Mitre Appointed FV’s Sole Ball Supplier Across All Competitions

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Image credit: Football Victoria

Football Victoria has unveiled Mitre as its exclusive official ball partner in a significant new three-year deal.

As part of the agreement, Mitre will also serve as a Bronze Partner of the FV Business League, an exclusive networking community created to support members in expanding their connections, elevating their brand, and engaging with like-minded professionals who share a passion for both football and business.

From the 2026 NPL Victoria season, clubs will play with the Mitre Ultimax Pro 26, the latest iteration of Mitre’s iconic match ball. The new Ultimax Pro features cutting-edge technology, enhanced performance, and a contemporary design inspired by the original 1995 model.

The ball incorporates a completely redesigned panel layout, engineered to deliver greater control, more accurate flight, and increased power with every strike.

The new exclusive deal reinforces the eight-year relationship between Mitre and Football Victoria, marking one of the most enduring partnerships in the industry.

FV Commercial Executive Manager, Chris Speldewinde described the agreement as a “major milestone” ahead of the 2026 season.

“Mitre has been a trusted partner of Football Victoria for many years, and this new agreement reinforces our shared commitment to elevating the game at every level,” he said via FV Official media release.

“As we move into the 2026 season, having a world-class ball partner ensures our clubs and players are equipped with the highest standards in performance.”

Director of Sportsmart Group, Gerrard Woods said Mitre was pleased to build on its long-running collaboration with FV.

“Our goal has always been to support the growth of football across the state by delivering products that players and coaches can trust at every level,” he said via press release.

In addition to Mitre’s established reseller network, clubs will be able to order match balls through a dedicated online platform designed for simple, streamlined purchasing.

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Como 1907 and Connectome unite to enhance cognitive analysis

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Image credit: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com

Last month, the Lombardy-based club announced the start of a new partnership with Connectome, a neurotechnology company now looking to apply their work to Serie A’s most exciting project.

Cognitive and physical performance

Through this innovative alliance at the heart of a rapidly rising football project, players will benefit from enhanced study and understanding of their own cognitive performance.

Repeated brain measurements will allow staff to analyse how players respond to different playing scenarios – from the training pitch to matchday.

“We already measure the physical and tactical aspects of performance at a very high level,” explained Como 1907 CTO, Mo Dabbah, via Connectome’s official website.

“The real opportunity now is in better understanding cognitive load and decision-making over time.”

Furthermore, Dabbah continued to highlight that cognitive analysis is essential to achieving high levels of performance in sport.

“Brain health isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it’s fundamental to how players develop, adapt, and perform and it’s an area we’re excited to explore more deeply.”

 

Transferring data to development

Connectome’s work helps athletes and organisations competing at high levels of sport, ensuring recovery, duty of care and preparation are all at the forefront of operations.

Moreover, through a longitudinal approach to collecting data, Connectome strives to create unique, individual profiles for each athlete. Thus, changes or variations are judged against each individual’s baseline, not group averages or one-off tests.

But beyond the technological innovation, is the genuine intent and vision to maximise player performance at Como 1907.

Como 1907 is a club leading by example not just in Italy, but across Europe for unique business models, commercial growth and strategic partnerships. An alliance with Connectome is yet more proof that the club thinks not just about the 90 minutes on the pitch, but the hours spent on long-term player recovery and development.

Both parties align perfectly in values and vision. Player wellbeing, team growth, and technological advancement are the foundations of this partnership.

Como 1907 is a club pushing the future into today’s football landscape, making Connectome a natural partner to bring that vision to life.

Football West hosts Papua Football Academy as Asian ties deepen

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Image Credit: Football West

Football West has hosted members of the Papua Football Academy from Indonesia on an eleven-day exchange visit to Perth, marking a significant step in the governing body’s Asian Engagement Strategy and demonstrating football’s capacity to build meaningful cross-cultural relationships across the region.

Supported by the WA Government, the visit brought 60 players aged 13 to 15 from across Papua province to train alongside Football West Academy players and local clubs, including Perth Azzurri and Perth Glory. The group also attended A-League and New Balance NPL WA matches, toured Optus Stadium, visited the WA Institute of Sport, ECU Joondalup and John Curtin College of Arts, and met with the Indonesian Consulate General in Perth.

“Football West is committed to leading football diplomacy in the region, and this program is a great example of football’s power to connect people, build relationships and create genuine pathways,” said Football West Asian Engagement Advisor Robbie Gaspar. “It’s all about the people-to-people connections”.

 

Leading initiatives

Established in 2022 through a partnership between PT Freeport Indonesia and the Football Association of Indonesia, the Papua Football Academy provides high-performance training, education and welfare support for talented young players from one of Indonesia’s most geographically remote provinces. The program has quickly become one of Indonesia’s leading youth development initiatives, with ambitions to build international connections through training camps, matches and partnerships.

Papua Football Academy Director Wolfgang Pikal said the visit had provided his players and coaches with a standard of facilities and competition exposure unavailable at home. “We have nothing like this in Papua,” he said. “It has allowed the coaches to learn something new and for the kids to measure themselves against young players in Perth.”

Pikal flagged hopes of placing two or three players in Perth competitions in the future as the partnership develops.

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