Perth Glory broker deal to play matches in Tasmania

Philip Panas15/02/2022 5:55 am14/02/2022

Football Tasmania has welcomed the announcement that A-League side Perth Glory will play four games in the Apple Isle – later this month.

The deal, struck between the A-Leagues, Tasmanian Government and Perth Glory will see three A-League Men’s matches and one A-League Women’s match played in Launceston.

Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley believes the agreement is a big win for fans of football in the state.

“In recent times we’ve been working hard at a grassroots level to make football Tasmania’s most popular sport, we’re now in a great position to really capitalise on opportunities like this,” Mr Bulkeley said.

“We would like to thank the Tasmanian Government and especially the Premier and the Minister for Sport who are both fantastic champions for football in our State.

“It’s fantastic that we will have more elite-level men’s and women’s football in Tasmania than ever before.

“We look forward to working with both the Perth Glory and Western United to ensure the community benefits from this amazing opportunity.”

Glory CEO Tony Pignata praised the Tasmanian State Government for being so proactive in enabling the matches to take place in February.

“We’re very excited to be bringing both our ISUZU UTE A-League and Liberty A-League teams to Tasmania for what promises to be a superb week of football,” he said.

“On behalf of the club, I would like to thank the Tasmanian Government for their outstanding level of support and for being so welcoming.

“We know there is a passionate local football community in Tasmania and we are really looking forward to engaging with them during our time in the state.”

The four matches, two of which will be played as part of an A-League Men’s and A-League Women’s double-header, will take place on Sunday 20 February, Wednesday 23 February and Sunday 27 February at UTAS Stadium in Launceston.

Opponents and kick-off times will be confirmed in the coming days.

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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.