Australian Football Skool Driving Grassroots Boom as Millions Tune In

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Image Credit: Australian Football Skool

Community football visibility is reaching new heights, with Australian Football Skool and Sports Group Melbourne benefiting from record-breaking digital engagement generated across competitions deliver across the country.

In 2025 alone, AFS and SGM competitions generated an impressive 5.9 million digital views across its platforms. This signals the growing appetite for grassroots football content and increased exposure for emerging pathways programs.

Flagship tournaments including the Youth Super Cup, Junior Champions League, and Shepparton Cup drove the strongest engagement. These results highlight the increasing demand for high-quality junior and community football competitions across Australia and New Zealand.

For Australian Football Skool, the growth represents more than just numbers. Increased digital reach is strengthening player exposure, expanding recruitment opportunities, and allowing families and clubs to remain closely connected to player development journeys.

The figures also reflect a broader shift within grassroots football, where digital storytelling and accessible content are playing a critical role in elevating community competitions to new audiences. By integrating tournament delivery with digital promotion, AFS and SGM are helping reshape how grassroots football is consumed and celebrated.

With momentum continuing to build, Australian Football Skool is poised to benefit further as SGM prepares to expand its digital and competition footprint in 2026. The organisation’s commitment to amplifying community football ensures grassroots players remain front and centre in the sport’s evolving ecosystem.

As participation pathways and digital visibility continue to align, initiatives like all these new tournaments are demonstrating how local development programs can thrive in an increasingly connected football landscape.

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Inside GIS’ New Executive Edge Program Driving Sport’s Future Leaders

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Image Credit: Global Institute of Sport

A new executive education program designed to shape the next generation of sports industry leaders is set to launch in June 2026, offering participants a rare blend of academic insight and real-world application at the highest level of global sport.

The Executive Edge in Sport, delivered by Global Institute of Sport (GIS) in partnership with Rotman School of Management Executive Programs, will provide current and aspiring leaders with the tools needed to navigate an increasingly complex and fast-evolving sports landscape.

The seven-week program, Sports Leadership Essentials, is delivered primarily online, offering a flexible and immersive learning experience for professionals worldwide. It is tailored for individuals seeking to strengthen their leadership capabilities within sport, as well as those aiming to transition into senior roles. This includes athletes navigating their post-playing careers.

Led by Sharona Friedman, President and CEO of GIS, and Walid Hejazi, Professor of Economic Analysis and Policy at Rotman, the course combines academic rigour with industry relevance. Participants will engage with key topics shaping modern sport, including leadership and strategy, governance and ethics, finance and revenue models, marketing and fan engagement, event operations, and the growing influence of AI and emerging technologies.

The program also features exclusive masterclasses with senior figures from across the global sports industry, alongside sessions led by leading academics and practitioners from the Rotman School.

For those seeking a more hands-on experience, participants can opt into the Sports Leadership Lab. This is a four-day, in-person summit held at BMO Field in Toronto. Delivered in collaboration with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the lab provides behind-the-scenes access to elite sport operations, bridging theory with practice in a live stadium environment.

As the global sports industry continues to expand and evolve, The Executive Edge in Sport positions itself as a critical pathway for leaders looking to stay ahead. It provides students with the knowledge, network, and perspective required to lead with impact.

Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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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.

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