The 2023 Football NSW Coaching Conference all set for a bumper two-day event

Liam Watson10/11/2023 12:01 pm10/11/2023

Image via the previous 2018 in-person edition of the Conference - Credit: Jackson Dwyer via Football NSW

The 2023 Football NSW Coaching Conference details have been confirmed ahead of the two-day event taking place this weekend (November 11 & 12) at Valentine Sports Park.

Hosted by well-known football personality Stephanie Brantz, the Conference will include a wide array of special guests both domestically and internationally, (as per below), all delivering presentations that pass on their experiences and advice for all levels of the game.

Coaches will be able to tailor their learning based on their area of expertise, such as;

Goalkeeping
Leadership
Player Development
Women’s Football
Strength & Conditioning
Futsal
Management

Football NSW Coach Development Manager Christopher Adams is an instrumental part in organising the Conference, sharing his thoughts with Soccerscene ahead of a jam-packed schedule.

“After a COVID hiatus, we’re back to having a face-to-face Coaching Conference which is fantastic,” he said.

“We’re really excited to be welcoming over 600 attendees across the weekend to Valentine Sports Park.

“We’ve got coaches from all levels of the game from community football to Pro Diploma coaches across NSW clubs.

“They’ll be treated to theory and practical sessions that will suit their interest and offers them the chance to choose their own journey throughout the conference with a mixture of keynote sessions and breakout groups.”

With up to 50 CPD Points across the two-day for coaches, there will be plenty of incentive to get involved.

“We hope that coaches can leave the event inspired and eager to develop themselves into the best coach that they can be,” Adams said.

“The conference’s theory and practical sessions will discuss key coaching trends across Australia and the world, while there’s also leadership, management and tactical understanding to cover all bases for a coach in the game.

“In addition, we also look at women’s football, goalkeeping and futsal to deliver all experiences for a coach.”

Full attendance at each day earns participants 25 points per day towards FA/AFC licence reaccreditation as per the AFC Coaching Convention.

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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.