CDSFA Community Football Podcast

We speak with legendary football presenter, commentator and reporter, Andy Paschalidis. 

Before he was a household name, Andy was a CDSFA junior player with the Hurlstone Park Wanderers Football Club. He went on to represent the Canterbury Representative team, playing alongside former Socceroo, Peter Raskopoulos. 

At SBS, Andy covered some of the world's biggest football events as a host, commentator and reporter, including the 1990 and 1994 World Cups; and the 1991 and 1993 World Youth Cups. He then went on to FoxSports Australia, calling the first live football game on Australian Pay Television.

In 2016, Andy established Heartbeat of Football (HOF), a not-for-profit organisation aiming to promote healthy hearts in sport via player education, the minimisation of health risks and the installation of defibrillators on all sporting fields around the country.

In episode #35 of the CDSFA Community Football Podcast, we speak with MRP FC President Peter Regan and MRP FC Men's Head Coach and CDSFA Men's All Age Division 1 title winning Coach Aym'e Melham.  

In early 2016, two mates were keen to get back into regular football after a year out of the game. With some coaching, leadership and administration skills behind them, they recognised the link between their physical and mental health and the benefits of being part of a team unit. From the founder of the mens support group for mental health, Mr Perfect, MRP FC was born.

MRP FC is an inclusive football club that welcomes players from all backgrounds and acts as a second family to many players. In 2020, MRP FC had a Division 1 and Division 4 All Age Men's team in the CDSFA competition.

Anthony has been heavily involved with the CRA over the last 13 years. As he explains in this episode, refereeing across the CDSFA has evolved. Anthony is determined to revolutionise the CRA's service delivery model over the coming years. 

As the CDSFA 2020 season comes to an end, we catch up with CEO Ian Holmes for the latest update on community football within the CDSFA. 

In Episode 32 of the CDSFA Community Football Podcast, we speak with 3 time W-League Championship winning Goalkeeper, current Sydney FC W-league goalkeeper and now CDSFA Female Football Development Officer, Trudy Burke. 

Trudy is focused on growing female participation within the CDSFA and engaging with all community stakeholders. She is a huge believer that sport can change the world. Her passion for football and the positive effects it can have on communities motivates her every day to want to continue to work in this space. 

With female participation at the forefront of community sport, Trudy believes she can make a real difference to the CDSFA as an advocate for female players, referees, coaches and volunteers. In this episode, Trudy shares her thoughts on the current state of female football and female player development in Australia; her plans to increase female participation and female leadership within the CDSFA; and the impact she believes the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia will have on female football. 

Today we speak with Ashleigh Campbell, President of the youngest club within the CDSFA, Australian Catholic University Football Club, also known as ACU FC.

Ashleigh is also the sports program coordinator at ACU for their Sydney campuses. Based at ACU’s Strathfield campus, ACU FC, established in 2018, is the university's first community club and has quickly taken advantage of a brand new synthetic pitch. 

ACU FC was established to provide a football program that services both the student body and local community, with the aim of promoting female participation in sport. The club is inclusive and also offers male programs, with a long-term goal of producing outstanding individuals and leaders, on and off the football field.

As Ashleigh explains in the podcast, ACU FC’s strategic approach to long-term club success is founded on eight fundamental areas:

o   female footballers

o   quality coaching

o   support services

o   top class infrastructure

o   university culture

o   human resources

o   financial sustainability; and 

o   effective governance.

Ashleigh brings along a fresh, modern approach to football administration. She is determined for ACU FC to grow and compete over the coming years with the best teams the CDSFA has to offer in junior and senior football.  

Today we speak with former A league star, Belmore Eagles Football Club junior player and Life Member and now Abbotsford Juniors Football Club O35/1s player and Committee Member, Chad Gibson.

Chad is of South African heritage. His parents migrated to Australia in 1969 during the apartheid era. Chad’s father Keith at the time took up a fantastic offer from APIA Leichhardt Tigers to play professional football. Chad’s family lived right next to Rudd Park, the home ground of Belmore Eagles. This is where Chad would start his junior football journey. 

With football in his blood, Chad has played continuously since he was three with a variety of clubs including Sydney United, Marconi Stallions, Bankstown City, Blacktown City as well as the inaugural A-league captain of Queensland Roar in the very beginning of the A-league.

In 2011, Chad established LOCALFC because he wanted to change the way football was viewed. He wanted to show football through his eyes. He expertly tells the story of Australian football through the authentic voice of the players, while weaving in his love for culture. 

5 years ago, Chad made an emotional return to his junior football club Belmore Eagles, this time as an Over 35s player, alongside his father Keith on the pitch.  He then joined Abbotsford Juniors Football Club and has continued to play in the O35/1s competition. He has also recently joined the club’s committee and as Brand Director has made an immediate impact on the look and feel of the Abbotsford identity and brand. 

Chad views the game through a modern, creative lens. He’s ambitious, unique, is breaking new ground and is leading the charge to establish Australian football culture at Abbotsford, CDSFA and globally.

It's official — the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is heading to Australia and New Zealand! 

In what is one of the biggest boosts football and and women's sport in Australia has ever received, the world's attention will be turned down under for a month-long football festival. What does this mean for female football in the CDSFA over the coming years?

On the day of the big announcement, we caught up with CDSFA female football ambassadors and advocates Natasha Hill, Alexandra Georgopoulos and Angelica Georgopoulos.

Today we speak with Jean Kouriel, Founder and Club President of the Ashfield Pirates Football Club. 

Jean has been involved in football for almost 40 years and has played for Marconi, Sydney United and Colo Colo. He represented Australia in Futsal and NSW in School Boys Football.

Jean, with the assistance of the late Adam Spencer-Carr, founded the Pirates in 2015. Within 5 short years, Ashfield has become one of the fastest growing football clubs within the CDSFA and in 2019, won the CDSFA Club Championship, the Crystal Cup. 

Jean is now turning his attention to player development at Ashfield Pirates and securing a permanent home ground.

In Episode 27 of the CDSFA Community Football Podcast, we speak with the Mayor of Inner West Council, Councillor Darcy Byrne. Darcy grew up in Balmain and is a life-long resident and footballer of the Inner West. He started his junior footballing journey with Balmain Police Boys Football Club and went onto to play with APIA Leichhardt Tigers, Canterbury Reps and Sydney Olympic in the National Youth League. 

Darcy was first elected to Leichhardt Council in 2008, and served as Mayor from 2012-2014. He was re-elected to the position in September in 2015 and with the forced council amalgamations in May 2016 became the last Mayor of Leichhardt Council.
 In 2017, Darcy was elected as the inaugural Mayor of Inner West Council.
 
Darcy’s goal is to make the Inner West the best local government in Australia and a national leader in environmental policy, arts and culture and community infrastructure.
 
Since being elected Mayor of Inner West Council, Darcy has been getting some outstanding results especially for community football including an upgrade of Waterfront Drive sporting fields in Callan Park and funding for the synthetic sports surface construction at Tempe Reserve and Leichhardt Oval No. 2.

Darcy is not only a passionate local mayor, he is also a very passionate community football advocate.