The PFA is run by the players, for the players.
To ensure the players remain at the forefront of the organisation’s decision-making, PFA Delegates in the A-League, W-League and for Australia’s national teams serve as a vital link between their teammates, colleagues and the PFA.
PFA Delegates are charged with the responsibility of engaging their teammates, providing timely updates on collective bargaining negotiations, sharing information on player support services and outlining the structural conditions in which players are employed.
Along with helping players influence the game’s key decision-makers, delegates help their fellow footballers to shape their lives off the pitch and careers on it.
For the 2020/21 season, the PFA have never had so many delegates to call upon. The PFA has appointed three Delegates at all 12 A-league clubs, with the addition of a ‘youth’ delegate at some clubs to help connect the younger players within A-League squads with their mentors and the union. Here we check out the appointed delegates at Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners and Macarthur FC for the forthcoming A-League campaign.
ADELAIDE UNITED
Stefan Mauk
Having gathered experience in Australia, Europe and with all of Australia’s junior national teams, Stefan has developed into a leader on and off the pitch. Freshly unveiled as United’s captain for the upcoming season, Stefan has not only developed into a competitive midfielder but has dedicated a significant amount of energy to work off the pitch to complement his playing career, including developing the Inner Game journal, which is designed to help his fellow athletes reach their full potential as footballers and people.
Michael Jakobsen
Since Michael arrived in the A-League, the Danish centre-back has established himself as a leader and is a natural fit as a PFA Delegate. Michael captained Melbourne City and was a part of the club’s leadership group, demonstrating his influence and ingrained leadership qualities. A former Danish national team defender, Michael has plenty of wisdom from his time playing professionally overseas and in Australia to impart on his teammates and fellow A-League players’ futures.
Michael Marrone
Michael has been a long-standing advocate for his fellow professionals. On the pitch he’s a winner; he’s lifted three FFA Cups, an A-League Premiers Plate and Championship, and ranks second on the all-time appearances list for Adelaide, with over 200 games in the A-League.
Noah Smith
Noah will be vital to connecting Adelaide’s younger players to his fellow, more experienced teammates and delegates. The teenager was recently rewarded with a senior scholarship deal for the upcoming 2020/21 A-League season, after joining United’s ‘Young Reds’ from Cumberland United in 2017 and enters his first campaign on a senior professional contract.
BRISBANE ROAR
Jack Hingert
Jack’s understanding of English football’s youth system – having been a product of Sutton United and Crystal Palace – positions him well to inform emerging players of the challenges and opportunities of pursuing careers overseas. As well as his success with Brisbane Roar, Jack has developed an understanding of building his brand off the pitch and, alongside former A-League midfielder Isaka Cernak, has developed a baby carry bag through a business venture, ONE NINE. Jack is also a passionate animal welfare advocate and ambassador for the RSPCA.
Jamie Young
Jamie has plenty of strings to his bow on and off the pitch; he’s currently studying a PhD in Sports Coaching at the University of Queensland and is an ambassador for the Multicultural Development Association. His pursuit of study to complement his football career emerged when he suffered a serious injury playing in the UK. Jamie was able to tap into the resources provided by the Players’ Association in England, which allowed him to enrol in an exercise and sports science degree in Manchester. Jamie has also presented on the power of positive thinking and mindset to PFA members at the PFA Player Development Camp in 2019.
Scott McDonald
A household name in Australian football, Scott has managed to create opportunities off the pitch to balance his high level of success on the pitch in the United Kingdom. Scott has obtained various coaching badges, is quickly developing into a guest commentator within Australian broadcast media and most recently launched the Scott McDonald Academy. A passionate and experienced player, Scott is not afraid to articulate the concerns of players and is a fierce advocate for Australian footballers. Scott recently spoke on the PFA’s Podcast, Footballers’ Voice, about the A-League’s hiatus as a result of COVID-19 and its impact on Australian footballers.
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
Matt Simon
Not one to shirk responsibility on the pitch, Simon devotes as much energy to the development of his teammates and fellow footballers off it. Simon been a long-serving delegate and has helped to drive player-led decision-making and reforms through the PFA and remains a strong and uncompromising voice for the players. During the COVID-19 outbreak, Simon spoke about how PFA Delegates worked together to deliver better outcomes not just for the players, but the broader community:
“We have two or three delegates at every club that have all been having calls every second day through the PFA and we’ve been sharing the latest information with each other. We’ve also thought about how we can help out during this challenging time and we’ve all been thinking along the same lines – how can we be a good citizen to the game and our community and help spread the right messages?”
Jack Clisby
Now at his fourth club, Jack has had the experience of varying professional environments within Australian football and has played over 100 professional games in the A-League, so understands the experience of his fellow professionals. Jack has also expressed a strong understanding of what it means to prioritise life outside football; he’s embarked on a Cert III and Cert IV in fitness to ensure he has something after football:
“You’ve got to savour every moment being a professional because it’s not a job that lasts forever. At the end of the day, everyone has to retire at some point, and you need to have a plan in place.” – In My Words: Jack Clisby
Ziggy Gordon
Ziggy was an active member of the PFA in Scotland, where he studied the FIFPro Online Sports Management Degree, which is a full-time degree that can be undertaken while playing professional football, when he was at Partick Thistle.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to prepare for life after football as you will have a BA in Sports Management which can lead to a variety of jobs at clubs or football bodies including General Manager, Director of Football, Sponsorship Manager, Marketing Manager or Corporate Hospitality Manager.”
Now Ziggy is sharing is learnings from playing and studying in Scotland with his teammates at the Mariners.
Gianni Stensness
Despite being in his early 20s, Gianni Stensness has already taken huge leaps in development off the field. He is balancing a four-year Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science, majoring in financial economics and psychology, while playing at the Mariners. As a former Dux of his school in 2017, Gianni knows the importance of pursuing his football career, as well as having a plan to complement his career. Gianni shared his experience on episode one of Footballers Voice:
“I’m always thinking not just about football; I’m thinking what can I do off the pitch as well.”
MACARTHUR FC
Mark Milligan
No stranger to Australian football or the PFA, Mark has a long history and relationship with the player movement, having served on the Socceroos Delegates committee and on the PFA Executive for three years until 2016. Mark was a driving force behind the establishment of the Footballers’ Trust initiative, which provides a platform for today’s players to ‘play it forward’ and contribute directly to the causes that inspire them. A vocal advocate for the game and the players, Mark’s contribution to the PFA will no doubt be as strong as ever following his return to the A-League with Macarthur.
Adam Federici
Adam brings a wealth of experience to the A-League and the Bulls and is likely to be influential in decision-making for his fellow teammates, having played at Reading, Stoke City and Bournemouth – and for the Socceroos. Adam will be able to share invaluable knowledge and first-hand experience from his time developing as a player overseas, which didn’t come without personal sacrifice and challenges, as he shared with The World Game this year:
“I was on my own, running around different clubs and not knowing how you’re going to pay for things or where to stay as well as being a kid across Europe. There were times where you’d call home and your parents would be telling you to come home but I just didn’t want to leave.
“I wanted the opportunity just to have a game basically, I was like “well, I’m not going home until I prove that I can or can’t do it’. To make it to the Premier League and to step out on the pitch was a hell of an achievement for me personally.“
Denis Genreau
Denis already has three A-League seasons at Melbourne City FC under his belt, experience in the Y-League and will represent Macarthur FC in 2020/21. Denis shared his story of development overseas in the Netherlands’ Eredivisie through the PFA’s Copa Coffee series, which will provide his fellow footballers with an opportunity to learn from his experience:
“I learned a lot in terms of football but also in life, where I was living away from home for the first time and to experience a new country and a new culture was great. Things went so fast when I first moved there, having to move into my own place, learn to cook, learn the language and I was playing regularly at the start, so everything was going so fast. But after it slowed down a bit and I settled in, every now and then you realise how lucky you are to get to do what you love every day.”
The PFA will continue to profile the PFA Delegates for the upcoming A-League and W-League seasons throughout December.
