South Melbourne FC Announces New Co-Presidents

Bennett Perry09/10/2025 6:05 am08/10/2025

Image credit: South Melbourne FC

South Melbourne Football Club have announced a reorganisation of the club’s board structure with the introduction of their two new co-presidents, Andrew Mesourouni and Bill Papastergiadis.

The club has called for their players rosters, administration staff and stadium management to meet the demands of the three major football competitions upcoming in the next 12 months.

Both co-presidents will bring over a decade of service to South Melbourne FC, holding senior positions in the past with Andrew as a Football Director and Bill as a Head of Legal and Chairman, their experiences and professional knowledge will aid the club in the future.

South Melbourne Co-President, Andrew Mesourouni stated it’s time for the club to be truly unite behind the strength of its badge and proud history.

“For the first time in our history, unity will be on display with two Presidents sharing responsibility alongside a passionate Board of Directors,” he said via media release.

“This is not about any individual but about one Club coming together, members and fans, young and old, united by love and respect for our great Club. Together, we will rise, both in football and in community values, as a home for all.”

South Melbourne second Co-President, Bill Papastergiadis commented on the privilege to serve at this historic Club, whose record of history and success in Australian football is unmatched.

“We must respect the contributions of all who came before us, including Nick Maikousis,” he said via media release.

“Alongside Andrew, our focus will be to deliver the best possible football product for our supporters. Football in Australia is undergoing significant change, and we want Hellas to be at the forefront of this new era.”

Football clubs across the NPL are preparing for the next season which will begin soon after the FIFA Oceania Professional League, including those involved in the upcoming Australian Championship.

The remaining board members and structure remain unchanged and will be continuing to operate into the next season.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Patrick Irving16/04/2026 8:55 am16/04/2026

Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

Patrick Irving15/04/2026 6:05 am14/04/2026

Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.