
13 episodes

Football Belongs: Australia's Football Identity, by Optus Sport Optus Sport
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- Sports
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4.8 • 37 Ratings
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Welcome to Optus Sport's podcast instalment of the Football Belongs title, with a series charting the cultural threads of Australian society through the lens of nine football matches.
The Football Belongs title was launched by Optus Sport in 2020 to tell the often unheralded stories of Europe’s contribution to Australian football and society.
Hosted by David Davutovic and featuring John Didulica - the inspiration behind the series - as well as a long list of Australian sporting personalities, they will explore how football has played a fundamental role in shaping our nation and examine the game struggles to penetrate the mainstream - to the point that the sport continues to get diminished at every turn.
In December 2021, Football Belongs was named the Best Sports Podcast at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards.
Produced & edited by Lucas Perry, Optus Sport.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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Football Belongs nominated for two Australian Podcast Awards!
The incredible limited series from Optus Sport, Football Belongs, hosted by David Davutovic and authored by John Didulica, and featuring a host of prominent sporting personalities in this country, has been nominated for two awards in the upcoming 2021 Australian Podcast Awards:
Best Sports PodcastBest Indigenous Podcast
If you haven't yet taken the time to soak up the depth of this series, here is a short taste of what you can hear throughout. Or, if you are ready to rip in, click here to listen: https://play.acast.com/s/football-belongs
Football Belongs.
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Ep. 10 - Looking Forward: Where does Australian football go from here? | One event that could change the course of football
Former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou, Matildas great Kate Gill and journalist Francis Leach are our special guests, as we close out the Football Belongs podcast series.
They join series inspiration John Didulica and our host David Davutovic in a passionate discussion on:
Looking forward to the future of the game in AustraliaThe event that could create a new path
How will the game and its people earn a legitimate place in Australian life? Can football become 'mainstream'?
If you haven't already, we urge you to visit Optus Sport's digital platforms to read the chapters - authored by John Didulica - that tell a deeper story, of which this podcast barely scratches the surface. Click here: https://sport.optus.com.au/category/articles
Produced & edited by Lucas Perry, Optus Sport.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
Ep. 9 - Major Events: The 2015 Asian Cup and its dramatic final | Ange Postegolou's first-hand account | Australia's pride of sporting success
In the penultimate episode of the series, former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou, Football Australia chairman Chris Nikou and sports reporter Richard Hinds join John Didulica and David Davutovic to discuss football in this country through the lens of a particular match. This episode looks at:
The incredible 2015 Asian Cup campaign and gripping final between Australia and South KoreaA concept that a critical thread of being Australian is tracking our success at major sporting eventsDon't miss our final episode in coming weeks where we wrap up an incredible series with another stable of great guests.
To read the chapters authored by John Didulica, visit https://sport.optus.com.au/category/articles
Produced & edited by Lucas Perry, Optus Sport.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
Ep. 8 - Getting Equal: The power of Australia failing to take the field against USA | How the Matildas' plight reflected a societal gap
Matildas greats Kate Gill and Tal Karp plus current star Tameka Yallop, along with esteemed writer and academic Fiona Crawford, join John Didulica and David Davutovic for a strong-hearted discussion about the gulf that was (partially) bridged after a brave move by a group of Aussie football players.
In this episode:
The match between USA v Australia in Detroit, Michigan in September 2015, and why the Matildas didn't playThe power of unity and solidarity in trying to break down disparityEquality in sport, how it has changed, and what still remains to be done
Produced & edited by Lucas Perry, Optus Sport.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
Ep. 7 - Clash of Cultures: When the VFL All-Stars took on Slavia-Port Melbourne | How Australian Rules has impacted football
Esteemed football historian & author Roy Hay and researcher & blogger Paul Mavroudis join John Didulica and David Davutovic for the latest instalment of Football Belongs. The match in focus is a day in 1964 when the VFL All-Stars took on Slavia-Port Melbourne, in front of tens of thousands of fans at Olympic Park.
Some incredible stories feature in this episode, including:
How the game of Australian Rules has continued to impact the game of football in Victoria.A classic yarn about a sequel to the above game, in 1991, where the 'Aussies' took on 'the wogs' - and who came out on top.
Produced & edited by Lucas Perry, Optus Sport.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
Coming soon: Episodes 7-10
There are still four incredible episodes to come in the limited edition Football Belongs series, in which John Didulica and David Davutovic will be joined by a host of engaging personalities to speak on these truly important topics.
If you haven't already, here's your chance to catch up on the first six episodes, as well as make your way through the chapters that have been compiled by John Didulica
You can find the chapters on the Optus Sport app, or visit https://sport.optus.com.au/
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Customer Reviews
Well done!
Congratulations to the team on winning the Best Sports Podcast in this country. Well deserved!
Incredible football v society chat
Well done guys. Brilliant storytelling.
Outstanding!!!
To John, David & all that worked on this series thank you. The doco on Optus Sport was excellent in particular the footage of Ange talking to the Socceroos, but I think this series surpasses it.
I grew up in the NSL era a fully paid member of the secret society & this series brought memories flooding back.
Well done, mandatory listening for anyone who is a football follower in Australia.
Any chance of a book to follow?