Zaparas Lawyers Extends Deal with Melbourne Victory

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Zaparas Lawyers extended its long-standing deal with Melbourne Victory, a club synonymous with excellence, ambition and strong community values within Australian football.

Zaparas Lawyers is a Victorian-based law firm with over 40 years of experience specialising in personal injury and compensation law. The firm was founded in 1981 by Peter and Lia Zaparas and has grown from a family business into a larger team of legal professionals dedicated to helping people recover after injuries and get their lives back on track.

They focus on areas such as WorkCover, TAC (road accident) claims, superannuation and insurance matters, public liability and occupational disease claims including asbestos, silicosis and hearing loss. The firm combines legal expertise with a compassionate approach, taking time to understand each client’s story to provide tailored support and a smooth, stress-reduced legal process.

At its core, Zaparas Lawyers believes in the importance of supporting the community both on and off the field. The firm’s involvement across all levels of the game reflects its broader commitment to giving back and fostering long-term growth within the communities it serves. From grassroots football through to the professional stage, Zaparas Lawyers is dedicated to supporting every step of the football journey.

Zaparas Lawyers Partner, Yianni Zaparas said the continued partnership reflects the firm’s strong commitment to both elite sport and grassroots development, with a focus on supporting individuals and programs that create lasting impact within the community.

“We’re very proud to be supporting Melbourne Victory, Besart Berisha, and the academy and to continue our support for sport and the community,” he said via official media post.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie highlighted the importance of the ongoing partnership and its expanded focus on youth development, acknowledging the long-standing support Zaparas Lawyers has shown to both the club and the wider football community.

“At Melbourne Victory, we are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with Zaparas Lawyers. They’ve been long time supporters of both the club and football in general, but to have them this year on board supporting our academy teams is fantastic,” she added via official media post.

“We know they’re huge in the community but to really support and sponsor the next generation of Melbourne Victory and A-League players is amazing for us and we couldn’t be more grateful.”

This agreement with Melbourne Victory represents more than a sponsorship, it is a shared vision built on development, opportunity and long-term impact. Zaparas Lawyers is proud to stand alongside the club and its Academy as they continue to shape the future of Australian football and inspire the next generation.

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FCA to Host Exclusive Two-Part Goalscoring Workshop Series with Dr Ron Smith

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One of Australian football’s most respected coaching minds shares decades of research ahead of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) has announced an exclusive two-part coach education series featuring renowned coach educator and football analyst Dr Ron Smith, offering coaches a rare opportunity to explore the evolving science of goalscoring through the lens of one of Australia’s most influential football thinkers.

The online workshops, scheduled for June 1 and June 8, will examine the historical development, modern trends and future direction of goalscoring in football, drawing on extensive research that formed the foundation of Dr Smith’s doctoral studies.

For FCA, the sessions represent the culmination of more than a year of planning and provide a timely opportunity for coaches to deepen their understanding of attacking play ahead of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

“Ron’s work on goalscoring has been years in the making and continues to evolve,” FCA President Ian Greener said.

“We felt there was no better time to bring this knowledge to the coaching community than in the lead-up to the World Cup, when coaches around the world will be analysing the game’s best teams and players.”

Across the two sessions, Dr Smith will present findings from his extensive research into goalscoring patterns and trends, examining how the game has changed over time and what coaches can learn from football’s biggest tournaments.

Topics covered throughout the series will include:

  • Historical analysis of goalscoring trends
  • How goalscoring has evolved in the modern game
  • Key patterns identified through Dr Smith’s research
  • Scoring trends across the last six FIFA Men’s World Cups
  • Comparisons between men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments
  • The role of pressing, transition moments and direct play in creating goals
  • Practical coaching implications for improving attacking performance

The two-part structure has been intentionally designed to build upon itself. Session One will focus on the evidence, data and research underpinning Dr Smith’s findings, while Session Two will explore the practical applications and coaching interventions that can emerge from that analysis.

Football Australia has accredited both workshops with one Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hour each, allowing coaches to earn two CPD hours by attending both sessions.

Dr Smith’s coaching and coach education credentials span decades. He has worked extensively with Football Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport and the Socceroos, while also holding coaching roles internationally in Iceland and Malaysia, as well as within the A-League.

His contributions to coach development have helped shape generations of Australian coaches, making this series a valuable opportunity for coaches across all levels of the game.

Event Details

History and Future of Goalscoring – Session One
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 7:30pm AEST
Format: Online
CPD: 1 Football Australia-accredited CPD hour

Following the completion of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, FCA is also planning a special panel discussion featuring leading Australian and international coaching voices to analyse the key tactical developments, trends and lessons emerging from the tournament.

Further details regarding that event are expected to be released later this year.

FCA members can attend the workshops free of charge, while guest registrations are available through Eventbrite.

Football NSW calls on clubs to Make It Red for Heart Health Round

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Football NSW is calling on clubs and associations across the state to register for the 2026 Make It Red campaign, joining a national awareness movement aimed at reducing heart-related deaths on sporting grounds ahead of Heart Health Round on the weekend of June 5 to 7.

The campaign, developed by the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, asks sporting clubs to wear red, raise funds and build awareness around heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia for both men and women, and one that health authorities say is largely preventable through modifiable risk factors.

The call to action comes as the Foundation continues its work to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across NSW sporting facilities, a project that has already engaged twelve football associations and fed data into both the NSW Ambulance GoodSAM registry and NSW Health’s public AED map. The availability of a functioning, registered AED on site is among the most significant determinants of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, with survival rates declining sharply for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is encouraging clubs to engage with the campaign across three areas. Clubs can register for the Make It Red campaign to help fund research, education and prevention programs. Participants, particularly those aged over 35, are encouraged to seek a free heart health screening test from their local GP or enquire about hosting a Heartbeat of Football testing day. Clubs are also urged to ensure their grounds have active, accessible AEDs in place, with guidance available through Football NSW’s Rescue Ready Guide.

The Make It Red campaign runs from June 5 to July 12, with Heart Health Round taking place across the opening weekend. Clubs can register and access participation resources at makeitred.org.

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