Melbourne Victory extends Victoria University partnership

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Melbourne Victory have announced the extension of their partnership with Victoria University, making them the Club’s Official University Partner for this upcoming season.

Having been a Major Partner since 2017, Victoria University provides an opportunity for its students to engage and connect with Melbourne Victory, delivering a pathway for students to gain invaluable experience in a range of departments within the Club.

The upcoming 2021/22 A-League Men’s and Women’s seasons are set to be exciting for the Melbourne Victory faithful. The Victory’s A-League Men’s side are set for a resurgent year under Tony Popovic, whilst their A-League Women’s side will be looking to retain their championship trophy from last season.

Managing Director Caroline Carnegie was looking forward to developing the relationship further.

“Our relationship with Victoria University presents an exciting pathway for students to develop careers in sport,” Carnegie said.

“We have had students enrolled in both the Masters of Sport and Exercise Sciences and Masters of Sport Business work with us through the Melbourne Victory Academy Internship Program, which has seen them assist across a number of key areas of the Club.

“We have also created opportunities through this partnership for Melbourne Victory participants to be exposed to new educational programs through our community team, that they may not have otherwise been aware of.

“We are proud to be able to make and indeed continue this connection and develop pathways to educational opportunities through our partnership.

Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Adam Shoemaker was pleased to continue the strong partnership with Melbourne Victory.

“At VU we pride ourselves on partnering with principle, establishing deep alliances with industry partners that creates opportunities for our students, staff and the communities we serve,” Shoemaker said.

“We are pleased to offer educational opportunities through our Season 2021/2022 community programs as we work together to uplift our people.”

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South Canberra FC Breaks the Mold: Equity-Driven Model Earns ‘Club Changer’ Honour

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Image Credit: SCFC

South Canberra Football Club has been named Club Changer of the Month for April, in a recognition that reflects a broader shift across Australian football toward rewarding clubs that are actively dismantling the structural barriers limiting women’s access to the game.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has just delivered record crowds and unprecedented visibility for women’s football in Australia, and the Club Changer program is now asking what comes next. Its decision to name South Canberra Football Club as Club Changer of the Month for April signals a clear shift in how the program defines contribution: away from participation numbers alone, and toward the equity frameworks that determine whether women stay in the game once they arrive.

South Canberra FC built that framework from the ground up. Established in 2021, the club set out to give women and female-identifying players a safe, inclusive environment to play football at any level. It runs entirely on volunteers, operates as a not-for-profit, and is governed by an all-female committee with 13 of its 14 coaches identifying as female.

 

Building the infrastructure of inclusion

In 2026, the club secured grant funding and put it to work immediately. Two coaches are completing their C Licence qualification, and ten coaches, players and community members have undertaken the Foundations of Football course, which directly tackles the cost and accessibility barriers that exclude women out of coaching pathways.

The club also commissioned a female-specific strength and conditioning program with sports physiotherapists ahead of the 2026 season, targeting injury prevention and explicitly supporting players returning after childbirth.

SCFC’s leadership team draws from LGBTIQ+ individuals, First Nations people and veterans, strengthening the club’s connection to the communities it was built to represent.

The Club Changer program is backing clubs that do this work- clubs that treat equity as infrastructure rather than aspiration. At a moment when Australian football is under pressure to turn its biggest-ever surge of women’s interest into something lasting, SCFC’s model offers a clear answer to the question of how.

Football NSW announces 2026 First Nations Scholarships as pathway access program enters new phase

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced the recipients of its 2026 First Nations Scholarships, with ten emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players from metropolitan and regional NSW receiving support designed to reduce the financial and structural barriers that have historically limited First Nations participation across the football pathway.

The scholarship program, developed and assessed in collaboration with the Football NSW Indigenous Advisory Group, targets players across both elite and development environments – recognising that talent identification alone is insufficient without the resources to support progression once players are identified.

Co-Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group Bianca Dufty said the calibre of this year’s recipients reflected the depth of First Nations football talent across the state, and the importance of structured support in converting that talent into long-term participation.

“Their dedication to football and the desire to be role models for younger Aboriginal footballers in their communities is to be celebrated,” Dufty said. “I’m confident we will see some of these talented footballers in the A-League and national teams in the future.”

 

Beyond the pitch and into the pipeline

The 2026 cohort spans both metropolitan clubs and regional associations, an intentional distribution that acknowledges the particular barriers facing First Nations players outside major population centres, where access to development programs, qualified coaching and pathway competitions is more limited and the cost of participation more prohibitive.

The next phase of the program will introduce First Nations coaching scholarships, extending the initiative’s reach beyond playing pathways and into the coaching and administration pipeline – areas where Indigenous representation remains among the lowest in the game.

The structural logic is clear. Scholarships that reduce financial barriers at the entry point of elite pathways matter most when they are part of a sustained ecosystem of support rather than isolated gestures. Football NSW’s collaboration with the Indigenous Advisory Group provides that continuity, ensuring the program is shaped by the communities it is designed to serve.

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