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A new partnership between Football West and atWork Australia has been launched.
This recent development will see the two organisations come together until the end of the season – atWork Australia are the Offical Program Supporter of the All Abilities and Inclusion Program.
The importance of having an association like this linked with an NPL league is the connection it has that everyone should be entitled to have a fair go.
AtWork Australia is a leader in the employment services area who offer all Australians across the nation with a chance to apply for jobs and support them as they build better quality working lives.
In the past year, atWork helped about 7,000 Australians find work. It doesn’t matter whether someone has a disability, illness or injury – because they promote inclusiveness.
AtWork can support people with their goals and aspirations, build skills and get them ready for work by having them accustomed to the lifestyle. The skills developed will also help them do well in interviews to lead them towards employment.
AtWork has 30 offices in Western Australia and over 270 across the country, ready to assist job seekers from all walks of life.
Football Australia has celebrated the latest round of the Growing Football Fund Community Grants, with 118 clubs and associations awarded up to $5000 to support women’s football programs. 
In conjunction with the Commonwealth Bank, the latest grants from Football Australia built upon the first round of the program from March 2024 that saw 121 clubs and associations rewarded with grants.
The grants aim to strengthen women’s football through number of initiatives:
Assisting the development of female coaches by subsiding coach training programs
Assisting the hosting of ‘come and try’ days and participation programs
Assisting health and training workshops for women and girls
Assisting the allocation of professional female fitting uniforms
Through the program, Football Australia also illustrated its desire to bolster rural women’s sport by providing 38% of the grants to organisations from regional areas.
Football Australia General Manager of Women’s Football, Carlee Millikin, explained the impact the grants would have on community women’s football.
“We are thrilled to see the clubs and associations that have been awarded the grants demonstrating a strong commitment to long-term investment in women and girls’ football within their communities that goes beyond the financial,” she said in a press release.
“It means the Growing Football Fund can play its role to help supercharge their ambitions that result in positive outcomes for female participants. The wide breadth of projects is exciting, as it shows a deepening understanding of what is required to develop inclusive and safe environments.
“In partnership with CommBank, we have already seen great results from the round one clubs delivery of initiatives and look forward to witnessing how the latest cohort creates a lasting impact through their programs.”
CommBank’s General Manager of Brand, Sponsorship and Content, Di Everett, expressed their pride to sponsor the grants.
“We are so proud of what this fund has achieved so far, and congratulate the recipients of the Round Two grants,” she said via press release.
“We are passionate about making community sport more accessible for all. These grants have enabled clubs across the country to assist coaches through training opportunities and support local families through an expansion of programs to drive participation for young women.”
The clubs awarded with grants from Round Two of the program are listed below via member federation:
Capital Football
BellaMonaro Women’s Football Club
Belsouth Football Club
Canberra Juventus Football Club
Canberra White Eagles Football Club
Tigers FC
Tuggeranong United Football Club
Football NSW
AC United Football Club
All Saints West Oatley Soccer Club
Ashfield Pirates FC
Austral Soccer Club
Balgownie Junior Football Club
Box Hill Rangers AFC
Collaroy Cromer Strikers Football Club
Colo Soccer Football Club
Enfield Rovers Football Club
Fairfield Bulls Football Club Inc.
Figtree Football Club
Football Canterbury Association
Forest Rangers Football Club
Future Leaders Australia Football Club Incorporated
Gordon Football Club
Gosford City Football Club
Leichhardt Saints Football Club
Leppington Lions Soccer Club
Lindfield Football Club
Millthorpe Junior Soccer Club Inc
Narooma Football Club
Narromine Soccer Club
North Epping Rangers Sports Club
North Turramurra
North West Sydney Football Association
Pennant Hills Football Club
Pitt Town Football Club
Ropes Crossing Strikers Football Club
Russell Lea Women’s Soccer Club
Sydney Uni Soccer Football Club
Wagga United Football Club
Warradale FC
West Griffith Soccer Club
Northern NSW Football
Charlestown Azzurri FC
Coffs City United Football Club
Cooks Hill United Football Club
Corindi Red Rock Sports Association (Football Club)
Great Lakes United Football Club
Inverell Football Club
Moore Creek Football Club Inc
Norths United Football Club Incorporated
Old Bar Barbarians Football Club
Shores United Soccer Club
Football VIC
Barwon Heads Soccer Club
Bayside Argonauts Football Club
Berwick City Soccer Club
Boroondara Eagles Football Club Inc
Craigieburn city Fc
Croydon City Soccer Club Inc.
Darebin Women’s Sports Club
Daylesford & Hepburn United Soccer Club
Deakin Ducks Fc
Drysdale Soccer Club
Fitzroy Lions Soccer Club
Footscray United Rangers Football Club
Gippsland United Football Club
Glen Eira FC Football VIC
Keilor Park Soccer Club
Leongatha Knights Football Club
Middle Park Football Club
Officer City Football Club Incorporated
PEGS Soccer Club Football VIC
Phillip Island Breakers Soccer Club
Spring Hills FC
Swan Hill Soccer League
Traralgon Olympians Soccer Club
Truganina Lions Soccer Club
Football QLD
Annerley Recreation Club
Bluebirds United Football Club Inc
Brighton District Soccer Club Inc
Burdekin Football Club Inc
Centary Stormers FC
Dayboro and Districrs Football Club
Gold Coast Knights Football Club
Holland Park Hawks Football Club
Logan Village Falcons All Sports
Mackay Wanderers Football Club
Moreton City Excelsior FC
Rebels Football Club
Redlands United Football Club
The Gap Football Club
Townsville Warriors Football Club Inc
Woombye Snakes Football Club Inc
Football SA
Adelaide Ateltico
Adelaide Jaguars Football Club Incorporated
Campbelltown City Soccer and Social Club
Flinders United Women’s Football Club
Mount Barker United Soccer Club
Sacred Heart Old Collegians Soccer Club
South Adelaide Panthers FC
Sturt Lions Football Club Incorporated
The Pulteney Old Scholars Soccer Club Incorporated
Football NSW are aiming to develop on the extraordinary numbers of the 2024 season that saw more than 260,000 players take to the pitch. The announcement comes as part of the national Play Football campaign.
With NSW being one of Australia’s largest participation states for football, the federation’s push for more numbers is a welcome target for football in the country.
Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas spoke with enthusiasm about the sport’s trajectory, highlighting its inclusive nature.
“Football continues to be the sport of choice for the NSW and Australian community, providing a positive environment for participants of all ages and abilities,” Tsatsimas mentioned via Football NSW official press release.
“We have had unprecedented growth in players, coaches, referees and volunteers, with exponential growth in the female game.”
The statistics paint a promising picture of the sport’s expansion, with 2024 registering a 9% increase in player numbers from the earlier season. This translates to over 20,000 new participants.
Perhaps most significantly with the effect of the Women’s FIFA World Cup of 2023, female participation surged by 17%, with more than 9,000 women and girls joining the sport, accounting for nearly half of the total growth.
Maintaining and increasing Women and girls’ levels in the sport are crucial points for development of the Australian game and will be key for the continued rise in participation numbers.
The organisation is now actively encouraging early registration for the 2025 season to ensure players can secure spots with their preferred local clubs, with help from the updated Play Football website.
Beyond player participation, Football NSW is expanding its focus on supporting roles within the sport. The 2024 season witnessed record numbers in coaching, refereeing, and volunteering positions, all crucial components of the game’s ecosystem.
The need for more people joining non-player roles through all levels of the game in NSW is evident with John Tsatsimas pointing out himself the necessity for the 2025 Season.
“There’s a place for everyone in our sport, and we look forward to welcoming new and returning participants for the 2025 season,” Tsatsimas explained via Football NSW official press release.
For those interested in contributing to the sport beyond playing, Football NSW has established comprehensive pathways.
The Football NSW Coach Hub provides resources and guidance for aspiring coaches looking to shape the next generation of footballers.
Additionally, the Referee Hub offers opportunities for individuals to engage with the sport from a different perspective while maintaining an active lifestyle.
With football’s exciting growth continuing in Australia with the expansion and promising viewership numbers of the 2024-25 professional A-leagues, it is always important for the sport that the participation numbers of state leagues and amateur local clubs follow the trend.
