Treiner: The platform that is tailor-made for coaches

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Treiner App

Treiner is a sports tech web app that enables coaches and training sessions to be booked on its marketplace in order to aid in the development of footballers – whilst expanding the opportunities for domestic coaches who crave a chance to build their own coaching skills, brand and networks.

Upon spotting a gap in the footballing market, co-founder James Muir worked to build a hub for football coaches. This effort eventuated as Treiner, a Melbourne-based nationally operating platform which is the only football-specific coach-booking app in the country.

With a desire to transform Treiner into the LinkedIn equivalent specific for football in order to better professionalise the coaching recruitment process, Muir spoke to Soccerscene about what separates Treiner from other coaching platforms.

Playing

Q: So just briefly, what is Treiner and what do you do?

James Muir: We started Treiner back in late 2017, where we initially launched as a platform for coaches to get a little bit more work. Originally it was just private training and extra training on top of what coaches were doing at club or school level.

The biggest problem [we found] was parents and players were looking for good coaches who were available and, in their budget, and clubs looking for extra coaches. And a lot of coaches wanted to move into a full-time coaching role, but really struggled because of the lack of full-time roles within football in Australia.

Over the last few years as we’ve invested in our tech, we’ve evolved from that private training model to basically being able to build out the tech for any club, coach or academy to run any paid training programs. So, not just private training sessions but also one-off team training sessions, regular weekly training sessions, SAP (Skills Acquisition Program) Program and academy training programs through to school holiday workshops and clinics.

That’s what we’ve been focusing on for the last year, year and a half, and now we’re adding in extra components from the job aspects. So, allowing schools and clubs to actually post jobs there themselves. That should be live for the end of the season.

Basically, what we are building is the LinkedIn for football coaches. So, they can have a proper coaching CV on the platform – something which can be easily shared with clubs and schools. And similar to LinkedIn, they’d be able to apply for jobs and courses through the platform. The courses would be external courses, similar to the ones a lot of coaches are doing at the moment with Barcelona’s Sport Science Institute, English FA for example, as well as Australian-based courses like the ones run by FCA (Football Coaches Australia). Coaches often have a professional career as well outside of football or at some stage will transition to one, so to have a platform specific to football coaching enables them to separate this and prevent any negative impact on their professional career from having too much coaching experience.

Directing

Q: What did you see in Australian football that motivated you to set up Treiner?

James Muir: I’ve worked full-time for the majority of my career in football, but initially when starting as a coach I had to do 10-20 different jobs as a self-employed coach with the likes of schools, clubs and academies. I didn’t really enjoy that; having to go from A to B to C to D to E and driving around switching my training top in between as well. And the hours before and after school, and on weekends and holidays as well.

So, when opportunities to work full-time in football came up, I jumped at the opportunity and I really enjoyed moving to Fiji and working with Fiji Football for a number of years and then coming back to Football NSW. However, transitioning back to club football was where I got a shock again of the amateur operations of even National Premier League clubs. Even clubs that aspire to be a part of the National Second Division, they’re still pretty amateur in a lot of the ways that they recruit and handle coaches.

If you look at last year for example with JobKeeper and the number of coaches who were stood down and weren’t handled well, they had to basically take up other jobs or move on to a new career in a lot of instances. Coaches that weren’t Australian citizens or permanent residents were left in the lurch, some of whom were at A-league clubs in the Academy space.

Basically, we wanted to really help improve the standards and benefits for coaching in Australia. And obviously that’s a challenge because people say there’s not much money in the sport, but then if you look at the volume and frequency of transactions that’s spent on the sport there is actually a lot of money there, it’s just spent a lot of the time at the grassroots level and the semi-professional level, and not always within a club environment. It’s not often at the higher end with the A-League clubs and that’s because there’s a lack of connection between A-League clubs and the community.

So, we’re starting to see a lot of A-League clubs moving into revenue-generating activities with their pre-academies and their school holiday programs as well, which I think is fine – that happens worldwide.

There’s definitely a perception of how things are in Europe, but if you go to Serie B/C and most 2nd division clubs across Europe and see how they struggle for fans and sponsors and with finances, you’ll quickly see that not every club is like a Juventus or AC Milan. If you spend time with lower league clubs, you’ll see how things actually work. Having a good understanding of how global football works and relating that back to Australia was important in setting up Treiner.

Back in 2019, Indeed actually found that trying to fill the coaching position was very challenging and that it was the hardest job to fill. And often that’s because the coaching position is not paid well. Generally, it’s $25-$40 an hour for a coaching role, which if you’re looking for a high-quality coach who’s invested $20-$30,000 in their coaching education over a 5–10-year period they would want to be paid more than that. Clubs in the community and NPL space are paying between $2-10k per annum for a coach to coach between 2-4 sessions per week plus a game at the weekend, but when you break this down it equates to between $2-5 per hour for the time spent working. A-League clubs in the academy NPL and WNPL space are paying between $20-30,000 per year for what they expect to be a full-time commitment, so there needs to be more done by FA & FCA as well as individual coaches to drive working conditions.

Coaching

Q: How successful has Treiner been in expanding the opportunities for Australian football coaches?

James Muir: Since we launched in 2017, we’ve had around 13,000 hours of training sessions booked through the platform. Obviously last year with COVID and at the moment with lockdowns in different states at different times that’s been impacted. A lot of the weekly programs that are the bread and butter of the platform have obviously been impacted but we’ve seen a large spike in one-on-one sessions during COVID, especially last year where we saw a lot of A-League and W-League players jumping on the platform.

Where we really want to go with the platform is assisting coaches to build up their portfolio as a coach. It’s very hard if you’re in a professional career to put in your coaching experience on your LinkedIn. Because if you’ve been coaching for a while and you’ve got a large number of experiences and you’re going for another professional job it doesn’t look very professional to have all these coaching jobs, so it is important for us to create that platform for coaches. Being able to have football-specific qualifications on there and being able to demonstrate your vision and philosophy by showing videos of how your training sessions unfold, alongside reviews and testimonials from players, are the important factors.

[As well as this] payments are a huge area of concern for a lot of coaches across the country. There’s been a lot of disputes even at the professional level, but below that a lot of coaches coach for a large period of time unpaid in a number of roles. And sometimes they’re sacked from clubs and aren’t paid or are paid a small amount that was agreed in the contract. Often there are also delays in payments from clubs for a number of reasons.

In 2019, a UQ & FCA research study uncovered more than 70% of coaches are coaching without a valid contract. Stats like that showed us that there definitely needs to be an automated way and a platform that can handle all these contracts and all of these payments, as often coaches are inexperienced in these matters. So, professionalising that whole experience for coaches is critical and that’s what we are endeavouring to do through Treiner.

Treiner logo

Q: As you’ve pointed out, Treiner allows for a more personalised coaching experience, what has the collective response been like from users?

James Muir: Users have found it really easy to choose between coaches, to see which coaches are available and to see which coaches are at different areas. One of the things that we added early last year was a post a job option. When we first started, we had around 250 coaches in the first year and then up to 3,000 by 2019. What we found towards the end of 2019 however, was that there were too many coaches to choose from. It was overwhelming for users to have to scroll through and choose one out of so many coaches.

So, we focused on the main coaches who were active on the platform and responsive. So, now we’re focused on these coaches who are more professional in their approach whilst still bringing on the others as they become more active.

From a user’s perspective, being a tech platform in comparison to a coaching provider, that’s where we differentiate. We focus on that user experience and continually improving that, so, our platform is always updating monthly – we have in-house developers and a Chief Technology Officer that oversees our tech build. That’s our main differentiator to a lot of other coaching providers out there.

And we want to be agnostic as well. We are happy to have any verified coach or organisation on the platform, it’s not about us or our brand it’s about having access to all coaches and hopefully overtime we will see the best coaches getting more work and getting rewarded for that.

From grassroots through to the A-League, we saw there wasn’t a transparent and honest recruitment process. Often it wasn’t just about who you know, but more so who was in the vision of the person making the decision. They wouldn’t have a headhunting process to look for the best coaches in the region and coaches were often promoted in-house after being an intern or volunteer to save costs. So, that process needs to be a bit more transparent and that’s partly why we built our platform to assist those clubs and their academies in their recruitment process.

Q: What does the future hold for Treiner?

James Muir: At the moment we’re trialling some of these new features with selected different clubs, schools and academies. If organisations are keen to join in that beta trial, the benefit of being a part of that trial is that you can get something that’s been built specifically for you. For any other people interested in getting into coaching, starting their own coaching business or even a sports tech start-up, feel free to reach out to us as we are more than happy to share our knowledge and assist in improving the football ecosystem through collaboration.

Interested parties can direct all enquiries to james@treiner.co.

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The Participation Boom Councils Didn’t Plan For Is Hitting Football Hard

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Football in Australia isn’t being held back by passion, participation, or community support. It’s being held back by local government failure. From a CEO perspective, the warning signs are no longer subtle — they’re screaming. Confidence towards councils is collapsing, clubs are done believing the rhetoric, and the people carrying the game every weekend are telling us the same thing: councils don’t understand football, don’t consult properly, and don’t plan for growth. This isn’t opinion anymore. It’s measurable. And it should embarrass every policymaker in the country.

Football in Australia isn’t struggling because of a lack of passion. It isn’t struggling because communities don’t care. And it certainly isn’t struggling because participation is declining.

Football is struggling because, at the local government level, confidence is collapsing. What is more, the people closest to the game can feel it.

Soccerscene’s latest survey on council readiness and football planning shows something deeply confronting: trust in councils is at its lowest point, and clubs no longer believe the rhetoric. Councils frequently speak about “supporting the world game” and “investing in community sport,” but the data tells a different story.

The people building the game every weekend, people such as presidents, coaches, volunteers and administrators, are telling us councils do not understand football demand, do not consult effectively, and do not plan for long-term growth. And that’s not an emotional opinion. It’s now measurable.

In our survey, over 61% of respondents said their council has limited or no understanding of football participation demand. Consultation outcomes were even worse: 74% said council consultation is inconsistent or ineffective. And when asked if facilities are being planned with long-term growth in mind, the answer should stop every policymaker in their tracks: more than 71% said planning is short-term or non-existent.

Results graphic from Soccerscene’s January industry survey:

This is not a small problem. This is a national warning sign.

Football is not a niche sport. It’s the world’s sport

Councils across Australia are making decisions as if football is still an emerging code, competing for scraps. That thinking is decades out of date.

Football is not only Australia’s largest participation sport in many communities – it is also part of the global economy of sport, the largest sport market on earth, and a cultural engine that connects Australia to Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.

When councils underinvest in football infrastructure, they’re not just failing local clubs. They’re failing an entire economic pipeline: participation growth, player development, coaching pathways, community engagement, multicultural integration, women’s sport, health outcomes, events, tourism, and commercial opportunity.

And yet, football is still treated as the code that should “make do”.

The Glenferrie Oval case: a perfect example of the imbalance.

Take the redevelopment of Glenferrie Oval and the historic Michael Tuck Stand in Hawthorn.

This is a major project with a total estimated investment of approximately $30 million, with the City of Boroondara allocating $29.47 million over four years to transform the site into a premier hub for women’s and junior AFL.

Let’s be clear: there is nothing wrong with investing in women’s sport. In fact, it’s essential.

But this investment is also a symbol of something football people have been saying quietly for years: councils understand AFL. Councils prioritise AFL. Councils know how to justify AFL.

They don’t do the same for football, despite its participation scale, multicultural reach, and global relevance.

Across the country, football clubs are being told there is “no funding,” that “planning takes time,” or that facilities “can’t be upgraded yet.” Meanwhile, we see multi-million-dollar grandstands, boutique ovals, and legacy infrastructure funded and delivered for other codes.

Football isn’t asking for special treatment.

Football is asking for fair treatment based on reality.

Councils are stuck in a domestic mindset – while football is global.

Here is the core issue: local councils are making decisions through a domestic sporting lens, while football operates in a global one.

Football isn’t just a Saturday sport. It’s a worldwide industry with elite pathways, commercial frameworks, international investment, and an ecosystem that Australia must compete within.

If councils don’t understand this, they will keep making decisions that shrink our competitiveness.

And this is where the stakes become real.

Australia is not only competing against itself. We are competing against countries like Japan and South Korea, who treat football as a national asset. They don’t leave football infrastructure to fragmented local decision-making without a clear national framework. They invest strategically, align education with delivery, and build systems that create long-term advantage.

We cannot keep pretending we are in the same conversation globally while our local facilities remain stuck in the past.

Clubs are carrying the burden – and it’s breaking the system.

The survey results point to a harsh reality: football clubs feel like they are carrying the weight of growth alone.

When asked what the biggest council-related challenge is, nearly 49% said funding is not prioritised, while others pointed to poor facility design, limited engagement, and slow planning processes.

This isn’t just an inconvenience.

It is creating volunteer burnout, club debt, stagnation in women’s participation, and barriers to junior growth. It is forcing clubs into survival mode – patching up grounds, sharing overcrowded facilities, and trying to grow in spaces that were never designed for modern football demand.

And when planning is short-term, the problem compounds. Councils aren’t just falling behind- they’re building the wrong solutions.

So what do we do? We stop reacting and start leading.

Football cannot keep waiting for councils to “get it” organically. That approach has failed.

What we need now is a national strategic response that is structured, intelligent, and relentless.

This is where football must learn from high-performing football nations  not just on the pitch, but in governance, philosophy, and decision-making.

A powerful example is Korea’s “Made in Korea” project, which was built to identify structural gaps, align stakeholders, and create a unified development philosophy. It wasn’t just a technical framework, it was a national alignment strategy.

Australia needs the off-field equivalent.

A National Football Facilities & Readiness Taskforce.

I believe the time has come to establish a National Football Facilities & Readiness Taskforce, made up of the most capable minds across the game and beyond it.

Not another committee. Not another meeting group.

A taskforce.

It should include leaders from football, infrastructure, urban planning, commercial strategy, government relations, and corporate Australia. We should be selecting the most intelligent and effective people in the country, not based on titles, but based on outcomes.

This taskforce should have one clear mission:

Educate, influence, and reshape how councils plan, consult, and invest in football infrastructure.

Alongside a taskforce, we need long-term strategic working groups embedded across the states, designed to:

educate councils on football participation demand and growth forecasting

standardise best-practice facility design and future-proofing

create consistent consultation frameworks

align football investment with economic, health and multicultural outcomes

build a national narrative that football is an asset rather than a cost

Because right now, the survey shows councils aren’t prioritising football for economic reasons. In fact, only 2.56% of respondents said councils should prioritise football due to economic benefits. This is not because it isn’t true, but because councils haven’t been educated to see football that way.

That is a failure of strategy, not a failure of the game.

This is bigger than facilities – it’s about Australia’s place in the world game.

If we want to be taken seriously as a football nation, we must build a country that treats football seriously.

Not just at elite level.

At local level – where the entire pyramid begins.

The message from the survey is blunt: football’s confidence in councils is collapsing. But within that truth is also an opportunity.

Because when trust hits its lowest point, change becomes possible.

The next step is ours.

We either continue accepting a system that doesn’t understand the world game – or we build one that does.

Building the future: The Socceroo who has came home

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Image Credit: Football West

In the modern football economy, the transition from elite athlete to administrator is rarely seamless. For two decades, David Williams’ existence was governed by the binary metrics of the professional game: goals scored, contracts signed, and minutes played. From the freezing training pitches of Brøndby to the humid pressure cookers of the Indian Super League, his career was defined by the relentless demand for performance.

Now, following his retirement in November 2025 due to a career-ending ACL injury, the former Socceroo is swapping the stadium penalty box for the grassroots pitch. As the newly appointed Program Development Lead at Football West (FW), Williams is tasked with reshaping the foundational layer of West Australian talent.

A Strategic Coup for the State

For the state governing body, securing Williams is a significant coup. The “ex-pro” circuit is often littered with tokenistic ambassadorial roles, but Williams offers tangible intellectual property. His journey began as a teenage prodigy at the Queensland Academy of Sport, carrying the heavy burden of being labelled the “best Australian prospect since Harry Kewell” by Miron Bleiberg.

He has lived the entire spectrum of the industry: the hype of a European transfer at 18, the volatility of the A-League loan system, and the cultural adaptability required to win titles in India. He understands the mechanics of the “football business” better than most.

“I’m very excited to have this opportunity to stay in football and work with young people,” Williams said. “I’m passionate about youth development and helping them grow, whether that’s as a coach, a mentor or just as a role model.”

The “Role Model” Mandate

In his new capacity, Williams will oversee the Coles MiniRoos, Football School holiday camps, and school clinics. On paper, these are participation programs. In practice, they are the first point of contact in the talent pipeline.

For FW, leveraging Williams’ heritage is a strategic necessity. As a member of the Indigenous Football Australia Council, Williams understands the structural barriers facing indigenous players. His presence provides a tangible pathway for kids who often feel disconnected from the metropolitan elite.

“Being indigenous, I would love to do some work in the regions and work with young indigenous children through football,” Williams noted. “It would be great to support the regional CPOs (community participation officers) and deliver sessions with these kids. That’s something I’m extremely passionate about.”

This is not a post-retirement affectation. Throughout 2025, while still nominally a Perth Glory player, Williams was already building his coaching resume as head coach of the Charles Perkins XI: Football Australia’s First Nations youth program. He isn’t just a figurehead; he is an operator actively closing the gap between regional talent and elite opportunity.

Proving the Concept: Success in the Dugout

Williams’ administrative portfolio is backed by growing tactical acumen. In December 2025, he coached the WA Paras State Team to their inaugural national title. For a squad that had frequently been the “nearly men” of the competition, Williams’ high-performance mindset was the catalyst for a historic breakthrough.

“That was an unbelievable experience, especially for the people who have been in the Paras program for a long time and seen them go close so often,” he reflected.

Crucially, this role sits alongside his appointment as Technical Director for NPL WA powerhouse Stirling Macedonia. Williams sits at the intersection of the state’s entire ecosystem as he drives grassroots participation for the federation by day and steers elite NPL structures for a club by night. It signals an ambition to master the technical direction of the game, not just the commercial side.

A Global Perspective, Locally Applied

Williams’ value to the WA system lies in his resilience. He was the first Indigenous player to represent Melbourne City. Williams scored in the UEFA Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt. He won the Indian Super League with ATK.

David Williams understands the technical demands of European academies and the harsh realities of the transfer market. When he speaks to a 12-year-old at a holiday clinic, he isn’t reciting a coaching manual. He is speaking from the experience of sharing a pitch with Alessandro Del Piero. He knows what “elite” actually looks like.

“After I finished at Perth Glory last year, I had some other great opportunities, but I am more passionate about my role within Football West,” Williams said. “This is different.”

As 2026 approaches, Williams faces a new kind of pressure. He is no longer responsible for scoring the winner at HBF Park. Instead, he is charged with ensuring that the thousands of kids in the MiniRoos programs fall in love with the game, and that the pathways he once navigated are accessible to them. It is a different game, but one David Williams is uniquely qualified to play.

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