Football Victoria Confirms New Pathway Project

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Image credit: Master1305 / Shutterstock.com

The Football Victoria (FV) Pathway Project, previously called the International Coaching Experience, connects coaches from around the world to exchange knowledge and help develop both emerging players and coaches across Victoria.

Running across four days on December 15, 16, 18, and 19 at The Home of The Matildas, the program features daily sessions from 9am to 2pm and offers boys and girls born between 2009 and 2017 the chance to train with international coaches from the boys’ game, girls’ game, and specialist goalkeeping pathways.

Inside the FV Pathway Program

Global Coaching Talent

Coaches from around the world take part in the program, offering a mix of insights and leading methods to enrich football in Victoria.

Elevated Player Pathways

The initiative is designed to strengthen young players’ abilities and understanding through top-tier training sessions.

Building Development and Community

This event supports Football Victoria’s wider commitment to nurturing growth, strengthening connections, and advancing the local football ecosystem.

Clubs 

Watford FC

Watford FC will participate in the 2025 Pathway Project, bringing a strong tradition of giving young players opportunities at the top level. Their academy’s focus on intensity, growth, and player potential provides Australian participants with exposure to a club known for developing and scouting emerging talent.

Djurgårdens IF

Djurgårdens IF, a historic giant of Swedish football, will send its experienced coaching staff to the program. Known for its strong academy and emphasis on tactical discipline and high-tempo play, the club has produced numerous Swedish internationals and offers participants a glimpse into one of Scandinavia’s most respected development systems.

Crewe Alexandra

Crewe Alexandra joins as one of England’s premier youth development clubs, famous for producing technically excellent players. Their academy consistently ranks among the best for progressing players into professional football, with recent squads heavily featuring homegrown talent—perfectly aligning with the Pathway Project’s mission.

PAOK FC

PAOK FC brings Greece’s top-performing academy to the project. Known for its strong coaching and clear pathway to the first team, PAOK has developed and sold several high-value talents in recent years, establishing itself as the leading youth development model in Greek football.

Cost

FV Pathway Project Pricing

  • Outfield players: $600
  • Goalkeepers: $800

Those interested in joining this unique development opportunity can register by completing the form here.

For any additional information or questions, please reach out to TPD@footballvictoria.com.au

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Football Victoria marks World Autism Understanding Month with Expanded Inclusion Program

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Image Credit: Football Victoria

Football Victoria has marked World Autism Understanding Month with a series of practical inclusion initiatives delivered in partnership with Aspect, reinforcing the governing body’s commitment to making football accessible for autistic participants across all levels of the game.

The partnership, now in its second year, has moved beyond awareness into structural change. Environmental assessments have been completed across multiple programs and match days, including at Collingwood City FC and the All-Abilities League match day at Northcote City FC. Each assessment identifies accessibility barriers and provides concrete inclusion principles integrated into the physical and operational realities of football environments.

Ahead of the 2025 Football For All Gala Day, Aspect conducted an environmental assessment of The Home of the Matildas, informing the development of a Visual Story designed to help participants with autism understand the venue and event before arriving. The same approach has been applied to FV’s GO Camps program, giving participants and families the information they need to engage with confidence.

Aspect has also delivered multiple education sessions for coaches throughout the partnership, with a dedicated session for referees held on April 20, the first of its kind, extending autism understanding across match officials and into all parts of the game day experience.

Football Victoria has also joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Initiative, with training and education to be rolled out across the organisation in the coming months, strengthening its capacity to recognise and support participants with non-visible disabilities.

The initiatives reflect a recognition that access to sport is not guaranteed by an open registration form. For many participants with autism and their families, the barriers are environmental, informational and social; and removing them requires sustained investment in education, assessment and design.

UEFA reaffirm partnership with Oceania Football Confederation

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Image credit: UEFA.com

Last week, UEFA signed a Memoriam of Understanding (MoU) with Oceania’s football governing body to continue its commitment  to football in Oceania.

 

United through football

While being two governing bodies separated by distance, the MoU stands as a symbol of unity and collaboration which supports mutual growth.

The agreement will run until 2031, displaying both parties’ commitment to long-term development through football.

“Europe and Oceania are connected by a shared belief in the importance of investing in people as the foundation of football’s future,” said UEFA President, Aleksander Čeferin, via press release.

“This Memorandum of Understanding brings together UEFA’s experience in elite development and education with OFC’s clear focus on nurturing young talent and strengthening football leadership.”

Furthermore, OFC President, Lambert Maltock, also expressed his confidence in the agreement to support players and pathways alike.

“Our partnership with UEFA reflects a shared commitment to developing the game at every level – from grassroots to elite,” said Maltock.

“By investing in our people and working collaboratively, we are building a more connected, capable and globally competitive football ecosystem for Oceania.”

 

What the agreement promises

Continuing UEFA’s recent MoUs with CAF (Africa), Concacaf (North, Central America and the Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America), the partnership will seek to address several key aspects. These include:

  • Youth football opportunities – supporting OFC’s annual boy’s and girl’s U15 tournaments.
  • Knowledge exchange – reciprocal observer programmes at club finals and national team tournaments.
  • Football development – delivered through the UEFA Together programme.
  • Coach education – sharing of technical expertise and learning activities.
  • Refereeing – opportunities to referee youth tournaments, courses and technical programmes.

Moreover, the agreement outlines a commitment to ensuring football remains a tolerant and inclusive sport, capable of uniting communities and empowering individuals.

Therefore, the MoU between UEFA and the OFC is symbolic of aligned values, principles and vision for the future of football in both regions.

 

Final thoughts

An alliance of this nature – especially in these uncertain times for global cooperation – is vital.

Football has the power to unite like nothing else.

So governing bodies must recognise the value of connecting across cultures, countries and continents, not only for what it can do for football, but how it can promote fundamental values within the sport as a whole.

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