Mm-hmm

... uh, which is terrific.

We've got a great bank of sponsors, um, who support the game, support the league, and support the football community.

Um, um, Isuzu UTE are a continuing sponsor, previously ALM naming rights sponsor.

They've relinquished that right, and they're investing more also in Football Australia, which is good to see.

So that opportunity is there.

We're engaged with multiple parties.

Mm

But overall, Steve, the big thing for Australian football, domestic football at the A-League's level is how big is the pie that we can all eat from? And at the moment, the pie is what? Is it growing? Is it just stabilising the size of it so that then the league can stabilise and then

flourish off that? Where are we at? Yeah.

Go back to the referees thing first of all.

So last week Football Australia did reach a resolution with the Professional Referees Association and we were part of those talks reasonably late in the piece to engage accordingly.

That saw the referees contracted with Football Australia which has been the case in the past and will be the case going forward, a common sense resolution.

And we, as always, will pay the appropriate costs associated with the A-League.

So it's terrific that's been resolved in collaboration with those parties.

But onto my original thing, do you think that could be a possibility? A

All right

...

Professional Referees Association, and we were part of those talks reasonably late in the piece to engage accordingly.

Um, that saw the referees contracted with Football Australia, which has, has been the case in the past and will be, uh, the case going forward, uh, a common sense resolution.

Um, and we, as always, will, uh, um, pay the appropriate cost that are associated with the, the A-League.

So it's terrific that's been resolved-

Mm-hmm

... uh, which is terrific.

But overall, Steve, the big thing for Australian football, domestic football at the A-League's level is how big is the pie that we can all eat from? And at the moment, the pie is what? Is it growing? Is it just stabilising the size of it so that then the league can stabilise and then

flourish off that? Where are we at? Go back to the referees thing, first of all.

So last week, Football Australia did reach a resolution with the Professional Referees Association.

And we were part of those talks reasonably late in the piece to engage accordingly.

That saw the referees contracted with Football Australia, which has been the case in the past.

will be the case going forward, a common sense resolution.

And we, as always, will pay the appropriate cost associated with the A-League.

But onto my original thing, do you think that could be a possibility?

Can we zoom out just a bit and look at the entire season? How do you reflect on the 2025-2026 A-League season for both the men and the women?

Well, it's been a whirlwind for me personally, starting in December 2018. in this privileged role and to see, firstly, the Ninja A-League season play out for the women, you know, like the men, an incredibly competitive season and arguably the two most strategic in their application to the women's game competing in a grand final, also including a New Zealand team in Wellington.

It was a terrific game last Saturday, a final series that was attended by over 30,000 fans.

Um, the second highest on record, the third highest grand final, uh, on record in terms of attendance, high quality game.

And, um, Melbourne city would deserve a wedding winners in that sense.

And then in the men's and the ISU, you, I league men's again, incredibly competitive season.

And, uh, uh, the final six for a, for that, a great final series.

So if we do look ahead, how optimistic do you feel? Stephen, I know you're an optimistic man by nature, but how optimistic do you feel about the future of the A-Leagues?