Football Federation Australia has announced a new ‘Starting XI’ advisory panel, headlined by former Socceroos captain Mark Viduka.
The panel consisting of Socceroos and Matildas legends will work alongside the FFA's Football Development Committee in focusing on technical issues within the sport.
It's Viduka’s first involvement in Australian football since announcing his international retirement in 2007. The former Celtic, Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Newcastle striker heavily criticised the FFA in a recent interview with ESPN.
Viduka, Josip Skoko, Clare Polkinghorne, Ron Smith, Mark Bosnich, Paul Okon, Frank Farina, Heather Garriock, Vicki Linton, Joey Peters, and Connie Selby are the ‘Starting XI's’ inaugural members.
“Since joining FFA I have made it clear that we will be a football-first organisation that seeks to harness the collective knowledge and experience that our most successful contributors – be they current or former players, coaches, or officials – have to offer,” FFA CEO James Johnson said in a statement.
"We have been moving several pieces to ensure that we continue to do the work which will be vital to launching the future of football in Australia.
"The Starting XI will provide a great platform for eleven of our best football brains to share their insights and ideas with FFA on key matters from grassroots to international football, national teams, player pathways, and the overall well-being of the game.
"Having people of the calibre of the Starting XI directly communicating with FFA on a regular basis will be invaluable for the organisation and help to achieve a shared vision for the game.
"We would like to thank the inaugural members of the Starting XI for agreeing to share their vast lived experiences with us, and believe the diverse range of people with world-class football acumen on the panel will enable us to access a wide range of local and global views to help us drive football forward."
All 11 members will serve on a voluntary basis for an initial two-year term.