Perth Glory confirm Anthony Radich as incoming CEO

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Anthony Radich
Image provided by Perth Glory

Perth Glory has announced the arrival of Anthony Radich as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer.

A West Australian native, Radich has over 25 years’ experience in senior executive marketing, commercial and administrative roles and a long-time affiliation with Glory.

A former club volunteer and long-time member, he went on to serve as Glory’s Head of Commercial, General Manager and Chief Operations Officer and also negotiated and managed sponsorships with the club when working with both Quick Service Restaurant Holdings (Chicken Treat) and Healthway (LiveLighter).

His most recent stint at Glory as Chief Operating Officer saw the club secure 10,000 members for the first time and be ranked first in the league for overall Membership satisfaction in independent research conducted by Gemba and commissioned by Football Australia.

During this time, the club was also ranked first for game day experience, Membership value, Membership renewal, communication to Members, sense of club involvement and club administration.

Most recently, he spent the last five years as GM Commercial of the Perth Wildcats, eclipsing all commercial records and taking that club to its highest peak commercially.

Anthony, who will look to transition into the role prior to outgoing CEO Tony Pignata’s official departure from the club on September 30, is relishing the prospect of driving the club forward at what is a pivotal time in its history.

“I am incredibly excited and very humbled to be given the opportunity to lead this great football club,” he said in a statement via Perth Glory.

“It is a club that I hold very close to my heart and have loved since day one of its existence and throughout my life.

“I want to sincerely thank [Glory Owner and Chairman] Tony and Lucy Sage for offering me this wonderful opportunity.

“It has been a very tumultuous last couple of seasons for the club, with both the Men’s and Women’s sides undoubtedly among the Australian professional teams most harshly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My predecessor, Tony Pignata, deserves much credit for the way he helped the club meet the unprecedented challenges it faced during this time.

“As someone who loves the club and the sport, it hurt me deeply to see the toll that these challenges took on everyone associated with Glory and I am determined to ensure that I and my team can now make a significant difference commercially and operationally.

“I am certainly not ignorant of the enormity of the task and challenges that lie ahead of us all at the club.

“We need to rebuild its very foundations both on and off-field. That is the harsh reality of the situation we face, but it also presents a wonderful opportunity.

“It’s always darkest before the dawn and administratively we are faced with almost a start-from-scratch proposition.

“I also want us to be a more accessible, communicative, open and transparent club, to better engage with our Members, corporate partners and the WA football community and to listen to their feedback and concerns in order for us to better understand and learn from what has transpired over the last two seasons.

“They all deserve to feel pride in their club, feel a sense of ownership of it and their engagements with it need to be enjoyable and rewarding ones.

“The onus is very much on us to earn their trust and improve their experience through our actions and delivering on our commitments.”

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Football Has the Audience. Does It Have the Commercial Strategy?

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Image Credit: One Nil Media

Soccerscene has launched Survey 4: Commercial Confidence in Football, calling on clubs, sponsors, governing bodies, commercial leaders and football industry professionals to assess whether the game is making the most of its enormous commercial potential.

Football has the audience, participation base and community reach to be one of Australia’s most powerful commercial platforms. But does the industry have the commercial strategy, professionalism and infrastructure required to turn that potential into sustainable growth?

That is the question at the centre of Soccerscene’s latest industry research.

The survey examines how attractive grassroots football is to potential commercial partners, what industry professionals believe is limiting football’s commercial potential, and whether clubs are presenting themselves professionally enough to sponsors.

It also explores what sponsors value most when engaging with football – from community reach and participation scale to brand alignment, values and purpose – as well as whether improved facilities could directly contribute to stronger sponsorship outcomes.

Is football fully capitalising on its commercial opportunity?

Football continues to provide brands with access to highly engaged communities across grassroots, community and elite environments. Yet the commercial landscape remains fragmented, with clubs operating with vastly different levels of resources, capability, governance, media infrastructure and commercial expertise.

Soccerscene’s survey is designed to capture the industry’s perspective on where the opportunities exist – and where football may be leaving commercial value on the table.

The research will look specifically at four key areas:

  • Commercial attractiveness – How attractive is grassroots football as a commercial partnership?
  • Commercial barriers – What is holding football back from reaching its full commercial potential?
  • Club professionalism – Are clubs presenting themselves effectively and professionally to sponsors?
  • Sponsor value – What are sponsors really looking for when they invest in football?

The survey also asks whether better facilities would have a direct impact on sponsorship outcomes, highlighting the potential relationship between infrastructure, commercial presentation and investment.

Have your say

Soccerscene is encouraging football clubs, sponsors, commercial professionals, governing bodies, administrators, media professionals and industry stakeholders to participate.

The findings will contribute to Soccerscene’s ongoing program of industry research, designed to provide a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities facing football and the organisations operating within it.

Take the Survey: Commercial Confidence in Football

Complete the Commercial Confidence in Football Survey here

The survey will close on 30 August 2026 at midnight, with responses received before the deadline included in the final analysis.

Football has the audience. The question is whether it has the commercial strategy to match.

Football Queensland’s Logan hub plan rejected by council

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Image Credits: Football Queensland

Football Queensland’s plans for a major new football hub at Meakin Park have been rejected by Logan City Council. The proposed $76.1 million redevelopment aimed to create a state home for football in Queensland.

Council unanimously rejected Football Queensland’s request for longer-term leases and additional land at the Slacks Creek site. The decision leaves the organisation’s current leases in place. The proposed development would have delivered new playing fields, elite training facilities and a dedicated home for Football Queensland.

Three-stage development

The first stage of Queensland Football’s development carried an $8.5 million price tag. It would upgrade fields, lighting, drainage and irrigation across Meakin and Mappas parks. The goal was to create a six-field, international-standard training venue.

The second stage represented the largest investment. Football Queensland planned to spend $55.3 million on a new headquarters at the adjoining Queens Park site. The facility would include a Women and Girls Academy, sports science facilities, sports medicine and strength and conditioning services.

A third $12.3 million stage would add an indoor futsal academy and two synthetic fields. Football Queensland said the project could create a major football precinct for the region. It also saw the facility playing a role in Queensland’s preparations for Brisbane 2032 and beyond.

Lease decision creates roadblock

Queensland’s governing body sought a 25-year lease with an option for another 25 years. Chief executive Robert Cavallucci said longer tenure was essential to secure government funding and move the project forward. The organisation has around three years remaining on its existing leases.

Council took a different view. Concerns included community access, funding certainty, future costs and the level of use at the existing facilities. Councillors also questioned whether a long-term arrangement would deliver enough benefit to Logan residents and grassroots clubs. Logan Council has now ordered a review of Football Queensland’s performance under its current lease.

Grassroots football at the centre

The decision highlights a wider issue for football infrastructure. Major facilities can provide elite pathways, sports science and high-performance opportunities, but unless councils can ensure local players and clubs can access the fields, they will be rejected.

Meakin Park already serves several sporting organisations, including football users and community sporting groups. Football Queensland said it had invested almost $2 million at Meakin Park and Mappas fields. It also argued the precinct operates at around 130 per cent capacity. For Queensland football, the challenge now is finding a model that can deliver high-performance facilities while expanding access for the community.

The proposal may have been rejected, but the need for better football infrastructure remains. With participation growing and Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games approaching, the debate over where and how Queensland builds its next generation of football facilities is unlikely to disappear.

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