Federation Australia Research Articles

‘Absolutely Free’? Freedom of Movement and ‘the Police Power’ in Federation Australia

In 2020, Australian businessman, Clive Palmer sued the Western Australian government over border restrictions imposed during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. In February 2021 the High Court unanimously rejected Palmer's action, concluding that the Emergency Powers Act was a valid exercise of State power in the circumstances of a public health pandemic. Among the precedents used by Palmer was a decision a century ago in which the High Court quashed conviction of a discharged Victorian prisoner who had been arrested in New South Wales under that State's Influx of Criminals Prevention Act. In this article I contextualise that case (R v Smithers, 1912), the history of the legislation it addressed, and the concept of ‘the police power’ of the States that was raised as a limit to the freedoms embraced by section 92. I ask whether that concept deserves renewed attention in the wake of newly experienced emergencies.

Poison by Advertisement: Cosmetics and the Art of Selling Whiteness c.1880–1920

Summary The late Victorian and Edwardian beauty industry produced a wealth of visual material that promoted lily-white complexions as a privileged indicator of beauty, youth, health and hygiene. This was especially the case in advertisements for British and American skin lightening, skin whitening and skin bleaching products. These advertisements used visual and linguistic devices to convince white women that the application of often-toxic products would restore blemished, tanned and freckled complexions to ‘natural’ whiteness. Moving from sun-starved Britain to sun-drenched Australia, skin lightening products were actively marketed to white women living in Federation Australia, revealing particular fears associated with the darkening and reddening effects of the southern sun.

The Female Voice in Low budget, independent cinema of Australia: Strange Colours, The Second & Hot Mess

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impediments that Australian, female, independent filmmakers face in bringing female-centred stories onto the screen. In 2016, the federal screen funding agency Screen Australia launched Gender Matters to better understand the many barriers facing women filmmakers and create opportunities for female screen creatives to gain equity in the screen industries. But how have this impacted and improved conditions for female filmmakers? The authors of this current study are female screenwriters, directors and producers who have experienced and witnessed the many difficulties women face in the Australian screen industry. The article comprises case studies of recent, successful, female, independent feature filmmakers, the AACTA Award nominated creators of Strange Colours, The Second and Hot Mess. The research explores emergent themes and recommendations based on interviews with the filmmakers. They observe that while some impediments in the low budget, independent sector continue, others have subsided and a considerable number of promising developments are emerging. Screen Australia’s Gender Matters and other initiatives by State-based screen agencies have encouraged this progress, but changes in the global socio-cultural discourse have also been influential.

Time and Telegraphy: Nineteenth-Century Contexts for Stained Glass

Although nineteenth-century writers frequently conceived of rail travel as a dream space of collaged, fleeting, and disjunctive experiences, the transition from everyday life to travel dream state has been rarely explored. This article uses the Flinders Street Station portal (Melbourne, Australia, 1900–09) and its large stained glass lunette to examine the primary role of the station portal as a material and psychological gateway to the railway dream space. I locate the Flinders Street stained glass within a particular historical moment when a communication and technological turn produced fertile convergences between aesthetics and technology. I argue that stained glass was regarded as a medium of privileged proximity to psychological states and perceptual conditions. In the <i>fin-de-siècle</i> period these long-standing associations were called upon as Arts and Crafts theory reconfigured design and stained glass as media for storing, processing, and transmitting memory. New conceptions of the artwork as a medium enabled art to become an instrument for attuning spectators to aesthetic and perceptual states. Art could stimulate and awaken the spectator’s memory. Racial thinking on memory entered this discourse. The Flinders Street glass was commissioned during a key moment of nation building in Federation Australia, and I argue that a racial logic underpinned the iconographic and phantasmatic qualities of the glass. This article locates stained glass within the media, optical, communications, and other technologies of the nineteenth century and suggests future directions for stained glass scholarship, including work in settler contexts.<br>

'Ono, oh Yes!': An A-League Tensai (Genius) Made in Japan

In 2005, Football Federation Australia (FFA) launched its latest attempt to create a professional men’s soccer football league in Australia, the A-League. The new competition aimed to distance itself from the old National Soccer League, which was based around ethnically affiliated clubs and in doing so appeal to a bigger, more mainstream, market. The formation of the A-League also coincided with Australia’s alignment with the Asian Football Confederation for World Cup qualification and related championship play. Ambitious thinkers within FFA envisaged soccer football providing a vehicle to facilitate economic, cultural and political linkages into Asia in what has been termed the ‘Asian Century’. However, while teams boosted their rosters with international players, there was a noticeable lack of players from Asia. In this paper we focus on Japanese international Shinji Ono, a marquee signing for the Western Sydney Wanderers (WSW) in 2012, who arguably became the first ‘Asian’ sporting celebrity in Australia. Hs impact on the A-League is considered both for fans of the WSW and in the marketing of the league more generally. Affectionately known as tensai (genius), Ono embodied characteristics that marked him as uniquely Japanese and captured the imagination of Australian football fans as few other players have.

The fiction of democracy in FIFA’s governance of football and the case of Football Federation Australia

In its governance of football, FIFA claims to be democratic. In addition, FIFA purports to apply standards of democracy to its members. This article examines the nature and validity of the basis of these claims to democratic legitimacy. In particular, it considers the application of the principles of representative democracy within the governance of football by reference to the governance structure of FIFA and by reference to the example of one of its members, Football Federation Australia. It is argued that the governance structure of FIFA is not democratic, notwithstanding the associations’ pretensions to democracy, and that fundamental reform is required to make both FIFA and its member associations democratic.

“Industrial Defence Against the Whole World”: Deakinite New Protection as Narrative of Global Modernity

ABSTRACTAs it evolved towards the New Protection program from 1906, Deakinite protectionism manifested as a historicised narrative of modernity: an attempt to impose a rationale of nation-building over the heterogeneous and unstable impact of new economic relations and technologies, and the tense dynamics of competition between nations. History was invoked by actors fashioning the nation-building task in post Federation Australia as they claimed to make decisive breaks with past practice, reflected in innovative government strategies and social reforms. The anxieties and opportunities stimulated by global industrial modernity defined New Protection policy, evident in the formation of political narrative and parliamentary legislation, and government intervention in the conduct of business enterprise and industrial relations. The objectives and contradictions of New Protection were clarified in the political narratives and policy interventions constructed to secure the future of the Sunshine Harvester enterprise and its workforce.

Tactical skill in Australian youth soccer: Does it discriminate age-match skill levels?

Objectives Football Federation Australia (FFA) has identified that Australian athletes are proficient physically, however often lack the technical and tactical skills to excel internationally. The aim of the current study was to assess if a video-based decision-making test could discriminate different age-matched skill levels of talent in Australian soccer. Design Cross-sectional observational. Methods Sixty-two youth male soccer players completed a video-based decision-making test. Results An ANOVA test showed that the video-based test significantly discriminated between all three groups, with the national elite athletes selecting more correct responses than the state elite (65.3 ± 8.1%; 56.0 ± 9.1%, respectively). The state elite were more accurate than the sub-elite (45.9 ± 8.8%). Conclusions Results suggest that a video-based test may be a suitable tool to use in the selection of athletes as a measure of decision-making skill. The low accuracy scores, even for the national elite cohort, suggest that decision-making skill at the youth level has room for improvement and should be prioritised as an area for development.

A Case Study Exploring Coaching Practice and Coaching Perspectives at One Soccer (Football) Club

This study investigated the extent to which three local club football (Soccer) coaches were aligning their practice with the Football Federation Australia (FFA) curriculum and if they are aware of and incorporating the Game Sense coaching methods advocated by the Australian Sports Commission through the Playing for Life Philosophy. There is currently a lack of research in the sport of Soccer and how the Game Sense coaching approach has been received and understood in Australian Soccer coaching. Further, the degree of alignment club coaches have with the FFA curriculum has only been investigated once, and that was in Sydney. Therefore, little is known about the implementation of the FFA curriculum in community coaching settings. This study found the three coaches to have good understanding of the mechanics of the FFA curriculum, and support for the use of small-sided games as a preferred practice form. The coaches had no understanding of the process of shaping and focussing player game development using the player-centred inquiry focus of the Game Sense approach.

Observations of youth football training: How do coaches structure training sessions for player development?

ABSTRACTWe used systematic observation tools to explore the structure (i.e., activity and inactivity) and sequencing (i.e., the types of activities used) of football coaching sessions in Australia following the implementation of a new National Curriculum. Youth soccer coaches (n = 34), coaching within the Skill Acquisition (U11–U13 n = 19) and Game Training (U14–U17 n = 15) phases of the Football Federation Australia National Curriculum participated. Participants were filmed during a regular coaching session, with systematic observation of the session undertaken to provide a detailed analysis of the practice activities and coach behaviours. Findings indicated a session comprised of Playing Form activities (40.9%), Training Form activities (22.3%), inactivity (31%), and transitions between activities (5.8%). Coaches prescribed more Training Form activities (e.g., individual (5.4%) and drills (15.1%)) early in the session and progressed to Playing Form activities (i.e., small-sided games (15.3%) then larger games (24.8%)) later in the session. Most inactivity reflected the players listening to the coach – either in a team huddle (9.9%) or frozen on the spot during an activity (16.5%). In addition, coaches generally spent over 3 min communicating to players prior to explaining and introducing an activity regardless of when in the session the activity was scheduled.

Establishing validity and reliability of a movement awareness and technical skill (MATS) analysis instrument in soccer

Soccer performance analysis instruments generally provide a description of skill outcomes; however, there is limited understanding of the individual movements and skills that lead to an outcome such as a pass. We used a four step process to develop a valid and reliable instrument designed to assess movement awareness and technical skills (MATS) performed by soccer players when in possession of the ball. The first step was the establishment of performance indicators and operational definitions, followed by extensive pilot testing and observer training. The third step established face validity aligning Football Federation Australia’s national curriculum and the technical performance outcomes; and content validity was ensured by verification and critical feedback from an expert panel. Finally, reliability was established with high inter-coder (Kappa value >0.40; and Cronbach’s α = 0.98) and intra-coder reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.83). From a practical perspective, the new soccer performance analysis instrument provides detailed information relating to player movement patterns, technical skill proficiency and skill breakdown. The data obtained coupled with reflective coaching practices may inform player feedback and future coaching strategies to develop player movement and technical skills.

Problem Gambling and Preventive Measures: The Case of Australia

Problem gambling causes serious problems to personal well-being, families, communities, and even a country's economy. This article highlights the impacts of problem gambling and evaluates the current preventive measures taken by the federal and state governments and other organizations in Australia. This article also presents recommendations to bolster the current preventive measures to reduce the widespread impacts of problem gambling. Exclusion programs, education about responsible gambling, involvement of the federal government, website filtering, direct mailing of responsible gambling brochures, and automatic reminders in electronic gaming machines are recommendations devised to augment the current preventive measures in Australia in relation to problem gambling.

Constitutional Voting Rules of Australian National Sporting Organisations: Comparative Analysis and Principles of Constitutional Design

In 2012 and 2013, four Australian national sporting organisations (NSOs), the Australian Football League, the Australian Rugby League Commission Limited, BA Limited (Basketball Australia) and Football Federation Australia Limited were also the national league competition organiser (NLCO) for their sport. All four NSOs are not-for-profit companies. We apply the model of optimal voting rules proposed by James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock to the actual voting rules adopted by the NSOs. This model focuses on the minimisation of costs associated with voting. We find that the NSO voting rules largely conform to the model although there are exceptions. In particular, constitutional issues (amendment of the constitutions of the NSOs and company wind up) require the approval of a greater proportion of the members than electoral issues (election and removal of company directors). Those issues with the highest costs (such as the appointment and removal of NSO company members and national league clubs) are typically removed from the domain of voting by company members to strengthen the independence of the NSO from the company members.

The impact of member disaffiliation on the internal legitimacy of a federated network

Research question: This research examines the impact of member disaffiliation on the internal legitimacy of a federated network. A federated network is characterised by a network administrative organisation (NAO) that coordinates and influences member activities. Disaffiliation occurs when an affiliate leaves the network. Within a federated network, internal legitimacy is the extent to which member organisations perceive that the entity is desirable, proper or appropriate. This study investigates the disaffiliation of Football Federation Australia (FFA) from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).Research methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with either the president or general secretary of the 11 remaining OFC members, as well as senior managers from Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Oceania Development Office and the OFC's NAO. A small amount of secondary data provided contextual understanding.Results and findings: No participants criticised the FFA for its disaffiliation. Many participants recognised that OFC affiliation was a burden for the FFA. The FFA's disaffiliation exacerbated a number of pre-existing OFC legitimacy deficiencies: low quality of play, small number of influential/prominent members; low qualification standards for FIFA tournaments; poor performance of OFC teams at FIFA tournaments; and small participation numbers.Practical implications: These results demonstrate the relevance of internal legitimacy when determining an organisation's legitimacy. The results also reiterate the importance of legitimacy to organisational and network performance. Finally the research demonstrates that disaffiliation by a dominant or high-profile member of a federated network can negatively affect internal legitimacy.

From old soccer to new football? Expert accounts of transformations on the world game in Australia post-Crawford Report

This article investigated and evaluated the changes which have occurred in Australian football since the publication of the Crawford Report in 2003. Prior to this report, it was widely perceived that football was the ‘sleeping giant’ of Australian professional sport despite its popularity at youth participant level. The Crawford Report made a range of recommendations and a new era was heralded when Football Federation Australia was established which set upon the task of adopting a number of Crawford’s recommendations. To investigate the impact of the Crawford Report on the current status of Australian football, a qualitative methodology was adopted. Purposive sampling was adopted to give voice to senior football figures who were involved in the sport in both the pre- and post-Crawford Report periods and a total of 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted. A number of significant themes emerged from the research. All participants agreed that Australian football’s appeal has been broadened. However, the interviews also reported that the perception of football as a minor code and always relegated to the ethnic margins was a ‘myth’. Also, the participants raised the issue of whether the Crawford Report was implemented to its fullest degree. They were passionate about the idea that if all recommendations were implemented, the sport might currently be in a much stronger position.

The Future of Adult Guardianship in Federal Australia

This article explores two key societal developments that in different, yet related, ways are encouraging national policy changes to Australia's state- and territory-based adult guardianship arrangements. The first concerns the changing demographic nature and disability profile of those Australians who are subject to guardianship orders, with older Australians increasingly—through age-related disabilities—being eligible for guardianship orders. The second concerns the supremacy of the rights paradigm under which guardianship and all other forms of state regulation are increasingly operating, which itself creates opportunities for, and expectations of, national-level policy making and leadership. The article examines recent academic literature as well as literature generated by recent government inquiries, and argues that while the states and territories should continue to regulate the provision of guardianship, certain national policy developments are warranted. These include clearer guidance about the need for substitute decision making when people become residents of aged-care facilities, and the development of national guardianship principles.

“Disaffection in the library”: shaping a living centre of learning

PurposeTo most minds libraries exist at the periphery of debates over education and educational reform. However, the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how, in 1910, the Melbourne Public Library (now the State Library of Victoria) was central, rather than peripheral, to a conflict which focussed on the role of the library in education and how the library and its collection could best be organised to meet this purpose. It will be argued that libraries and the way they are organised act as indices of the dominant views about education and can be seen as social and educational artefacts. As artefacts they encapsulate community beliefs about how learning could best occur at a given time and what knowledge was esteemed, made available and to whom.Design/methodology/approachTo illustrate this point of view and illuminate the broader issues, this paper will use a particular set of events and a particular group of protagonists in Australian history as a case study.FindingsThis case study illuminates conflicting ideas about the place of libraries and the organisation of their collections in early twentieth‐century society and demonstrates how these ideas continued to have an impact on the place of libraries in educational reform agendas in Australia in the following decades.Social implicationsThe argument reported as “the disaffection in the library” was both philosophical and practical and illuminated ongoing debates surrounding the place of the library in education. The outcome influenced the shape and place of libraries in Australia and demonstrates broader concerns at work in Federation Australia.Originality/valueThe paper casts a new light on the relationship between libraries and education and the place of libraries in the educational process. The network of influence in Federation Australia and the impact of this on the development of institutions and professions in Australia is also examined.

Canada and Australia: A Federal Parting of the Ways

This article looks in depth at the ways in which the two largest, British created Federal States, Canada and Australia have, over time, produced quite divergent Federal systems. It explains why regional differences in Canada and notably more striking than in Australia. It spends some time looking at the differing resolution of the rather intense Central-Regional disputes over control of offshore resources.

Australian Federalism and Domestic Violence Policy-Making

The influence of state architecture on gender policy and politics is an emergent strand of feminist research. This paper contributes to this research by undertaking a detailed case study of one specific gender policy area – domestic violence policy – in old federation Australia. Drawing on the experiences of the past decade, it confirms earlier research findings that demonstrate that under certain conditions, federal structures can influence the development of gender policy in positive ways, such as providing opportunities for ‘venue shopping’ and policy innovation. The paper engages, too, with recent research on Australian federalism and challenges the consensus about the centralised nature of the Australian federal system by demonstrating that in the area of gender policy, states and territories are more than just the implementation arms of the Commonwealth government. Sub-national governments continue to play an important and autonomous role in policy relating to women and therefore remain central sites for advancing gender equality.

Where to now, Melbourne Croatia?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the cancellation of Australia's National Soccer League (NSL) competition and its replacement in 2004 with the corporatist A‐League which is based on the North American model of “one team one city”, no promotion and relegation, and private‐equity clubs. The authors believe that one of the aims of the A‐League and its “ground‐zero” ideology was to institute exclusion of the ethnic clubs that had formed the backbone of the NSL for 30 years.Design/methodology/approachExtensive literature search, participant‐observation, one personal interview and two group interviews were employed. People interviewed were the President of the Croatian community's Melbourne Knights Football Club, the Club Secretary of Melbourne Knights, and three leaders of Melbourne Knights’ MCF hooligan firm.FindingsThe authors observe the Football Federation Australia hiding behind the perceived scientific nature and technical veracity of budgeted accounting numbers to set the financial bar too high for the ethnic clubs to find a place in the brave new world that has been called “Modern Football”. However, capitalism creates its own discontents. Online forums and homemade fence banners are the new vehicles for dissent for the supporters of “Old Soccer”.Originality/valueThere is still only a small academic literature on Australian football and most of this has been written by humanities lecturers. The paper offers a business school perspective.