Geelong soccer’s legal guru
Author: Roy Hay Courtesy: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/
GEELONG lawyer and soccer writer John Didulica has won a key post as legal counsel for the Football Federation of Australia.
In that role, Didulica will have an influence on the way the game develops and is administered in Australia and internationally.
“As a lawyer, the challenge of sport is very tricky. It is never purely a legal role, you must always be asking yourself, what is the sport trying to achieve?” Didulica said.
“There is a balance between understanding and applying the law in an environment where passion and emotion are involved in the sport.”
A star with North Geelong and later a top class National League and Victorian Premier League player until a series of knee operations ended his career, Didulica completed his law degree at Deakin University.
After completing his articles with local firm Coulter Roche he branched out on his own, while acting as manager to his brother, Joey Didulica now with AZ Alkmaar in Holland, and becoming the legal counsel and later chief executive of the Australian Professional Footballers Association.
He was appointed to football’s international tribunal by FIFA, the governing body of world football in 2005.
He was recognised as the Geelong Soccer Personality for 2008 for his contributions to the game, including as Geelong Advertiser soccer writer.
Having re-established his legal practice, Didulica Legal, in Geelong, Didulica was unwilling to relocate full-time to the FFA headquarters in Sydney so has negotiated to spend three days at week in the harbour city at least until July.
He takes up his role at an exciting time for the game in this country, with World Cup qualification under way, links with Asia developing through the Asian Champions League and the Beijing Olympic Games, in which the Olyroos will take part.
“I know what I would like to achieve for the game. It is important that the game is run as a business, but that is the means to an end. The values which must shape the game are those of fair play and entertainment,” he said.
“I admire the egalitarianism of the AFL and the application of those values to the administration of our code will help make the FFA a better custodian of the game.”
