Surf Coast FC boosted by $2 million facility upgrade

Works have officially begun on a $2 million facility upgrade project at Banyul-Warri Fields, the home of Surf Coast FC.

Surf Coast FC received the significant funding from the Victorian Government, with the club itself also investing $100,000 in the project.

The upgrades include:

  • A new social room for Surf Coast FC – which includes a canteen and administration space
  • Elevated tiered seating with viewing of all three pitches at Banyul-Warri Fields
  • Two new change rooms
  • Two new referee rooms
  • Two refurbished referee rooms
  • Four new accessible toilets
  • Large soccer storage space
  • New shared user group storage space
  • Shelter for ground-level spectators beneath the upper-level tiered seating overhang
  • New footpaths for access around the building and all spaces

Vice President of Surf Coast FC, Renato Trentin, explained the club had begun seeking out upgrades around a decade ago.

“We didn’t have a separate social room for our club and we saw this an issue,” he said.

“So, we started lobbying the council a while back, probably around 10 years ago.

“We then progressed to working with and lobbying both the state and federal government, to acquire some sort of grant to help us get a grandstand, on top of the social room.

“The main driver was to get that social room so that we could have our own space, instead of utilizing a shared space.

“We eventually got promised the upgrades at the last state election by both parties and they obviously have upheld the promise, which is great.”

With construction on the project beginning early last week, the upgrades are set to be fully implemented by June of next year.

The new facilities will have a host of benefits for Surf Coast FC, according to Trentin.

“We are getting additional changerooms and facilities, and we’re very pleased that they will be more user friendly to those in our community with special needs,” he said.

“This will now allow us to start getting involved in other types of competitions, for example the all-abilities competition. The new facilities will provide greater flexibility for all members of our community.”

“As well as that, we get a much larger storeroom so we won’t have as much product damage as in previous times.

“There will be a viewing grandstand as well which is fantastic, so people and our members can sit upstairs and view the games from a comfortable sheltered position.

“We also then have a social room as well, which will be accessible to other people in the community but is predominantly our home.”

Surf Coast FC itself has a strong bond with the local community and it’s something the club wants to continue to grow in the coming years.

“We are a community focused football club; we look at developing community football and getting people to fall in love with the game,” Trentin said.

“We try to offer football across all different age groups, from four-year-old’s to however old you want to be to play.

“We also have a strong focus on developing the female side of the game – and really looking at how we can invest, as more and more females are getting involved in the game.

“With the World Cup coming up in two years’ time, it’s a primary focus for us.”

The club is extremely happy with the layout of the upgrades, but further facility upgrades in the near future may also be on the cards for Surf Coast FC.

“Maybe some smaller projects in the future, but I think they will be within the club’s and council’s capacity to work together to get that done,” Trentin said.

“The council has always supported us.

“Overall, we are quite happy with the state of how things are progressing right now.”

 

 

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Driving Health Forward: Melbourne Victory partners with Hydrodol

Melbourne Victory has celebrated a new partnership with Australian wellness brand, Hydrodol. The deal will see both parties collaborate for the rest of the 2024/25 A-Leagues season.

Hydrodol is a significant supplements provider across Australia, New Zealand the Asia Pacific, supplying customers with cutting edge products tailored to assist with hydration and a range of other health concerns.

Together, Melbourne Victory and Hydrodol will join their philosophies of driving health and fitness forward in order to bring attention to healthy living practices among the Australian football community.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, expressed admiration for the partnership.

“We are delighted to welcome Hydrodol to the Melbourne Victory family,” she said in a press release.

“This partnership reflects a shared vision of supporting individuals to perform at their best whether they’re on the pitch, in the stands, or in their daily lives. Together, we aim to provide meaningful benefits to our fans, players, and the broader Victory community.”

Hydrodol Marketing Manager, Jenn Leung, echoed Carnegie’s applause.

‘Hydrodol is passionate about empowering people to feel their best, whether they’re elite athletes or everyday Australians,” she said via press release.

“Partnering with Melbourne Victory, Australia’s biggest football club allows us to connect with a vibrant community that values health, performance, and well-being.”

Melbourne Victory Director of Football, John Didulica, outlined the significance of the club’s collaboration with Hydrodol in a press release.

“To lead successful football programs, it is essential that we look to partner with companies like Hydrodol, who can help maintain and improve our players’ recovery from the demands of professional football and readiness to compete each week,” he said via press release.

For the remaining games of the 2024/25 season, fans and spectators will be able to see Hydrodol advertisement material at the Home of the Matilda’s and AAMI Park, as both Melbourne Victory and Hydrodol work to bolster the health and wellbeing of the community.

FIFA set new global benchmark for Women’s Football Development

In a landmark initiative for women’s football, FIFA has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reaching 60 million female players worldwide by 2027.

The comprehensive plan, supported by 13 distinct development programmes, is available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking a significant step forward in the sport’s global evolution.

FIFA also took the announcement to highlight the achievements for women’s football in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC).

The recently enhanced FIFA Women’s Development Programme underscores the organisation’s strengthened commitment to expanding the women’s game.

The upcoming 2025 calendar promises several groundbreaking developments for women’s football.

The Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, while Morocco makes history as the first African nation to stage the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The latter tournament sees significant expansion, growing from 16 to 24 teams and shifting to an annual format.

International competition reaches new heights with continental championships scheduled across multiple confederations.

The pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 commences with African qualification matches, while major regional tournaments including the UEFA Women’s EURO and OFC Women’s Nations Cup will crown new champions.

In a significant advancement for club football, all six confederations will host their respective continental club championships for the first time.

This renewed focus comes amid unprecedented growth in participation rates, particularly evident in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-host nations.

New Zealand has reported a remarkable 27 per cent surge in female participation since 2022, with particularly strong growth among Māori and Pasifika communities, showing a 14 per cent increase.

A strategic partnership between New Zealand Football and Māori Football Aotearoa further strengthens grassroots development.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell voiced the federations successful results.

“The expansion of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand has been extraordinary, with the Women’s World Cup serving as a genuine catalyst for growth,” he explained via official FIFA press release.

Across the Tasman, Football Australia’s Growing Football Fund Community Grants programme continues to foster development at the grassroots level.

The latest round of funding benefits 118 recipients, complementing the 121 projects supported in March 2024.

This initiative particularly emphasises regional development, with nearly half the grants allocated to areas outside major metropolitan centres.

The grants provide essential support for women’s football development, encompassing coach education, introductory programmes, and vital equipment procurement, further cementing the sport’s foundation at the community level.

Also within the AFC, footballing powerhouse Japan has successfully hosted the continent’s first female-exclusive Pro Licence coaching course.

A collaborative effort between FIFA, AFC, and the Japan Football Association (JFA), represents a significant milestone in professional football development.

The intensive seven-day course attracted participants from fourteen nations, featuring presents such as AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men’s national team coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Participants gained valuable practical experience through observations of pre-season training sessions at both J.League and Nadeshiko League clubs.

JFA Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama emphasised the programme’s strategic importance and inclusivity.

“This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater success in their current coaching positions and secure future success,” Kageyama explained via official FIFA press release.

This initiative aligns with JFA’s renowned long-term development philosophy and a significant advancement in creating pathways for women in professional football coaching.

This newly improved strategy at the global scale will hopefully allow for more women in both professional and amateur spaces to get the opportunities they deserve in football.

It also highlight’s that AFC & OFC nations, including Australia, will have a strong place within the growth of women’s football.

Read more on the FIFA Women’s Development Program here.

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