Ahead of the inaugural season of the Australian Championship, the nation’s men’s second-tier competition, FIFA and Football Australia convened a three-day series of workshops for club executives from across the new league and the country’s top flight, the A-League Men. Held in Sydney from 21 to 23 September, the sessions marked the first time that CEOs and general managers from A-League Men and Australian Championship outfits had gathered to share insights and shape the future of the domestic game. Participants included Football Australia Chairman Anter Isaac; the association’s interim CEO, Heather Garriock; FIFA Director of Professional Football Relations & Development Ornella Desirée Bellia; and a number of international experts, including the President of Football Operations at Inter Miami, Raúl Sanllehí, and the former president of FC Juárez, Luis Rodríguez.

The launch of the Australian Championship represents a pivotal step in the restructuring of the national football pyramid in Australia, bridging state leagues with the A-League Men and opening up new pathways for clubs and players. The workshops focused on the following four pillars:

“These initiatives align with FIFA’s vision of strengthening club football globally. Stronger clubs create stronger leagues, greater opportunities for players and ultimately stronger national teams,” said Bellia. “Clubs are at the heart of everything we do, and this collaboration with FIFA is an important strategic step to connect global club football with Australian football. By learning from each other and sharing knowledge, we can inspire growth, elevate our standards and create new opportunities to take the whole football ecosystem in Australia to the next level,” declared interim CEO Heather Garriock on behalf of Football Australia.