Football Australia’s 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Tuesday afternoon (November 23) via video conference, in line with the release of the national governing body’s 2021 Annual Review.
At the AGM, Football Australia’s Members voted to re-elect Amy Duggan and Joseph Carrozzi as Directors. The Football Australia Board now comprises nine members, of which five are female and four are male – a first of the major sporting bodies in Australia with a gender split of 55% female and 45% male.
Football Australia’s Members also ratified changing the financial year of Football Australia from a financial year (July 1 to June 30) to a calendar year (January 1 to December 31).
This step is made in the spirit of the ‘One Football’ concept outlined in the XI Principles for the future of Australian football and increases alignment of financial years across the entire game, as Football Australia seeks to create greater operating efficiencies.
Following the AGM, Chris Nikou was installed unanimously by his fellow Directors to the position of Football Australia Chair – a role he has fulfilled since November 2018. Carla Wilshire was elected as Deputy Chair.
Nikou was pleased that 2021 was a year of implementation and action.
“It is with great satisfaction that the Board of Football Australia can report that 2021 has indeed been a landmark year for our sport. We are taking transformative steps for the future, driven by our 15-year vision outlined in our XI Principles for the future of Australian football and by our commitment to a strategic growth agenda,” Nikou said.
“In recent times, we have embarked on crucial and at times, difficult structural changes. Reforms that will see the continued evolution and growth of our great game. I am proud to say that we have completed making many of those changes.
“Over the last year, I have been pleased with the increased level of collaboration among the game’s stakeholders. Their strong appetite for working hand-in-hand will ensure that the game will continue to evolve and grow in ways not seen before.
“Pleasingly, with all the work undertaken in developing a new 15-year vision for the sport and our clear strategic growth agenda, and in re-creating and re-imagining our value proposition commercially, we entered FY 2021/22 with a budgeted revenue double what we achieved in FY 2020/21. In a COVID-19 affected world, this is a remarkable turnaround,”
In the second year of his tenure, Chief Executive Officer James Johnson said:
“Australian football is in a vastly different position today than what it was 18 months ago, with noticeable and significant change taking place across the game this year.
“2022 will provide the opportunity to focus our strategic agenda on key initiatives, such as digital transformation and the establishment of more exciting football products, which we believe will enhance our connection to our broad and diverse football community.
“We have set the foundations for positive transformation of Australian football in 2021 and we are optimistic and excited about the future of the game.”
Football Australia’s 2021 Annual Review can be accessed here.
