Ernie Merrick named as Australia's inaugural Chief Football Officer

Ernie Merrick named as Australia’s inaugural Chief Football Officer

August 2, 2022

Football Australia has today named two-time A-League Premiership and Championship winning coach Ernie Merrick as the organisation’s inaugural Chief Football Officer.

Reporting directly to Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson as a member of Football Australia’s Executive Leadership Team, Merrick will have a broad remit at the organisation as he oversees the transformation of Australia’s technical direction and football development.

Merrick’s appointment is part of a structural reform being undertaken by Football Australia as part of its XI Principles initiative, which, among other milestones, has included the unbundling of the Professional Leagues, the establishment of a coordinated Domestic Match Calendar (DMC) which has laid the platform for the implementation of a modern and progressive transfer system, and the implementation of a national Club Licensing Framework.

As Chief Football Officer, Merrick - who has an extensive background in both player development and elite football coaching and was recently appointed as an Ambassador for Football Coaches Australia (FCA) - will play an integral role in advancing many of the key objectives expressed in the XI Principles as Football Australia seeks to disrupt Australian football’s technical vision and direction.

The role will also closely interface with Football Australia’s Performance Director and National Team coaches to coordinate a systemic football development continuum and pathways from beginner to elite high-performance.

Merrick, a two-time A-League Coach of the Year, said he’s looking forward to taking on a new role in the game - one that will enable him to embed his years of Australian and international football experience and expertise into the sport’s development and elite pathways.

He advised “Australia as a nation is punching above its weight in world football.

“The Socceroos have qualified five times consecutively for the FIFA World Cup™, the CommBank Matildas are ranked 12th in the world, and there’s a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ on home soil to look forward to in under a year. However, we must continue to be ambitious and further develop, grow, innovate, and drive positive change.

“My challenge as Chief Football Officer is to assist in raising participation numbers and improve elite youth development and high-performance programs for both boys and girls. To increase the production of world class Australian players we need to review our football curriculum and development programs to benchmark ourselves against top-ranking nations.

“Training alone is not enough to develop elite performers and prepare them for Australia’s National Teams. As such, we will be placing further focus on working with our Member Federations and A-Leagues clubs to assist the growth of our best talent.

“And we must invest in Coach Education. Coaching programs need to embrace modern learning methodologies, demonstrate strategic options, and aim to develop technical skills within the match context. Improving game knowledge and awareness is crucial - sessions must encourage game scenario decision-making opportunities,” he said.

Merrick will commence in his new role on Monday 8th August.

Image: Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson with Ernie Merrick.

22nd June 2022 - Julie Bishop announced as latest Football Australia Legacy ‘23 Ambassador

13th May 2022 - Football Australia implements its first licensing regulations for domestic clubs

4th May 2022 - Football Australia run pilot FIFA coach education development pathway program

7th March 2022 - Football Australia launches ParaMatildas

17th December 2021 - Football Australia look to attain gender parity for the game

23rd November 2021 - Football Australia reports increased deficit in last financial year

10th November 2021 - Football Australia announces creation of National Indigenous Advisory Group

2nd November 2021 - Expanded partnership offers wellbeing support for Football Australia process

23rd October 2021 - Football Australia finalises new independent complaints process

16th September 2021 - Football Australia invites participation in survey to help with future planning and development

6th September 2021 - New Football Australia board appointments see women in the majority

29th August 2021 - Football Australia supports increasing humanitarian refugee intake from Afghanistan

23rd August 2021 - Commonwealth Bank backs Football Australia in partnership to elevate women’s game

5th August 2021 - Adelaide secures Young Matildas training camp ahead of 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

20th July 2022 - FIFA UNITY Pitch launched to mark one year to FIFA Women’s World Cup kick off

2nd December 2021 - Sydney to host 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final as Tournament schedule revealed

8th October 2020 - FFA releases final ‘XI Principles’ document to guide Australian football’s transformation

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