Football Queensland delivers football programs to over 8,000 students in Term 3

Philip Panas02/09/2020 5:28 am12/10/2021

Football Queensland have delivered multiple football programs in recent months which has seen just under 9,000 students become active through the ‘Sporting Schools’ initiative.

89 schools across the sunshine state were engaged in Term 3 programs, with applications for Term 4 open until the end of this week.

“We made it clear in FQ’s Strategic Plan that we would prioritise opportunities to engage with schools throughout Queensland and Sporting Schools has been an excellent program for us to get kids active across the state and drive ongoing participation and a love of the game,” FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci said.

“Uniting football in Queensland means bringing all facets of the game together and pointed in the same direction to deliver high-quality experiences for everyone involved, even with the challenges presented to us this year with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the past six months, our participation team has worked closely with Football Federation Australia to create a sustainable teacher-delivered Sporting Schools option.

“The response was strong with 17 schools electing to run a teacher-delivered program during Term 3, extending our state-wide reach to 89 schools in total and 8,877 participants ranging from Far North Queensland to the Gold Coast.

“I encourage all Queensland schools to take up the funding opportunities on offer before the Term 4 application window closes on Friday.”

Laura Bryant, FQ Participation Officer – Schools, stated: “Each Sporting Schools program is tailored to the individual school’s request.

“The Queensland teachers we have engaged with have done amazingly well with all the hurdles they have faced in what has been a challenging 2020.

“The majority of Sporting Schools football programs this term have still been delivered by our endorsed coaching team during school PE lessons, as well as before and after school.

“Our coaches have done a wonderful job ensuring all children who participate in a Sporting Schools program have a smile on their face in a fun and inclusive environment.”

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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.