I started writing this message over a month ago, but an unforeseen long hospital stay has kept me from finishing it. Many supporters throughout this year have asked about the state of futsal across Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, and the Central Coast, especially given conflicting and misleading statements from other organisations.
Although most of our supporters know who we are and what we stand for, we need to clarify and set the record straight for everyone interested.
My introduction to futsal
I was introduced to futsal in 1998 while working at an indoor venue in Cardiff. Having played soccer since the age of five and coached at both junior and senior levels, I held a Level 2 outdoor coaching qualification, later renewed as an AFC B Licence. I started my outdoor representative career coaching the first Newcastle/Port Stephens Association under-11 Football Youth League team, and through that role Gary Jackson, then president of NNSW Futsal, invited me to take a team to the national futsal championships in Brisbane and join the futsal committee.
I accepted and soon developed a strong appreciation for futsal. Over the following years, Futsal Australia sent some of the NNSW players and me on international tours, including one to Argentina. While there, I also completed a futsal coaching course and brought that knowledge back to Australia.
Since then, I have completed several Level 2 futsal courses to stay up to date with changing trends in the sport: one with Futsal Australia, one with Football Australia, two with the Australian Futsal Association, and an advanced online course with Brazil Futsal.
How Northern NSW Futsal developed
In 2002, we formed a small club, Hunter Futsal Strikers, with teams playing at Gateshead Sports World, Howzat Newcastle, Tomaree High School in Nelson Bay, and a school on the Central Coast. The club grew steadily and had about 600 members in its early years.
A few years later, after Futsal Australia's demise and Football Australia's growing interest in the sport, I became a part-time futsal coordinator for NNSW Football. I coordinated NNSW teams through clubs in Newcastle, Taree, Port Macquarie, and Tamworth, and selected teams and coaches to participate in the FA Club Nationals in Canberra.
In 2008, and for unusual reasons, NNSW Football ended my role and attempted to develop the game independently. That approach ultimately failed because it tried to rebuild structures that already worked.
Fortunately for our roughly 900 members, clubs including Hunter Futsal Strikers received a lifeline from the Australian Futsal Association, leading to the formation of the present Northern NSW Futsal Association Pty Ltd.
Over the past 18 years, NNSW Futsal Pty Ltd has grown as an independent body, with clubs across the Central Coast, Newcastle, and Hunter Valley regions. Our players, coaches, and organisation have earned respect across state and regional committees, with our players and coaches benefiting from pathways provided by AFA, Australia's largest futsal-only organisation.
Where we are today
We now offer approximately 4,000 members elite representative and community competitions for all ages and genders.
Our primary and secondary school competitions span four regions and are in high demand. Winners and runners-up from each region advance to a Champion of Champions event. From these school regionals, NNSW Futsal selects school teams to represent their school and NNSW Futsal at the AFA School Nationals, where more than 400 teams from across Australia are expected to compete.
Recently, 50 NNSW/Central Coast teams will convene on the Gold Coast with 50 NNSW Futsal/AFA-accredited coaches to compete at the AFA School Nationals. A similar number of teams will also compete in the AFA Club Nationals in January.
Our AFA National League competition, Newcastle Titans teams, have started their season and will attempt to defend their titles as National League Champions.
Players selected for our school and club national representative teams may have the opportunity to represent Australia on junior tours to countries including Greece, England, Spain, China, Italy, the United States, New Zealand and Malaysia. The ultimate pathway goal is to progress to a senior Australian team at an international tournament. Many Novocastrians and Coasties have already achieved this distinction. I have also had the honour of leading an Australian men's team at world tournaments in Spain and China, and, more recently, an Australian women's team to the United Kingdom Cup in Scotland.
None of this would have been possible without our hardworking committee members, coaches, referees, the strong support of the Australian Futsal Association, and the great support of all our supporters.
Clarifying our position
There is understandable confusion about futsal in Northern NSW. In 2024, NNSW Football and the NNSW Futsal Association began discussions about bringing football and futsal together, strengthening player development and aligning with the global recognition of futsal's value.
Both parties agreed to work transparently. Under the arrangement, the NNSW Futsal Association would draw on its extensive experience to provide the required expertise while remaining independent and continuing the competitions and environment its members, coaches and referees had built. We were assured there was no need to “reinvent the wheel”, and the affiliation was widely promoted as the beginning of a new era for football and futsal in NNSW.
Unfortunately, it became apparent that NNSW Football had other ideas and sought full control of the sport, which we believed would disadvantage our members. NNSW Futsal gave notice to NNSW Football early this year to address our concerns, but when the notice period expired without resolution, the affiliation agreement ended. We did not publicly acknowledge the separation and focus on what we do best: providing high-quality competitions and opportunities for school and club players of all ages and genders.
But events and a recent NNSW Football post claimed it created the region's first futsal club, launched its first elite competition, and established unprecedented pathways for players and coaches. Those claims disregard the longstanding contributions of our players, supporters and dedicated committee members.
We are genuinely disappointed that the affiliation ended. Still, we will continue drawing on our proven record to provide elite and community futsal opportunities in line with our vision:
To provide a vibrant, safe, friendly and enjoyable environment for all our members and to have an NNSW Futsal facility for all ages, genders, and abilities in line with the NSW Office of Sport's vision of valued and active sports enhancing the lives of the people in our Northern NSW futsal region.
Thank you to our members
To all our members, thank you for your continued support, and I hope you have a great season, whether in Community, Supa Liga, academies, the AFA National League, or AFA National Championships.