New support from Victorian Government as part of Sporting Club Grants Program

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The Victorian Government has announced more support for grassroots sporting clubs affected by the state’s recent coronavirus circuit-breaker efforts, with new funding available through the Sporting Club Grants Program.

In what comes as significant news for Victorian grassroots soccer clubs who incurred losses during the circuit-breaker period from February 12th to February 17th, $2,000 has been made available under the Sporting Club Grants Program’s Circuit Breaker Event Support category.

If clubs had unexpected costs to deal with, such as cancellation fees, lost booking fees and the loss of perishable goods, they can be claimed back in funds as part of this scheme. 

Additional grants available include up to $5,000 devoted to assisting the recovery of affected leagues & associations, up to $1,000 for new uniforms & equipment, up to $5,000 for the development of coaches, officials & volunteers and $5,000 to improve overall operational efficacy are available in addition to the Circuit Breaker Event Support grant.

The Sporting Club Grant Program upholds the state Government’s dedication to ensuring community sport is an accessible & inclusive space, while providing sustainable sport & recreation opportunities to increase local participation. The latest grants add to the $6.8 million given out to 4,950 sporting clubs since 2014.

Victorian Minister for Community Sport, Ros Spence, was enthusiastic on the return to normality for grassroots sporting organisations, acknowledging the boost it provides to local communities and the wider state.

“Sport and recreation plays a vital role in bringing our communities together and improving our physical and mental wellbeing,” he said.

“There has never been a time in our recent history when that role has been more important, with the impact of the bushfires and now the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic putting our communities under enormous pressure.

“Sport and active recreation clubs and organisations have been hit hard, and this Program will help Victorians get back to the sport and recreation activities they love as restrictions ease.

“The Victorian Government has already put in place measures and significant investment to support clubs, leagues and associations stay viable and return to play, however the challenge is significant.”

Applications for the Sporting Club Grants Program are due by March 18th, or earlier if allocated funds are exhausted.

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South Canberra FC Breaks the Mold: Equity-Driven Model Earns ‘Club Changer’ Honour

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Image Credit: SCFC

South Canberra Football Club has been named Club Changer of the Month for April, in a recognition that reflects a broader shift across Australian football toward rewarding clubs that are actively dismantling the structural barriers limiting women’s access to the game.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has just delivered record crowds and unprecedented visibility for women’s football in Australia, and the Club Changer program is now asking what comes next. Its decision to name South Canberra Football Club as Club Changer of the Month for April signals a clear shift in how the program defines contribution: away from participation numbers alone, and toward the equity frameworks that determine whether women stay in the game once they arrive.

South Canberra FC built that framework from the ground up. Established in 2021, the club set out to give women and female-identifying players a safe, inclusive environment to play football at any level. It runs entirely on volunteers, operates as a not-for-profit, and is governed by an all-female committee with 13 of its 14 coaches identifying as female.

 

Building the infrastructure of inclusion

In 2026, the club secured grant funding and put it to work immediately. Two coaches are completing their C Licence qualification, and ten coaches, players and community members have undertaken the Foundations of Football course, which directly tackles the cost and accessibility barriers that exclude women out of coaching pathways.

The club also commissioned a female-specific strength and conditioning program with sports physiotherapists ahead of the 2026 season, targeting injury prevention and explicitly supporting players returning after childbirth.

SCFC’s leadership team draws from LGBTIQ+ individuals, First Nations people and veterans, strengthening the club’s connection to the communities it was built to represent.

The Club Changer program is backing clubs that do this work- clubs that treat equity as infrastructure rather than aspiration. At a moment when Australian football is under pressure to turn its biggest-ever surge of women’s interest into something lasting, SCFC’s model offers a clear answer to the question of how.

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

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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.

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