The 2023 edition of the annual Professional Footballers Australia (PFA)’s Player Agents Conference will kick off next Friday at Melbourne’s Ultra Football.

The Agents Conference provides Australian accredited player agents and leading experts from the football industry an opportunity to discuss areas of shared importance, with a focus on the management of talent within football.

With a series of regulatory reforms concerning football agents approved by the FIFA Council in 2019, the landscape for football agents is currently undergoing seismic transformation.

These global reforms, coupled with proposed changes to the Australian football industry including the introduction of a National Second Tier, a new A-League Youth competition, expansion of the A-Leagues, a Women’s Australia Cup, future promotion and relegation, and domestic transfer fees and training compensation, provide intriguing topics of discussion.

To provide expertise on these issues will be representatives from Football Australia, the Australian Professional Leagues, the Australian Football Agents Association and Professional Footballers Australia.

The 2023 Conference will cover topics impacting both agents and the management of professional players, including:

  • FIFA’s recent agent regulations and reforms;
  • Agents exam and CPD discussion and agents forum;
  • The International transfer market and training compensation;
  • The proposed Australian National Second Tier (NST) competition;
  • Domestic and global legal updates;
  • Performance of the 2021-2026 A-Leagues collective bargaining agreement;
  • Competition analysis, including the AFC Asian Champions League Analysis and 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup; 
  • Player welfare and development; and
  • Athlete brand building

PFA Co-Chief Executive Kathryn Gill, who recently attended FIFPRO’s Women’s Football Summit in Amsterdam in her capacity as a board member of the global players’ union, said: 

“Football is in a constant state of flux with many opportunities and challenges emerging for players, agents, fans, clubs, and governing bodies. Through the Agents Conference we have built a powerful platform forrespectful, transparent dialogue on emerging issues, reform and regulation within our sport. That platform has been crucial to open dialogue and progress on several crucial areas of mutual interest.”

Vice President of the AFAA Boris Ivanov said: “These conferences have been essential in building the knowledge of agents and building the relationships with the PFA to ensure the best possible representation for players. This year’s conference is possibly the most important since this regular event was initiated, given the re-regulation of the player agent industry, the growth of women’s football, and the envisaged growth of the game with 2024 seeing the emergence of a proposed NST as well as two new A League teams.

“If you are a Player Agent, or if you are anyone professionally involved in football, this is a must attend event.”

The Conference is an initiative between the PFA and the Australian Football Agents Association (AFAA) and is proudly supported by The AllStars Academy (TAA).

Accredited agents can sign up to attend the conference here.