The View from the Chair: The Pro-Rel debate heats up, South Melbourne make Australia Cup history and concerns regarding derby policing
Welcome to our October update. The domestic football calendar is well underway, with both the A-League Men and Women back in action, the Australian Championship in full swing, and plenty of competitive football to follow domestically and abroad.
It has been an exceptionally active month for the Football Supporters Association Australia, driven by critical debates on the future structure and culture of our game.
Earlier this month, the FSAA hosted an exclusive webinar featuring former APL Head of Content and current Bruce Media CEO, Matt Windley to discuss his independent 161-page A1-A2 proposal.
The session provided members with a detailed look into the operational, financial, and broadcast mechanics of the proposed A1-A2 system, as well as the looming 2029 private equity window facing our professional leagues.
If you missed the live stream, we strongly encourage you to review our breakdown on the FSAA website.
Constructive, evidence-based structural debate is essential if Australian football is to build an open, sustainable domestic pyramid.
I was fortunate to attend the 2026 Australia Cup Final in person. Congratulations to South Melbourne FC on their historic triumph, becoming the first non-A-League club to lift the silverware.
The Australia Cup remains a remarkable tournament. Beginning with more than 750 clubs across every state and territory, it demonstrates the depth, heritage, and genuine connectivity possible when community clubs are given a competitive platform on the national stage.
While the return of A-league and Championship football brings welcome energy to our terraces, the opening rounds were unfortunately marred by reports of heavy-handed and disproportionate policing, particularly at the Sydney Derby.
The FSAA has formally acknowledged the serious concerns raised by The Cove.
Supporter marshals and agreed club liaison channels exist specifically to de-escalate minor friction before it becomes conflict. Bypassing these established protocols and treating active supporters as public order threats undermines the matchday atmosphere that sets football apart from other domestic codes.
We assure members that these concerns have been formally raised with senior APL management.
Through our ongoing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), we continue to hold regular meetings with senior A-league management and relevant Fan Representative Groups to convey our concerns and demand accountability to ensure established protocols are respected by clubs, venue operators and authorities.
Behind the scenes, our volunteer Committee continues to work systematically through the priorities set out in our 2026–28 Strategic Plan.
An additional priority is the formalisation of clear policy positions on the key issues impacting our members. To ensure our advocacy directly reflects your views, members will receive a series of short, targeted surveys over the coming weeks.
We ask you to take five minutes to complete them when they land in your inbox.
Your feedback provides the mandate for our representations to Football Australia, the APL, and government bodies.
Looking abroad, the FSAA is monitoring the regional security situation in the Middle East and its potential impact on Australian supporters planning travel to Saudi Arabia for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup.
We advise all travelling fans to exercise vigilance, review their travel insurance policies, and regularly monitor official updates via smartraveller.gov.au.
We will issue specific supporter travel advice as the tournament approaches.
As we head toward a packed schedule of football leading into the summer and Christmas period, the Committee remains accessible to all supporters.
To ensure your questions or local issues are routed to the appropriate committee member promptly, please contact us directly through our official form at:
https://www.fsaaus.com/contact
Thank you for your ongoing support of independent supporter advocacy and for standing behind the Australian game.
Yours in football,
Patrick Clancy
Chair | Football Supporters Association Australia
