The Football Supporters Association Australia (FSAA) and the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The landmark announcement formalises a collaborative partnership to ensure supporters have an independent and definitive voice in the future of the professional game.
“This formal relationship with the APL means more say for Australian football supporters,
while ensuring the FSAA maintains its strong and independent voice,” FSAA Chair, Patrick
Clancy, said.
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“We have worked hard behind the scenes on this agreement and thank APL CEO Steve
Rosich and his team for listening to FSAA and understanding football supporter objectives.”
The agreement is a direct outcome of key recommendations submitted by the FSAA to the
APL in October 2025, which called for a formal supporter consultation process and a unified
approach to supporter culture across the A-Leagues.
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The MoU represents a formal commitment from the APL to establish a structured framework
for ongoing dialogue.
It is a significant step in ensuring that supporters are recognised as an important stakeholder, intrinsic to the game’s success and the long-term prosperity of domestic football.
The MoU prioritises three strategic pillars for collaboration:
● Formal Supporter Consultation: Establishing regular, direct communication channels between FSAA leadership and APL executives to discuss league strategy, matchday
experiences, and policy changes, and to raise supporter issues. The FSAA will also have one seat on the A-Leagues Fan Representative Group (FRG).
● Unified Culture & Advocacy: A joint commitment to fostering vibrant, safe, and inclusive supporter environments, while advocating for the professional game.
● External Stakeholder Partnership: Formalising the FSAA’s role in external stakeholder engagement to ensure a unified supporter perspective in broader industry discussions. This will ensure the FSAA is a consulted partner whenever the APL makes decisions that directly affect fans.
This relationship does not diminish the vital role of the A-Leagues Fan Representative
Groups, which provide fan input to the APL through the lens of each club’s fanbase.
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In tandem, this new partnership will see the FSAA independently provide input on a national
basis, focusing particularly on long-term supporter priorities.
Patrick Clancy, Chair of the FSAA, said: “This MoU is a watershed moment for Australian football. This partnership with the APL breaks down silos between fans and league management and ensures those on the terraces and in the stands are recognised as vital to the sport’s sustainability.”
Steve Rosich, CEO of the APL, added: “Fans are the heartbeat of our game. Regular dialogue and consultation directly with fans is important – we’ve seen this work to great effect through our FRG meetings which we established in 2023 – and we look forward to the same collaboration with the FSAA.”
This partnership completes a powerful series of formal alliances for the FSAA, following similar agreements with Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and Football Coaches Australia (FCA), uniting players, coaches, and supporters in a shared vision for the game.
The FSAA is an independent, volunteer-led, membership-based organisation established in 2023 to provide a unified voice for all Australian football supporters. It advocates for a supporter-first approach to the governance and development of the game at all levels.
