Football Victoria collaborates with Novotel Melbourne Preston

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Image credit: La Trobe University website

Football Victoria (FV) confirmed Novotel Melbourne Preston as their Official Accommodation Partner for the 2024-2025 season.

This new partnership will provide high-quality lodging for players, staff, and partners, enhancing FV’s commitment to excellence.

Novotel Melbourne Preston will accommodate FV’s events, from training camps and tournaments to corporate gatherings.

Through this partnership, FV ensures that its players and staff enjoy comfort and convenience throughout the season, reinforcing its dedication to success both on and off the field.

Novotel is a network of modern, well-designed, and efficient hotels, genuinely committed to every kind of traveller.

With over 500 hotels and resorts in 60 countries, Novotel has a 4-star international rating with a goal to provide customers with the same high level of comfort, relaxation and wellbeing throughout the world.

In Melbourne, there are four locations (South Wharf, Melbourne Central, Collins St and Preston).

Football Victoria’s Executive Manager for Commercial, Chris Speldewinde, explained the benefits this will have for Football Victoria.

“Novotel’s commitment to quality and hospitality aligns perfectly with the needs of FV. Their ability to provide premium accommodation for our players and staff will help support optimal performance during key competitions,” he said in a press release.

Novotel Melbourne Preston General Manager, Dinesh Gandhi expressed his excitement at the collaboration.

“Together, we will elevate experiences for players, fans, and families, creating unforgettable memories on and off the pitch,” he said in a press release.

The collaboration will also see Novotel Melbourne Preston offer exclusive accommodation packages for FV teams, staff, and event attendees, providing convenience and quality across all FV events.

Football Victoria add Novotel Melbourne to their growing list of partners, maximising their corporate portfolio which has become a main goal of theirs in strategic plans whilst also focusing on trying to help their players and staff succeed for the near future.

The deal unites Novotel Melbourne’s passion for excellence in hospitality with FV’s spirit of community and sportsmanship that defines football.

This partnership is a great positive for the players and staff involved in FV events, who will be provided with quality lodging as per FV’s mission of delivering excellence both on and off the field.

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Football NSW announce price freeze for junior and youth players

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced a fee freeze for junior and youth community players in 2027, continuing its pledge to keep the game accessible for everyone across the state. 

In addition, senior players aged 19 and above will see their registration fee increase by just $1.50. Both junior and youth player fees will remain the same at $54.43, whilst senior members will pay $107.50.

The fee freeze highlights Football NSW’s commitment to keeping the game financially convenient for both players and families. 

Football NSW CEO, John Tsatsimas, said via Football NSW, “Football is the game of the people, and we recognise the importance of keeping participation accessible for families across our state. By freezing our registration fees for junior and youth players in 2027, we are continuing to support the next generation of footballers and help ensure that cost is not an unnecessary barrier to participation.”

The decision comes following similar price freezes at Football Queensland and Northern NSW Football in 2025. 

Despite the governing bodies acting separately, their unity on maintaining affordability throughout the game is a welcome sign. Managing to keep fees at an fair rate for families is a key component in sustaining grassroots football across the country.

“We have worked hard to manage the pressures facing the game, particularly around insurance, while ensuring Football NSW can continue to deliver the services and support our clubs, associations and participants expect,” said Tsatsimas. 

Despite the cost of living crisis, it is important that the game remains accessible for everyone. Football NSW have identified that even during tougher financial times, they can keep it that way. 

Through diligent financial handling, especially with care surrounding insurance and inflation (more of which can be read here), they are prioritising the game long-term over a short financial gain.

This fee freeze will directly impact the senior players and the families of younger members, too. The decision makes football not only more accessible, but provides more opportunities for players to strive for the highest levels of the game. 

Football Victoria demands more Victorian Government support amid grassroots boom

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Marlborough Street Reserve. Credit Football Victoria

Football Victoria is targeting Victorian Government funding for Glen Eira FC, in order to improve the club’s facilities and accommodate a recent surge in participation.

The interest and demand in football across Melbourne is ever growing, and Glen Eira FC is one such example.

Located in Melbourne’s inner south-east, the club has more than 1,100 players with nearly 95% of them aged 18 or under. In the suburb of Bentleigh alone, football participation has increased 18% alongside female engagement growing 76% in recent years.

However, at Marlborough Street Reserve, the conditions of the pitch – specifically during winter – can curb accessibility. Wet weather, non-stop usage and limited capacity make it difficult to accommodate all club members. This results in restricted training and playing opportunities.

Lachlan Cole, Football Victoria’s Head of Government Relations & Facilities, said via Football Victoria: “The story at Glen Eira FC is one we are seeing right across Victoria and specifically in Metropolitan Melbourne. Participation is growing, particularly among juniors, women and girls, but the infrastructure needed to support that growth is buckling under the weight of demand.”

To tackle this, both Football Victoria and Glen Eira FC want to convert the existing pitch to a synthetic surface and provide improved lighting for the ground. This would create a more reliable environment for players and support the growing demand for football in that community.

Speaking to Football Victoria, Glen Eira FC President Odilia Wijburg said, “A new sporting precinct with a synthetic pitch would be a game changer, providing year-round access, supporting participation growth and creating a lasting community asset that will benefit local families for generations.”

These issues are not exclusive to just Victoria, but are instead seen nation-wide. Football NSW recently pledged over AUD 200,000 to three amateur clubs to help upgrade their facilities and support the local communities.

Despite the increased interest in the game, the lack of reliable infrastructure, especially in grassroots football, leaves not only local areas without proper facilities, but creates a complicated road for young players hoping to navigate to the top of the game. 

Without the support of the Victorian Government, grassroots football could suffer an underwhelming fate. If the game is not supported from the bottom, the top might not reap the rewards of the next generation. And if that happens, alongside local communities, both the domestic leagues and the international team may suffer.

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