Football Coaches Australia presents ‘The Football Coaching Life Podcast’ S3 Ep 1 with Gary Cole interviewing Ash Wilson

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FCA

Ash Wilson has recently been reappointed as Head Coach of the Newcastle Jets A-League Women’s team. Ash also works in the Jets Academy program and in addition is a full-time teacher at Hunter Sports High.

Ash played her early football in Lismore on the far north coast of NSW. Her dad was integral in helping Ash into the game, being her role model as well as helping her to fall in love with the game.

She began coaching early in her career, working first in the Macquarie Academy while she was playing and then continuing as she moved to Adamstown Rosebuds after moving to Newcastle to play.

This is another wonderful conversation with a coach still young in years, but experienced in working with players at school, community and elite level. Ash is a teacher at heart and wants to teach/coach her players to improve. She is also a strong advocate of ‘lifetime learning’ and is always looking to continue her own football education.

Ash understands how important resilience is for players and coaches, and as a secondary teacher and coach she teaches young people how to become more resilient and appreciates how important this is in her own coaching life.

Ash’s ‘one piece of wisdom’ is that if you want to coach, then be brave enough to put yourself out there, introduce yourself to people and be prepared to take on opportunities that exist as you grow and develop as a coach and work out your own pathway.

Please join in sharing Ash Wilson’s Football Coaching Life.

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Sydney FC targets B2B growth with new corporate network

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Image Credit: Getty Images

Sydney FC is looking to turn its existing corporate relationships into a broader business development platform with the launch of The Collective, a new membership network built around connections between businesses.

The initiative, launched ahead of the 2026/27 A-League season, will combine corporate events, matchday experiences and behind-the-scenes access with opportunities for members to engage directly with Sydney FC’s wider commercial network.

Rather than positioning the offering solely around hospitality, the club is placing business development at the centre of the proposition. Members identify the organisations and individuals they want to connect with, and Sydney FC and The Collective work together to facilitate those introductions

Sydney FC Executive Vice Chairman Sebastian Gray said the club’s already diverse corporate network will only benefit from this initiative.

“Football is a fantastic vehicle for bringing people together, but we want The Collective to go beyond matchday,” Gray said. “It will be about creating connections, opening doors and providing experiences that our members genuinely value throughout the year.”

The club has partnered with Andrew Towner, founder of The Corporate Collective, to develop the network. Towner has previously built a business community around the NRL and will bring that experience into the Sydney FC platform.

The Collective will be offered through Premium and Standard membership packages, giving businesses different levels of access to events, experiences and the club’s corporate network.

For Sydney FC, the model adds another layer to its commercial partnership strategy, moving beyond individual sponsorship assets to create a recurring platform for B2B engagement.

It also gives the club another way to demonstrate commercial value to its business partners, with networking and potential new business opportunities becoming part of the proposition alongside traditional brand exposure and hospitality.

Auckland FC partners with FreshChoice to expand local presence

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Image Credit: A-Leagues

Auckland FC is taking its latest commercial partnership into supermarkets and local communities, with FreshChoice joining the club as its official supermarket sponsor ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The agreement gives FreshChoice a visible presence across Auckland FC’s training apparel, while also creating opportunities for the club to engage supporters away from Go Media Stadium.

FreshChoice stores will host Auckland FC player appearances, giveaways and other activations throughout the partnership, creating physical touchpoints between the team, its supporters and the retailer’s customer base.

The partnership will also extend into grassroots football, with a local club set to have the opportunity to win a private training session with Auckland FC players.

FreshChoice Executive General Manager Tim Cartwright said the partnership provided an opportunity to connect the retailer’s existing local focus with the growing fanbase of Auckland FC.

“Everything we do at FreshChoice starts with our local communities. This partnership is really about showing up for the local people who support our stores every day,” Cartwright said.

For Auckland FC, the deal adds a large retail network to its commercial portfolio and provides another channel through which the club can reach supporters outside its regular matchday environment.

Auckland FC Chief Executive Officer Nick Becker said that the partnership would be a great opportunity to grow the game within the local community.

“What better way to support a growing community than partnering with an organisation that knows a thing or two about serving the local community,” Becker said.

The partnership takes effect immediately, with activations planned across FreshChoice’s North Island stores and online channels, while further activities are scheduled to take place at Auckland FC home fixtures during the season.

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