Melton Phoenix FC receive significant funding for new pavilion

Staff Writer

Melton Phoenix Football Club have received $1.18 million in facility funding from the Victorian State Government, with works commencing on a new pavilion at the club’s home at MacPherson Park.

The new pavilion will incorporate female friendly change and referees’ rooms, a kitchen, a first aid room, a community social space and fully accessible public amenities.

The grant was provided through the first round of the government’s Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program.

The Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program is supporting Victoria’s economy by working with Local Government Authorities, Alpine Resort Boards and sporting organisations to fast-track shovel-ready community sports infrastructure projects across Victoria.

Following overwhelming demand for Round One, an additional $110 million has been provided through the 2020-21 State Budget for Round Two of the Program.

A further $750,000 in funding is also set to be put aside to improve car parking arrangements and pedestrian connections at the site in Melton, from the federal government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas recently joined other dignitaries to announce the facility upgrades for the football club.

“The Melton Phoenix Football Club has over 400 members, and they’ve outgrown their current club-rooms,” MP Thomas said in a statement.

“Melton Phoenix has been a trailblazing club welcoming all players, and it’s great to see they will be getting a pavilion that will enable them to attract more players from across this growing community.”

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence further emphasised the importance of sport in society and its place in uniting people.

“Sport and active recreation is not just good for our physical and mental health, in growing cities like Melton it brings people together and builds communities,” she stated.

The club itself, based in the western suburbs of Melbourne, has been integral to the local sporting scene in Melton over the past 50 years.

It will be a major boost for the local club and the wider community, and is considered necessary to meet the growing needs of girls and women who continue to sign up and play football in the area.

Club administrators will also benefit significantly, with the upgrades to allow greater flexibility in scheduling training sessions and matches at the ground.

During the construction process, the project is expected to generate 25 jobs, with the pavilion due to be completed by mid-2022.

MacPherson Park is the regional sporting hub in the City of Melton, hosting a variety of other sporting teams including the Melton Cricket Club, Melton Netball Club and the Melton Broncos Rugby League Club.

The sporting venue has undergone significant redevelopments in recent years, including stage one upgrades totalling $12.3 million.

“Stage one has delivered a synthetic sporting oval with lighting, a netball court with lighting and warm-up space, a regional level cricket training facility, a multipurpose community pavilion to service all three sport ovals, and a netball precinct with female-friendly change rooms and meeting rooms. The project was funded in partnership with Council, the Victorian Government ($2 million from the Growing Suburbs Fund) and AFL Victoria ($100,000),” a statement read according to the City of Melton’s website.

City of Melton Mayor Cr Kathy Majdlik said these redevelopments were already making a big difference to local sporting clubs.

“MacPherson Park is delivering outstanding sporting infrastructure for the future. It’s absolutely fantastic to see stage one being used by local clubs, and to see the transformation ready to continue,” Cr Majdlik said.

“As well as providing upgraded playing and training spaces, this will also connect residents and clubs socially.

“It’s a project that makes me very proud and I’d like to thank the state government for two generous contributions towards this significant redevelopment.”

Image Credit: Mary-Anne Thomas MP

Previous ArticleNext Article

Football NSW announces 2026 First Nations Scholarships as pathway access program enters new phase

Avatar
Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced the recipients of its 2026 First Nations Scholarships, with ten emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players from metropolitan and regional NSW receiving support designed to reduce the financial and structural barriers that have historically limited First Nations participation across the football pathway.

The scholarship program, developed and assessed in collaboration with the Football NSW Indigenous Advisory Group, targets players across both elite and development environments – recognising that talent identification alone is insufficient without the resources to support progression once players are identified.

Co-Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group Bianca Dufty said the calibre of this year’s recipients reflected the depth of First Nations football talent across the state, and the importance of structured support in converting that talent into long-term participation.

“Their dedication to football and the desire to be role models for younger Aboriginal footballers in their communities is to be celebrated,” Dufty said. “I’m confident we will see some of these talented footballers in the A-League and national teams in the future.”

 

Beyond the pitch and into the pipeline

The 2026 cohort spans both metropolitan clubs and regional associations, an intentional distribution that acknowledges the particular barriers facing First Nations players outside major population centres, where access to development programs, qualified coaching and pathway competitions is more limited and the cost of participation more prohibitive.

The next phase of the program will introduce First Nations coaching scholarships, extending the initiative’s reach beyond playing pathways and into the coaching and administration pipeline – areas where Indigenous representation remains among the lowest in the game.

The structural logic is clear. Scholarships that reduce financial barriers at the entry point of elite pathways matter most when they are part of a sustained ecosystem of support rather than isolated gestures. Football NSW’s collaboration with the Indigenous Advisory Group provides that continuity, ensuring the program is shaped by the communities it is designed to serve.

Football NSW Targets Female Coaching Gap with Twin Programs

Avatar
Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced two new initiatives targeting the development of female coaches and coach education tutors, backed by federal and state government funding, as the governing body moves to address the longstanding structural absence of women across all levels of coaching in the sport.

The Future Female Coaches Mentoring Program, funded through the NSW Office of Sport’s Empower Her program, will select six female coaches holding a minimum AFC B Diploma for a structured mentoring program beginning mid-year. Participants will be paired with experienced mentors and receive three in-person visits including real-time observation and feedback, alongside regular online development sessions throughout the season.

Separately, Football NSW has opened expressions of interest for its 2026/27 Female Coach Education Tutor (CET) Program, supported by the Australian Federal Government’s Play Our Way investment, targeting C Diploma holders who want to move into coach education delivery.

Together, the programs address two distinct but connected gaps in the women’s football coaching pipeline- the progression from active coach to elite-level practitioner, and the transition from practitioner to the tutors who shape how coaching is taught.

The Pipeline Problem

The structural underrepresentation of women in football coaching isn’t a new observation. It is a documented and persistent feature of the game at every level, from community clubs to national team environments. Female coaches remain a minority in pathway competitions, and female coach education tutors are even more so.

One current tutor in the program described the environment she encountered when she came through the system. “My experience coming through as a coach, there was no females on the courses as participants and there was no females running the courses either,” she said. “That kind of inspires me to be someone that can hopefully make other females feel comfortable and confident to want to become coaches.”

“It is really important to have female role models because it shows that there is an opportunity or pathway for females,” said one program participant. “Traditionally it has been a male-dominated area and to know that yes, you can do it as a passion or a side thing, or you can actually make a career of it if you want.”

Removing barriers at the point of entry

The mentoring program’s design reflects an understanding that formal accreditation alone is insufficient to retain and develop female coaches in high-performance environments. Access to experienced mentors, observation in live coaching contexts and ongoing reflective practice address the informal development gaps that credentials cannot fill.

“Learning happens through coaching in real environments, and we recognise our role in providing both stretch and support to high-potential coaches,” said Edward Ferguson, Football NSW Head of Football Development. “This program offers tailored mentoring that complements formal coach education and enhances effectiveness in practice.”

Hayley Todd, Football NSW Head of Womens and Schools Football, framed the initiative in terms of long-term system building rather than individual development. “Creating sustainable pathways for female coaches is a key priority,” she said. “This program supports their development while also providing valuable insight into what is required to progress from state competitions into national and international environments.”

The barriers the programs are designed to remove are clear. The cost of accreditation, lack of access to mentoring networks, the absence of welcoming environments in coaching courses and the scarcity of female role models at senior levels all compound one another in ways that make progression difficult regardless of ability or commitment.

“You want to try and remove as many barriers as possible,” said one tutor involved in the program. “If you can start to remove those barriers, you actually get to engage with the females more consistently and build their confidence and competence in that space.”

A system investing in itself

The timing of both announcements sits within a broader national moment for women’s football. The AFC Women’s Asian Cup, currently underway in Australia, has delivered record crowds and sustained visibility for the female game at the elite level. The programs announced this week operate at the other end of the pipeline – building the coaching infrastructure that will determine whether the players inspired by that visibility have qualified, experienced and representative coaches to develop them.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend