Inaugural AFC Child Safeguarding Seminar 2019 concludes in Thailand

Staff Writer
Junior Soccer

The Asian Football Confederation’s commitment to protect the welfare and safety of children across the Continent marked a significant milestone with the first-ever AFC Child Safeguarding Seminar 2019 which concluded today in Chonburi, Thailand.

Held in conjunction with the ongoing AFC U-16 Women’s Championship Thailand 2019, the objective of the seminar was to expand the reach of the new FIFA Child Safeguarding Programme and Toolkit – FIFA Guardians – a major initiative launched by the world governing body in July this year aimed at assisting Member Associations and Confederations around the world to introduce stronger child safeguarding measures in football.

Organised in collaboration with the Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand), more than 30 participants, including representatives from the eight participating Member Associations, local non-governmental organisations as well as clubs and academies were given the opportunity to widen their knowledge on the industry’s best practices from UNICEF Thailand.

AFC General Secretary, Dato’ Windsor John said: “Our children, our youth represent our future. The AFC has underlined our ambitions to use the power of football as a force for social development and to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to cultivate a lifelong passion for the game in the best possible environment.

“Our success relies significantly on embarking on a shared journey together and I must thank FIFA, FA Thailand, UNICEF, our participating members and valued partners for their commitment towards strengthening the systems, structures and building a better, brighter, and above all, safer environment for our future generation of players.”

Containing practical guidance and support materials, the FIFA Guardians toolkit is based on “five principles and five steps” that are underpinned by internationally recognised standards in child safeguarding across sports.

Child safeguarding encompasses the prevention of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and maltreatment of children by everyone in the football ecosystem, including contractors, business partners, visitors to premises and volunteers.

Ms. Miyazaki Etsuko, Manager, Coach Education Group for the Japan Football Association (JFA) said: “Grassroots and youth football is growing rapidly in Japan, which ultimately raises the demand for JFA to ensure that the security and interest of our players are always protected.

“Today’s seminar has provided an excellent platform not only to gain insights from international experts, but as guardians of the game, it has also strengthened our resolve as one family to ensure child protection is given a louder voice and greater focus.”

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Eastern Suburbs Football Association Announces First All-Female Referee Course and Expanded Women’s Competition

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Image Credit: Football NSW

The Eastern Suburbs Football Association has opened its 2026 season with three structural investments that reflect the growing ambition of community football associations to address participation, representation and development gaps simultaneously, beginning with the delivery of its first all-female Football Match Official Course.

The course, held at Matraville Sports High School and led by female liaison committee member Michelle Hilton and 2025 Referee of the Year Ariella Richards, brought 25 new female referees into the association ahead of Round 1. The initiative targets one of the most persistent imbalances in community sport, with women remaining significantly underrepresented in officiating roles at every level of the game, by creating a dedicated entry point separate from the mixed course environment that many women find unwelcoming.

The Women’s Premier League has also expanded, now featuring eleven teams and introducing a WPL1 and WPL2 structure following the first ten rounds of the season. The tiered format creates more competition opportunities for clubs across the region while providing a clearer development pathway for teams at different stages of growth. Returning clubs Randwick City, Glebe Wanderers, Easts FC and Sydney University join established sides in what the association describes as one of its most competitive women’s seasons. ESFA clubs have continued to perform strongly in state-wide competitions including the Football NSW Sapphire Cup, State Cup and Champion of Champions.

Building the next generation

The season opened with an inaugural Development League Gala Day for Under-9 to Under-12 boys and girls, bringing eight clubs together in a structured development environment ahead of Round 1. Sydney FC A-League Women’s players attended the event and engaged directly with young participants, a deliberate effort to connect grassroots players with visible examples of where the pathway leads.

“We are committed to creating more opportunities for clubs, players, coaches and referees to thrive, with a strong focus on participation opportunities to suit participants of all abilities and aspirations,” said ESFA CEO John Boulous.

The three initiatives, a new referee entry point for women, an expanded women’s competition structure, and a development-focused junior gala day with elite role models present, together reflect an association responding to the participation pressures the AFC Women’s Asian Cup has brought into sharp relief across Australian football.

More Than One in Five Football Australia Staff to Lose Jobs Amid Growing Financial Losses

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Image Credit: ESPN

Australian football finds itself in a curious position.

From the outside, the game appears to be riding a wave of momentum. Attendances, visibility and public interest have all experienced significant uplift in recent years, while major international tournaments and growing discussion around football’s future continue to place the sport firmly within the national conversation.

Yet behind that momentum, Football Australia is now confronting a far more challenging internal reality.

 

A compounding deficit

Chief Executive Martin Kugeler has reportedly indicated the governing body’s projected financial losses for 2025 are expected to exceed the organisation’s reported $8.5 million deficit from the previous year. Accompanying the financial outlook are substantial organisational changes, with reporting from Tracey Holmes indicating more than one in five Football Australia employees are expected to lose their positions through restructuring measures.

The figures represent more than a difficult balance sheet. They point toward a significant period of recalibration inside the organisation responsible for overseeing the sport nationally.

 

Losing the wisdom of existing staff members

For governing bodies, restructures are often framed as strategic necessities for future sustainability. However, workforce changes on this scale also raise broader questions around the challenges of such a transition.

People are often the carriers of knowledge, relationships and long-term strategic understanding. When organisations undergo significant structural change, the effects can extend beyond immediate financial outcomes.

 

Contradicting timing

The timing is what makes the developments particularly notable.

Football in Australia has spent recent years discussing expansion, growth and long-term opportunity. The conversation surrounding the game has increasingly centred on future potential. Often headlining stronger pathways, larger audiences, infrastructure development and greater visibility.

Against that backdrop, news of deep financial losses and substantial staffing reductions creates a different conversation: one focused not on where the game wants to go, but on what may be required to sustain that journey. Therefore, this announcement points toward stagnancy, rather than growth.

Further detail surrounding Football Australia’s strategy and long-term direction will likely emerge over coming months. For now, the developments serve as a reminder that growth stories are rarely straightforward.

Often, the periods that appear strongest from the outside can also be the moments organisations face their most significant internal tests.

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