Who will be the next Melbourne Victory CEO?

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When Trent Jacobs announced in May that he would be stepping down as Melbourne Victory Chief Executive Officer (CEO), he left a colossal task ahead for whoever is his chosen successor.

Whoever steps into the role will need to act fast, steady the ship and win support from the fans because of Victory’s recent struggles in the A-League. With a review of the structure of the club currently underway by club director and company secretary Caroline Carnegie, the decision of who takes the role will likely be influenced by club chairman Anthony Di Pietro and herself. There are a number of people available who could easily step into the role, bringing with them experience and football knowledge to give the Victory a much-needed soft reboot.

Richard Scudmore, the former English Premier League CEO, is already familiar with the A-League after working as a special adviser to competition boss Greg O’Rourke. Scudmore is an experienced football operator who could bring a wealth of knowledge to Victory’s boardroom. The sticking point is surely the price it would cost to bring in someone of his stature. Whether Victory has the funds, or the will to fork out the dollars for Scudmore is surely the biggest hurdle. However, he would a valuable asset for any club.

Should they instead focus on an experienced hand, who has been at the helm of an A-League team before? Recently departed Newcastle Jets Chief Executive Lawrie McKinna could have the experience necessary to take on the role at Melbourne Victory, and his passion for football is in display for all. After a tumultuous time at the Jets, the Victory job could be a big enough carrot to lure him back into the hot seat, despite rumours of a return to local politics.

Another option would be the former head of the A-League Archie Fraser. He was CEO of St Kilda football club for a time, and was also briefly the Macarthur FC CEO, before stepping down four months into his tenure to pursue a different opportunity. Another experienced football head, he could bring knowledge and professionalism to Victory to help in their much-needed rebuild. Whether he has the passion to re-enter football is the question.

An outside-the-box option could be Jeff Doyle, the former group CEO of Altus Traffic. Doyle is a former professional footballer in the United Kingdom, and he is a known quality to Melbourne Victory because of his involvement through front-of-shirt sponsorship deals. Someone from outside the current structure of the A-League, with time spent in different facets of the game, could prove a wise choice for the Victory going forward. Doyle recently left his role as CEO of Altus Traffic and is a hot favorite for the position within the Victory fan base.

A different angle to pursue could be to promote someone into the top job from within the club. This is unlikely however, as CEOs are rarely promoted from within an organisation.

A decision – and an announcement – is surely imminent of who will be the next Melbourne Victory CEO. Whoever it is will have the mammoth task of bringing success and titles back to one of Australia’s largest clubs. They will need to breathe new life into a club that used to demand success at all levels, which has stuttered in recent years. The pressure will be huge from a fan base hungry for titles which have eluded them since Kevin Muscat’s departure as head coach, while the new CEO will also be supporting a new coaching team headlined by Tony Popovic. Whoever it is, they have their work cut out for them.

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Who are the Key Speakers at the 2026 FV Club Administrator Conference?

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Image Credit: Shutterstock

Football Victoria (FV) has confirmed the expert lineup for the 2026 Club Administrator Conference, set to take place at The Home of The Matildas on Saturday, 7 February.

While the annual forum remains a staple of the pre-season calendar, the 2026 edition arrives against a backdrop of increasing administrative complexity for the state’s grassroots ecosystem. Consequently, this year’s schedule moves beyond standard networking to prioritise specific subject matter experts who address three distinct pressure points: digital transition, infrastructure investment, and operational risk management.

Digital and Infrastructure Strategy

For club administrators, the immediate operational focus remains the integration of the new Dribl platform. However, FV’s Head of Government Relations & Strategy, Lachlan Cole, drives the broader strategic conversation.

Cole dissects the Facilities Strategy 2025-2035 during the “Level The Playing Field” session. Crucially, a bipartisan panel featuring Parliamentary Friends of Football Co-Conveners Anthony Cianflone MP and John Pesutto MP joins him. With the 2026 state election looming, their involvement offers clubs a rare mechanism to understand how to leverage political support for infrastructure funding.

Risk and Compliance

The burden of compliance on volunteers remains a central theme. Tom Dixon, National Manager at Play by the Rules, confronts the tightening regulatory environment regarding member protection. Dixon delivers a technical breakdown on complaints management, specifically targeting the tangible liability risks that volunteer boards face.

Moreover, Outside the Locker Room CEO Todd Morgan turns the lens toward the psychosocial environment. Morgan presents frameworks for managing mental well-being, equipping administrators with the tools to navigate high-pressure sporting contexts.

Further strengthening the governance focus, FV Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Project Manager Sophie Byrnes outlines the organisation’s new DEI Framework. Her session examines how clubs embed these standards into core business operations rather than treating them as peripheral activities. This structural approach finds a complement in Tarik Bayrakli. Bringing seven years of development experience, Bayrakli presents the ‘A.W.E.S.O.M.E.’ framework, a systematic methodology designed to help committees move beyond simple punitive measures and address club culture at the source.

Ultimately, this speaker lineup represents a shift from general club development to specific technical upskilling, reflecting the professionalisation required of modern volunteer committees.

 

Is the FW Regional Girls Training Camp bridging the access gap for talent?

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Image Credit: Football West

In Western Australia, the tyranny of distance has historically functioned as the primary barrier to talent identification.

For regional footballers, the logistical and financial burden of accessing elite pathways often renders the concept of “equal opportunity” a theoretical ideal rather than an operational reality. However, the recent Regional Girls Training Camp, hosted at the Sam Kerr Football Centre, suggests that Football West is moving to operationalise the structural changes announced in its 2026 academy overhaul.

Earlier this week, nearly 100 players aged 10 to 17 converged on the State Centre for Football in Cannington. The three-day camp invited participants from the previous year’s Country Week carnival, represents the first tangible application of the “real-match” and high-performance philosophy outlined by Football West Development Manager Gareth Naven late last year.

While the previous announcement of the Regional Academy model focused on the structural shift from training camps to competitive “State Carnivals,” this current initiative addresses the resource gap. For stakeholders and policymakers, the camp serves as a case study in how centralised infrastructure assets can be leveraged to service a decentralised demographic.

Infrastructure as an equity lever

A lack of high-performance environments defines the economic reality of regional football. The facility gap between metro NPL setups and regional clubs is often vast. Football West uses the Sam Kerr Football Centre to subsidise the “professional experience” for regional talent.

Sarah Carroll, Female Football & Advocacy Manager, notes the purpose extends beyond simple engagement. The curriculum fused on-pitch technical training with athlete development workshops.

Geography usually blocks access to this sport science for a 14-year-old Pilbara or Goldfields player. By centralising this education, the governing body helps standardise the player pool’s knowledge base. Naven’s alignment strategy demands closing the “knowledge gap” alongside the technical one.

The economics of the “Legacy”

Critically, the WA Government funds the camp through the Female Community Legacy Program. This highlights the Legacy Program’s ROI for the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

A stated aim to “enhance club capability” acknowledges that player development requires an ecosystem. The funding mechanism here is significant. Without state intervention, the cost per head would prohibit many families from attending.

Targeted funding bridges the gap between community participation and elite commercial viability. Regional Lead Tanya Amazzini calls these opportunities “essential” for player growth and confidence.

Strategic alignment with the 2026 pathway

Observers must view this camp alongside the Regional Academy system overhaul. The new “State Carnival” model demands players physically prepared for elite competition. This camp functions as the preparatory phase for that new competitive reality.

Football West uses elite exposure to mitigate the shock of transitioning to state programs. Furthermore, involving players from the Pilbara to the South West keeps the talent net wide. Maintaining sight on remote talent requires constant investment.

The residual challenge

However, the long-term impact warrants caution. The “re-entry” phase remains the primary challenge. Players return to clubs with significantly fewer resources than the Sam Kerr Football Centre.

Success depends on the “trickle-down” effect of the education provided. If players transfer this knowledge locally, the aggregate standard of regional football rises. If isolated, the experience may simply make the regional gap feel more pronounced.

Integrating 100 regional girls into the state’s premier facility executes the strategic plan. It signals that the Centre delivers dividends to the broader ecosystem, not just the elite.

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