How should Australian football best use its COVID-19 postponement?

Staff Writer

FFA head James Johnson revealed the worst keep secret in Australian football early Tuesday morning; announcing the immediate suspension of A-League play on the back of the continued threat of COVID-19 . With states and territories having moved decisively on border control and lock down procedures, Johnson referred to a continuation as having become practically impossible.

The W-League did manage to squeeze their season in before the announcement was made, with a grand final between Melbourne City and Sydney FC last Saturday. The Melbourne City women may well be the last football team in Australia to win a championship for some time.

Words such as unprecedented, unique and testing have been common place in language over the past few weeks and the seriousness of the pandemic escapes no one at this time. Public health and prude governance are the most important aspects of the current situation, hopefully, wise decisions and action lead to a flattening of the curve and a slow return to normality over the next few months.

With around 1.8 million Australians who would normally be engaged with the beautiful game at this time of year in isolation and forbidden to compete, it would be prudent for FFA to think about encouraging behaviours that will benefit domestic football when it does eventually return.

As a first port of call, FFA should interact with the federations and ensure that junior players are sent age and skill appropriate drills to complete whilst confined to their home address. Many children will have a backyard in which to complete the drills, whilst others may be limited to small spaces available in apartments or town houses.

Technical directors could construct short clips and illustrated diagrams and then email and/or text the content to players using the official register in each federation.

Many young people will be feeling anxious about COVID-19, thanks to certain sections of the media that do little to encourage calm and thoughtful behaviour. Providing content for kids to work individually on their football skills would be a nice way to add a dose of normality for what will be a very strange time in their lives.

Slightly older players could also be engaged by their clubs, with coaching staff and technical consultants producing content they feel individual players need to work on. Within a supportive and digital environment, coaches might be able to set goals and objectives for the group and could potentially instil a competitive and diligent commitment to the drills that is so often lacking in junior players.

Players at NPL will find great challenges in maintaining fitness levels during the hiatus, with many young players no doubt living in high density situations with partners and young children. At a professional level, the AFL and NRL have set about the task of outlining fitness programs for their players that are adaptable to both indoor and outdoor environments. No doubt, the A-League will be following suit as we speak.

Many of the AFL players spoken to appeared at a loss as to how they would maintain fitness and skill levels without the expensive and vast resources of the football club to which they below. For NPL players it will be even more difficult, with the now closed local gyms the most common place for them to develop and maintain physical condition.

All NPL clubs need to establish a digital forum that includes the players, support staff and coaches in order to be pro-active during what appears likely to be an extended period away from the game. Once again, that sense of collegiality would be emotionally beneficial and with performance targets in place, the incentive to work collectively could potentially avoid any apathy that may occur in isolation.

The successful E-League concept should be immediately expanded with A and W League players engaged in play. A handful of players from each club with some X-BOX or PlayStation experience could be enlisted to play brief matches live on line, with the games streamed for fans to view via the club’s Facebook pages and the official A-League site.

The banter and enjoyment provided by what would no doubt be a comical yet also potentially competitive competition would further engage young fans and continue the objective of keeping the football community connected at this difficult time.

NPL New South Wales’ Facebook page is leading the way with lateral and creative thinking, already posting classic NPL matches for fans to view. The newly launched NPL.TV offers further potential in terms of streamed content and interaction and the National Premier Leagues’ #PlayAtHomeChallenge is a fun initiative that many players will be drawn to.

There is an emotional component to what all professional sport is about to encounter in Australia and monitoring and measuring that will prove difficult. The mind is fundamentally more important than the body and ensuring our football communities remain connected, active and positive is vitally important as most of us enter a period of isolation thanks to COVID-19.

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10:1 Against the World Game: Hume City Council’s Budget Is a Kick in the Guts for Football

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The numbers don’t lie. While football leads participation across the state, Hume City Council is spending ten times more on AFL infrastructure - exposing a funding imbalance that can no longer be ignored.
Image Credit: Hume City

Across Melbourne’s northern suburbs, football clubs are doing everything they can to keep up with demand.

Participation is rising. Teams are expanding. Young players inspired by the Matildas are flooding into community clubs. Training schedules are being pushed later into the night and volunteers are stretching limited facilities simply to keep pace with growth.

But behind the scenes, there is a problem quietly building and it is one that has little to do with the passion of players or the commitment of grassroots clubs.

It sits inside council budgets.

And when the numbers are examined closely, the picture becomes impossible to ignore.

The City of Hume’s current budget reveals a funding reality that should concern every football participant and every ratepayer in the municipality.

For every dollar spent on football infrastructure, Hume City Council is spending roughly ten dollars on AFL and oval-based facilities.

A 10:1 funding ratio against the world game.

For a sport that leads participation across Victoria, that figure isn’t just disappointing – it’s a kick in the guts for football communities across the municipality.

And for those watching the game grow while infrastructure continues to lag behind, it represents something even more troubling.

Ignorance hiding in plain sight.

The Numbers Inside Hume’s Budget

The City of Hume’s 2025-26 capital works program allocates roughly $1.55 million to football-specific infrastructure projects.

That includes:

$1.265 million for the renewal of the synthetic pitch and lighting upgrade at John Ilhan Memorial Reserve

$250,000 for portable change rooms supporting Upfield Soccer Club at Gibb Reserve

$35,000 for a goal cage for Roxburgh Park United Soccer Club

Important projects for the clubs involved, without question.

But when placed alongside the rest of the sports infrastructure spending in the same budget, the disparity becomes glaring.

Oval-based facilities – primarily serving AFL and cricket – receive close to $15 million in funding.

Projects include:

$4.71 million for the Willowbrook Recreation Reserve pavilion expansion

$3.45 million for the Vic Foster Reserve pavilion upgrade

$1.795 million for the redevelopment of Johnstone Street Reserve

$1.294 million for change room upgrades at Lakeside Drive Reserve

$1.207 million for the Bradford Avenue Sports Ground upgrade

Lighting upgrades, pavilion improvements and reserve master planning across additional oval facilities push the total even higher.

The bottom line is simple.

Ten dollars for AFL infrastructure.

One dollar for football.

The Participation Gap No One Wants to Acknowledge.

The imbalance we see in Hume mirrors a broader trend across Victoria.

Participation data shows football sitting comfortably at the top of the sporting ladder, yet infrastructure investment tells a very different story.

Across the state:

Football: approximately 260,000 participants, receiving around $9.31 million in infrastructure investment annually

Netball: around 100,000 participants, receiving $14.35 million

Cricket: roughly 80,000 participants, receiving $33.55 million

AFL: about 140,000 participants, receiving $39.17 million

The sport with the largest participation base receives dramatically less infrastructure funding than codes with significantly fewer players.

Football is carrying the participation numbers.

Other sports are receiving the infrastructure.

And when councils continue allocating funding based on outdated participation assumptions, the gap only widens.

The Pattern Across Melbourne

Hume’s spending decisions sit within a broader trend across metropolitan Melbourne.

In Whitehorse, $28 million has been committed to the redevelopment of Box Hill City Oval.

In neighboring City of Boroondara, significant funding is being directed toward the refurbishment of the Michael Tuck Stand.

Again, the issue is not whether these facilities deserve investment.

Community infrastructure should absolutely be maintained.

But when tens of millions are flowing into upgrades for oval venues while football clubs across Melbourne struggle to secure additional pitches, the imbalance becomes difficult to ignore.

Participation growth is happening in football.

Infrastructure investment is happening somewhere else.

The Frustration From Industry

There is another dimension to this issue that is rarely discussed.

In recent conversations I’ve had with business leaders and industry advocates working across the sports technology and recreation sector, many have openly vented their frustration about the lack of understanding from government when it comes to football’s broader ecosystem.

These are entrepreneurs and innovators working in areas such as performance data, AI scouting platforms, wearable technology, fan engagement systems and digital broadcast infrastructure.

Industries shaping the future of global sport.

Yet many say football innovation in Australia continues to be misunderstood by policymakers who still frame sport through traditional codes rather than recognising the scale of the global football industry.

The irony is clear.

While councils debate whether football deserves additional community pitches, the global football economy is expanding rapidly across technology, data, manufacturing and commercial innovation.

If Australia fails to recognise that opportunity, we risk missing out on industries that will define the future of sport.

A Growing Movement for Change

Last week, the Level the Playing Field campaign was launched at the Victorian State Parliament to raise awareness about exactly this issue.

The campaign highlights the growing gap between football participation and football infrastructure investment across the state.

It shines a light on a reality that grassroots clubs experience every week.

Football participation is surging.

Infrastructure investment is not keeping pace.

And unless that imbalance is addressed, the sport’s growth will eventually collide with the limits of available facilities.

If Not Now, When?

Australia has never had greater momentum behind football.

The Matildas have inspired a new generation of players.

Participation continues to grow across communities.

Clubs are expanding.

Demand is rising.

And yet the infrastructure conversation remains stuck in the past.

If councils cannot recognise football’s growth now – when participation is leading the state and the global opportunity around the sport continues to expand – then the question becomes unavoidable.

If not now, when?

A Civic Responsibility to Speak Up

As CEO of Australia’s leading football business magazine, Soccerscene, I believe it is our civic duty to raise awareness about these issues and help break down the barriers that continue to hold the game back.

For too long, football’s infrastructure challenges have been discussed quietly within the sport itself.

That must change.

Advocating for the growth of the game – and ensuring decision-makers understand the participation reality – is not just about football.

It is about communities, opportunity and fairness for the sport played by more Australians than any other code.

Championing that conversation is part of our responsibility to the game, to the industry that surrounds it, and to the communities that continue to drive its growth.

The Question That Cannot Be Ignored

The numbers inside the Hume City Council budget are clear.

A 10:1 funding ratio against the world game.

For the largest participation sport in the state, that statistic should prompt serious reflection.

As I’ve said before:

“When Hume City Council spends ten times more on AFL infrastructure than the world game, despite football’s participation growth, the problem isn’t demand – it’s ignorance staring us in the face as ratepayers.”

Football is not asking for special treatment.

It is asking for proportional investment that reflects participation, growth and opportunity.

Because if the sport with the largest participation base continues to receive only a fraction of infrastructure investment, the problem is no longer participation.

The problem is how decisions are being made.

And communities across Melbourne are starting to notice.

Northern NSW Football sees four state-of-the-art facilities upgraded

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Image credit: Northern NSW Football Facebook

Local councils across the Hunter have significantly contributed to facility developments in the region.

Valuable council support

The clubs at the centre of the new upgrades include three in the NPL Northern NSW (in Kahibah FC, Lake Macquarie City FC and Weston Bears FC) as well as one community club in Singleton Strikers.

Club members, volunteers and players alike celebrated as Harold Knight Oval, Macquarie Field, Alroy Oval and Hunter City Motor Group Stadium revealed their new look.

“We’re incredibly proud to officially open four brand new facilities across the Hunter region that will provide safe and modern spaces for players, club members and spectators,” said Northern NSW Football Government Relations Manager, Gary Fisher.

“This is a huge step forward for all aspects of football and we couldn’t have achieved it without the strong support of our local government.”

From pristine pitches to state-of-the-art indoor spaces, football in Northern NSW is witnessing major developments for the game and all custodians across the state.

 

The numbers at a glance

Harold Knight Oval, home of Kahibah FC, saw $5.3 million invested into the new facilities. Of this, $1 million came from the NSW’s government’s Greater Cities and Regional Sport Facility Fund. Additional contributions (up to $200,000) came from the Australian government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, while Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) gave $100,000 to further facility upgrades.

Macquarie Field, on the other hand, saw a $2.7 million renovation supported by the combined efforts of Lake Macquarie City Council and NNSWF, with the latter contributing $21,000.

Alroy Oval, home of community club, the Singleton Strikers, received a huge $3 million contribution from the Australian government Investing in Our Communities grant, as well as backing from the NSW government and Singleton Council.

Finally, Weston Bears FC’s Hunter City Motor Group Stadium underwent a major $6.4 million upgrade, helped largely by the collective efforts of Cessnock City Council and a Federal government grant totalling $3 million.

 

Upgrading the game for all

Gender-neutral amenities, improved pitch conditions, refurbished granstands and modern changerooms are just a few examples of the additions made possible by council support in Northern NSW.

The upgrades, of course, reflect significant financial backing from local councils, NNSWF and the Australian government. Nevertheless, the value of these improvements extend far beyond the numbers at the surface.

When used effectively, and with genuine purpose, major funding nurtures not only the players and coaches who use them now, but the future stars and spectators who will continue to feel the benefit for many seasons to come.

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