Filopoulos hails success as Football Victoria sets broadcast audience record

Liam Watson

The 2019 Senol Grand Final Triple Header at AAMI Park last Sunday drew record audience numbers for a National Premier Leagues Victoria live-stream event.

A statement from the Football Victoria can be found here:

The showpiece of Victorian men’s and women’s football attracted a milestone reach of 111,122 people and 78,515 views across the NPL and NPLW Victoria’s Facebook and YouTube platforms. This compares to a total reach of 96,357 and 53,079 from 2018, up 13.2 per cent and 32.4 per cent respectively.

2019 Broadcast Numbers

 

Engagement was an impressive 58 per cent for the NPL Promotion/Relegation Playoff match between Dandenong Thunder FC and FC Bulleen Lions (reach 39,753 / views 22,860), a commanding 77.3% for the NPL senior men’s Grand Final between Avondale FC and Bentleigh Greens SC (reach 62,086 / views 47,973) and a remarkable 83% for the NPLW Grand Final between Calder United SC and FC Bulleen Lions (reach 9,283 / views 7,682).

This year, the broadcast was hosted by Michael Zappone and featured NPL coaches and players Scott Miller, Moreland Zebras skipper Cam Watson, former Socceroos Sasa Ognenovski and Goran Lozanovski and former Matildas Melissa Barbieri and Kate Gill.

Match commentators featured emerging callers from Football Victoria’s media network such as Chris Gleeson, Joey Lynch, Bryce Ruthven, Katie Lambeski, Brandon Galgano, Damir Kulas, Josh Parish and Steve Curtain.

Football Victoria CEO Peter Filopoulos said all NPL, NPLW and selected NPL2 matches were broadcast weekly in 2019, promoting many clubs across the state. He said the Senol Grand Final Triple Header broadcast was a high-quality production, backed by a high-quality line-up and well supported by SBS’ promotion on its The World Game platform.

“To see so many viewers tune in throughout the day was a fantastic endorsement for football in Victoria. We have clearly struck a chord with fans across the NPL and NPLW competitions in this state and the fan base continues to grow,” Mr Filopoulos said.

“The quality of Victorian football, week in and week out, is well worth watching and it was also very satisfying to see comments from fans tuning in from as far away as Scotland. We very much thank SBS for their support in promoting it as well,” he said.

“We’re also working hard to grow crowd attendance on the day as we keep building on this marquee event on an annual basis. There’s no doubt AAMI Park is the showcase venue for football in Victoria and it’s a huge opportunity and honour to showcase the best of our state’s NPL and NPLW competitions each year.

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Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

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Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

Football Victoria launches inaugural Club State Championships amid World Cup fever

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Football Victoria (FV) has unveiled the inaugural Victorian Club State Championships, a new statewide tournament set to transform the winter football calendar and provide a major platform for emerging talent across the state.

Taking place from July 2–5 at The Home of The Matildas, the event will coincide with the FIFA World Cup 2026 period. This alignment a strategic move aimed at capitalising on heightened global football engagement.

The tournament will feature both boys’ and girls’ teams from U9 through to U17 age groups, bringing together clubs from Advanced and Community competitions in a bid to crown Victoria’s best-performing clubs across each division.

A statewide stage for club football

In what shapes as a major addition to the Victorian football landscape, the championships are designed to create a high-level tournament environment outside regular league competition. This offering players valuable exposure to knockout football, elevated match intensity and cross-league competition.

Football Victoria described the event as a celebration of the “strength, depth and talent” within the state’s football ecosystem, while also positioning it as a unique opportunity for clubs to test themselves against opponents they would not typically face throughout the season.

The decision to host the competition at The Home of The Matildas further reinforces FV’s intention to elevate the stature of the event, utilising one of Australia’s premier football facilities as the centrepiece of the tournament.

Creating a World Cup atmosphere in Victoria

FV believes the timing of the championships, running during the FIFA World Cup, will help generate a carnival-like atmosphere around the game at grassroots and pathway level.

Each participating team will play a minimum of four matches, with assistant referees appointed from U12 onwards. Disciplinary outcomes will also carry into regular season records, adding further competitive weight to the tournament structure.

Importantly, academy-only and social teams will not be eligible, reinforcing the event’s focus on recognised club pathways and structured competition.

A new piece in Football Victoria’s long-term strategy

The launch of the Victorian Club State Championships comes as Football Victoria continues to reshape and modernise its competition structures across both elite and community football, with the governing body placing greater emphasis on player development, competitive alignment and statewide engagement initiatives.

For clubs, the tournament presents not only the opportunity to compete for silverware, but also a rare chance to benchmark themselves against the broader Victorian football landscape during one of the sport’s biggest global moments.

With registrations now open, the Victorian Club State Championships could quickly become one of the most anticipated additions to the state football calendar.

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