Macarthur FC Thread

craigos

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 2, 2014
16,668
32,003
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Liverpool
They'd be throwing the coin, captains armband and move into coaching at Jedinak. Which would be a good start.
He'd have to play a year somewhere in the meantime though and have a release clause (if not a one year contract).
 

burge13

Brownlow Medallist
Jan 25, 2019
11,526
21,897
AFL Club
Adelaide
They'd be throwing the coin, captains armband and move into coaching at Jedinak. Which would be a good start.
He'd have to play a year somewhere in the meantime though and have a release clause (if not a one year contract).
He's 34 now, 35 in August so won't play here until 36. I don't think this is a particularly smart move tbh
 

craigos

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 2, 2014
16,668
32,003
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Liverpool
bb164e9e8b253ca662cdb20b44c169ef.jpeg


Looks like a killer stadium as well. 20k capacity. Perfect.
 

craigos

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 2, 2014
16,668
32,003
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Liverpool
Yep. And there is also an update(not expansion) on the cards for it.

With the Tiges only playing there 3 times a year the Bulls are the major tenant

Derbies and games against Victory will be huge.
Any idea how much of it is undercover?
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,989
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
Bloody hell making some good steps.

 

acm21

Club Legend
May 7, 2019
2,683
1,379
AFL Club
Essendon
Is there any specific update on the proposed upgrades of the stadium?


Sent from my iPad using BigFooty.com
 
Jul 5, 2011
14,859
23,788
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Victory,Napoli,Liverpool,Penguins
The foundations Macarthur's building to break new Hyundai A-League ground
Michael Puterflam

Macarthur FC seem little more than a name to some right now but the new club from Sydney's south west already have the foundations built to leave a Hyundai A-League legacy.
10 months away from their inaugural Hyundai A-League match, things are moving quickly for Macarthur, who won a spot in the competition in December 2018.
Since then, Macarthur have announced their name, formed their colours and badge, and assembled some key members of staff - including the appointment of Westfield Matildas head coach Ante Milicic and his right hand man, Ivan Jolic.
Joining Milicic, Jolic and Director of Football Ken Stead is Mal Impiombato, who comes to the club as General Manager Football Operations and will be play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the club's maiden Hyundai A-League bow.
Last week, we caught up with Impiombato - FFA's former General Manager Operations (Competitions) - to see how Macarthur are tracking. When can we expect player announcements? What is the club's identity? And what are the club doing that no other Hyundai A-League outfit has ever been able to do?
Mal, thanks for joining www.aleague.com.au. We’re about 10 months away from Macarthur’s first Hyundai A-League match. Where are the club at in terms of preparation?
MI: The club has built a really strong foundation and base and spent a considerable amount of time connecting with the community. We are really focused on making sure that we connect with our people. The club has secured a home base at Campbelltown Stadium right in its heartland, along with an training base at Western Sydney University and the construction of an elite high performance centre and training base is well underway and shall be ready to go for the 2021/22 Season. The club has been working feverishly to ensure it is well prepared and this commitment has put us in an enviable position in comparison to our competitors in the Hyundai A-League market.
At this point in time, the club has appointed some fantastic talent in our executive team and administration, along with securing our inaugural Head Coach in Ante Milicic and Assistant Coach in Ivan Jolic. So the foundations have been set and I understand we are also well underway in broadening our administration and also expanding our football department in the coming weeks/months.
There is obviously still a bit to go and the rest of the structure will be put together over time, however we’re in a really solid position. The attendance and engagement at the clubs first two major functions are a reflection on the clubs progress to date and it shows that there’s a strong connection with our community which is a key pillar of the clubs strategy.

'We're going to be the noisy neighbour'And you’ve already had 2000 memberships sold…
MI: It’s absolutely huge. There were 1500 foundation members that joined within 48 hours [of memberships going on sale, with that number now over 2000]. Again, it shows that the foundations of the club have been set and we’ve connected well with the community. That’s something we’ll continue to do over time and make sure that we resonate with the people of the south west region.
In recent days, we have crept over 2000 foundation members which is a credit to the wider football community in the area. The club represents our fans and community and we want to make sure that our members are provided an opportunity shape the direction of their club.
Macarthur Facebook

When can we expect player announcements?
MI: We’re able to start talking to players who are out of contract in the Hyundai A-League from December 1. Prior to my appointment, Ante [Milicic] has been working through his wish list and identified a number of players both domestically and abroad. At the moment we have built and will continue to populate our wish list and targets and ensure we have a broad range of players to consider. This is well advanced and the club has been proactive in this space to ensure we are best prepared. In the interim, we can talk to overseas based players whom are out of contract and their intermediaries to test the market.
No doubt there’ll be some announcements in due course, but we still have to work through that and what it looks like. The process is most important and our recruitment strategy is key, so we will make sure that we follow that and hopefully secure some signings that we can announce shortly and then ultimately building a squad of 20-23 players. It’s quite exciting building a team from scratch and when you have the expertise of our national team leaders in Ante and Ivan it puts us in a great space.

Tell us a little bit about the recruitment process – what sort of players are you looking for? International names?
MI: We’ll sit down and ensure that our recruitment strategy fits the clubs philosophy and vision. If it doesn’t fit in with the club and football philosophy, if the individual doesn’t fit in with the club culture, then we are not likely to appoint these type of players at our club. As much as talent and football ability are key attributes in our recruitment strategy, most importantly we want to ensure we bring in good people that uphold the standards and drive the culture that is expected at our club.
It's fair to say we will consider local and international talent and ensure we provide opportunities and a pathway for our players in our catchment area. First and foremost, we are ambitious and we want to ensure we build a competitive squad in our first season and a squad that our fans and community resonate with and are proud of.
Importantly, everyone involved at this football club will need to fit in with the clubs philosophy and culture, and not only be good operators but good people. Thus far, the club has built its foundation on these principles and we do not want to deviate away from that. We have a great opportunity as a start up a club to instil this environment and set the benchmark for our players and staff and hopefully build a lasting legacy moving forward.
How important is it to have Ante Milicic and Ivan Jolic, coaches of quality and experience, to build the new club?
MI: It’s fantastic and we’re quite lucky. Both have vast experience at international level with our Men’s and Women’s national teams and they have a great understanding of the A-League through previous experience. The most important thing is that they understand the A-League, and the fact that we are bound by a salary cap and all its nuances that are quite unique and specific to our football environment. These are important attributes that elevate Ante and Ivan in the A-League.
They’re across all of our national teams’ players from youth age groups all the way through to our Socceroos, so we’ll have a vast connection across the football landscape. But most of all, they’ll build a strong culture and demand excellence and professionalism which is really important. I’m looking forward to working with two of Australia’s most talented coaches and we are fortunate to have them at our club.
NEWS: Ivan Jolic confirmed Macarthur FC assistant coach
Ivan Jolic (middle) alongside Westfield Matildas coach Ante Milicic on international duty.

The academy is just another block for success. Is there a plan to feed players in eventually?
MI: Absolutely. We’re making sure that we connect with our football community and provide a pathway for players in the south west region of Sydney. The opportunity to have a professional football club in your heartland is exciting for every player in the region and we want to make sure that boys and girls look to Macarthur FC as their primary destination club. With that in mind, it is important for us to connect with our associations and local clubs to ensure we service our area.
We’ve got a significant pool of 35,000 players within the region who have now got a professional club in their home yard. That’s fantastic because it shows that there is a pathway for them, and we’ll be making sure that we build those relationships with the clubs and associations, which is very important. We have a great operator in Ken Stead who will deliver and drive our youth academy and connection with our local clubs and associations.
There’s NPL clubs and community clubs that we want to make sure we have great working relationship with – I think that’s a huge opportunity.

The club provided a ground-breaking first for the league in allowing adult members to vote for and elect two of the seven members of the club’s board of directors. Tell us about that.
MI: It’s a testament to the clubs philosophy in engaging with the community and providing them with a say in their football club. It’s a massive step and a step that no other club has taken just yet.
It gives everyone an opportunity to be a part of the football club – it’s theirs. They get to shape what this club looks like and we’re there to listen and make sure we adhere to what our community wants to see from a professional club in their area.

What’s next?
MI: The immediate priority is to ensure we build our squad, however there are many other football matters to consider in the coming months. We will continue to develop our training base, whilst also finalising appointments of football and administration staff.
Whilst it seems as though there’s a lot of time before our first match, there’s a lot to do. We now have 10 months to prepare for the start of the season. It gives us an opportunity to sit down and give ourselves every opportunity to make sure we’re successful from day one. That’s the intention both on and off the field.

 
Jul 5, 2011
14,859
23,788
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Victory,Napoli,Liverpool,Penguins
Billionaire Walker sells share in A-League newcomers Macarthur

Little more than a year after winning the bid for an A-League licence, billionaire property developer Lang Walker has sold his share in Macarthur Football Club after agreeing to an offer from two local businessman.

If it wasn't for a food truck, the property developer would never have arranged a deal to sell his 50 per cent stake in the football club valued at more than $7 million.

Roy Mammone, who owns Sydney Trucks and Machinery, arranged a food truck for Macarthur late last year and then sought to increase his partnership with the Bulls.
According to a source close to the sale, Mammone formed a consortium with south-west Sydney property developer Michael Gerace with the aim of buying into Macarthur FC.
Their initial offer to two directors was knocked back, but a multi-million proposal to Walker was accepted which sources said gave Walker a profit on the $7 million he contributed towards the Bulls licence fee in December 2018.
Walker will retain close ties with Macarthur for at least their first five seasons after agreeing to a long-term sponsorship with the club. As part of the deal, Walker Corporation signed a five-year sponsorship with Macarthur said to be worth more than $1 million.


“The goal from the beginning was to establish a professional football club for the region’s future generations. We have successfully established a grassroots club thanks to the strong and significant support from local businesses and communities, junior football associations, and Macarthur’s local councils,” Walker said.
“And now as the club moves into its next phase, local investment will help it deliver opportunities to the region, while Walker will continue our support in the health and wellbeing of the community through our investment in the Macarthur Medical Research Centre.”
Macarthur FC will enter the A-League next season. They will play home games at Campbelltown Stadium and be coached by current Matildas boss, Ante Milicic.
“The club is very excited to be so close to our inaugural season. I’m looking forward to seeing families and football fans getting behind the region’s first professional football club,” Gerace said.


concerning?
More property development disaster stories.
 
Jul 25, 2019
53,234
78,465
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Leeds United

Hmm.
Probably not as big a deal/drama as SBS TWG are making out, altbougb is it just me, or are they running increasingly negative news stories about the A League lately ?

I do not think for one second the legendary Laszlo (Les Murray) would have stood for this kind of National League bashing whilst he was alIve, esp on.The Woeld Game forum/show he helped create
.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,989
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
Not dead yet it seems




Dear Macarthur FC Family,

We hope that you are staying safe during this challenging time. Like you, we are looking forward to restrictions being relaxed and easing back into to some form of normality over time. We cannot wait to see community grassroots football, NPL and of course the A-League commencing once again.

Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the sacrifice and hard work of all frontline healthcare and essential workers around the country, who continue to work through these challenging times.

The past few months have been extremely challenging for all employers and employees, and our club is no exception.

Although no football has been played, the preparations have continued in earnest behind the scenes.

The club is constructively working with the FFA, the PFA, fellow Clubs and other stakeholders to adapt to the constantly changing landscape, with a desire not only to get the current season concluded but also to get the our inaugural season started as soon as feasible.

To the thousands of fans who signed up as Foundation Members, we sincerely thank you. Foundation membership packs have been dispatched, and the overwhelming positive response is humbling for our club. In addition, we have taken feedback on board and will use this to further improve the member experience and processes attached to it.

We have encouragingly received many enquiries regarding our inaugural season memberships and season ticket packages. It is our aim to provide details on memberships and packages for inaugural season as soon as feasible, given the current landscape.

Our Inaugural Head Coach Ante Milicic and his staff have been working tirelessly over the past few months, continuing to build a strong squad for our debut season. They have assembled a great group of players thus far, and further announcements on player recruitment will be made in due course.

With Government restrictions easing and the road back to normality being mapped out, our community programs will be re-launched shortly. The centre piece of this will be the Macarthur Square “Bulls in Schools” program”. The program will see over 1000 students across a wide range of local schools, participate in health and well-being clinics using football as the facilitator.

In addition to our schools’ program, we are pleased to announce the Macarthur FC Foundation. The Macarthur FC Foundation will be solely focused on our region, to not only improve and assist our community but the people within it.

Our partnership with Macarthur Square continues to grow, with planning and progress on the Macarthur FC concept store well underway. The concept store will not just be a merchandise outlet, but a totally unique interactive zone for our members and fans.

Last Sunday we launched our MFC FIFA20 Community Tournament for Xbox ONE and PlayStation4. The tournament, to take place on 23/24th May, will see all quarter finalists automatically qualify for the Macarthur FC 2021 E-League selection tournament to take place later this year. With no age restrictions, now is a perfect time to sign up and challenge for the title!

ENTER MFC FIFA20 COMMUNITY TOURNAMENT HERE

Once again, we would like to thank you for your support. Our aim is to continue to evolve, listen, and grow to ensure that the members and fans are at the forefront of everything we do. As we move towards our debut season, we have many exciting initiatives ahead.

We look forward to the journey and thank you for being part of history in our region.

To stay up to date with everything happening at the club, follow our official social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Please remain safe, your MACARTHUR FC team.
 
Jul 5, 2011
14,859
23,788
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Victory,Napoli,Liverpool,Penguins
Socceroo Legend Mark Milligan in as Marquee Man
Macarthur FC Media

Ante Milicic’s inaugural Macarthur FC playing squad has been given an enormous boost, nabbing the prized signature of experienced former Socceroo Captain Mark Milligan on a multi-year deal.
After an extensive career throughout Asia and Europe, the defensive midfielder links with the A-League newcomers from English League One side, Southend United after the competition finished early due to COVID-19.
Amassing 80 caps for the Socceroos, the eighth most in the nation’s history, Milligan featured in four World Cups, three Asian Cups, Confederation Cup, and an Olympic Games, making him one of the most decorated players in Australian football history.
Milicic praised the experience the 34-year-old will bring to the Bulls.
“Mark brings a wealth of experience to our club and will be invaluable to the younger members of our squad. Working with him in the Socceroos across two world cups, I was always impressed by his leadership on and off the pitch.
“A Joe Marston Medal winner in 2015, Mark is no stranger to the A-League and will provide us with great structure in our defensive backline.” Milicic added.
Milligan, excited for the challenge, said he cannot wait to get into pre-season with the Bulls.
“After an uncertain finish in England due to COVID, the opportunity Ante has offered me to join Macarthur FC was something I couldn’t pass up.
“To come back home and be part of a brand-new club in the A-League is something I never thought I’d be able to do. I’m looking forward to hitting the pitch and putting in the hard work, ready for our first match at Campbelltown” Milligan added


Not sure the right move to make Milligan a Marquee I think his best is past. But good to see him back in the League.
 
Back