Growing younger: PFA report challenges A-League Men critics

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Image provided by Professional Footballers Australia

Professional Footballers Australia released their annual A-League Men’s report last week, which indicates the wheel has turned against two persistent criticisms of the league: a lack of opportunities for young players, and the recycling of similar faces between clubs commonly described as ‘player churn.’

The report highlights that the competition led all leagues within the Asian Football Confederation last season in providing opportunities for players aged under 21, with steady growth across the past three seasons decreasing the average age of the league from 27 years to 25.

The signing of a five-year collective bargaining agreement ahead of the 2020/21 campaign between the PFA and its players also provided clubs and players a degree of stability not previously afforded. This has seen contract lengths increase across the board, allowing clubs to move away from the need to sign players at short-notice, and therefore reliance on ‘known quantities.’

TALENT FACTORY

A key point to emerge from the report is that perceptions that the league leans heavily on the tried and true, and is reluctant to roll the dice on young talent, is no longer accurate. Within the AFC, the league topped all for the percentage of match minutes played by those under 21, at 11.1% of minutes across its 257 matches.

This places it comfortably ahead of its nearest competitors in Asia: the Arabian Gulf League – sitting second with 9.3% of minutes allocated to players in the bracket. The J2 League (Japan’s second division) was third with 5.5%. Japan’s J1 League, widely considered Asia’s strongest league, sat fifth with 5.4%.

Globally, Australia’s figure placed it eighth on a list of 60 comparable leagues, considerably behind the world leading Danish Superliga and Venezuela’s Primera Division, tied on 16.5%. Notably, A-League Men’s sits above the Dutch Eredivisie (10.9%), commonly considered one of world football’s strongest development leagues. However, it should also be considered that the figure is drawn from 306 matches, as opposed to Australia’s 257.

France’s Ligue 1 leads all comers across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ on 9.1%, ahead of the German Bundesliga (7.1%) and England’s Premier League (4.4%).

Brisbane Roar’s Kai Trewin (2,416 minutes) and Central Coast Mariners’ Jacob Farrell (2,338) topped A-League Men minutes for players in the age bracket in 2021/22; Farrell and Sydney FC’s Patrick Yazbek were both within the world’s Top 100 players to play the most senior football in the first half of 2022, from the under 20 bracket (CIES Football Observatory).

How has this happened? The reduction of the A-League’s salary cap from $3.2million to $2.1million during the nadir of Covid-19 in October 2020 played a significant role. Paired with global travel restrictions, inhibiting foreign recruitment during the period, clubs were forced to look inwards and become resourceful, rather than spending bloated figures on overseas recruits.

The updated CBA brokered by the PFA in September 2021 will see the cap gradually rise back to $2.6million by 2024 and features greater flexibility for clubs to spend outside of it. But some clubs, having been forced to live lean during crisis time, are in no hurry to return to their old ways.

The Central Coast Mariners developed a well-earned reputation for the promotion of their own in the club’s formative years, largely through financial necessity. Mile Jedinak, Trent Sainsbury and Mat Ryan all made their professional debuts in Gosford, and would each go on to captain the Socceroos. 

Post-Covid, the Mariners are back at it under Nick Montgomery. In 2022 they ranked 17th among 40 leagues globally for percentage of minutes played by academy players: 47.1% of all minutes of 22 matches, , shared among eleven homegrown products (CIES Football Observatory).

For context, the famed Ajax academy provided 39.7% of their senior sides’ total minutes from 12 players across 29 matches (ranked 34th). The global leader was Slovakia’s MSK Zilina, sharing 85.5% of minutes across 23 academy players (28 matches).

THE NEXT STEP

The report also proves that clubs and players have used these heightened match minutes for youngsters productively, with players developing onto the next stage of their careers at an increasing rate.

A-League Men clubs have stitched themselves back into the global player market this year, taking a combined $3.4million in international transfer receipts across the January & May-September transfer window. Socceroos Connor Metcalfe, Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson headline the list of those to move abroad.

This figure demonstrates a bounce back from the seven-year low of 2021, when clubs pocketed a collective $1.6million. 2022 is still someway off the league’s highpoint of $5.4million (2018), which included moves for Daniel Arzani to Manchester City and Andrew Nabbout to Urawa Reds.

CHURN OUT

The report also shows steps have been taken towards the reduction of ‘player churn’, whereby a small, familiar pool of players are recycled amongst clubs, leaving fans bemoaning unimaginative recruiting and being unable to form a loyal connection with those on the pitch.

The percentage of players coming off contract at the start of 2021/22 was the lowest it had been in the eight years of recorded PFA contract data, at 48%. The previous low was 52% in 2015/16, while at its highest the figure blew out to 68% at the start of 2020/21, which came in accordance with the league’s Covid-inflicted salary cap reduction.

PFA research conducted in partnership with Twenty First Group also reveals the A-League Men’s leads all Asian leagues for contract length; at 1.51 years on average, longer than local competitors in the J1 League (1.01 years) and South Korea’s K League 1 (0.86).

Club’s attitudes towards long-term contracts have shifted markedly under the five-year CBA. The number of players on one-year deals has been reduced from 51% in the pre-pandemic season of 2019/20, to 39% last season. Conversely the percentage of players offered the stability of a two-year deal grew from 38% to 48%.

“The objective of agreeing to a five-year CBA was to provide both a genuine partnership between the players and the clubs and crucially to provide the professional game with a stable platform to rebuild the industry,” PFA co-chief executive Beau Busch said as part of their report.

“Encouragingly, we continue to see a range of positive trends in relation to increased investment in players, the emergence of a host of talented players and improved contractual stability.”

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Juan Mata Commits to Melbourne Victory’s Future with Ownership Stake

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Image Credit: A-Leagues.com

Melbourne Victory has announced that Spanish football icon Juan Mata has joined the club’s ownership group, marking one of the most significant investment moves by a current international footballer in Australian football history.

The agreement sees Mata acquire an ownership stake in Victory while continuing to weigh up whether he will extend his playing career beyond the 2025/26 A-League Men’s season. The investment is separate from any future playing contract and reflects a long-term commitment to both the club and the wider Australian football landscape.

Should Mata eventually retire from professional football, he will also take on a leadership role by chairing a newly established football committee at Melbourne Victory, helping shape the club’s football operations and strategic direction.

More than another football investment

While former elite players have increasingly entered football ownership around the world, Mata’s decision stands apart because he is investing directly into the club he currently represents.

The move places Melbourne Victory among a growing list of clubs benefiting from investment by globally recognised football figures. However, unlike celebrity ownership groups where players often become passive investors after retirement, Mata is embedding himself within the club while still competing at the highest domestic level.

Commercial terms of the transaction remain confidential, although the investment has been described as a significant long-term minority stake designed to strengthen the partnership between Mata and the club well beyond his playing career.

A vote of confidence in Australian football

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the announcement is what it says about the perception of Australian football internationally.

After arriving in Australia following spells with some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea and Valencia, few would have predicted that Mata would choose to invest his own capital into an A-League club.

Instead, the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner has described Australian football as a competition with genuine long-term potential.

“Australian football has a future I genuinely believe in,” Mata said.

“From the moment I arrived at Melbourne Victory, I’ve felt the passion of this club and the potential of the A-Leagues, and I want to be part of building what comes next—not just for a season, but for the long term.”

Mata added that becoming a shareholder represented “the natural next step” after enjoying his first season at Victory.

Rewarding an outstanding first season

The investment follows what has been one of the finest individual campaigns by a marquee player in recent A-League history.

The 38-year-old registered five goals and 13 assists across 25 appearances during the 2025/26 season, earning the Johnny Warren Medal as the league’s best player while also claiming Melbourne Victory’s Player of the Year honours. His performances helped guide Victory back into the Finals Series and demonstrated that his influence extends far beyond his reputation.

Rather than treating Australia as a final destination before retirement, Mata has instead become increasingly involved in shaping the game’s future.

A growing portfolio of sporting investments

Melbourne Victory is not Mata’s first venture into sports ownership.

The Spaniard already holds ownership interests in Major League Soccer expansion club San Diego FC and Formula One outfit Alpine Racing. He has also invested in Mercury/13, the multi-club ownership group focused on developing women’s football globally.

These investments reflect a broader trend among modern footballers who are leveraging their experience and networks beyond their playing careers. For Melbourne Victory, securing someone with Mata’s global football knowledge, commercial experience and international connections represents an opportunity that extends well beyond the pitch.

Landmark moment for Melbourne Victory

Victory Chairman John Dovaston described Mata’s investment as a significant endorsement of both the club and the A-Leagues.

According to Dovaston, Mata is a discerning investor with stakes in elite sporting organisations worldwide, making his decision to back Melbourne Victory a strong signal of confidence in the club’s direction and the league’s future.

Managing Director Caroline Carnegie echoed those sentiments, describing the announcement as “genuinely groundbreaking” and highlighting Mata’s combination of world-class football intelligence, investor mindset and long-term commitment.

A statement beyond Melbourne

Australian football has long sought greater international credibility. Not only through marquee signings, but through meaningful long-term investment.

Mata’s decision represents something arguably more valuable than a headline player signing. By committing financially to Melbourne Victory, he is effectively betting on the future growth of both the club and the A-Leagues.

At a time when Australian football continues to pursue increased investment, stronger governance and greater global relevance, having one of the game’s most respected figures choose to become an owner may ultimately prove to be one of the competition’s most powerful endorsements.

Victorian Labor commits $500,000 to Thornbury Football Facility as State Election Advocacy Intensifies

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Image Credit: Kat Theophanous MP Facebook

The Victorian Labor Party has confirmed $500,000 in 2026-27 State Budget funding to upgrade facilities at Mayer Park in Thornbury, with Northcote MP Kat Theophanous joining Darebin United juniors for a training session earlier this month to mark the commitment. The funding follows a public campaign by Football Victoria highlighting the ground’s deteriorating conditions, and lands within an escalating advocacy effort by the sport ahead of the next Victorian election.

The money will go toward upgrading the playing surface and planning a new pavilion at a ground that has received no infrastructure investment in over a decade, according to Football Victoria, despite participation at Darebin United more than quadrupling in that time. The club fielded five teams in 2021. It now fields more than 20, with over 300 players including more than 130 children under 12 and over 70 female players.

That growth has collided directly with the limits of the ground itself. Mayer Park has no drainage and no synthetic surface, and Football Victoria reported that Darebin United lost 23 training sessions in 2024 alone due to unsafe, waterlogged conditions. Club President Michael Slaughter described a pitch that was uneven and at times dangerous, particularly for junior and female players.

“I have been there for six years, and the club is at a stage now that we need something new,” Slaughter said in comments to Football Victoria earlier this year. “There’s only so many training sessions you can cancel, and then there’s the cost of finding alternative grounds indoors or outdoors, which isn’t ideal.”

A campaign that found its target

Football Victoria published a dedicated article in March calling on Darebin City Council to urgently prioritise redevelopment of Mayer Park, explicitly linking the club’s case to its broader Level the Playing Field campaign. Three months later, the funding arrived, not from council, but from the state government, attached to the local member’s name and delivered with a photo opportunity on the training pitch.

A club’s need becomes visible through governing body advocacy, a local member adopts the cause, and the funding is announced as a direct response to community need rather than as a line item in a broader budget process. Theophanous’s own account of the announcement makes the local framing explicit, describing the investment alongside free public transport, school upgrades and registration discounts as part of what she has billed as “easier, safer and more affordable” support for Northcote.

“Community sporting clubs bring Northcote locals together,” Theophanous said in her budget statement. “Through our Get Active Kids voucher program, we’re making sure the cost of fees and equipment doesn’t keep kids from playing the sport they love. And we’re also investing to make local clubs even stronger.”

Earlier this year, Avondale FC secured $500,000 for lighting at Avenger Park and Hume City FC received $250,000 for upgrades at Nasiol Stadium, both delivered through the same budget cycle and both paired with local member announcements. Mayer Park follows the same pipeline, a state government commitment, a local seat, a community club whose growth has outpaced its facilities, and a governing body using the win as evidence in a larger campaign.

The equity dimension

What distinguishes the Mayer Park case is the explicit role gender and accessibility played in Football Victoria’s advocacy. The governing body noted that unsafe pitch conditions were particularly dangerous for junior and female players, and highlighted that Darebin United maintains 40% female representation on its committee with seven female coaches, alongside its status as one of Darebin’s first 2-Star Club Changer accredited clubs, a Football Victoria program recognising clubs that actively remove barriers to female participation.

A club building one of the more credible female participation pathways in the municipality was, until this announcement, doing so on a ground its own administrators described as unsafe. Infrastructure investment of this kind does not simply improve playing conditions. It determines whether programs explicitly designed to grow women’s and girls’ football can function as intended, or whether they remain constrained by the same ageing facilities that have shaped community football for a decade.

What it means for the campaign ahead

Football Victoria has framed the Mayer Park outcome as one data point within its Level the Playing Field campaign, which continues to call for more equitable government investment in football relative to other codes. The organisation has indicated further football-related announcements are expected from the 2026-27 Victorian State Budget, with the upcoming state election positioned as the decisive moment for the sport’s broader infrastructure future.

For Slaughter, the immediate outcome is more concrete. “The funding is extremely important,” he said. “It allows us to deliver our football program and to grow. This will give them a place to come, to have fun and to enjoy their soccer”.

Whether that template, governing body advocacy, local political adoption, budget announcement, repeats consistently enough to address the scale of Victoria’s grassroots facilities gap remains the open question Football Victoria’s campaign is designed to keep in front of both major parties as the election approaches.

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