New regional sports facility set to elevate grassroots football in SA

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Image credit: Football South Australia website

A new regional sports facility in Munno Para is set to become the home of one of Playford’s most successful soccer clubs, offering a premier venue that will drive growth, attract new talent, and enhance competition for both current and future players.

Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club has been chosen as the anchor tenant of the Munno Para Sportsground, following a competitive Expression of Interest (EOI) process.

The club, known for its recent success, including its entry into Football SA’s Men’s State League 2, will relocate from its existing grounds at Dauntsey Reserve in Elizabeth North to the new site within the Playford Alive development.

The state-of-the-art facility will feature a FIFA-quality synthetic pitch, a natural grass pitch, six universally accessible changerooms, a multipurpose function room, a semi-commercial kitchen and bar, canteen, office space, and additional storage.

Designed to meet National Premier League Football SA standards, the facility will support higher-level participation and host major competitions, while also expanding opportunities for grassroots soccer.

Construction of the first pitch and clubrooms is scheduled to begin in mid-2025, subject to funding, with completion targeted for the 2027 soccer season.

Future phases of development will include a third pitch, public open spaces, playgrounds, and walking trails.

The new facility aligns with the Council’s commitment to encouraging community participation in sports, particularly as demand for soccer facilities continues to rise in northern Adelaide’s rapidly growing areas.

There is especially strong demand for female soccer participation, with Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club playing a leading role in promoting women’s soccer across all levels of competition.

With 420 members, the club boasts the highest female participation in the region, and membership is expected to grow to 520 by 2026. Established over 60 years ago, the club is a cornerstone of soccer in northern Adelaide.

Michael Carter, Football SA CEO, discussed the great news for Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club.

“The Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club offer a complete participation opportunity for men, boys, women and girls. Demand for the code in the north will be supported by their relocation to the Munno Para Facility which will be purpose built for football,” he said in a statement.

Scott Hockenhull, Secretary, Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club, spoke highly of the development for his club.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this move is the access to modern, purpose-built change rooms that are suitable for women’s and girls’ participation—a significant growth area for our club over the past few years,” Hockenhull said in a statement.

“This new space allows us to continue expanding all our teams, offering them the support and facilities they deserve as we build stronger pathways from junior levels to senior competitions.”

This news is fantastic for the Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club and the North Adelaide region who get to create a high level sports facility for the grassroots system.

With the rapid rise across both boys and girls football recently, this provides Football South Australia with a perfect opportunity to utilise a facility for the sole purpose of development, similar to the Home of the Matildas setup in Bundoora.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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