At Football Victoria's (FV) Annual General Meeting on Monday evening, the Board honoured two new Life Members for their tremendous contribution to Victorian football.
Eugene Brazzale, one of only three Victorian referees to officiate at a FIFA Men's World Cup, was honoured for his continued service as a referee, mentor and assessor, roles he has excelled in for well over forty years.
Maggie Koumi was recognised for her tireless commitment to growing Women's football, most notably as a Board Member of both Women's Soccer Victoria and Football Victoria, as well as an advocate for the game's history as one of only two members to have served throughout the duration of the FV Historical Committee.
On behalf of the entire football community, the FV Board and Executive congratulate both Eugene and Maggie on their respective honours.
Eugene Brazzale
Eugene Brazzale was a promising junior footballer with the fledgling Bulleen Lions, though his progression through to senior football was halted by a recurring shoulder injury at the age of 20. A chance decision with teammate Carlo Graser led to attending a referee course, where both became hooked by the laws of the game. It was apparent to Eugene that a professional pathway in the game was a potential reality.
Hard work and perseverance would lead to progression through the refereeing ranks, and by 1988, Eugene had cemented himself in the Grade One panel alongside his great mate Carlo and John Santa Isabel, who was the NSL Referee of the Year the following season. Eugene would soon follow John into the NSL ranks, his quality shining through almost immediately, as he won both the Victorian and Australian National League Referee of the Year award in 1993.
Local success would quickly lead to international honours, firstly at the FIFA World Youth Cup held in Australia in the same year, where Eugene learned of the possibility of appearing at the FIFA World Cup in 1994 as an Assistant Referee. The culmination of a dream would ensue, and Eugene would officiate in five matches on the greatest stage, including the tournament opener between Germany and Bolivia in Chicago, and poignantly, the Italy v Mexico match in Washington, where he was watched on by his ailing father half a world away.
Eugene officiated the pulsating NSL Grand Final at Olympic Park between South Melbourne and Carlton in 1998, winning the Australian National League Referee of the Year award for a second time before retiring at the conclusion of the following season. In all, Brazzale officiated in 128 NSL matches between 1991 and 1999 in a glittering national career.
While Eugene represented Victoria on the international and national stage with distinction, he has played an equally important role in guiding and mentoring Victoria’s finest young talent through the ranks as a mentor. He served on the Federation's Referee’s Committee between 2004 and 2006, alongside fellow World Cup referee Chris Bambridge, and Life members George Wallace and Tony Dunkerley.
He has excelled as a Referee Coach in Victoria for over two decades and fulfilled the role of Elite Referees’ Coach with Football Australia where he offered expert coaching advice and support across FA’s national leagues and competitions. He continues to play the role of Referee Assessor at a national league level.
Eugene's influence closer to home is evident, as his son Matteo has followed in his father’s footsteps and continues to develop his craft with a mentor of the highest order in his corner.
Eugene Brazzale has been a member of Victoria’s referee community for over forty years, and he is recognised as a Life Member for his distinguished service to the game.
Maggie Koumi
Maggie Koumi came to Melbourne from England in the late 1970s and was immediately roped into joining a football team. This started a very long line of involvement in football at every level, but particularly Women’s football and its ever-evolving history.
Maggie played and coached at community clubs, representing them for many years, though it was as a volunteer where her reputation was forged. This culminated in Maggie serving briefly on the Women’s Soccer Victoria Board at a time when the game was still divided along gender lines. Her role would evolve when the amalgamation with the Victorian Soccer Federation was formalised in 1998.
In late 2000, Matilda Jane Oakley was appointed head coach of the High-Performance National Training Centre program as well as Victoria’s representative team in the Women’s National Soccer League, Victoria Vision. Maggie was appointed Team Manager, a role she fulfilled for six years.
When Kim Evans, the first female Commissioner of the (post-merger) Victorian Soccer Federation retired in 2001, Maggie was appointed as her replacement, fulfilling the role as Chairperson of the Women’s League Committee, where she served alongside Evans and Life Member Betty Hoar. Maggie worked closely with the FV Competitions and Development departments to elevate the status and standard of Women’s football, the game growing at a rapid rate in the early 2000s. Maggie’s efforts as an administrator were recognised by VicSport, where she was honoured with the Volunteer Administrator of the Year award in 2002.
In 2005, as the Federation’s representative and Tour Leader with the Women’s State team coached by Harry Chalkitis, Maggie played a central role in its tour of China, where Victoria played several University teams.
Maggie’s term on the Football Victoria Board ended in 2006, but she continued to serve on the Women’s League Committee until constitutional reform saw the end of the League Committee structure in favour of elected Standing Committees, where she soon won a position as the representative of the Northern metropolitan region in 2010.
Undoubtedly, Maggie’s longest service to the game was as a member of the Football Victoria Historical Committee. Alongside former Socceroo and Life Member Ted Smith, she is the only individual to have served on the Committee throughout its duration between 2008 and 2024, playing an instrumental role in the formation of the Football Victoria Hall of Fame and presiding over countless nominations for both the Hall of Fame and Life Membership.
As a passionate volunteer to Football Victoria and the Women’s game, Maggie Koumi is recognised as a Life Member for almost a quarter of a century of administrative service to the game.