Fremantle City Launches 2026 NPL Season with Focus on Youth and Community

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Image Credit: Football West

Fremantle City FC has officially launched its 2026 New Balance NPL WA Men’s and Women’s seasons, championing a community-first approach that puts young players at the heart of the club’s future.In a vibrant ceremony at Hilton Park, club juniors presented first-team shirts to senior Men’s and Women’s squads, symbolising a critical pathway from grassroots to elite football within the Fremantle family.

“This is very important for us- our juniors presenting shirts to our NPL Women’s and Men’s teams,” said Club President Tony Estrano. “2026 is the ninth year of our academy, running from under-nines up to under-16s, for both boys and girls. Today’s shirt handover by our Under 13s Academy and JDL teams shows these kids there is a real pathway to the first team.”

Head coach Samantha Geddes has reaffirmed the sentiment, emphasising Freo’s commitment to club unity: “Getting the whole club involved like this is brilliant. It’s great for our young girls to see that connection to the senior team and for senior players to inspire and support the next generation.”

Momentum and Ambition for 2026

Fremantle’s Women’s side enters 2026 riding high after a historic State Cup triumph last season, with captain Annabelle Leek setting her sights even higher: “Winning the State Cup was massive. We’re ready to build on that momentum, with new signings and a renewed focus on finishing in the top four.”

On the men’s side, after avoiding relegation last year and freshening up the roster with key signings, captain Cam Edwards is confident: “We’re ambitious, and with this group, we know we can put on a good show.”

Fremantle City has committed itself to turning club culture and youth pathways into on-field results, inspiring the next generation to wear the crest at every level.

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More than 220 coaches attend Football South Australia’s second NOVA Youth Club Championship workshop

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Football South Australia drew more than 220 coaches to its second NOVA Youth Club Championship Coaches Workshop in late May, underlining the scale of engagement clubs are generating through the state’s restructured youth competition framework.

The online session was facilitated by Football SA Technical Director Michael Cooper, who also serves as Junior Matildas Head Coach. Cooper shared observations from the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup and Australia’s qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, giving club-level coaches a window into the demands and standards of elite international football.

The presenter line-up extended that international lens further. Lachlan Tosh and Cristiano Dos Santos spoke to their experiences in national tournament environments, while legendary Australian coach Tom Sermanni addressed the fundamentals of youth coaching. Colin Sanctuary from the University of Newcastle examined coaching language and its direct influence on player learning.

Themes running across the session included the primacy of long-term player development over short-term results, with presenters consistently emphasising technique, ball mastery, individual improvement, and decision-making under pressure. Coaches were encouraged to expose players to varied styles of play, facilitate practice outside organised training, and help young players retain possession longer in match conditions.

Post-session feedback pointed to strong practical value, with coaches singling out clear communication, relationship-building, and age-appropriate feedback as key takeaways.

The workshop series sits within the broader transition from the Youth Premier League to the Club Championship model, which ties coaching participation to championship points for clubs and CPD credits toward individual coaching diplomas. Six workshops are scheduled across the season, with four still to come.

Premier League backs grassroots football in Singapore

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Image credit: Premier League

The NEXTGEN coach programme saw past legends and current coaches unite to deliver an activity intent on supporting grassroots football through high quality and inclusive coaching.

 

Creating new leaders

To reach the top in elite football requires tactical education, personal guidance and consistent support throughout the development journey.

Coaches therefore take on a great deal of responsibility for players seeking a top-flight dream.

Yet even for those who never make it to the top, there is always one coach who stands out. Not necessarily for the silverware achieved or results on the pitch, but for the way they helped build a person off the pitch to play better on it.

The Premier League’s NEXTGEN Coach programme in Singapore aims to equip coaches with the skills and knowledge to do exactly that: creating welcoming environments which nurture confidence and a love for the game.

“This will hugely benefit local coaches, providing them with expert training and skills that will cascade into the communities they coach in,” said Premier League Director of Community, Nick Perchard, via media release.

“After opening the League’s first international office in Singapore more than seven years ago, we are now building on our commitment to the country with a structured coach development programme.”

 

What does the programme include?

The programme initially saw Premier League coaches deliver training sessions to coaches from StarHub – the League’s broadcast partner in Singapore who engage with local community football.

Furthermore, the training was consolidated through stakeholder engagement events and talks from 150 students at the Institute of Technical Education about their careers in the game.

In total, the programme saw 30 coaches take part – all from diverse backgrounds selected by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to maximise community reach and positively impact as many young individuals as possible.

“Youth development is a key priority for FAS, and it starts at the grassroots level,” explained FAS General Secretary, Badri Ghent via media release.

“Coaches play a central role in shaping not just how young players learn the game, but how they experience it, building confidence, character and a lifelong connection to football.”

Through high quality programmes like NEXTGEN, grassroots football can grow to ensure future coaches and players are confident in themselves and their future roles in the game.

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