Melbourne Victory extends its collaboration with AGL

Noah Coopey16/10/2024 6:05 am15/10/2024

Image credit: Melbourne Victory website

In a significant boost to Melbourne Victory’s off-field operations, energy group AGL has renewed its commitment as a major partner of the A-League club till the end of the 2026 season.

The deal sees AGL continue as the Naming Rights and Presenting Partner for several of Victory’s flagship programs, including the influential ‘Victory in Business’ network, the club’s A-League Men’s Chairman’s Functions, and the pioneering Female Forum initiative.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, commented on her excitement for the continued support.

“The unique offers that partners like AGL bring to the table only add to the value of being part of the Melbourne Victory community, and we are excited about some of the heightened benefits AGL offer to the Victory family,” she said via press release.

AGL’s General Manager, Customer Growth, Melanie Laing, has pointed out the importance of this collaboration and its plans.

“Our partnership allows us to offer Victory members and fans great energy offers and it also opens the door for us to connect with the business community through the Club’s strong network,” she said via press release.

A key benefit of the renewed partnership is the introduction of the “AGL Blue Zone,” an exclusive match-day experience set to elevate the atmosphere at AAMI Park.

AGL customers will have the chance to secure 200 free tickets to six marquee A-League Men’s home matches, complete with giveaways and food and beverage vouchers.

The collaboration reach extends beyond the men’s game, with AGL continuing its support for the A-League Women’s fixtures, underlining the company’s commitment to the growth of football across all levels.

AGL is also dedicated to maintaining its popular $150 cashback offer for eligible customers joining their Melbourne Victory energy plan. This initiative helps fans offset their membership costs, while the club potentially sees a boost in its membership numbers.

This partnership is an example of how this investment not only strengthens the football club’s position but also provides corporate partners with unique opportunities to engage with a passionate fan base, ultimately contributing to the growth and development of Australian football.

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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.