Peter Filopoulos elected to Vicsport board

Liam Watson

Vicsport have completed their 2019 Annual General Meeting and confirmed that Peter Filopoulos has been elected as a non-executive Director, along with Jamie Parsons.

Ron Gauci has also been re-elected by Vicsport’s affiliate members as part of a voting process.

Filopoulos and Parsons and will join the Vicsport board consisting of Ron Gauci (Chairman), Catherine Harding, Margot Foster AM, Tim Large (ex-officio), Derek O’Leary, Susan Smith, Simon Brookhouse and Tanya Gallina.

Filopoulos and Parsons have been identified by Vicsport as people who will bring a vast amount of experience from different organisations throughout the sports industry and are both passionate about advancing Victorian sport.

You can read more about Filopoulos, Parsons and Gauci’s background below:

Peter Filopoulos:

  • Has 25 years experience as an accomplished senior C-Suite executive in sports administrations with Australia’s major sports and entertainment brands.
  • Is currently the CEO of Football Victoria (FV), overseeing the state’s 400,000 strong organised participation base across men, women, boys and girls of all abilities across more than 360 clubs.
  • His role at FV has seen a 24% rise in participation for 2018 in line with the four-year strategic plan.
  • Played a key role at Perth Glory before joining FV, having guided them through the salary cap issues they faced in the 2014/15 season, while ensuring he played a role in their business transformation for the future.
  • Has developed a strong reputation as a sports and entertainment executive, with past work including eight years with AFL clubs Hawthorn and North Melbourne, seven years at Marvel Stadium (Etihad at the time) and 18 months with National Sporting Organisation, Swimming Australia.

James Parsons:

  • Has a business degree, a graduate diploma in law and 30 years experience contributing to the sport, recreation, art and cultural sectors.
  • A previous board member at Little Athletics Victoria and Football Federation Victoria, along with leadership roles at Netball Australia, World Swimming Championships and Deaflympics Games.
  • Is the current CEO at Gymnastics Victoria where he has helped coordinate the Women in Sport Breakfast that has become a staple for the Victorian sporting calendar.

Ron Gauci:

  • Initially appointed to the Vicsport board in 2016 and served as Chairman since 2017.
  • Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
  • Significant experience in transformational strategy development.
  • Has held directorship positions with many sport related boards including CAMS Foundation, Softball Australia, Melbourne Aces Baseball Club and is a former CEO and Executive Director of the Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club.

Vicsport has offered its sincere gratitude to outgoing Directors Andrew Walton and Richard Amon.

Source and image credit: https://vicsport.com.au/blog/3487/ron-gauci-re-elected-peter-filopoulos-and-jamie-parsons-elected-to-vicsport-board

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Mapping the Future: GIS Innovation Takes Off in Australia

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Image credit: Global Institute of Sport

Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is expanding its influence in the Asia-Pacific, in particular, Australia where they have already made significant progress and will be opening a brand new campus.

GIS is a leader in sports education, offering innovative online and in-person courses at campuses and iconic sports venues around the world, including the likes of Wembley Stadium in London, Chase Stadium in Miami, and Melbourne’s MCG.

But it’s Australia where GIS is now focusing its attention and they’ve already made some big strides.

In episode four of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch podcast, Asia-Pacific Regional Director Ray Boggiano spoke about the progress GIS has made in Australia so far.

“We’ve had the MCG partnership since 2019, so we’ve been doing our first summit, so study tour was in January 2020, we had a couple of virtual ones in between and then we brought our students back for the last couple of years as well,” he said in the podcast.

“From last year we started doing these residentials, so we have various sites, the MCG, Darebin, our partner clubs like Preston, they’re signed off as sites that we can deliver for face-to-face teaching for our British programs.”

Additionally, Boggiano spoke about the new GIS campus opening in Australia next year.

“Our vision and something that’s very soon to be realised is to have a sports campus in Australia,” he said.

“We will be opening the doors to our Sydney campus next year so our first intake will be in January 2026.

“The partnership is with the University of Newcastle, but it’s with their Sydney CBD campus, and also in partnership with Venus NSW, so very pleased to be able to use the Allianz Stadium and the SCG as well, so we’ve got access to two incredible stadiums.”

Boggiano also added that the new campus will be taking applications as soon as this month and highlighted the importance of Australia to GIS.

“We will be starting to take applications likely from April this year and the first intake will be January 2026, so this is a major milestone for us,” he said.

“We have always had Australia central to our strategy, it is really a vibrate sports economy, sports market, and sports industry.

“Over the next ten years that’s only going in one direction with obviously the build-up Brisbane games in 2032.”

The new campus will offer a wide range of degrees and industry-focused programs designed to give students the skills they need to succeed in the global sports industry.

To hear and learn more about GIS, you can listen to the full interview with Ray Boggiano on episode four of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch Podcast, available on all major podcasting apps and here.

Football Queensland Forms Regional Partnership with McDonald’s

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Image Credit: Football Queensland Facebook

Football Queensland (FQ) is excited to announce McDonald’s as the Official Quick Service Restaurant Partner for the Far North & Gulf region.

Under the two-year regional collaboration, McDonald’s will take on naming rights to the home of football in Cairns, with Endeavour Park now officially named Macca’s Park.

The partnership also includes support for grassroots football, with McDonald’s backing local clubs and celebrating junior players across the Far North and Gulf through the weekly MiniRoos Player of the Week voucher initiative.

FQ General Manager – Northern Conference, Craig Ramage, said the partnership was a major win for the region, highlighting FQ’s continued focus on growing the game in regional Queensland.

“This is an exciting opportunity to partner with an iconic brand in McDonald’s, whose long-standing support of community football aligns strongly with our vision for the game across the state,” he said via press release.

“We’re proud to extend this relationship into the Far North & Gulf, with the support from McDonald’s set to deliver direct benefits to grassroots programs, local clubs and junior players right across the region.

“The renaming of Endeavour Park to Macca’s Park is a powerful symbol of this partnership and our shared commitment to creating vibrant and welcoming regional football hubs that inspire the next generation of participants and bring communities together.”

McDonalds Far North Queensland Marketing Manager Jill Lennox, expressed that the partnership reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting active lifestyles and local communities through sport.

“Active lives are happier and healthier lives. McDonald’s wants to deliver valuable benefits to the wider community. With the goal of helping people live a more balanced, active and enriched lifestyle, McDonald’s is passionate about its sports and community sponsorships program,” she said via press release.

“McDonald’s is very proud to be the naming rights sponsor to the home of football in Cairns now known as Macca’s Park. This partnership is our way of giving back to the community which supports us and to assist in the development of important life skills such as commitment, hard work, and friendship.

“On behalf of McDonald’s, we would like to thank all competitors, parents, organisers, volunteers and other sponsors for their incredible support of Football Far North and Gulf region and we look forward to seeing you at Macca’s Park soon.”

This alliance marks an exciting chapter for football in the Far North & Gulf, as Football Queensland and McDonald’s work together to support the growth of the game across the region.

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