Socceroos Emotional Agility & Mental coach Mike Conway on “creating winning minds in Qatar”

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Mike Conway

As part of an exclusive series being run throughout the duration of the Socceroos’ time in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup, former Socceroo and host of ‘The Football Coaching Life’ Gary Cole caught up with Mike Conway, XVenture founder and Emotional Agility and Mental Coach, for the Socceroos ahead of Australia’s opening game against World Champions France.

Having previously worked with Socceroos coach Graham Arnold as part of the team behind Sydney FC’s historic A-League Men’s success, Conway is one of Arnold’s secret weapons intended to give Australia an edge over their opponents, with the Socceroos set to take on France, Tunisia and Denmark in Group D of the World Cup.

Conway’s wealth of experience in emotional intelligence, resilience and mental agility coaching has translated to his founding of XVenture, an organisation championing the development of effective mental durability in athletes and coaches. Conway’s work through XVenture has seen him mentor many of Australia’s national team players individually including Socceroos captain Mathew Ryan, Adam Taggart, Harry Souttar, Ajdin Hrustic, Awer Mabil, and Matilda, Amy Harrison.

During the pandemic, the XVenture team worked with a number of elite sports teams with their XVenture Mind Games solution, including Melbourne City FC, Australian Women’s Cricket Team, Chicago Fire FC, Western Sydney Wanderers and many more.

Moreover, Football Coaches Australia and XVenture have partnered on numerous initiatives and programs designed to amplify opportunities for coaches based locally and abroad, including the FCA XV Essential Skills Program. The program – delivered online via FCA XV’s College modules – provides coaches with a revolutionary virtual world environment which aims to develop the ‘essential skills’ of coaching across 5 modules – Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Resilience, Culture and Communication Skills.

In a wide-ranging chat with Gary Cole via Football Coaches Australia, Conway discusses the significance of building rapport and trust, the strategies involved in developing emotional intelligence, and provides some insights into the day-to-day preparations of Australia leading into their opening match against France.

This is the first of a limited and exclusive series of podcasts leading into each of the Socceroos games and is not to be missed.

The podcast can be viewed HERE.

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Victorian Football’s Revival: How Disruption Is Reawakening the Game’s Heart

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A surge of ambition is reshaping Victorian football. From packed grandstands to club reinvention, the game is thriving again — and policymakers must keep up.
Heidelberg United players celebrating after a goal during their Australia Cup run, showcasing Victorian football disruption

Victorian football disruption is changing the landscape of the game. Crowds are growing, clubs are modernising, and communities are reconnecting with football like never before. What we are seeing is more than competition on the pitch. It is a reawakening of local football’s heart and identity.

When the right policies and investments are in place, clubs thrive, communities benefit, and the football economy grows. This moment shows exactly why disruption can be the best thing to happen to Victorian football in years.

A New Standard: Preston Lions Leading the Disruption

Few clubs capture the spirit of Victorian football disruption better than Preston Lions. Back in NPL Victoria, Preston is averaging around 5,000 fans per match, a figure that reflects a strong community connection and a modern professional approach. Their marketing, digital presence, and engagement strategies are setting new standards for Australian football.

Preston’s success is forcing other clubs to raise their game. It shows what happens when a club combines authenticity, ambition, and professionalism.

Grand Final Passion and Heidelberg’s Cup Inspiration

The NPL Victoria Grand Final captured the essence of Victorian football disruption. Over 9,000 fans packed Lakeside Stadium to watch Heidelberg United and Dandenong City put on a show that proved how strong the local game has become.

Dandenong City’s passionate fans and Heidelberg’s tradition created one of the best football atmospheres in recent memory. Heidelberg’s fairy-tale run in the Australia Cup, defeating three A-League clubs to reach the final, proved that Victorian clubs can compete with anyone in the country.

Tradition Meets Change Across the League

The disruption runs deep. South Melbourne, despite fighting off relegation, claimed the Dockerty Cup. Melbourne Knights, a club that has produced legends like Mark Viduka, were relegated. It is a reminder that history alone is no longer enough.

Victorian football disruption has made it clear that adaptability, community focus, and modern operations define success today.

Infrastructure and Experience: Oakleigh Cannons Set the Standard

Off the field, Oakleigh Cannons are about to unveil their $15 million grandstand, a major step for Victorian football. The new facilities include improved spectator viewing, indoor training areas, and corporate entertainment spaces that elevate the entire match day experience.

When Oakleigh hosted Preston earlier this year, the atmosphere was incredible. The sound, the energy, and the passion from both sets of supporters showed how infrastructure can bring football to life.

These kinds of investments are not just about comfort or prestige. They draw people in, create jobs, and inject confidence and capital back into the game.

Unlocking Football’s True Potential

Removing the barriers holding football back showcases the very best of Australian sport. Victorian football disruption is driving new investment, stronger participation, and greater confidence in the game. We are only custodians of football, and how we manage this moment will shape its future for generations.

As we move into the Australian Championship, clubs and fans are demanding more from policymakers, including investment, infrastructure, and a clear pathway that rewards ambition.

Promotion and relegation should be part of that journey. International markets show how powerful that model can be in fueling growth, competition, and opportunity.

A Game Reborn Through Disruption

Victorian football disruption is not just about change. It is about renewal. The crowds are returning, clubs are evolving, and the culture feels alive again. The combination of passion, professionalism, and community spirit is rewriting the story of local football.

This is only the beginning. Victorian football has always had the heart. Now it has the belief to match.

Australia Cup Final Viewership Proves Football’s Popularity

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Image Credit: Australia Cup

As the Hahn Australia Cup season finished this week, with Newcastle Jets winning against Heidelberg United Alexander, the football community are now preparing for the upcoming Australian Championship.

This includes pundits and football fans speculating what this year’s tournament has in store for the game and where it is heading in the future. But one thing is for certain: football is gaining a significant number of TV viewers compared to last year. Statistics from Australia’s leading TV blog, TV Tonight, record 506,000 total viewers of the Australian Cup final, dwarfing the 53,000 from last year’s broadcast.

The final, which aired on Network 10 and streamed on Paramount+, attracted 116,000 viewers aged 16-39 and 188,000 viewers aged 25-54. The remaining viewership numbers came from the pre- and post-game shows. However, the media does not view Australia as a football capital, unlike AFL and NRL.

The sports’ finals see millions of viewers and spectators from across the country tune in, showing the type of numbers and fan engagement you would see in European football matches.

From Grassroots….

In the 2024 National Participation Report, football clubs nationally have a total of 1.9 million participants since 2024, with a 16 per cent increase in girls’ and women’s teams in the local sectors, making the game the fastest-growing sport in relation to participation in the country for young players. The statistics also considered the number of people playing the sport recreationally and indoors, like in sporting centres and schools.

The increase in football enrolment can be pointed to the success and media attention of the Socceroos and the Matildas in recent years, making football more popular to general Australians, which in return makes the sport more appealing to younger people. In 2024, enrolment in football clubs has gone up by 11 per cent compared to the previous year, according to the 2024 National Participation Report.

The success of grassroots participation and local sport engagement can also be linked directly to the grants and incentives created by the state government and football governing bodies and received throughout the last few years. Programs like Football Australia’s Club Changer have worked with over a thousand clubs across the country to become empowered and inclusive for players, club members and fans.

Other supporters, like the newly established Parliamentary Friends of Football, embody a shift in the sporting environment of the state of Victoria, who are now representing the sport of football at all levels by securing the future of football in the state of Victoria in both the ministerial and practical sense.

With a group of politicians working alongside stakeholders and club presidents to bring grassroots and state league football into the main stage, it won’t take long until events like the Australian Championship gain wider notoriety outside the football community.

…. To The Major Leagues.

While grassroots clubs and the support they receive from fans and governing bodies play a big role, the major league clubs like Melbourne Victory and the international teams play just as big of a role as the media when representing football.

High-profile events like the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, which will be hosted by Australia, increase public engagement simply by having the tournament held in the country, just like the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and previous tournaments, which also contribute to the sport’s visibility.

National sports teams usually create a sense of national pride, as well as friendly rivalry between nations. Yet, the popularity of women’s football, as well as men’s, in the general sports-watching community in Australia is determined by how the Australian media portrays the games and broadcasting rights being dealt with by Australian television.

If the mainstream media treated football the way it represents the AFL and NRL, along with the amount of sponsors, merchandise and public acknowledgement of the sport being a part of Australia’s sporting history, you would see the ratings match the AFL Grand Final.

Overall, though football is seeing an increase in viewership and participation in the younger age groups, there’s still a lot more that needs to be done for the sport to evolve into the powerhouse it deserves.

Whether it is playing football in school, watching the upcoming Australian Championship on SBS VICELAND or on SBS On Demand, or actively attending grassroots matches in your community, you and those in the Australian sporting community should engage in the sport like over half a million did last Saturday.

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