To Our Supporters,

At the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sutherland Shire Football Association (SSFA), events unfolded that raise serious concerns about the governance and integrity of the CEO and President—yet again. These issues were raised directly with Football NSW and Football Australia via email, but no response was received.

This silence is particularly frustrating in light of Football Australia’s launch of the "Club Changer" initiative, purportedly designed to protect and enhance our clubs. Where is the protection for the 20,000 players of the Sutherland Shire?

What took place at the AGM was nothing short of farcical. It is no surprise that the entire meeting lasted only 29 minutes.

Financial Oversight Ignored: No questions were raised regarding the financials, despite growing losses, declining revenue, and wage bills now exceeding $1 million per year.

Collapsing Representative Programs: The failure of the representative programs, including the lack of qualified coaches, was left unaddressed. Alarmingly, at least half of the Executive Committee (EC) were unaware of plans to cancel the AYL program until the decision was made public—another blatant breach of the Association's Constitution. 

Conflict of Interest: The current President, who also serves as Deputy Mayor, is required to declare a conflict of interest and recuse themselves from voting on any council matters related to soccer, including ground enhancements. This obligation becomes even more significant given that a fellow Ward D councillor is now associated with the accountancy firm overseeing the Association's audits. How, then, can the President claim to champion council ground improvements and assert their instrumental role in the process while navigating these clear conflicts of interest?

The EC Elections

At each AGM, all EC positions are vacated, and members must be voted back in through a fair and transparent process. To ensure integrity, independent scrutineers are required to oversee and adjudicate the voting process.

The 2023 Constitution specifies:"Independent scrutineers, who are not current or recent EC members, oversee the process."

However, under the current leadership, these roles were filled by:

1. An ex-President and council running mate of the current President. 
2. A current SSFA staff member aligned with the leadership.

This is far from independent. When clubs were surveyed post-vote, it became clear that the official results did not match the reality, demonstrating a blatant disregard for proper process. This undermines fairness, transparency, and trust—fundamental values of any community organisation.

Concerns Over Changes to the Constitution
The 2023 Constitution introduced significant changes to the voting process compared to the 2009 version.

2009 Constitution: "Results must be recorded, preserved, and made available for review if contested."
2023 Constitution: "The scrutineers will, after such voting is finalised and positions accepted and election declared, destroy the ballot papers."
This change, implemented under the current CEO, further erodes transparency and raises serious questions about accountability in the voting process.

What Is Clear
The events at the AGM and the ongoing silence from Football NSW and Football Australia suggest a system that prioritises fees over fairness and power over progress. With our community contributing over $3 million in fees annually, we must ask:

• Are players, parents, and coaches being adequately supported by the governing bodies or the Association?
• Without providing meaningful pathways for players, is the Association in breach of its own constitution and its reason for existence?
• With some clubs continuing to support the status quo, while others are pushed further into despair, is it time for transparency about where clubs stand with the SSFA?
• With wages exceeding $1 million annually and the lowest recorded output on record, what are we paying for? 

Call for Accountability

Given that this is a community sports organisation where positions are paid, it raises serious questions about why these roles are not subject to proper oversight and management, calling into question the validity and accountability of the Association as a whole.

It is deeply concerning to observe actions that appear to disregard established processes, especially when carried out in such a public capacity. The time for change is now—our players, parents, and community deserve better.

Parents for a Pathway