Australian Soccer

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:32): For those of you who did not notice, last week a hurricane, a tornado, a whirlwind—I do not know quite how to describe it—ripped into Adelaide, spanning from West Beach to Oakden. I do not know how anybody could have possibly missed it but, for those who did, that tornado was led by child soccer ball breaker Mary B, her president Michael, and their posse of soccer players, parents, coaches and supporters from the Victorian Fawkner Soccer Club, who were here at the invitation of our amazing and equally impressive and talented Adelaide City Football Club for a preseason soccer tournament.

I am not sure Angelo and Ricky from AFC knew what they were getting into, but I have to say it was hard not to get caught up in what turned out to be an absolutely awesome weekend of soccer fun between the two clubs. The relationship between Fawkner and Adelaide City dates back some 25 years, and the two clubs share strikingly similar origins of dedicated post-war Italian immigrants with a passion for football looking to create a community hub and a shared sense of belonging.

The longstanding connection between the two was reignited last October as Fawkner hosted travelling Adelaide City under 15 boys' and girls' teams for a friendly match at the club's ground 30 minutes north of the Melbourne CBD. I have had the pleasure of visiting that club in Melbourne several times now, and I am truly impressed with the inclusive community spirit of the club. Partnerships like this highlight the powerful impact of local community sporting groups in terms of getting young people active and healthy whilst maintaining a shared sense of cultural origins, identity and engagement with their broader communities. Both clubs are absolutely fantastic examples of progressive sporting clubs committed to using their rich legacies and influence to empower participation in sport, especially female participation in sport in both cases.

Fawkner is particularly proud of its dedication to inclusivity and equality, having developed an extensive guide to their soccer program, established as a means of creating a welcoming and supportive environment for women to thrive in sport. The club staff provided much more eloquent reasoning that I ever could about the adoption of their program, stating:

The addition of the Women's Soccer Program at Fawkner…has been a transformative chapter in the club's storied history since 1967. By embracing gender diversity and providing a platform for women to excel in soccer, the club has strengthened its ties to the community, contributed to the advancement of women's sports, and cemented [its] legacy as a progressive and inclusive sporting institution.

There can be no doubt that we have seen a social and societal shift in terms of Australia's engagement with women's sport in particular. We have all watched our Matildas with glee—at least those of us who follow soccer—but it is hard not to get caught up in all that hype. To see clubs like Fawkner and Adelaide continue to support initiatives that aim not just to bring the numbers closer together but also to increase the size of their female participation is genuinely worthy of praise.

Of course, it would be remiss of me not to reflect on what has been a similarly stellar history for Adelaide City in SA, a club that has singlehandedly produced the third most Socceroos of any original NFL club—some 55 Socceroos from memory—with alumni including the much-venerated John Aloisi, whose name, I know, will serve to conjure up some of the happiest memories for supporters of soccer in Australia.

A visit to the club's trophy room exemplifies just how long and rich a history they have, and it was great to be there when the first ever trophy between the two clubs was taken out of that cupboard and dusted off for this most recent tournament.

We have spent a lot of time talking about the positives of sport, about getting kids off devices. Clearly, I always speak to things because they have a point, and clubs like these need our support. They cannot do it alone. If we truly want to help our kids get off devices and out of their homes doing things that are healthy, playing sport, then we absolutely need to be doing everything we can to support the initiatives and good work of clubs like Adelaide FC here and Fawkner FC in Victoria.