Professional Footballers Australia unveil 2021/22 A-League Men’s Report

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Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), the body that represents professional male, female and elite junior soccer players, has officially released its annual A-League Men Report for the 2021/22 season.

The report revealed that the A-Leagues men’s competition has rebounded from the financial impact of COVID-19 due to an increase in investment from clubs, improved player contract stability and a sustained focus on youth development.

These are among the key findings in the PFA’s annual A-League Men Report, which provides an overview of the 2021/22 campaign and assesses the employment framework and workplace conditions for Australia’s professional footballers.

With the 2022/23 season beginning next week, the Report indicates that the A-League Men competition has solid foundations to build and capitalise upon.

The report identifies that the A-League Men leads all rival Asian Football Confederation (AFC) domestic competitions for fielding players aged 21 or under and sits eighth on a list of 60 leagues from around the world. The League’s average age has been the lowest in competition history during the past three seasons, dropping from an average of 27 to 25. Across the season, 42% of match minutes available were occupied by players under 25.

In addition, the A-League Men is the most competitively balanced league in the Asian Football Confederation. The A-League Men has the closest level of quality among its 12 teams and the tightest points spread recorded in the past decade, delivering more competitive tension within matches and across the season than any other top Asian league.

Clubs invested $52m in A-League Men player payments in the 2021/22 season, demonstrating a rebound in investment following the financial impact of COVID-19 on clubs, up from $38.1m (2020/21).

Moreover, the percentage of players coming off contract at the start of the 2021/22 season was the lowest recorded in eight seasons, decreasing from 68% last season to 48%. The current contract length of Australian players in the A-League Men is among the highest in comparator leagues from Africa, South America, North America and Asia, and the highest in the AFC region.

PFA Co-Chief Executive Beau Busch explained the report underlined the positive impact of the five-year CBA and underlined the resilience of a competition that was severely impacted by COVID-19.

“The objective of agreeing to a five-year CBA was to provide both a genuine partnership between the players and the clubs and crucially to provide the professional game with a stable platform to rebuild the industry,” Busch said in a statement.

“Encouragingly, we continue to see a range of positive trends in relation to increased investment in players, the emergence of a host of talented players and improved contractual stability.

“Whilst these are welcomed signs, there remains much to do to establish the professional game in this country and this report provides the evidential basis to assess our progress as a football nation and benchmark ourselves against our international rivals.”

Click here to download and view the Report.

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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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