Football NSW CEO Stuart Hodge resigns

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Stuart Hodge
Image credit: Football NSW

Following five and a half years of strong dedication, commitment and contribution to the football community, Stuart Hodge has resigned as Football NSW CEO.

Having been in the role since June 2017, Hodge will officially depart as CEO in December before taking up an exciting opportunity in the same position for Sport NSW.

Football NSW Chairman Gilbert Lorquet paid tribute to Stuart’s services for the organisation in a statement by Football NSW.

“I have personally admired Stuart’s personable and collaborative approach to his role during my time serving on the Board, and I am positive many of you will join me in wishing him the very best on his new adventure.”

Hodge navigated the state’s governing football body and substantial base of football participants through the monumental challenge that was the COVID-19 epidemic in his time.

His passion for football started at the Cranbourne Soccer Club, where he spent 10 years playing at the junior level.

Prior to taking on the Football NSW CEO role, Hodge had also held positions with the Australian Rugby Union and Melbourne Storm. And in addition to his considerable experience in marketing, media and communications, Mr. Hodge holds a Masters in International Sports Management.

The CEO vacancy provides Football NSW with a new opportunity to recruit a highly qualified and capable individual to lead the organisation through what is sure to be an exciting period for our sport.

Football NSW will be using an external executive search firm to assist them with the CEO recruitment process and will communicate further details in due course.

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Altona East Phoenix SC Makes Deal With The Eye Labs

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Image Credit: Football Victoria

Altona East Phoenix Soccer Club have announced a partnership with local business, The Eye Labs.

The Eye Lab is an eyecare and designer prescription provider who specialise in diagnosing and treating dry eyes with personalised care plans to relieve irritation, redness, and inflammation.

The Newport clinic who are now partnered with the football club is the only Eye Lab who offer myopia control, which aims to halt the development of near-sightedness.

The company wanted to partner with Altona East SC to help increase community understanding around: eye health, children’s eye health, some misconceptions regarding when to see an optometrist and what an optometrist does.

The Eye Lab Founder and Principal Optometrist, Vic El-Khoury stated the Newport branch will try and achieve eye care awareness through more social media engagement, workshops with the club and information sheets for players and parents.

“We find that partnering with local clubs is both a very fulfilling way to give back to the local community, increases general awareness of our clinic and improves community engagement around the importance of eye health,” he said to Soccerscene.

“The main benefit is to promote eye health.

“It will strengthen our connections to our patients and families that already visit us. We have since found out that some of our patients and friends already play for Altona East, which was something nice to see.”

Eye Coordination In Football

In any sports, and everyday life, eye coordination is paramount to the safety of the player and everyone around them.

The process of what a player sees, how they react, and their awareness of their surroundings.

Footballers can enhance their eye health with vision training and regular eye checks with companies like The Eye Lab.

Vision training also helps improve how the brain processed visual information, using tests like peripheral awareness, depth perception, eye tracking, focus and attention, and visual reaction speed.

Footballers can also use drills like trapping high balls, passing while under match-day-like pressure, and how to angle the ball when kicking can also help train eye coordination.

Protecting the Game’s Future: Head Safe Football and the Fight Against CTE

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Image Credit: Head Safe Football

Head Safe Football (HSF) is a pioneering organisation dedicated to tackling one of football’s most pressing health concerns: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The charity’s mission is simple but vital: to protect current and future generations of players from the devastating effects of repetitive head impacts.

CTE is a progressive, incurable brain disease caused by repeated head trauma, including heading the ball. Over time, these impacts can lead to memory loss, confusion, aggression, depression, and eventually dementia.

With symptoms worsening over decades and no known cure, prevention is the only solution.

The aim isn’t to eliminate heading from football because it remains an integral and unique part of the game. Instead, the focus is on promoting safer training practices that limit repeated head impacts.

For young players, particularly those under the age of 10 or 11, heading plays a minimal role due to the limited time the ball spends in the air. At this age, removing heading from training and matches can be done safely and without compromising the essence or flow of the game.

HSF is leading the charge to bring this conversation out of the shadows. Inspired by the “elephant in the room”, a metaphor used in its logo, the organisation challenges the football community to acknowledge and address the risks of CTE.

Its initiatives focus on education, awareness, and practical change: reducing heading in youth training, supporting affected players and families, and mobilising the wider football community to unite under the message Football United v CTE.

By combining the latest scientific research with community action, HSF aims to create a safer future for the sport. Their approach blends compassion and advocacy, ensuring that football’s progress doesn’t come at the expense of player wellbeing.

Conclusion

Education around head injuries remains one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of player welfare in football.

Many still underestimate the long-term dangers of repeated head impacts, and greater awareness is needed to ensure that players, coaches, and parents can make informed, responsible decisions.

By understanding the risks, the football community can take meaningful steps toward lasting change and safer playing environments.

Learn more about Head Safe Football and their current initiatives HERE

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