ANNUAL REPORT 2020 3 FOOTBALL 10 COMPETITIONS 42 FINANCIAL SOUTH STATEMENTS AUSTRALIA TEAM 25 COACHING & DEVELOPMENT 50 STATISTICAL 4 PRESIDENT’S INFORMATION REPORT 36 EVENTS 68 CORPORATE 6 CEO’S REPORT PARTNERS REPORT CONTENTS Coopers Stadium Postal Address: Gate 5, Holden Street PO Box 329 Phone: 08 8340 3088 Email: [email protected] Hindmarsh SA 5007 Welland SA 5007 Fax: 08 8340 3188 Web: www.footballsa.com.au STAFF MEMBERS 3 Chief Executive Officer FOOTBALL SOUTH Michael Carter CEO Executive Assistant AUSTRALIA TEAM Elvira Liaptsis General Manager Business Services Steven Ireland Finance Officer Julio Angulo-Cubias Finance Officer Sonia Branson* Finance & Administration Assistant Kim Clayden SAM CICCARELLO JANE RATHJEN Commercial and Sponsorship Manager ANNUAL REPORT 2020 President Vice President Scott Hockenhull Media & Digital Content Coordinator Matt Mays General Manager Football Operations Wendy Carter Senior Men’s Football Manager George Georganas Women’s and Girls’ Competition Manager Firas Shahin* WENDY BARRY ORAZIO DI CARLO DAVID HEWITSON Junior Football and Futsal Coordinator Director Director Director Alex Sunasky FOOTBALL SOUTH AUSTRALIA SOUTH FOOTBALL Competition Administration Assistant Sam Russell* Competition Administration Assistant Ned Sadler* Member Services Manager Tracey Dycer Referee Manager Andrew Murray JOE FRANCO TONY TAORMINA KRISTYN SWAFFER Referee Administration Director Director Director Isabella Ricciardi Venues Manager Tristan Owen Venues Coordinator Mercedes Clarson General Manager Football Development Paul Marcuccitti* MiniRoos Development Officer Jake Brindley SYMOANE MERCUIRO MICHAEL CARTER MiniRoos Development Officer Director CEO Tiarn Powell Coach Education Manager Alec Wilson Technical Director Girls Cristiano Dos Santos Rodrigues Technical Director Boys Airton Andrioli* Skill Acquisition Trainer Richie Alagich NTC Girls Head Coach ESTELLE BOWMAN FRANCIS WONG OAM DAVID POLLOCK Director - Retired Director - Retired Director - Resigned Michele Lastella May 2020 May 2020 September 2020 Administration Assistant Kerry Hudson* Receptionist & Administration Assistant THANK To Football South Australia’s hard working volunteer photographers Andrea Hickey YOU who’s work features prominently throughout this report *staff member no longer employed at FSA 2020/21 FOOTBALLSA.COM.AU SAM CICCARELLO 4 2020 was a tough year. Football, like everyone and every aspect of our community, dealt with the never previously experienced circumstances and impact of the global COVID-19 virus. It was a very, very different and challenging year with severe disruption manifested across football and all sports, business, industry and government; as well as within our families and broader community. As a state sporting organisation, we undertook our civic duty as a responsible citizen to do everything within our purview and control to contribute to the community’s collective efforts to deal with the crisis. In an organisational and operational context, the Football South Australia board’s priority was focused on navigating through the uncertainty and ensuring the sustainability of the sport, our organisation and that of our clubs and associations, so that when we emerged from the pandemic, we would be ready to respond to the wishes and need of our community, to get our girls and boys and all players, playing football again. At the outset of COVID-19, the FSA framed its decision making against the key principles of putting people and the community first and ensuring it acted in their best interests, and the interests of sport. Vital pillars in our response were to act PRESIDENT’S prudently, strategically, decisively and with confident leadership, to adapt and deal with the social and financial effects of COVID-19 and to absorb some of that REPORT impact and to mitigate or where possible, insulate our game to survive the crisis. We acted to pull our football community together and focused on football’s most vulnerable areas, putting in place a survival plan with strong attention on reducing and controlling our costs, while still being able to operate at a high-level. Football SA put in place appropriate protective measures, particularly around the organisation’s balance sheet and its on-going financial sustainability, including by way of an immediate and significant reframing of the organisation’s staff resources and operational budget to guarantee business continuity; and in successfully advocating with the state government to support a substantial relief funding package. The audited financial statements with this Annual Report serve to inform you of the detail of our 2020 financial state. I commend the excellent performance of our management, particularly CEO Michael Carter and GM Business Services, Steven Ireland; and guided and overseen by the expertise of the Board and Finance Committee, in delivering a strong result for football. Everyone was touched and affected by COVID-19 but as a community we all come together to respond to those challenges and adjust and adapt as best as possible. PRESIDENT’S REPORT 5 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 It is said that as a state, South Australia beat the highly fancied Adelaide City 2 - 1 I also express our thanks to our referees performed very well in managing and in what was a thrilling contest. who contributed to our return to play dealing with the unique circumstances of The State League 1 and 2 promotional through a reduction in their payments our times. positions and finals series were not for 2020 across a range of Football SA Insofar as the sporting sector, I can say with decided until the final round of the year, competitions; and thanks to the players for confidence that the football community in while the NPL Premiers and finals make-up they are the reason our competitions exist, South Australia led the way for community also went down to the final minutes of the and for the entertainment and enjoyment AUSTRALIA SOUTH FOOTBALL and semi-professional sports and this is a final round. that they have given us, and continue to give us all. credit to the leaders in the game at club The 2020 finals series delivered on its and association level. promise to be a high-quality affair and Our gratitude to the State Government, An important platform for the sport’s while the respective Premiers deserved and Premier Steven Marshall, and Sports, recovery, was the assistance provided early favouritism, any of the top 6 in each of Recreation and Racing Minister Corey to the football community to cushion the three leagues could have taken out the Wingard for their strong support. I also the financial impact felt by every club championship. thank Football SA’s sponsors, and thanks and association. More than $850,000 in and appreciation also go to the hundreds The NPL Grand Final saw Campbelltown of corporate sponsors and local businesses relief was provided by way of the State City claim their third successive NPLSA Government’s contribution of $490,000 which support and sponsor our clubs and League title, with a resounding 3-1 win to associations. – which we are all very grateful for - and Adelaide Comets under the Friday night Football South Australia’s $360,000. lights of Coopers Stadium. This game Thank you to our CEO, Michael Carter, The financial relief package provided marked the first time Coopers Stadium GM Football Operations - Wendy Carter, our football community with meaningful had seen any action since mid-March. Senior Men’s Football Manager - George and material support, giving additional Sturt Lions secured promotion to the Georganas and Football SA’s team of confidence in our collective efforts of National Premier League having defeated dedicated staff at headquarters who rebooting the sport. White City 2-0 in front of a sell-out crowd worked so hard to make certain that all our competitions were able to be restarted and Participation numbers all but recovered at VALO Football Centre; and Eastern United overcame Adelaide Cobras in a completed in 2020 amidst the disruption following the forced March to end of and challenges. Their work, as always, June shutdown. The resilience and hard-fought win to be crowned 2020 State League 2 Champions. has been hallmarked by quality, passion, determination of our community shone and commitment to achieving first-rate through and we were able to extend our The virtual awards, whilst not in its outcomes for football. Those outcomes regular season dates to ensure that all traditional format, recognised the team for football could not have been achieved players had the opportunity to enjoy the and personal achievements of the 2020 without the capability and contribution sport they love. season. Congratulations to all winners, of others and I also acknowledge and The work undertaken over recent years to including NPL Adelaide Comets’ Allan commend my fellow board directors improve our sporting infrastructure was a Welsh being awarded his 3rd Sergio Melta for their expertise, wise guidance and contributing factor in being able to extend Medal, Croydon Kings’ Domenic Costanzo significant commitment to the governance, our senior competitions until the end of awarded the John Aloisi Rising Star; WNPL progress, and well-being of the game in November. The capacity for football to Salisbury Inter’s Maria Jose Rojas being the state. Integral to our advances and in do this is unmatched amongst SA state awarded the Shirley Brown Medal for achieving positive outcomes for football sporting bodies. Player of the Year and Football SA NTC’s have been the services of former directors Jonti Fisher - Female Rising Star. Estelle Bowman, Francis Wong OAM and The Leagues were again exceptionally David Pollock. On behalf of the Board tightly contested. It seems we say this every We can never thank enough, the thousands and the Football Community, I express year, however 2020 was one to remember. of the game’s volunteers who ensure their clubs and associations provide how grateful we are for their service and A perfect illustration of this was the WNPL a safe and enjoyable environment for very much appreciate their important grand final where Metro United came from players, spectators, and club officials.