2018 ANNUAL REPORT CONTENTS PRESIDENT'S REPORT 4 CEO'S REPORT 10 FINANCIAL REPORT 14 STRATEGY UPDATE 20 PARTICIPATION 30 COMMUNITY FOOTBALL 38 NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUES 46 DOCKERTY CUP & TEAM APP CUP 52 FFA CUP & NPL NATIONAL SERIES 54 REFEREES 58 COACHING 62 REGIONAL 66 TALENTED PLAYER DEVELOPMENT 76 AWARDS & HONOURS 80 BOARD & MANAGEMENT 84 COMMUNITY IN BUSINESS 92 LIFE MEMBERS 96 THANK YOU 97 PRESIDENT'S REPORT PRESIDENT'S REPORT 6 2018 ANNUAL REPORT PRESIDENT'S REPORT ON BEHALF OF THE FOOTBALL FEDERATION VICTORIA (FFV) BOARD, MANAGEMENT AND STAFF, I WISH TO THANK THE COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS, FAMILIES, PARENTS AND SPONSORS FOR THEIR ENERGY, GENEROSITY AND DEVOTION TO THEIR CLUBS AND THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ACROSS THE STATE OF VICTORIA. This year provided significant progress and success in the Football Council to FFA Congress, commitment to the reforms underway throughout the sport of football, at a 40/40/20 gender balance on the FFA Board, bodies national, state and local level. and committees, and male and female delegates for each member of FFA Congress. NATIONAL The final task of the CRWG was to set out a pathway for October 2018 finally culminated in the an alternative A-League governance model, which would substantial governance reforms across the Football consider the national professional football structures, Federation Australia (FFA) constitution, following the including the Hyundai A-League, Westfield W-League, recommendations of the Congress Review Working Foxtel Y-League, national second division and state based Group (CRWG), which included FFV as Chair of the competitions. A taskforce comprising representatives State Member Federations. from football stakeholders has formed the New Leagues Working Group (NLWG) to consider corporate structures The main objective of the CRWG was to propose an and licences, financial models, competition growth and FFA Congress which provided a broader and more integration and cohesion with grassroots football. balanced representation of stakeholders in line with the requirements of the FIFA Statutes, thereby facilitating STATE increased representative governance, accountability and leadership of the sport, whilst maintaining the The reforms of the FFA Congress now require FFV independence of the FFA Board. Important outcomes to consider the impacts and implications for its own included: constitution, which will commence with a consultation process in mid-2019. The FFA Congress membership including the addition of the Women’s Football Council (the single largest Meanwhile, FFV has continued the restructuring of its stakeholder), Professional Footballers Australia and an executive with former Perth Glory CEO Peter Filopoulos increase in representation of the professional football appointed as CEO to head the team of senior executives clubs with a defined pathway to introduce emerging recruited to lead the bold ambition of the game in Victoria, stakeholders such as the Association of Australian Football with a focus on club facilities. Clubs (AAFC) and Football Coaches Australia (FCA). Critically, gathering the data, information and research Additional constitutional amendments are designed to to support the case for the FFV State Football Facilities provide greater collaboration, alignment and engagement Strategy, which was published in the lead up to the 2018 to better support decision making across the diverse state election. The Strategy outlines FFV's plan to work stakeholders. For instance, a number of standing hand-in-hand with local communities and government committees have been established such as Futsal, and identified the historic under-investment in Victorian Indigenous, Medical, Referees and Community Football football infrastructure, which has resulted in over 12,000 to include the underdeveloped aspects of the game prospective players being turned away from clubs in the throughout Australia. 2018 season due to a lack of facilities. Codifying the full participation of women at all levels Furthermore, the plan demonstrated the need for over of football governance in the FFA constitution was 420 equivalent pitches to be provided to meet the also achieved, including the addition of the Women’s expected demand of girls and boys by 2026. 7 2018 ANNUAL REPORT FFV committed substantial resources to supporting this The Club Engagement Program (CEP) is designed priority by engaging Victoria’s leading facility, political to benchmark clubs, create action plans and provide and media advisers to assist the dedicated facilities team, the guidance and resources for clubs to achieve these recruited to support clubs and local government to goals. We are proud that the CEP framework has now promote awareness and leverage facilities and been adopted by FFA to be provided nationwide in funding opportunities. the coming years, under the National Club Accreditation Scheme. The successful facilities strategy has resulted in over $78m being unlocked and the World Game Facilities Importantly, the CEP is complemented with mobile FFV Fund being extended from $5m to $20m over the next Club Ambassadors, who are responsible for supporting four years. The facilities team is now working on a pipeline clubs with the onerous demands of volunteer based of over 40 facilities projects with clubs, local councils and organisations and increasingly complex commercial, State Government to address the shortage of pitches strategic and compliance demands. available for football in Victoria. By combining the Club Engagement Program and Club Furthermore, the State Government has committed to Ambassadors, FFV is collaborating with all clubs towards fund the business case for FFV to develop a new Home the strategic growth, delivery and prosperity of football of Football, which would potentially accommodate in Victoria. the administration, high performance and education CONCLUSION facilities, including additional pitches for the Victorian football community. The magic of the beautiful game is evident everywhere FFV is proud to continue its support of the Country and every week, and we are devoted to supporting its Leagues Football Association (CLFA) and the annual prosperity and richness. The FFV Football Operations Victorian Country Championships over the Queen's team supports the 40,000 matches played every season, Birthday weekend. Over 1,400 boys and girls from however the remarkable growth of diverse football Victoria’s 11 regions participated in 185 matches in programs such as Summer Sevens, the B-League, Shepparton this year, with Wodonga set to experience 7-a-side Football and Wheelchair Football, together the influx of the 5,000 people that make this one of the with innovative social and modified programs which all marquee events on the Victorian football calendar. contribute to making football Victoria's premier sport. FFV undertook a holistic review of the men's and boys' May I extend my appreciation to the FFV Zone football competitions to determine the optimal structure Representatives and Standing Committees who carry for supporting the continued growth of participation and the responsibility for the governance of our sport, together integrated elite pathways for metro and regional players, with the tireless efforts of FFV staff for their professionalism coaches and referees. The review of the women's and and dedication. girls' competitions is currently underway, with changes for both expected to be introduced in future seasons ahead. I also wish to personally acknowledge the tireless contribution of my fellow Board Directors, in particular FFV also undertook a comprehensive strategic planning Vice President Antonella Care. process led by Australia’s leading sports advisory business The Gemba Group, which involved extensive consultation FFV is grateful for the shared commitment of the Victorian across the myriad of football stakeholders. The strategic football community and we look forward to continuing plan will be presented to FFV Members at the 2018 Annual to work together throughout the course of the 2019 General Meeting on Wednesday 27th March 2019. football season. CLUBS KIMON TALIADOROS PRESIDENT FFV’s 2018 priority has been to collaborate with our 358 clubs to achieve their aspirations. FFV made a material investment in dedicated staff and programs to actively guide and support each club within the broader game development framework of football in Victoria. 8 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 9 2018 ANNUAL REPORT CEO'S REPORT CEO'S REPORT CEO'S REPORT FOOTBALL IN VICTORIA ENTERING AN EXCITING ERA UPON JOINING FOOTBALL FEDERATION VICTORIA (FFV) AS CEO IN MAY LAST YEAR, WHAT EXCITED ME MOST WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD A TEAM THAT COULD TAKE THE GAME IN THIS STATE TO NEW HEIGHTS. Based on the progress of the past 12 months or so – with More than anything, these numbers demonstrate football’s the support and input of all the game’s stakeholders – unique ability to bring together people from all walks of there’s every reason to believe we’re well on the way. life, and they reaffirm the important place that the game holds in the hearts and minds of a growing number of Over the past year, we’ve been resolute in executing Australians. against our key strategic priorities, including a focus on building stronger clubs, through a dedicated club And, while it’s appropriate to celebrate the great strides engagement program, and leading the way with a we’re making on the field, it also reminds us that we comprehensive facilities and advocacy strategy to unlock need to keep actively engaging local, state and federal public