Oakleigh Cannons confirm $4m grant for Jack Edwards Reserve upgrade

Jack Edwards Reserve, home of NPL Victoria outfit Oakleigh Canons and Chisholm United, is set for a $4 million upgrade, revealed on a recent Cannons Facebook post.

The funding announcement states that the Cannons have received a $4 million grant for a new pavilion and facility upgrade.

“This project is not just a football project; it is a community project; Oakleigh Cannons and Jack Edwards Reserve are a social hub, a meeting point for parents, grandparents, siblings,” Oakleigh Cannons president Stan Papayienneris said.

“Now the state government in their foresight and entrustment in us have decided that the facilities should be improved. Further, they will add to the existing facilities, and hopefully, upon completion, it will be something that is considered world-class.

“This facility is going to be a step closer to our goal of having women’s teams in the NPL; it is going to provide the infrastructure that’s required.”

Oakleigh MP Steve Dimopoulos hailed Jack Edwards Reserve as an “anchor” of the local community and was delighted to confirm the grant.

“It is one of the anchors of the Oakleigh community; when you talk about a community anchor, there is probably no bigger than the Cannons and Jack Edwards Reserve,” he said.

“The Victorian government this year has fully committed and confirmed a $4 million grant to help achieve this vision.”

Club Chairman Kon Kavalakis was delighted to see the grant confirmed.

“It has been an unbelievable journey with a lot of hurdles, and we have overcome every single one of them,” he said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank local MP Steve Dimopoulos and the Monash City council for their continued support throughout this process.”

The statement on the Cannons’ Facebook page also stated that the club was continuing to work with Monash City Council on further upgrades.

“In conjunction with the Monash City council, we look forward to working together to complete the new pavilion and facility upgrade which is estimated to cost between $10-12 million,” the statement read.

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Football Victoria roll out PlayFootball 2.0 for 2025

Football Victoria and Cleaning Melbourne

Football Victoria has launched PlayFootball v2.0, delivering a comprehensive upgrade to its national registration platform for clubs, players and referees nationwide in 2025.

The modernised system introduces significant improvements, headlined by a complete interface overhaul prioritising accessibility and efficiency for all stakeholders.

The platform’s user-centric design promises to streamline administrative processes across all levels of the sport.

Key enhancements to PlayFootball 2.0 will allow for a modern player and official identification system that will include a sophisticated reporting module.

A notable addition is the integrated Working with Children Check workflow, reinforcing Football Australia’s commitment to child safety protocols.

Football Victoria is spearheading the transition by offering comprehensive training programmes, with both face-to-face and virtual sessions available to club administrators and association officials.

These sessions have been specifically designed to ensure optimal utilisation of the platform’s enhanced capabilities.

Football Victoria Chief Executive Officer Chris Pehlivanis has spoken on this new update and how they see it as crucial for enhancing the footballing experience for participants and clubs.

“We are looking forward to participants having a streamlined registration process while simplifying administration for our Clubs from 2025. FV will work closely with Clubs to ensure they are well supported through the transition and familiar with the benefits of the new system,” he said via press release.

A crucial update to the registration process will require participants to settle both Football Australia and Football Victoria Governing Body Regulation Fees at the point of registration through PlayFootball v2.0.

To help participants adjust to the change, however, PlayFootball is offering 4 different payment models:

  • All Fees Upfront: Club and Regulation fees paid online at the point of registration
  • Regulation Fees Upfront: FA and FV fees paid online at the point of registration
  • Scheduled Payment: FA, FV, Association and the first portion (¼) of the club fee is paid online at the point of registration
  • Subsidised Payment: Club subsidises payment and pays for Governing Body fees on the participant’s behalf at the point of registration

Player eligibility is rewarded upon the successful payment of these governing body fees.

This new program was tested by inviting four Associations, including 34 Clubs and 4,839 players to attend feedback sessions with FV and FA and beta test the new platform.

The invitation for Clubs to explore the What’s Changing Playbook has opened and for further information on all the changes coming to PlayFootball v2.0.

The platform’s updated rollout represents a significant milestone in Football Australia’s ongoing digitalisation strategy, aimed at reducing administrative burden whilst improving service delivery across the football community.

Melbourne Victory joins forces with RUBIX

Melbourne Victory has confirmed RUBIX will continue to operate as the club’s official data partner for the 2024/25 season. The collaboration follows a prosperous first year between the club and RUBIX.

RUBIX is a prominent Melbourne based data company, with offices across Australia and the US. The company has worked for high profile clients such as the Victorian State Government, Australia Post, Telstra and more.

RUBIX has successfully delivered over 350 projects for leading Top 50 companies, rapidly expanding FinTech and software firms.

The company was also a back-to-back SmartCompany award winner in 2022 and 2021 and earned a CRN Fast50 award in 2020.

RUBIX will aide Melbourne Victory’s growth and fan engagement strategies using the company’s knowledge in statistics, data technology, analysis, and artificial intelligence.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, warmly welcomed RUBIX via press release.

“We’re thrilled to have RUBIX on board as the Club’s Official Data Partner for a second season,” she said.

“Their world-leading solutions have already offered incredible insights across our operations, and we’re excited to leverage their tools further to help Melbourne Victory grow and engage more deeply with our fans and community.”

Head of Marketing and Brand at RUBIX, Kathryn Smith, also expressed her eagerness for the collaboration.

“This partnership with Melbourne Victory continues to be a fantastic opportunity for us to support one of Melbourne’s most iconic sporting teams with data-driven insights and technology,” she said via press release.

“We look forward to using our innovative solutions to help the Club drive growth, enhance fan engagement, and deliver a richer experience for supporters.”

Together, Melbourne Victory and RUBIX will continue to analyse and adopt new initiatives to improve experiences for fans and drive the club further then ever before.

Through the collaboration, Melbourne Victory will hope to build off of a successful 2023/2024 season, which saw the club reach the A-League Men’s Grand Final.

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