Integrity of sport protected under new agency

Liam Watson

An establishment of a new national sports integrity agency has been formed as Sport Integrity Australia.

The move is important as it addresses one of four key pillars of the National Sport Plan – Sport 2030.

In a statement, Sport Australia Chair John Wylie explains how integrity is addressed at all levels.

“We welcome this concerted, one-stop-shop approach and acknowledge the work conducted by James Wood AO QC and the Sports Integrity Panel” said Wylie.

“The establishment of Sport Integrity Australia and the reforms announced by the Federal Government today will help protect Australians participating in sport from grassroots to high performance.”

“This will complement the work of Sport Australia. A fair, clean and safe system starts at the local sports club and sporting organisation. The work we are doing in partnership with our national sporting organisations focuses on leadership, culture and governance – key factors in ensuring the integrity of our sports system for our young, community based athletes and for our sporting heroes.”

Sport Australia will help as a joint organisation as partners with the new agency, as Sport Australia CEO Kate Palmer addresses:

“Our integrity focus remains firmly on safe, healthy and accessible sport and physical activity opportunities for all Australians,” Palmer said.

“We know the significant contribution sport makes to all of our lives and the new measures announced by Minister McKenzie today send a strong message to ensure Australians can play sport safely and fairly.

“We’ll continue to work in the key areas of child safe and inclusive sport, to ensure national sport organisations have the tools and knowledge to create safe and ethical sporting environments.”

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AFC Youth Panel discusses future of player development in Asia

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Image Credit: AFC

Representatives of the Asian Football Confederation met online on Thursday for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Youth Panel. Through the virtual event, Member Association’s (MAs) shared their experiences of their youth systems for the 2024-25 term.

The panel was hosted with a key focus on identifying how to improve the developmental programmes of the 16–19-year-old age group. The meeting discussed ways to not just improve technical skill but also strengthen the mental resilience of players and increase the number of competitive matches they are playing.

 AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh explained why the confederation was focusing on the 16-19 age group.
“This age group is a formative stage where we are dealing with players in national youth teams and it’s a crucial stepping stone for talented youngsters who are at the threshold of pursuing the sport professionally,” he said via press release.
“We must be able to help them master techniques under pressure and develop a winning mentality, so it is imperative to provide them with expert guidance.”
Through the panel representatives also explored conversations on the need to properly prepare coaches for training developing professional youth by providing them with the skills and knowledge required to excel.
Additionally, the meeting presented updates on several high-profile AFC developmental programmes for participants. In particular, the panel highlighted the Triple-A Project, a programme designed to provide tailored support to MAs via continual summits, and the AFC’s ongoing research partnership with the University of Tsukuba, which aims to study elite youth systems across Asia.
To finalise the session, participants were informed of the AFC’s other technical programmes, especially the recent publication of the AFC Elite Youth Bulletin. The Bulletin presents a major step forward for youth development within the Confederation, as it stands as a handbook for MAs to use, highlighting the best initiatives and programmes other MAs across Asia have used to great effect.

Off the Pitch podcast: Gary Cole on Australian coaching

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Gary Cole FCA
Image credit: Football Coaches Australia

In episode three of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch podcast, Football Coaches Australia (FCA) President and former Socceroo and NSL star Gary Cole joins the show to delve into the health of Australia’s coaching scene.

As a player, Cole was renowned for his lethality in front of goal – winning the NSL Golden Boot in back-to-back years, playing for Heidelberg United in 1980 and 1981. For Australia, Cole recorded 21 goals from 40 games across all levels and even held the Australian record for most goals scored in an international match after kicking seven against Fiji in 1981.

After his professional playing career, Cole became a renowned coach. He first worked under the Australian Institue of Sport as youth development coach, before transitioning to the NSL as Heidelberg United boss, and then moved to the Victorian Premier League as coach of the Bentleigh Greens, Bulleen Inter Kings and the Altona Magic (two different stints). In the VPL Cole won two championships as head coach, first with the Altona Magic in 1996 and secondly with the Bulleen Inter Kings in 1998.

Following his work in the VPL, Cole moved into administration, enjoying stints as the Director of Football at Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC. Later, Cole would work for Football Victoria before finally joining the FCA.

For his impact as a player, coach and a continual supporter and driver of footballing standards in Australia, Cole has been awarded as a member of both the Australian and Victorian Football Hall of Fame.

On the Off the Pitch podcast, Cole relayed his experiences and explained the work the FCA was doing to support coaches across the country.

“Football Coaches Australia is a voice for coaches in Australia. It started very focused for professional coaches in Australia, and really during COVID, when there wasn’t a lot of football happening, we branched into ongoing coach development,” Cole said on the podcast.

“[For coaches] the [FCA] is representation, continuing professional development, trying to be their voice, trying to raise standards, and focused on their mental health.”

“They’re our primary things, as well as to raise the bar for coaches, coach behaviors – and to try and get some equity and some equality in the game.”

To discover more about how the FCA is assisting coaches in Australia and learn about the challenges the organisation is facing, listen to the full interview with FCA President Gary Cole on episode three of the Off the Pitch podcast by Soccerscene HERE

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