A champion of those imbued with years of green and gold football know-how, FA chief James Johnson is on a mission to harness that knowledge, with the former Australia striker, 40, joining a lengthy list of inductees under his watch.
 

NEW ROLE FOR 'JESUS' 

 
  • Ex-Socceroos striker Josh Kennedy has been handed a new off-field role by Football Australia.
 
  • The man known as 'Jesus' during his playing days will be the interface between the governing body and its member federations.
 
  • Kennedy famously headed home the goal which took the Socceroos to the 2014 World Cup, which he missed through injury.
 
The man nicknamed Jesus during his playing days, on account of his lustrous beard and flowing locks, has been appointed as football manager - member federations, a role which will see him juggle and balance the sometimes competing agendas of the governing body and its satellite entities.
 
Thirty-six cap Kennedy ensured himself a spot in Socceroos folklore by coming off the bench nine years ago in place of Tim Cahill to score an 83rd minute winner against Iraq to secure  2014 World Cup qualification.
 
He joins football royalty like FA board members Mark Bresciano and Amy Duggan, indigenous advisory group appointee Jade North, Joeys chief Brad Maloney, Sarah Walsh, Heather Garriok, Alex Devani and Ernie Merrick in the peak body’s engine room.
 
Johnson, himself a former Australia U-17 international, revealed to FTBL the thought process behind the Kennedy capture.
 
“Over the past two years, we have bought football back into the DNA of FA. We are a football first organisation,” he said. We are delighted to have someone of Josh’s quality joining the Football Australia team.
 
“He is a Socceroos legend and a product of Australian football and we are proud to have him continue to contribute to the game at a national level.
 
“As the governing body of football in Australia, we have various touchpoints with community, and we have been focused on bringing in more football acumen into the organisation to help us service our community and deliver football more effectively. 
 
“In recent times, we have brought in the likes of Ernie Merrick, Will Hastie, Brad Maloney and Jade North and the addition of Josh further demonstrates our commitment to this.”
 
Kennedy, who scored 17 times for his country, spent nine years in Germany across six clubs.
 
He won a DFB-Pokal Cup with Nurnberg before rounding out his overseas career in Japan, where he won a J1 League title with Nagoya Grampus in 2010, finishing as the competition’s top scorer in 2010 and 2011.
 
Latterly with Football Victoria as competition’s manager on the journey from player to budding administrator, Kennedy’s latest elevation is a considerable step up and will include “strategy development” and driving forward a range of community programs.