AAFC Chairman Nick Galatas: “We want the best possible national second division”

Avatar

AAFC Chairman Nick Galatas has outlined his plans for the organisation for 2021, with the continued pursuit of the introduction of a national second division at the top of his list.

Speaking with Soccerscene, Galatas explained that at the core of the organisation’s work on a national second tier, is the importance of producing the best outcomes for the sport.

“It’s about having the best possible national second division,” he said.

“That is front and centre of what we have put forward. What we’ve asked our clubs to put forward is not the minimum they can do, but the maximum they can do. Yes, we can always do less than the best, work below our capacity and set low targets that we can achieve.

“But we think we can do better than that.

“The clubs are assuming the risk, they are putting up the money and their resources, they think they can make it work from within their capability. Let’s use it, why wouldn’t we tap into that resource?”

FA CEO James Johnson recently spoke with Simon Hill on the Shim, Spider and So Much Moore podcast, praising the AAFC’s model and philosophically agreeing with the concept of a national second division with 12-16 teams.

However, Johnson believes that a more pragmatic model is a two-phase system where clubs will play out their local NPL season, with the best sides to then progress into a national-based “Champions League” group stage competition at the back-end of the year.

Galatas believes it is up to AAFC to convince Football Australia that the research they have conducted, in their feasibility progress report, will ultimately show that their model for a national second division is the appropriate way forward for the sport.

“Our job is to show Football Australia what they philosophically think is better, is in fact better and does in fact work,” he stated.

“We are not rejecting the outline of what James put out the other day, it may turn out to be better. We will explore that further and try and look at that and imagine it to its best level and work on that in good faith. If it looks good, and the risk associated with that is so much lower to make it more viable, then great.

“But, our work to date shows that it is not the case.

“The cost to the revenue side of a more limited model and the difficulty our member clubs will have in selling that to their own people, in terms of generating the relevant interest, isn’t worth it, as the savings it involves doesn’t compensate for the forgone revenue and interest. We look forward to seeing the FA model James mentioned in more detail when it’s ready, but we have anticipated such a model in our progress report before settling on our preferred model.”

AAFC hopes to complete its final report on its national second division plans by April, with Galatas anticipating a lot of the year to be occupied by Football Australia’s modelling of the second tier, something the organisation expects to play a notable role in.

Alongside this, they will look to navigate through all the changes to the game that directly affect the NPL clubs they are representing.

The organisation intends to conduct some work on advancing the women’s game in the country in the build-up to the 2023 Women’s World Cup, whilst also keeping abreast with recent announcements from the governing body.

“Going on to the domestic transfer system and the white paper FA has introduced, we are definitely looking at that. We’re preparing our position and contribution to that,” Galatas said.

“Football Australia also recently put out its domestic football calendar, so we are getting our heads around that as well and where we fit in.”

Possible reforms are also set to occur to NPL competition structures across Australia.

“We’ll be working with the member federations and with Football Australia in continuing to evolve that,” he said.

“There have been reviews into structures in Victoria, NSW and one now happening in Queensland, so we are constantly working on that part of it because most of our member clubs are involved in that.”

Galatas, based in Melbourne, believes on the back of the enthusiasm and movement on the second division front, strong crowds should turn out for the NPL season in Victoria.

“A lot of people want to see their teams play, practice match crowds are up from what I’ve heard and hopefully there are bumper crowds for the season.”

Previous ArticleNext Article

How Sunbury United Is Defying the Odds to Keep Grassroots Football Alive

Avatar
Image credit: Football Victoria

Sunbury United stands as a cornerstone of the local community in Melbourne’s outer northwest. But for all the hard work given by local families and volunteers, the lack of funding continues to prohibit a level of growth which matches both ambition and potential.

 

Consolidating growth across the club

Soccerscene recently spoke to Club President, Sherridan Long, about the club’s ambitions going forward, the family-oriented culture, and the challenges of operating at grassroots level in Australia.

“It’s gone really well in retention of players from 2025, [and] recruiting some players who have been really keen to come to the club and are really contending over just a small handful of spots,” explained Long.

“That’s been really rewarding to see the popularity of our programme and what the team is trying to develop in terms of culture and performance, to be somewhere that people want to go to.”

Furthermore, Sunbury United’s reputation in the community continues to inspire waves of prospective junior players, who are lining up for squad vacancies.

“We’ve got waitlists for almost every age group,” Long continued.

“We’ve seen a growth in interest coming into the club and girls wanting to play football, but also lots of families wanting to move to Sunbury and join our club, or move from other clubs.”

Sunbury United is ensuring that its culture and matchday atmosphere remains a safe, welcoming place for those who matter most in grassroots football: families, players and volunteers who sustain it every week.

Planning for success on and off the pitch

Despite solidifying a successful culture off the pitch, Sunbury United are refusing to slow down. From the senior men’s team to junior age groups, high-performance remains a key objective.

“Everyone is trying to win leagues – this is something we’ve been working towards for a few years,” said Long.

“Each little milestone across the year means we’re getting closer to a senior men’s promotion or championship – it’s been over ten years since a promotion or championship at the club.”

Although several years have passed since Sunbury United saw success in the form of silverware, the club’s progress in recent seasons may yet lead to a trophy in the very near future.

But reaching this goal requires not only a cohesive effort from players and coaches, but from all stakeholders and participants within the club space. To this end, Sunbury United underwent a strategic plan set-up to align their operations with the ambitions and thoughts of everyone involved.

“We undertook some survey and stakeholder analysis through our members to understand what it is they love about Sunbury United, why they participate, where they see the club going and how they can be a part of that.”

“It was nice to hear exactly what they wanted, what they thought of and what they felt by being part of United. So that shaped our strategic plan in terms of performance, community and working together as a team.”

Ultimately, it is this balance of performance, teamwork and trust in the community which can set clubs up for success. Whether at grassroots or professional level, if everyone involved operates under shared values and vision, the silverware becomes a question of when, not if.

 

Challenges of the grassroots game

As with any club or organisation in sport, progress inevitably encounters barriers, hiccups and challenges along the way. Facility access, infrastructure quality and investment are common issues not just for Sunbury, but for all in the grassroots space.

“Most places share winter and summer sports so you can only use your space a certain amount of months a year before it turns to the summer sport,” Long outlined.

“It means that there’s no space for juniors to conduct a proper pre-season, so they’re doing it at other reserves in Hume Council and not actually at our home.”

Indeed, we have seen already the lack of investment directed towards the football community. Soccerscene recently looked into The City of Hume’s current budget, which revealed a 10:1 funding imbalance between AFL and the beautiful game. For Sunbury United, and many other clubs, the impact is undeniable.

“We can’t fill the second or third women’s team because there’s no infrastructure to facilitate changing between boys and girls changing room on the flick of a dime. You’re not only balancing access between two squads and gendered safe spaces, but also junior and senior spaces,” Long explained.

“We’re limited by aspirations being within the lines and being within the physical building that we have. Investment in football infrastructure would be a game-changer.”

It’s a common theme in Australia’s grassroots landscape. Clubs with loyal supporters, interested players and a desire to develop, continue to be restricted by the boundaries of their facilities.

It is not about demand. It’s about necessity. If clubs like Sunbury United are to continue working towards player development and squad expansion, external investment is a must-have.

 

Fighting for the future

As Sunbury United continues to strengthen bonds with the surrounding community and within the club, the foundations are ready for the seasons to come. From youth teams to seniors, the club continues to emphasise connection as a fundamental principle.

“We sit under one umbrella. We’re not two separate committees or two clubs,” Long revealed, expressing the idea behind a connected senior’s and junior’s set-up.

“It’s important to the long-term sustainability and longevity of our club, not just to the performance side, that everyone’s invested and feels a part of something, and that they can be involved.”

One club, one philosophy and one family. Grassroots football will continue to throw its challenges for years to come, but Sunbury are, and will be, more united than ever.

Nike and FA reveal Socceroos kit ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

Avatar
Image credit: Football Australia

As the lastest collaboration between Football Australia and Nike, the 2026 National Team collection is testament to a partnership spanning over two decades.

 

New threads, old partners

Built on the balanced principles of heritage, culture and progression, Nike have designed two kits which reflect the very DNA within Australia’s men’s national team.

“The CommBank Socceroos are set to perform on the world stage with a clear intent to compete and succeed against the world’s best, and this new kit reflects that ambition,” said Football Australia CEO, Martin Kugeler, via official press release.

“Socceroo kits become part of Australian football history, forever tied to defining moments and performances and we look forward to seeing the Socceroos represent the country with pride in this jersey on the global stage.”

Honouring the twenty-year partnership with Nike, this year’s kit draws inspiration from the iconic 2006 jersey. The hope, therefore, is that performances on the pitch will mirror this sense of pride, passion and ambition.

Innovation on the biggest stage

Furthermore, football kits represent innovation and ambition. Materials, fit and finer details must all come together in a perfect combination to allow for optimal performance.

The Socceroos collection features Nike’s Aero-FIT performance cooling technology, thus increasing airflow and ensuring players stay cool while playing in high temperatures.

But beyond the inner workings and technology of the kits, a sense of authenticity and intention continue to shine through.

“I really love the new home kit, it has a great traditional feel with the colours and the style and it feels unmistakably Australian,” outlined Nike athlete and Socceroos star, Jordan Bos.

Although kits appear as little more than a squad number and a badge, the international stage demands a jersey which represents something far greater. The World Cup is about national pride, passion and ambition, and Australia’s 2026 kit collection unites all of them.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend