Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1)   notes that:

  (a) football (soccer) is:

  (i) played by more than 1.18 million people in Australia in some capacity; and

  (ii) the most popular sport amongst children of both genders in Australia with more girls now playing soccer than netball;

  (b) the Hyundai A-League now has 104,913 members, creating a tremendous community spirit amongst supporters and players;

  (c) local football clubs are the backbone of the football community, with 2,155 clubs in Australia at the moment; and

  (d) there are positive effects on mental health of adults who play sport, including football; and

(2)   congratulates the Football Federation Australia on its positive community programs, including Sporting Schools, Football Fever, the AIA Vitality Miniroos, Female Football Week, and Play Project, as well as the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup multicultural programs which encourage participation, community spirit, integration, as well as healthy, active living.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce this motion into the House to recognise the value of soccer, or football as it is more commonly known around the world, to the community in Australia. Some 1.8 million people in Australia play football in some capacity. It is the most popular sport amongst children of both genders in Australia, with more girls now playing soccer than netball. The Hyundai A-League has gone from success to success, with nearly 105,000 members across our member clubs, creating tremendous community spirit amongst supporters and players. Importantly, it is our local football clubs that are the backbone of the football community, with some 2,155 clubs across Australia at present. But, more importantly, there are the positive effects on the mental health of those who play sport, and, in particular in relation to this motion, it is football that we should recognise. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Football Federation of Australia on their positive community programs, including Sporting Schools, Football Fever, the AIA Vitality Miniroos, Female Football Week and Play Project, as well is the Asian Cup multicultural programs, which encourage participation, community spirit and integration, as well as healthy and active living.

As we stand here today and recognise the value of football in our community, it is also important to recognise that around the world it is known as the world game. It might not quite have that flavour here in Australia, but the football community is working very actively. You may support the well-known household names of Manchester United or Liverpool, or in my case Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich for those of German origin, the great Italian clubs of Roma and AS Roma or the great Spanish clubs of Barcelona. It is a game that attracts all sorts and all cultures. Whether we look at local futsal competitions, social competitions in our local communities or school programs, tournaments and events, we can see that football has become the most popular sport among children of both genders in Australia, with, as I said earlier, more girls now playing football than netball.

There is no doubt that it is a sport that plays an increasingly important role in Australian society. You only have to walk through your local shopping centre or through your local community to see the kids in jerseys of clubs far and wide across the world, but, also, there are those supporting our great local A-League clubs. Unfortunately, my great local A-League club played in a nine-goal thriller on the weekend, but still lost at the end of the day to those from Perth. But it is a great example of where football is going in this country, and of the support that people are giving to their local A-League clubs. That is the pinnacle here. Equally, it is great that those A-League clubs are getting involved in our local communities, by holding coaching clinics not only to encourage our juniors but also to train them up in the skills that they need to create an opportunity if they want to progress overseas.

As I said in my opening comments, there are some 2,155 local football clubs across the Australian community—great clubs such as Logan Lightning FC, Ormeau FC, Park Ridge Panthers FC and Bethania Rams FC; clubs that have been around for many years and provide a tremendous community link for those who are interested in playing football. In a lot of cases, those local sporting clubs have become the backbone of those local communities. Equally, Football Federation Australia has done some great work over the past few years and delivered more than 10,000 community coaching courses to ensure that our kids have the skills and abilities to compete in a global game. It is a game that continues to grow and prosper, and I wish it every success in the future.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Proudly seconded, Deputy Speaker. I am proud to support the motion put forward by the member for Forde. We work together on a unity ticket when it comes to supporting football. I echo his comments about the great work that Football Federation do, not only at the sporting level but also at the community program level, both in health and in reaching out to members of the community who need a helping hand in so many ways.

I will start upfront with the comment about how surprising it is—how much things have changed since I was a kid—that we now have more girls playing football than netball, with all credit to the Football Federation for the great grassroots programs that they have. It has been called the world game in many other countries, but now it is even starting to take on that tone here in Australia. And I say that with all respect to Rugby League, Rugby Union, Aussie Rules and all the other codes. But football is obviously played in more countries around the world, and now the Australian teams can hold their heads up high. Before I became a member of parliament, I had never really kicked a round ball. That changed down on the Senate oval, under the guidance of Senator Stephen Conroy and many other MPs who have changed me from being a Rugby League player to now being a Rugby League player who plays football. I particularly note the member for Forde in his role as goalkeeper; we keep him particularly busy whenever there is a game going on.

In terms of football's international popularity, the FIFA World Cup is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games. That puts it in context. Here in Australia, football—or soccer—has grown from those humble beginnings to now challenge and even overtake the already well-established football codes of AFL, Rugby Union and Rugby League, as well as netball and the other ball games. It is now the most played outdoor team sport in Australia and ranks in the top 10 for television audiences. A recent audit in 2013 by the sporting authority Gemba found that 1.96 million Australians were actively involved in the game as players. When coaches, referees and families are included, that involvement was around 3.1 million—higher than any other sport in Australia. Roy Morgan polls suggests that, at the junior level, soccer overtook swimming as the most popular sporting activity among Australian kids, with one in two children aged six to 13 now playing. I will say that again: one in two children aged six to 13 are now playing football. Furthermore, this research showed that the number of women playing can only make the code stronger in the future. Soccer players do not just rely on their sheer brute strength, like the other football codes; it is arguably the most graceful of all the codes, which is why it has been called the beautiful game.

My two boys, despite me trying to angle them towards Rugby League, have ended up playing football and they love it. They love it. This year, one of my sons was going to switch to one of the rugby codes but, after I spent a couple of weeks showing him what tackling involved, he decided to stick with soccer for another year. But we might see what happens in the future. I think that is the nature of the modern Australia: that people can go along to an Aussie Rules game but the next day go and see a game of soccer. I see that with the families I deal with in my electorate.

I can only marvel at the top soccer players' skills, but I know that these skills have been refined and improved from the junior level. I see the way that my children are coached. The skills are broken down and it is not just hit or miss; it is very much a methodical approach to imparting these skills. We see it with the Socceroos and the Matildas, who are their heroes as they start their soccer journey by joining their local soccer club.

In my electorate, there are a number of strong and vibrant junior and senior soccer clubs that offer an outlet for players. I mentioned the Olympic Football Club, Oxley United, Tarragindi Tigers, Souths United, El Salvador, Mt Gravatt Hawks, Acacia Ridge,Annerley Recreation, Holland Park Hawks and Brisbane Knights, to name just a few.

Football Federation Australia is to be commended for overseeing the growth of the game at all levels, particularly amongst girls, as well as implementing the many positive community programs which encourage participation. They also give that message about healthy active living and about being an active member of a team, and about integrating with people from different countries—I see that in the clubs that my children play in—and also they boost community spirit.

Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to also support the member for Forde and his motion about football. In Lindsay, football is truly also becoming the world game. Whether you call it football or soccer, this game has, undeniably, a positive impact on the people of Western Sydney. Western Sydney, in return, has added to the fabric of Australian football and achievements in history.

Mile Jedinak started playing football, the world game, in Werrington, within Lindsay, and went on to play in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA world cups. Another name: Mark Bridge started out at St Marys, and went on to represent Australia at both junior and senior levels in international football. Even Brad Smith, who currently plays for England's powerhouse team, Liverpool FC, was born in Penrith.

But let us not forget the Western Sydney Wanderers. Since this side entered the A-League in 2012, they have become both premiers and champions under the banner of Western Sydney, even playing a few matches in Pepper Stadium at home here in Penrith.

But football is not all about the big names and popular achievements—that only tells a part of the story. Really, football is the grassroots game that so many of our young boys and young girls go out every weekend and play. It is the game that they are practising at night at all of the sporting fields right around the area. To give a clearer indication, the Nepean Football Association has had an increase in players registered between 2014 and 2015 from 11,900 young people to 12,640. That is a phenomenal increase, and it is wonderful to see so many young people participating in this awesome sport.

In Lindsay, young players in this sport are moving up the ranks through the Nepean Development Program. Established only five years ago, it strives to build on the skills and talents of these young players. This program links our young players from club level and, potentially, even one day walking out in the red and black for the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Given increased participation rates, the Nepean Development Program will expand by increasing the use of outdoor venues from three to 10 this year. Young sports stars like Henry Davies or Solomon Monahan-Vaiika commenced their playing careers in the Nepean-Penrith area. Now they have made their mark playing for the Australian Joeys team and are working their way up through the Australian Institute of Sport. According to James Rankine, a football manager and technical director at the Nepean Football Association: 'Our programs are not about making players famous. It is about making young players better people as a whole. They are school holiday clinics giving young people the opportunity to play football over the school break.' With respect to this, I honour and commend the hard work of the coaches, the managers and the assistants, but in particular the mums and dads taking young people to sport every single weekend and to training on week nights. Not only does the Nepean Football Association give players the opportunity to showcase their talents, it also allows them to keep fit, active and healthy.

I would also like to note the power of football to unite a community. I do not believe there is a better example of social cohesion in our community than what you see when you go to Pirtek Stadium and see the diversity of people who will sing for the Wanderers. It is truly the world game and the way that the Western Sydney Wanderers brings people together in my community, I think, is truly fabulous.

I am also the patron for the Australian Bhutanese Youth Festival which hosts Bhutanese interstate soccer tournaments. This is also a wonderful example of the Bhutanese community working within our local area. The community of the Southern Sudanese and other marginalised areas have been working under the leadership of Emmanuel Kondok, who also organises a local football tournament. This is to help integrate people and help people work together. It brings the local Sudanese people together with other football players around the area. I think one of the most phenomenal things about football is how it brings people together.

In closing, I would also like to acknowledge some of the support that we have given locally. We have given $25,500 to Andromeda Oval in Cranebrook, which will also help football in the Cranebrook area. An additional $60,000 from the last election has gone to Grey Gums Reserve where we have resurfaced two ovals and built an awning for the clubhouses. Recently, under the Community Building Partnership grant, a further $13,000 went to the Penrith RSL Soccer Club. Thank you.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a terrific opportunity to speak about something that is truly bipartisan in this place: our shared love for soccer football. I acknowledge the member for Forde who moved the motion. Whatever his other substantial shortcomings are in this place, he is actually a terrific advocate for this sport. I have seen firsthand that he is also a very handy goalie, because we played on the same team in the Parliamentary Street Soccer Cup in support of The Big Issue. I acknowledge that. He was easily our best player, but please do not tell Senator Conroy that I think so!

This is a timely opportunity to speak about soccer football from my point of view. I spent some time on Friday afternoon with David Gallop, the CEO the Football Federation, talking about this very issue: the contribution that football makes to our local communities and, through that, the broader nation. The stats in the member's motion really do speak for themselves: there are 1.18 million people involved; it is the most popular sport amongst both genders; more girls play football than netball; and there are 105,000 A-League members and 2,155 clubs. Those numbers are pretty stunning numbers when you think about it and it is a terrific success story when it comes to participation in our sport, with all of the benefits that that brings. I will touch on some of those in a moment. The popularity of soccer would not come as a surprise to any of us who engage with our local communities. Whether it is the member for Gellibrand, the member for Grayndler or the member for Moreton, we would all spend time with our soccer clubs, our football clubs, for various reasons, because they make that terrific contribution.

Of those 2,155 clubs, there are none finer than Rochedale Rovers, Logan Metro, Slacks Creek Football and Logan City Kings—four of the best clubs anywhere in the world. They are terrific football clubs—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Up there with Real Madrid!

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Up there with Real Madrid, as the member for Grayndler said! There are also many other community and school teams. I was at the Rochedale Rovers match on Saturday for their season opener. I want to thank Paul Swindells and the whole executive for making me feel so welcome there, as they always do. I know Underwood Park intimately from growing up just around the corner. I have kicked a soccer ball around Underwood Park more times than I can remember in my 37 years. It is terrific to go back there as the member for their community. They make such a terrific contribution to it, not just to Rochedale.

Mr Van Manen interjecting—

I cannot hear what the member for Forde is saying. That is probably for the best. The motion mentions mental health which is very important. When you talk to some of the service providers in my community, particularly in Logan City, they do talk about the role that football can play in building social capital and giving people the opportunity to understand what services are available—particularly as it applies to new migrant and broader multicultural communities. For an electorate like mine, with 189 different cultural backgrounds, football is a terrific unifier. This weekend we have the Brisbane Roar Harmony Day Community Shield. We have got a club called Logan Metro which makes a special effort to include recently-arrived migrant young players. In late 2014 I hosted some of the former Socceroo greats—Craig Foster, Jason Culina and David Zdrilic—for the World Game Multicultural Festival in my community, which was a terrific success, working with SBS and Access in our community.

My electorate is becoming the epicentre of soccer in Queensland, because Football Queensland have moved their headquarters to Slacks Creek, which is a terrific development for Logan City more broadly but specifically for my neighbourhood. To have Football Queensland there at Meakin Park is something we appreciate greatly, and we thank our friends at Football Queensland for having the vision and foresight and the understanding of football in our community to move the headquarters right into the middle of my electorate.

Beyond football, we also need to think about the role that sport in general plays in our economy. Football is a huge participation sport and is a big contributor to the 137,000 jobs that exist in sport—which creates $5 billion in economic value added each year. More important than the economic impacts, of course, is the contribution it makes to the social fabric.

I congratulate everyone involved in football, whether it be in my local community or around the country, and David Gallop and his friends and colleagues at the FFA. We have had such a good story to tell about football in the last year or so, with the success of the Asian Cup—not just in hosting it effectively, but also in taking out the cup ourselves. It shows that football really is becoming ascendant in Australia. It shows the power and potential of football to enhance cultural ties with our neighbouring economies as well. I am very proud to stand up here and talk about the contribution of football. I thank the member for Forde, and I look forward to working with my football clubs in the years to come.

Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to support the member for Forde's motion today to recognise one of this country's fastest growing sports, played by thousands of children, young people and adults in my electorate. As mentioned by the members for Forde and Lindsay—and I noticed the member for Robertson is here today to speak—football, or soccer, is played by more than 1.18 million people in Australia and is the most popular sport amongst children of both genders, with more girls now playing soccer than netball. In my electorate of Macarthur, the Macarthur Football Association is made up of 26 fantastic clubs including Appin United, the Bradbury Ambarvale Bears, Burragorang District Soccer Club, the Camden Falcons, Camden Tigers, the Campbelltown Cobras, the Campbelltown Collegians, Campbelltown Southern Districts Soccer Club, Campbelltown Uniting Church Soccer Club, the Douglas Park Wilton Razorbacks, the East Campbelltown Hawks, the Eschol Park Wolves, Fields United Soccer Club, the Gunners Soccer Club, the Harrington United Hornets, Ingleburn Eagles, Macarthur Magic, the Minto District Stingers, Macarthur District Football Referees Association, the Mount Annan Mustangs, Narellan Rangers, Oran Park Rovers, Picton Rangers, Ruse Football Club, St Mary's Eagle Vale Soccer Club and the Tahmoor Taipans.

The association caters for both male and female players, from the under-six minis to the over-35s. We also have competitions dedicated to female-only teams, starting from the under-12 girls. The MFA is also the home of the Macarthur Rams, who play in the National Premier League 2 competition, and the Macarthur Rams women's team, which plays in the National Premier League 1 competition. The Rams' home ground, Lynwood Park at St Helens Park, recently received a $1.4 million synthetic turf field. The project was one of my election commitments and will be used by many sporting teams across Macarthur. The new synthetic turf field means more games and increased facilities for the Macarthur Football Association, with its growing numbers of teams and players. It will create enormous opportunities for the club and for football in Macarthur. The new facility will host 60 games per week, with approximately 20,000 participants annually. The project was jointly funded by Campbelltown City Council, the federal government and the Macarthur Football Association. I would like to thank Campbelltown City Council for its support of this project to ensure the people of Macarthur have first-class sporting facilities to call their own. This has been a great win for our community, and one that I am personally very proud to have played a role in.

Macarthur is not the only electorate experiencing a rising interest in soccer. There are currently 2,155 clubs in Australia, and the Hyundai A-League now has almost 105,000 members, creating a tremendous community spirit amongst supporters and players.

They are starting young these days. In Macarthur, soccer is becoming increasingly popular for children as young as 18 months of age. We currently have hundreds of toddlers and preschool-aged children taking part in Little Kickers classes in Campbelltown, Elderslie, Harrington Park, Mount Annan, Narellan, Oran Park and Smeaton Grange.

Little Kickers is an organisation that gives young children a positive introduction to sport by teaching quality soccer skills in a friendly, pressure-free environment. Last week I spoke to Luke and Soraiya Fuda, who take their son, Spencer, to Little Kickers in Harrington Park. The Fudas said Spencer started Little Kickers when he was 18 months old and the local soccer team helped encourage early learning and teamwork. They said Little Kickers also encouraged Spencer to share and work harmoniously with his peers. It has been good for Spencer because it has taught him basic etiquette including waiting his turn, team morale and interacting with children as well as respecting authoritative figures. His coaches have played a fundamental part in his learning process and the Fudas say they have seen a vast improvement in these areas since Spencer started with Little Kickers. I hope that one day we will see young Spencer playing for his local club in the Macarthur Football Association or perhaps even in the A-League.

Young soccer lovers in my electorate have also been impacted by the community programs run by the Football Federation Australia, especially in our local schools. The FFA runs many successful community programs which encourage participation, community spirit, integration as well as healthy, active living. I have seen the positive impact of these programs firsthand. In 2014, the federal government, SBS and the FFA came together to launch the Harmony Game Schools' Pack in my electorate. I was honoured to join Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and former Socceroo Craig Foster at Briar Road Public School for the launch. This was a great initiative that encouraged students to take ideas about diversity and cultural identity from the soccer field to the classroom and the wider community. The release of the pack, with its soccer-themed activities, was timed with the departure of our Socceroos to Brazil to represent Australia in the FIFA World Cup. I was very pleased that Macarthur was chosen for the national launch of this program.

I am proud to represent an electorate which is full of great sporting clubs, schools and families that work together to encourage good health, teamwork and a love of sport. The increased number of young people engaged in soccer in my electorate is a testament to the wonderful volunteers and coaches at our local clubs and the parents and carers who encourage their children to try their best each week on the soccer field. I wish them all the best as they prepare to kick off the 2016 soccer season in Macarthur.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion, which is about the importance of football to Australian communities, with more than one million players around Australia. First and foremost, of course, playing sport is a significant part of keeping the people of Australia healthy, in particular our young people. Football is now the sport played by more young boys and young girls than any other sport in Australia. It encourages not only the development of local communities but the development of the health of these young people, including the wider Australian public. The continuing growth in popularity of this sport, fostered by competitive organisations such as the A-League and the Football Federation Australia, is extremely positive.

My electorate of Grayndler plays host to a large number of independent football clubs. During my almost 20 years in office, I have seen personally what these institutions are capable of contributing to their respective communities. They call it 'the world's game'; indeed, football breaks down all borders. Many people have come to this country with little grasp of the English language and only tenuous links to its culture. Coming to a new nation, the first port of call for many new arrivals has often been the local football club. These clubs not only contribute to the national health of our people but serve as unofficial language and education centres that enable successful societal integration. Often, many of the people introduced to these clubs return years later as volunteers to facilitate and support social building with people in similar circumstances. This type of selfless action is what keeps communities alive.

Clubs in my electorate include Leichhardt, Balmain, the Hurlstone Park Wanderers, the Stanmore Hawks, new club the Cooks River Titans and the Marrickville Red Devils. The Marrickville Red Devils have an extraordinary history. They were formed in 1946, so this year is their 70th anniversary. Tim Cahill is their most famous junior player. The Marrickville Football Club runs a number of community-enriching programs such as the Little Devils preschoolers league, the Red Devils Academy and school holiday programs. This is on top of organising competitive play for all ages and skills groups, while providing a number of jobs for members of the community. Most recently the club's former president, Ron Royston, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day for his service to football in Sydney's Inner West. Active in the club since he was nine years old, Ron rose through the ranks to become president in 2000 and to make Marrickville Football Club one of the most respected organisations in the district.

Now retired, Ron continues to contribute through coaching the young Red Devils. Their home ground of Marrickville, Mackey Park, is an example of how governments can provide support for active sport and participation. That oval was refurbished through the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure program whilst I was the minister, with support from Marrickville Council. Importantly, this not only upgraded the oval so it is now used year-round in an area where open space is very much valued but the Marrickville Cricket Club now uses it during the summer.

Importantly given the growth in football participation by young women, part of the upgrade involved putting in women's, as well as men's, changing rooms—a challenge right around the country that has to be dealt with. Local sporting infrastructure is particularly important. The ability that football has to bring people together to foster relationships and to form communities is quite extraordinary. The physical and social needs of many Australians are uniquely addressed by football organisations, which I think is critical.

I congratulate those people, particularly Frank Lowy and his leadership in terms of the FFA. For many years while I was young, many of the football teams at that senior level were defined by particular ethnic characteristics. The great thing about the A-League is that that has been broken down, and what we now have is mass participation based on where people live rather than on ethnic background. That has been very positive in terms of unifying communities and building that sense of community spirit. It is an extraordinary tribute to Frank Lowy in particular that he has been able to show that leadership, and also to David Gallop, whom I got to know well when he was with rugby league, on his leadership of the FFA.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am really pleased to rise in support of this motion moved by the member for Forde because sport, of course, is a great way of life on the Central Coast. I am pleased to report that the Turnbull government is actively contributing to ensuring not only that we play sport in our community but also that we have access to fantastic sporting infrastructure. For example, we have invested $3½ million in a major redevelopment of Woy Woy Oval, which is also being funded by the New South Wales government, Clubs New South Wales grants and Gosford City Council. The government is also working with council by investing more than $300,000 in a vital upgrade to McEvoy Oval at Umina Beach, and we have also delivered on two other projects that were part of our positive Growth Plan for the Central Coast. Brendan Franklin Oval at Terrigal now has improved drainage and lighting thanks to $100,000 in funding from the federal government, and a $40,000 commitment to better lighting at Kariong Oval has also been delivered.

These upgrades are not much good at all without the people who use them all the time. At this time of year we are preparing to start and end seasons in sports like football, cricket, rugby league, rugby union, athletics, netball, baseball, basketball and many more—including even gridiron, with news last month that the National Gridiron League has added the Central Coast Cyclones to the upcoming competition. The Central Coast Academy of Sport, led by a passionate, experienced mentor, Ian Robilliard, is one of the leading organisations in this area.

But today we are focusing particularly on football, especially the positives that this sport delivers to families in our community. As the member for Forde has noted, the round ball game is played by more than 1.18 million people in Australia and is the most popular sport among children of both genders. Much of this is driven at a grassroots level by the local football clubs that are the backbone of our communities, including 10 clubs in my electorate. In fact, I will make a disclosure: my son, Oscar, has signed up for the first time to play in the under-7s for the East Gosford Rams in the upcoming season.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Yes, I finally get to be a soccer mum! May I extend my best wishes to everyone at East Gosford Rams and to all clubs in my electorate, including the Avoca Sharks, Terrigal United, Gosford City Dragons, Kariong United Cougars, the Kincumber Roos, Mountain District Football Club, Southern and Ettalong United, Umina United Eagles and the Woy Woy Roosters Football Club.

Many of our clubs also link up with local schools where there are a series of programs such as the Sporting Schools initiative, with an objective to reach children who may not normally choose to play sport and to get them involved. Fourteen schools in my electorate run this program, including in suburbs such as Peats Ridge, Kincumber, Empire Bay and Gosford. I have no doubt that the success of these programs, and many others, is in many ways enhanced by the community focus and leadership of the mighty Central Coast Mariners, and of course of the A-League.

Our Mariners have a proud reputation and record. As a dedicated member of this great club, I can say it is a truly unique feeling being part of the crowd at Central Coast Stadium. It is not just the on-field action; every game, thousands of people seem to leave the ground with great memories; our palm trees, the beautiful Brisbane water in the backdrop, the trumpets of the Yellow Army, and singing with some of the best bands in the league. May I place on record my appreciation to the CEO, Shaun Mielekamp, to Coach Tony Walmsley, to Captain Nick Montgomery, and to the entire playing squad and their staff. Also to Lawrie McKinna, now Mayor of Gosford City Council, whose legacy as coach will never be forgotten. I met with Shaun Mielekamp last week, and he spoke about the club's values and vision. The signing of Spanish legend Luis Garcia has also shown the ambition that this club has. I am confident that there are many great successes to come.

I would like to end with a call to action for clubs in my electorate. Many will know about the death of Mickey Dean. He recently died of a heart attack while playing football, which is a game that he really loved. He was only 47. I have spoken in this place before about Mickey, who was taken all too suddenly from his family and his community. Since then, working with his family and with the clubs—Southern and Ettalong United—we have developed a petition in support of seeing defibrillators installed in clubs on the Central Coast. While a defibrillator may not have helped in Mickey's case, it dramatically increases the chances of survival after a sudden cardiac arrest, if applied quickly. Central Coast Football and Men of Football on the Central Coast have already pledged their support to this important cause, and I am pleased to report that more than 100 locals have signed this petition in clubs around the electorate. This coming football season, I encourage others to get behind this very important cause and add their voices to those who have already signed our petition, to demonstrate the strength of support for this important piece of vital life-saving equipment for our clubs in our sports-loving community on the Central Coast.

Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to speak on the motion before us from the member for Forde, and I thank him for putting it forward. Obviously, I am a Victorian and with that comes the descriptor 'sports-mad'—I will own it, I will wear it; yes, I am a sports-mad Victorian. It is important to note that football in Victoria is the Australian game, while soccer is the world game—or the beautiful game, as many in Victoria call it. As I speak today, I will call it soccer—for my Victorian counterparts, and so that those at home know what it is I am speaking about.

It is true to say that in Victoria and in the electorate of Lalor, in the city of Wyndham and in the city of Hobsons Bay, soccer is an enormously growing sport. It has been embedded in my community for some 40 years in longstanding clubs that are growing and growing. As a teacher, I can tell you that I have watched the development of soccer. I have watched the spontaneous games of soccer take over playgrounds, alongside—what we now often see Victoria; I know that it used to be a rarity—the spontaneous growth also of rugby, along with Australian Rules and cricket for our boys who are mad about ball games on the ovals around my electorate, and in the schools where I have taught. As everybody in this place would know, I am a mad-keen netballer. So I have to take umbrage at the notion that soccer is more popular with girls between six and 13. I found some Roy Morgan research that says that 40 per cent of girls this age are taking part—and I would like to think that 90 per cent of girls at that age are, of course, playing netball. Despite my love of netball, I am a huge fan of the Matildas. I would like to use this opportunity to highlight some of the things that the Matildas have confronted most recently. They are Australia's most successful side in the round ball game—in the beautiful game. Last year was a great year for the Matildas. They had their best ever result at the Women's World Cup, reaching the quarterfinals following a 1-0 win over Brazil.

We all love sport for its fitness and health impacts, but I always think too about the leadership it instils in our children, our young people, and about the collaboration they learn when they play team sports in particular. I have spoken often in this place about the grassroots community building that happens through sport and the way it brings people and communities together. In fact, many of our communities in my electorate come together through the sport that their children play.

It is important that our peak teams, our national teams, are supported and perform as well as they can. We had some important breakthroughs last year around gender equity, with the Matildas successful not just on the field but also in winning a pay rise. I would like to congratulate Football Federation Australia on that breakthrough decision in women's sport that saw our soccer players, our Matildas, getting a pay increase. We all know that they were earning $21,000 a year, which is less than the mandatory minimum wage of $34,158 in Australia—quite bluntly, a joke in comparison to their male counterparts. These things are important. It is important that our girls see that there is no difference between the genders, particularly when one gender is actually outperforming the other on the national stage. So I am thrilled that the Matildas have secured a two-tier pay structure, with the best players receiving $41,000 a year and players at the next level earning $30,000 a year. It is an incremental step, and it is obviously far from what the male players are earning, but it is better than it was prior to this breakthrough.

It is really important that the symbolic things come through as well, so I cannot finish today without congratulating the FFA on its decision that women's soccer leagues and clubs throughout the country will be travelling on the same class of transport as the male players. I congratulate the FFA on the decision that the women's team will be travelling first class to the Olympics alongside the men—or they will all be travelling in business class or they will all be travelling in economy class. I think that is really important for equity.

Debate adjourned.