A local soccer association is fighting Football Victoria over changes it claims will lead to higher fees for families if they are forced to play under the governing body’s banner.
The Greater Melbourne Soccer Association – which has about 2500 registered players across 60 senior teams and 46 under-six to under-eight teams, and runs the biggest over-35s competition in the state – has taken its concerns to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Under rules to be introduced next year, clubs affiliated with Football Victoria will require written approval to join external competitions where FV offers a corresponding competition.
The Greater Melbourne Soccer Association fears clubs could be deregistered if they do not join FV-sanctioned competitions, and says the proposed changes will affect thousands of players.
The association, which has engaged law firm Lander and Rogers to challenge the new restrictions, wrote the ACCC to raise concerns about possible breaches of the competition and consumer act, relating to misuse of market power and exclusive dealing.
Andrew Ellis, the president of the association, said the impending restrictions could impact the affordability, diversity and independence of community soccer in Melbourne.
“Football Victoria runs its own competitions. It shouldn’t also get to decide whether clubs can participate in ours,” he said.
“Clubs should be able to enter teams in both FV and GMSA competitions without putting their affiliation at risk. They deserve the freedom to choose competitions that best suit their players, families and communities.”
Ellis said the restrictions could force clubs to enter the more expensive FV leagues.
A detailed report by his association, based on 2026 figures, said registration for a senior team of 25 players was $2200, while a Football Victoria metropolitan fee for the same team would be $6800.
For junior players in under-seven and under-eight competitions, there was a $38 discrepancy in fees according to the Greater Melbourne Soccer Association’s analysis.
Soccer is typically one of the more expensive sports to play at junior and pathway level because of the cost of registration fees, compared with other sports.
FV did not comment specifically on the figures provided by the association but said in a statement it was not seeking to stymie competitions or clubs.
“Football Victoria is not seeking to prevent alternative football leagues from operating, nor to stop clubs, players or administrators from participating in other organisations. Rather, clubs that wish to retain the benefits and protections of affiliation to Football Victoria and the Football Australia pathway must meet minimum standards when participating in external competitions,” the statement said.
FV said the three core areas of proposed changes were child safety safeguards, insurance and dealing with disciplinary and integrity standards.
“Ultimately, this is about ensuring that all activities involving FV-affiliated clubs meet appropriate standards of safety, accountability and governance, regardless of where football is being played,” the statement said.
FV has engaged legal firm Carrington Legal to fight their case.
Ellis said FV’s initial response to his claims was that rival leagues providing the equivalent competitions would not be approved.
He said in subsequent legal correspondence, FV said change was needed to ensure the appropriate insurance, consistent child safety standards, event scheduling, governance and integrity mechanisms were all met.
Lander and Rogers competition law partner Philip Aitken, who has written to the ACCC on behalf of the GMSA, said: “Firms with a substantial degree of market power must not engage in conduct that has the purpose, effect or likely effect of substantially lessening competition”.
Ellis said the GMSA supported the highest standard of administration.
“We fully support appropriate child safety, insurance, integrity and governance standards across community football,” he said.
“FV is not a government regulator, but it is acting like one. We both provide football competitions to clubs and players. FV should not be both a competitor and the referee deciding whether rival competitions can operate.
“Football Victoria says it isn’t trying to prevent alternative football competitions from operating.
“Its own words tell a very different story. In a briefing pack provided to clubs on 11 September 2026, FV explicitly stated: ‘In summary, if FV provides a competition that an external provider is also offering, that external competition will not be on the approved list’.
“That isn’t a child safety standard. That’s a policy designed to exclude competing competitions. FV is now attempting to justify its restrictions by raising child safety, insurance and disciplinary standards. These are important matters, but none requires clubs to be prevented from participating in alternative competitions.”
Ellis said, “GMSA has supported grassroots football for almost 50 years, and we’re not about to walk away from the clubs and communities that have supported us”.
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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