Football Victoria is proud to announce that it will partner with Football Australia to pilot a new, nationally-aligned Academy program designed to identify and develop our best young footballers across the state.
Launching in October 2024, the Football Victoria - Football Australia Academy is designed to refine the technical skills, tactical understanding and high-performance behaviours of talented young male and female players, guided by Football Australia’s newly-developed player and coach development pathways. The program will provide access to highly skilled, qualified, and experienced coaches throughout the player development journey, with Football Australia working with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to formalise Australian coaching accreditations as globally-recognised qualifications.
The Academy is a first for football in this country, with Football South Australia, Football Tasmania, and Football West also co-piloting the Academy program in their respective states.
It marks an important step in the progression of Australia’s male and female player development pathway system. It includes the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, National Youth Championships, and selection for our U17 boys and girls national teams. In addition, the Football Victoria - Football Australia Academy allows for the identification, progression and mentoring of talented coaches within the program, and for those within local clubs across the state.
Football Victoria CEO, Chris Pehlivanis welcomed the opportunity to be part of the program.
“We’re looking forward to working alongside Football Australia on this new identification and development program”, Pehlivanis said.
“Collectively, we recognise that adopting a unified approach when it comes to identifying and developing young players, and equipping our coaches, can and will make Australian football more competitive, consistently, on the world stage.”
Football Australia Chief Football Officer, Ernie Merrick, said the program would create a football environment that is “best-in-class and caters to the needs of elite players and coaches.”
“It will create more opportunities for young players across metropolitan, regional, and rural areas of Victoria, ensuring a broader and more inclusive pathway for talent”, he said.
Further information regarding Victorian player trials and coach recruitment will be provided shortly.