The Australian Congress Review Working Group, chaired by Judith Griggs and featuring key players in Australian football, has been working for months to create the new proposal to submit to FIFA and the AFC.

The 100-page detailed final report was sent to Switzerland on July 31, but was today approved for public release.

At its heart is a controversial overhaul of the FFA's structure including allowing the A-League to branch off as its own standalone organisation next season, controlling A-League, W-League and the Y-League.

The report acknowledges: "The FFA Board is not in agreement with the CRWG’s proposed pathway."

The plan proposes a New League Working Group to hammer out the fine details of the new organisation by March 31 next year, to kick into action in time for the start of the 2019/20 season.

It adds: "The mandate of the NLWG shall be comprised of two key objectives/phases of work, being:

"1. To consider, evaluate and make recommendations for consideration by the FFA Board and FFA Congress respectively in relation to a new governance model for the professional leagues in Australia (A-League, W-League and Y-League); and

"2. To consider, evaluate and negotiate terms and make recommendations for consideration by the FFA Board and FFA Congress respectively in relation to legal and commercial aspects pertaining to the new A-League model."

It also plans to increase the current congress model from 10 (nine state federation members and one representing the clubs) to 29.

The report again adds: "It is noted by the CRWG that the FFA Board is not in agreement with the CRWG’s proposed congress model."

The 29 would share 100 votes between them, with the nine state federation members controlling 55 votes, 9 club representatives governing 28 votes, one PFA member representing the players having seven votes and a women's council of 10 members sharing 10 votes.

The ten members of the women's council would be one Independent Chair, three nominated by state federations, three nominated by the clubs and three nominated by PFA.

New A-League clubs would also qualify for two votes each once admitted to the competitions and the AWPRG also proposes a pathway for NPL clubs and Special Interest Groups like the AAFC and fan groups to join the Congress once they can meet specific requirements.

   READ THE WHOLE REPORT HERE   

It also recommends a four year cycle to FFA governance to ensure transparency and that it can adapt to changing needs and growing markets.

it also proposes the FFA opens its books to closer scrutiny of accounts. At the moment the FFA only does the bare minimum to meet regulatory demands.

The FFA current only publishes it accounts to Reduced Disclosure Requirements but the ACRWG has demanded the FFA now publish figures which meet more transparent International Financial Reporting Standards.

It also draws up a seven point to overhaul the FFA board to make it more gender balanced (as part of an overall push to increase women's representation at all levels of governance), with the nominations committee answering to Congress, not the FFA Board.

It also says Congress should sign off FFA Board-appointed directors and that the FFA nominations committee should review apexes of the FFA constitution to ensure good governance and the benefit to the sport.

The working group also wants the nominations committee to asses the value for money of board pay packets and how it rewards the sport and attracts the right candidates.