in Queensland,” said Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci. “We encourage our clubs to host their own Female Football Week events and activations for female participants.”

 

Elite Competition Meets Community Access

The centrepiece of Football Queensland’s program is the return of the NPL Women’s Magic Round to Nudgee Recreation Reserve on May 8 and 9, featuring five NPL Women’s Round 13 clashes alongside a Girls United Junior Carnival and family-friendly activations. Each Magic Round game will feature an all-female refereeing panel, a deliberate and visible commitment to developing the next generation of female match officials at a moment when referee shortages are among the most pressing structural challenges facing the game nationally.

A Women in Football networking event will be held on the opening night of Magic Round, bringing together coaches, match officials and administrators. The inclusion of that event alongside elite competition is significant because it positions professional development and community building not as supplementary activities but as core components of what Female Football Week is for.

The Central Coast region will host its own Magic Round on May 16, featuring a Youth Girls game and three FQPL Central Coast Women’s matches, while a Darling Downs Junior Girls Day will take place at Captain Cook Park on the same day, extending the reach of the week’s programming beyond the southeast corner of the state into regional Queensland.

 

Coaching access as a structural priority

Football Queensland will deliver a series of female-only coaching courses around Female Football Week, with clubs also able to express interest in hosting their own. The initiative addresses one of the most persistent barriers to female representation in football administration- its coaching pipeline.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented at all levels of the game in Australia, and the barriers to accreditation, including cost, availability and the cultural environment of mixed coaching courses, compound one another in ways that individual ambition alone cannot overcome. Female-only courses create environments where women can develop without those barriers, and their delivery during Female Football Week signals that the commitment extends beyond celebration into structural change.

The Girls United Carnivals, running in both Metro and Far North and Gulf regions alongside the Q-League Schools program at Meakin Park, extend that access to players at the earliest stages of their football journey.

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