Football NSW Begins Schools Activity Book Initiative

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Image credit: Rido / Shutterstock.com

In the build-up to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ 2026, Football NSW has commenced a new initiative across classrooms in NSW to inspire excitement for the competition among young learners. The Schools Activity Book had its first session last Friday, 21 November, at Birchgrove Public School. 

Football NSW hopes that increasing the competition’s presence in classrooms will allow students to celebrate the tournament, as well as learning more about the nations involved in a fun and engaging manner. 

From the Boardroom to the Classroom

Students at Birchgrove Public School were provided the opportunity to see the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ Schools Activity Book in a session led by Football NSW coach, Zac Bloem. The book is designed with young learners in mind and features activities such as crosswords, maps, and ‘Find The Ball’ challenges, all of which aim to create an engaging learning experience about the tournament due to be held in Australia in March 2026.

Football NSW Program Manager – Sporting Schools, Tunahan Guner, has revealed that the Activity Book has been popular both among students and the coaches leading the sessions. 

“Our coaches love stepping into the classroom and helping students learn about the tournament in a fun, interactive way. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect education with football and inspire the next generation of fans and players,” he said via press release.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Through initiatives like the School Activity Book, Football NSW is not only encouraging students to remain engaged with the sport in the build up to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ 2026, but is also providing an interactive framework to educate young learners about diversity, inclusion and participation. 

By teaching students about the 12 nations who form the competition, as well as the myriad of players who will be performing on Australian soil, Football NSW is showing that football is a game for everyone, regardless of nationality, race or gender, making it an extremely valuable addition to the classroom environment. 

This is also not the first time Football NSW has displayed its commitment to inspiring young fans. This year alone, more than 200 Sporting Schools Programs were carried out by Football NSW, including the Miniroos Schools Program which runs over 6 weeks and gives students a safe environment in which to have fun, develop motor skills, and participate as equals.

Schools or parents wishing to access the Activity Book can find it here

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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.

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

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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.

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