Nathan Perrone on Western United’s Science in Sport extension: “It’s a privilege to be able to continue with them”

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Image credit: Western United website

Western United have recently agreed a two-year extension with Science in Sport (SiS) to remain as its Official Performance Nutrition Partner.

This confirmation will allow the club and its academy players to continue to gain access to SiS’s award-winning sports expertise and nutrition products such as their energy gels and recovery powders.

Since collaborating in November 2020, the pair has seen success together with Western United being crowned as A-League Men champions in 2022.

Soccerscene spoke with Commercial Partnerships Executive at Western United, Nathan Perrone, who discusses the journey with SiS, the reasons to extend its partnership with the global nutrition brand and what the future holds for the pair over the next two years.

How did Western United and SiS initially come together as partners in November 2020?

Nathan Perrone: It came together through our Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach at the time, Andrew Rondinelli.

“Rondo” as he’s known, currently works for the GWS Giants and left Western United at the end of the 2022/23 season. He was a big advocate for SiS and had used them in the past at other clubs.

It worked within Australia and the sporting landscape and Andrew Pirchan (former Commercial Partnerships Manager at Western United) managed to organise a deal.

They’ve been a fantastic partner and contributor to the high-performance side for our A-League teams, and I know the strength and conditioning staff really appreciate what they can provide.

SiS have not only collaborated with other football clubs across the world but have worked in other sports such as cycling and rowing. What made SiS stand out from other nutrition brands?

Nathan Perrone: They’re a global brand that works with some of the top performers in the world.

Seeing the likes of Spurs that they work with and hearing their involvements, I think it bodes well for our high-performance team because they want our players to be provided with the best nutrition possible, the supplements and whatever is needed to help increase their performance and recovery.

I’m not the expert in this space and with a lot of these football related partnerships, I play an element from a business lens but a lot of it comes down to the players and staff.

If it’s a product that they like and support, I take their best practice and their advice, and they’re all key.

They’ve acknowledged to us that they wanted to try and keep one club in the A-League, and they didn’t want to support other clubs in Victoria or interstate.

It’s nice to hear from them overseas that they want to just back us and go all in on one club. It’s a privilege to be able to continue with them.

SiS nutrition products. Image credit: Brentford FC website

What are the factors that led to this extended partnership with SiS and would you say Western United winning the A-League Championship in 2022 contributed to that?

Nathan Perrone: I’d like to think Tom (Global Head of Elite Sport at SiS) would think it’s part of it. Ultimately it has an impact, and you don’t want to provide the players with products that aren’t top standard.

For us, it was a no brainer coming to the end of the last agreement and there wasn’t really any doubt from my mind, the football staff or Tom’s for that matter.

For both of us, we just want to get better at trying to elevate the partnership and we’re doing what we can to help promote and support them in Australia, especially.

We can continue to expose ourselves to other clubs they work with as well and learn best practice.

What will we see next in this partnership between Western United and SiS and could we see the latter having an increased role as a partner of the club?

Nathan Perrone: The scale of going to jersey branding is probably unlikely at this point. I know they’ve recently done a big deal with Rugby Australia, for example, so they’re definitely wanting to increase their footprint.

We have a new contact, Sean Morley, who works at Nutrition APAC, playing a key role in distribution of SiS in Australia.

He’s going to be more hands on with us to try to do some more giveaways or digital content with the players to really enhance it on that level.

That’s their big play in trying to break into local clubs and the NPL, but they really want to become top of mind in Australia for professional athletes and others as well.

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Aussie partners with two A-League clubs in cross-state alliance

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

Australia’s largest retail mortgage broker will team up with Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers, representing Aussie’s commitment to supporting and connecting people through football.

 

Opposing teams, United partners

The alliance between Aussie, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers reflects a unique approach to investing in Australia’s football landscape.

It encompasses both communities and supporters across Melbourne and Sydney, with Aussie’s presence in both cities now firmly embedded into local, grassroots networks.

“We’re excited about this partnership because it represents much more than a traditional sponsorship,” explained Aussie National Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Ryan Ferguson via press release.

“It’s about connection, community, and being part of something that reaches people in a meaningful and authentic way.”

Both Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers also commented on the unique nature of the partnership.

“The joint venture is a game-changer in how brands and sports teams can collaborate beyond the traditional instruments of a partnership and stands apart from the existing relationships in our sporting landscape for the betterment of our stakeholders,” said Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie.

“For the first time, two iconic clubs are coming together in a joint-venture sponsorship that delivers unmatched reach, community impact and business innovation,” added Western Sydney Wanderers CEO, Scott Hudson.

 

National stage, local commitment

As Australians grapple with soaring property prices and financial uncertainty, having access to a platform like Aussie is immensely valuable.

So now that Aussie will begins its venture alongside Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers – two clubs with extensive fanbases – it now has the means to make real, local impact.

Two major cities. Two footballing identities. All aligned under the same vision for community reach, growth and innovation.

“Aussie is a national brand, but at our heart, we are built on local relationships,” continued Ferguson.

“Every day, our brokers are working with customers in their communities, helping them navigate the journey of finding, buying and owning their own home. That’s why this partnership feels like such a natural fit.”

Ultimately, while the alliance will build on the business and community networks of the two A-League outfits, the impact will extend far beyond the boundaries of the pitch.

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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