Professional Footballers Australia release the Safe Football Project for workplace protection

Liam Watson
Image credit: IOIO IMAGES / Shutterstock.com

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has launched the Safe Football Project, to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of Australia’s professional footballers.

Following a collaboration between the union and A-League Women players since 2021, Safe Football Project aims to make professional football as the safest available sport for women – by providing a platform to identify, address and reduce risks of abuse and harassment.

When a revelation came to light of Matildas legend Lisa De Vanna facing non-recent sexual harassment, grooming and bullying during her career, it prompted the creation of the project with her disclosure in 2021.

With other high-profile abuse cases in football worldwide, it saw an urgent need for the PFA to conduct a systemic review of the players’ workplaces and experiences.

FIFPRO, the World Players’ Association, and human rights advocates, have also helped to develop the Safe Football Project as areas of the current regulatory framework were addressed.

To achieve a safer workplace in professional football, the Safe Football Project identifies two key recommendations:

  1. A Collaborative, Wholesale Review of Current Safeguarding Frameworks
  2. Take Urgent, Interim Actions

The PFA conducted surveys with A-League Women players and collected the results via anonymous responses. Among the findings from 2023, 45% of players experienced harassment or abuse, but did not tell someone about it; from a total of 172 survey responses.

PFA Co-Chief Executive Kathryn Gill commented on the launch of the initiative:

“A safe workplace is a human right. Our members’ safety and wellbeing at work are our most important priority. However, the Project has shown that Australian football, like most sporting leagues, is falling short,” she said via press release.

“We activated the Safe Football Project not just as a response to past failures but to encourage everyone involved in the sport to address these serious and confronting challenges proactively.

“The next step is to work together with all stakeholders in Australian football to implement best practice safeguarding measures that are shaped by the people they are designed to protect – the players.

“Finally, I would like to acknowledge and thank the many players who so actively contributed to the development of the Project and the courageous women who have spoken publicly about their experiences of abuse and harassment in the hope of being a catalyst for change.”

The Safe Football Project will play a crucial role in providing a safe and welcoming environment for players, in a high-performance industry that has seen serious incidents of abusive behaviour in recent years.

To read the Safe Football Project report and its findings in full, click here.

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Northern NSW Football sees four state-of-the-art facilities upgraded

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Image credit: Northern NSW Football Facebook

Local councils across the Hunter have significantly contributed to facility developments in the region.

Valuable council support

The clubs at the centre of the new upgrades include three in the NPL Northern NSW (in Kahibah FC, Lake Macquarie City FC and Weston Bears FC) as well as one community club in Singleton Strikers.

Club members, volunteers and players alike celebrated as Harold Knight Oval, Macquarie Field, Alroy Oval and Hunter City Motor Group Stadium revealed their new look.

“We’re incredibly proud to officially open four brand new facilities across the Hunter region that will provide safe and modern spaces for players, club members and spectators,” said Northern NSW Football Government Relations Manager, Gary Fisher.

“This is a huge step forward for all aspects of football and we couldn’t have achieved it without the strong support of our local government.”

From pristine pitches to state-of-the-art indoor spaces, football in Northern NSW is witnessing major developments for the game and all custodians across the state.

 

The numbers at a glance

Harold Knight Oval, home of Kahibah FC, saw $5.3 million invested into the new facilities. Of this, $1 million came from the NSW’s government’s Greater Cities and Regional Sport Facility Fund. Additional contributions (up to $200,000) came from the Australian government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, while Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) gave $100,000 to further facility upgrades.

Macquarie Field, on the other hand, saw a $2.7 million renovation supported by the combined efforts of Lake Macquarie City Council and NNSWF, with the latter contributing $21,000.

Alroy Oval, home of community club, the Singleton Strikers, received a huge $3 million contribution from the Australian government Investing in Our Communities grant, as well as backing from the NSW government and Singleton Council.

Finally, Weston Bears FC’s Hunter City Motor Group Stadium underwent a major $6.4 million upgrade, helped largely by the collective efforts of Cessnock City Council and a Federal government grant totalling $3 million.

 

Upgrading the game for all

Gender-neutral amenities, improved pitch conditions, refurbished granstands and modern changerooms are just a few examples of the additions made possible by council support in Northern NSW.

The upgrades, of course, reflect significant financial backing from local councils, NNSWF and the Australian government. Nevertheless, the value of these improvements extend far beyond the numbers at the surface.

When used effectively, and with genuine purpose, major funding nurtures not only the players and coaches who use them now, but the future stars and spectators who will continue to feel the benefit for many seasons to come.

Be The Change We Need to See – Help Expose Australia’s Football Infrastructure Crisis

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Be The Change We Need to See. Image by Soccerscene

Soccerscene is launching a landmark survey that will put hard data behind one of Australian football’s most persistent and damaging challenges: the chronic underfunding and neglect of grassroots football infrastructure.

As participation surges across the country, clubs and communities are being left behind, constrained by ageing facilities, inadequate change rooms, insufficient lighting, and pitches pushed well beyond capacity. The consequences are tangible and growing: lost players, cancelled programs, declining registrations, and entire communities denied meaningful access to the game.

Football deserves better. So do the volunteers, coaches, clubs, and families holding it together.

The findings will be published across Soccerscene’s editorial platforms and delivered directly to policymakers, local councils, state governments, and football administrators nationwide. This survey will create an independent, community-driven evidence base that decision-makers can no longer sidestep or ignore.

Your voice matters. Let it drive change.

Complete the survey now here or use the below form and help shape the future of football infrastructure in Australia.

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