Think of the biggest clubs in the state, in terms of participation numbers, and your mind may automatically go to one of the historical powerhouses of Melbourne.
But there is a shift occurring in Victoria. Since 2023, the fastest growing club in the state is not found in the historical heartland of the sport in Victoria, but a two-hour drive West of the centre of Melbourne.
The Colac Otway Rovers have gone from strength in the last few years. Participation numbers increased from 37 registered participants in 2023 to 164 last year, a growth of 343%.
We spoke with club Secretary Dave Coventry about the rapid growth and how the Rovers plan to continue providing the best possible environment for participants.
“The club is special because it welcomes everyone and is focused on inclusion.” Coventry said.
“We are the only soccer club in the shire and we are actively developing programs for Women and Girls, All Abilities participants and engaging with our migrant community to ensure they have an outlet to a familiar game.
“The club has made a concerted effort to support kids playing the game. A successful season of U12 boys in 2023 morphed into increased interest and we fielded three junior teams in 2024, then six in 2025.”
The 2025 season saw the Rovers proudly field ten teams, including four senior squads and six junior sides.
Excitingly three of those ten sides were all-female teams, including the Rovers’ first ever Senior Women’s team.
The only thing that seems able to slow down the growth of the Rovers is venue availability, a problem that the club and local council are trying to solve before the need to turn potential participants away arises.
Right now, the club is spread out over three venues; Central Reserve Hockey Field, Western Reserve and Beeac Recreation Reserve.
Central Reserve Hockey Field is an undersized space lacking appropriate lighting for midweek training in the winter months.
The club’s main Wednesday night training sessions and Sunday morning juniors matches take place at Western Reserve, an oval that they share with the local AFL, cricket and netball clubs.
And Beeac Recreation Reserve is where the seniors play their matches. Beeac, located 20 minutes north of Colac, is not managed by the council so maintenance falls to the local community and club volunteers. It also lacks the lighting to be utilised as a training venue in the winter and is susceptible to long periods where the surface is unsafe to use.
So, what does the future home of the Colac Otway Rovers look like? And what would it mean for the future of the club?
“A future home for the club is a facility within Colac, where, when the lights go on for training during the week, the whole community knows what is going on." Coventry continued.
"Having 2 to 2.5 pitches available every night of the week, for a diverse group of participants is critical to the club's growth moving forward. Upgraded gender neutral changing facilities, adequate lighting for our members to train together and a clubroom space that we can truly call our own.
“The club would also work with other community groups on a summer season, like Little Athletics, to ensure the space is used year-round.
“Having grown from 35 participants to over 200 in a small time, a new home allows the club to better service its members, and build a venue we can be proud of, instead of making do with makeshift situations and always asking to borrow another club's keys.
“We have been the guests of other clubs and venues for 20 years and we are excited by the Football Feasibility plans being worked through at council.
Colac Otway Rovers is setting a new standard, proving that football truly is a game for everyone by accommodating girls’, boys’ and all-abilities football. As the club continues to grow, facility upgrades will be essential to ensure this ambitious club continues to grow.
“A new home venue could be occupied seven days a week as we would be able to give time and space to our Senior Men and Women, Junior Boys and Girls, Mini Roos as well as our All-Abilities programs.”
This is just one of the many stories of growth and the need to build new or update existing facilities across Victoria. Is your club seeking funding for future facilities? Would you like support discussing your club’s options for funding? Or do you have a story about your club’s facilities that you would like us to share? We want to hear from you.