Construction underway at Home of Matildas

Staff Writer

Work has begun at La Trobe University in Bundoora, as a next step towards the Commonwealth Bank Matildas calling Victoria home.

Visual designs of the Home of the Matildas have been released, showcasing the premium football destination in the recently upgraded La Trobe University Sports Park.

Across the next 12 months, stage one of the project will deliver five hybrid, natural and synthetic pitches, with grandstand seating for over 800 spectators and a full capacity in excess of 3,000 around the show pitch.

The main building will encompass a 400sqm gym, extensive sports science zone, elite level recovery/wet area, multiple change rooms including a purpose designed circular Matildas locker room, theatrette and function/meeting spaces.

Victoria’s futsal community will enjoy the construction of a purpose-built futsal pitch alongside the show pitch, providing the fast-growing indoor version of our game with its own premium arena.

The football community will also enjoy access to the indoor facility for futsal and all-abilities football programs and competitions.

The Matildas will enjoy full access to the facility while in camp, but the wider football community will reap the benefits of the facility year round, with over 3,500 hours per year dedicated to community bookings.

An ambitious construction schedule is now well underway, ensuring the facility is ready for the Matildas in March 2023, as they prepare for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events – The Hon. Martin Pakula – is excited about the opportunities that La Trobe University Sports Park in Bundoora will deliver for Victoria.

“This project delivers major benefits for football, rugby, the university and the local community – and it will create 600 jobs during construction,” he said.

Football Victoria President Antonella Care celebrated the progress.

“Victorian football has waited a long time for a project of this scale, a development that truly matches the lofty ambitions we have for our game,” she said.

“We are thrilled to see the first works begin in this landmark precinct, a true home of football in Victoria, which will have a significant impact on the development of the womens’ game and football overall, for decades to come.”

Previous ArticleNext Article

Football Victoria recognised in Pride in Sport Index 2026

Avatar
Image credit: Parilov / Shutterstock.com

The Silver Status shows Football Victoria‘s commitment to providing Victorians with a safe, inclusive landscape for all to enjoy the beautiful game.

Everyone’s game

Earlier this month, the Australian Pride in Sport Awards recognised several organisations and individuals across the nation who continue to champion inclusive spaces in the world of sport.

Among the nominees was Football Victoria, who received the Silver Status. FV Executive Manager Equity, Programs and Government Relations, Karen Pearce, expressed her pride at the achievement.

“Achieving Silver Status in the Pride in Sport Index is an important reflection of the work being done across Football Victoria to ensure LGBTQ+ people feel safe, welcomed and included in our game,” Pearce said via official press release.

“We remain committed to embedding inclusive practices across all levels of football, and continuing to create environments where everyone can belong, participate and thrive.”

 

Inclusion matters

While recognition is always a positive reflection of successful work behind the scenes, it is important to remember what the work intends to achieve.

Football – and sport in general – is a unique opportunity to bring diverse communities together, and to compete, spectate and enjoy the game on an equal playing field.

Furthermore, as custodians of ‘the world’s game’, governing bodies, fans and players around the world all share the responsibility to empower marginalised groups to feel included.

Two months ago, The Premier League introduced their own initiative – Premier League With Pride – reflecting their own commitment to ensuring football grounds, schools and academies remain welcoming.

 

Final thoughts

There is no place for hate or abuse in football, whether on a grassroots field or professional stadium.

Football Victoria will continue its journey and commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community – at all levels of the game – for many seasons to come.

Football Queensland to celebrate Female Football Week with statewide events, awards and coaching programs

Avatar
Brighton women's football motion
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Football Queensland will mark the 2026 Female Football Week with a program of statewide events, competitions and professional development opportunities running from May 8-17, as the governing body continues to push for broader access and representation across all levels of the women’s game in Queensland.

The nationwide initiative, now a fixture on the Australian football calendar, provides a concentrated period of visibility for female participation across playing, coaching, officiating and administration: areas where structural underrepresentation has historically limited both the growth of the game and the opportunities available to women and girls within it.

“Female Football Week provides us with a valuable opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women and girls across our game while continuing to increase the accessibility of football in Queensland,” said Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci. “We encourage our clubs to host their own Female Football Week events and activations for female participants.”

 

Elite Competition Meets Community Access

The centrepiece of Football Queensland’s program is the return of the NPL Women’s Magic Round to Nudgee Recreation Reserve on May 8 and 9, featuring five NPL Women’s Round 13 clashes alongside a Girls United Junior Carnival and family-friendly activations. Each Magic Round game will feature an all-female refereeing panel, a deliberate and visible commitment to developing the next generation of female match officials at a moment when referee shortages are among the most pressing structural challenges facing the game nationally.

A Women in Football networking event will be held on the opening night of Magic Round, bringing together coaches, match officials and administrators. The inclusion of that event alongside elite competition is significant because it positions professional development and community building not as supplementary activities but as core components of what Female Football Week is for.

The Central Coast region will host its own Magic Round on May 16, featuring a Youth Girls game and three FQPL Central Coast Women’s matches, while a Darling Downs Junior Girls Day will take place at Captain Cook Park on the same day, extending the reach of the week’s programming beyond the southeast corner of the state into regional Queensland.

 

Coaching access as a structural priority

Football Queensland will deliver a series of female-only coaching courses around Female Football Week, with clubs also able to express interest in hosting their own. The initiative addresses one of the most persistent barriers to female representation in football administration- its coaching pipeline.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented at all levels of the game in Australia, and the barriers to accreditation, including cost, availability and the cultural environment of mixed coaching courses, compound one another in ways that individual ambition alone cannot overcome. Female-only courses create environments where women can develop without those barriers, and their delivery during Female Football Week signals that the commitment extends beyond celebration into structural change.

The Girls United Carnivals, running in both Metro and Far North and Gulf regions alongside the Q-League Schools program at Meakin Park, extend that access to players at the earliest stages of their football journey.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend