New regional sports facility set to elevate grassroots football in SA

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Image credit: Football South Australia website

A new regional sports facility in Munno Para is set to become the home of one of Playford’s most successful soccer clubs, offering a premier venue that will drive growth, attract new talent, and enhance competition for both current and future players.

Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club has been chosen as the anchor tenant of the Munno Para Sportsground, following a competitive Expression of Interest (EOI) process.

The club, known for its recent success, including its entry into Football SA’s Men’s State League 2, will relocate from its existing grounds at Dauntsey Reserve in Elizabeth North to the new site within the Playford Alive development.

The state-of-the-art facility will feature a FIFA-quality synthetic pitch, a natural grass pitch, six universally accessible changerooms, a multipurpose function room, a semi-commercial kitchen and bar, canteen, office space, and additional storage.

Designed to meet National Premier League Football SA standards, the facility will support higher-level participation and host major competitions, while also expanding opportunities for grassroots soccer.

Construction of the first pitch and clubrooms is scheduled to begin in mid-2025, subject to funding, with completion targeted for the 2027 soccer season.

Future phases of development will include a third pitch, public open spaces, playgrounds, and walking trails.

The new facility aligns with the Council’s commitment to encouraging community participation in sports, particularly as demand for soccer facilities continues to rise in northern Adelaide’s rapidly growing areas.

There is especially strong demand for female soccer participation, with Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club playing a leading role in promoting women’s soccer across all levels of competition.

With 420 members, the club boasts the highest female participation in the region, and membership is expected to grow to 520 by 2026. Established over 60 years ago, the club is a cornerstone of soccer in northern Adelaide.

Michael Carter, Football SA CEO, discussed the great news for Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club.

“The Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club offer a complete participation opportunity for men, boys, women and girls. Demand for the code in the north will be supported by their relocation to the Munno Para Facility which will be purpose built for football,” he said in a statement.

Scott Hockenhull, Secretary, Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club, spoke highly of the development for his club.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this move is the access to modern, purpose-built change rooms that are suitable for women’s and girls’ participation—a significant growth area for our club over the past few years,” Hockenhull said in a statement.

“This new space allows us to continue expanding all our teams, offering them the support and facilities they deserve as we build stronger pathways from junior levels to senior competitions.”

This news is fantastic for the Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club and the North Adelaide region who get to create a high level sports facility for the grassroots system.

With the rapid rise across both boys and girls football recently, this provides Football South Australia with a perfect opportunity to utilise a facility for the sole purpose of development, similar to the Home of the Matildas setup in Bundoora.

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Melbourne Victory and BYD drive innovation through new major partnership

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Image Credits: Shutterstock

Melbourne Victory has officially welcomed BYD as a Major Partner and the Club’s exclusive Motor Vehicle Supplier for the next 12 months. At a partner launch bringing together the two organisations, the focus is on building around innovation, growth and a drive for success. The partnership will place BYD at the centre of Melbourne Victory’s fan experience. The brand will feature on the front of both the A-League men’s and women’s home and away jerseys. This gives BYD a strong presence across matchdays, broadcasts and digital content throughout the season.

The partnership extends well beyond the playing kit. BYD will be integrated across Melbourne Victory’s media, Academy and community assets. The two organisations will also collaborate through Member and pathways programs. This creates opportunities for BYD to connect with Victory supporters across multiple touchpoints.

For BYD, the partnership provides a direct connection with Melbourne Victory’s growing supporter and member base. The automotive brand has built a rapidly expanding presence in Australia and New Zealand. Its partnership with Victory provides another platform to build awareness and engage with Australian consumers. BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins said the alignment between the two organisations was a key factor behind the deal.

“At BYD we’re enormously excited to welcome the Melbourne Victory into the BYD family as an exclusive automotive partner,” Collins said.

“What really appeals to us was the culture of innovation and the hunger for success.”

That alignment is reflected in the way the partnership will operate. BYD will not simply appear on Melbourne Victory assets. The brand will be connected to the Club’s members, fans, business network, pathways and community programs. Melbourne Victory Managing Director Caroline Carnegie said the partnership reflects a shared ambition for continued growth. She also highlighted the organisations’ common focus on leading, connecting and inspiring their communities. Together, Melbourne Victory and BYD will bring the partnership to life across matchdays, media, community initiatives and supporter experiences throughout the 2026-27 season.

Episode 4: “You could have sold it out twice”: Peter Filopoulos on why unification is the way forward

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PETER FILOPOULOS sees Saturday’s Australia Cup final between Melbourne Victory and South Melbourne Hellas as a ‘unification event’ that must be harnessed as a window to the future – rather than a means of stirring up old division – if Australian football is to progress.

“This game sold out organically, and having run marketing, corporate affairs and communications at Football Australia previously, I don’t think they would have needed to spend one single dollar on marketing,” Filopoulos told Soccerscene Unfiltered.

“You could have probably sold it out twice! This tells me it’s the sort of product the fans want; it’s authentic and taps into the new and the old, and demonstrates culture as a real asset. You couldn’t have scripted it better.

“If I was in a decision-making position at the A-League, I’d be looking very closely at why fans have responded in such an emphatic way.”

Filopoulos has seen it all across his near-35 year career in sports administration, which by his calculation has been split evenly inside the Australian football tent and outside it – but when outside, always with at least one eye glancing back.

Fifteen years across AFL clubs Hawthorn & North Melbourne as that code moved from a financially traumatic 1990s into a wealthier new millennium; five years at Football Australia: ‘easily the most transformative period for Australian football in its history’; stints with Etihad Stadium and even a period ‘completely out of my comfort zone’ at Swimming Australia.

There’s been crisis management, stepping in as Perth Glory CEO after the 2015 salary cap scandal; he’s seen the A-League’s boom times under the Lowys & Fox Sports’ 2018 broadcast deal; he’s enjoyed the euphoria of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

But all stems back to the National Soccer League and South Melbourne Hellas, and his bold decision to take on the Club’s inaugural general manager position in December 1993, aged just 25.

“I wasn’t ready… but what it taught me is when an opportunity is presented to you, just say ‘yes’ and work out how to do it later. I’ve used this throughout my career, and that was one of those instances where I threw myself in the deep end.

“I had my career mapped out, and was working quite happily in accounting. But I was a passionate fan and having grown up at the old Middle Park, it was a natural ‘yes’ – and I was young enough to take a risk.”

With today’s A-League financially ailing and great clubs of yesteryear enjoying what Filopoulos terms a ‘renaissance’ – and agitating as vociferously for a return to the top flight as at any point since the demise of the NSL – he feels it is again time for bold leadership, and a little risk.

“You can have all the ambition in the world, and in being part of a club, you’re a custodian. But as I’ve always seen it, you need a sustainable commercial model: sound ownership, sound facilities, revenue, etc…

‘But you also need to understand how to tap into that asset of culture. What we’re seeing with the Australia Cup final is a result of culture, right? You need to create it amongst your fans, and know who your fans are, and tell them what you’re striving for. Bring them along on the journey!”

Catch the full chat with Peter Filoupolos on Soccerscene Unfiltered: from ‘eyeballing’ Frank Arok and backing Ange Postecoglou, overcoming resource challenges at Football Victoria, to the rise of the Matildas, and plenty more…

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