Former NSL star Vaughan Coveny on the success of online football education and training

South Melbourne and New Zealand legend Vaughan Coveny explains how the Essendon Royals are embracing technology to deliver training and education during the state-wide lockdown.

It seems like yesterday that many Victorians were optimistic about some form of state-level football returning in 2020. By July, the optimism quickly faded as a resurgence of COVID-19 forced the state back into lockdown and dashed the hopes of the football industry.

But despite the wave of negativity surrounding the current state of affairs, crisis can breed opportunity.  Many clubs are turning to technology to stay connected and few are embodying a proactive mentality as well as the Essendon Royals Soccer Club.

The Royals’ brains trust, led by Head of Football Vaughan Coveny, have implemented an online training portal designed to deliver quality coaching sessions live and electronically to its youth players.

Supplementary to continuing each player’s personal development, the training is designed for players to maintain their sense of community and social interaction during what is an isolating and challenging time.

“As a club, we were thinking about ways to reach out to our members and give back during this difficult period. They are important to us and in tough times we want to look after them and give them every tool to help them through the process,” Coveny says.

“The club has a fantastic committee made up of more than 20 volunteers and an enthusiastic president, Richard Di Sauro, who are all working endlessly at the moment to keep things moving.”

The current structure of the training is setup to include three sessions per week. Each session is designed to cater for different age groups, under-7 to under-9, under-10 to under 12, and U13s to U18s.

The training sessions are inclusive of both genders and are being delivered by a combination of Essendon’s community and National Premier League coaches.

Coveny played more than 50 A-League games after a storied NSL career.

The response has been largely positive from both players and their families, who have lauded the physical and mental benefits a collective training program can bring during a time of social isolation.

“There has been an overwhelming response to be honest. A lot of the kids are really excited by it and once the session starts, they are engaging each other and approaching the training enthusiastically,” Coveny says.

“After our first session we had a lot of people saying they wanted to do it again and asking when the next training was going to be. So overall feedback has been really positive.”

Senior women’s player Bella Santilli, who also acts as a junior’s coach delivered the first session in late July. The training was aimed at the under-10 to under-12 age bracket and focused on ball mastery. More than 30 players took part.

This attendance rose to almost 40 players for the second session, which was run by senior women’s coach Mick Gallo, and by the third session, more than 60 participants tuned in to join Claude Gomes’ advanced ball mastery program.

A key to the successful implementation of transitioning online is accessibility. The Royals have utilised social media to promote their activities which helps the club to remain connected with the community and staff carefully plan out sessions to ensure complex equipment is not required.

“In terms of setup, it has actually been fairly easy. The coaches were keen to get involved and they can do it from their laptop at home. They will demonstrate an exercise, or have their son or daughter demonstrate an exercise and walk and talk the participants through the session,” Coveny says.

“We’ve done strength and conditioning which the kids really enjoyed, and we’ve ensured the fitness-based sessions can be done indoors. It’s a really good initiative and we’ll continue to do it until we can get back to normal training.”

With the online coaching strategy proving a success so far, the Royals are branching their online education to other important facets of the game, including the promotion of nutrition and mental health.

“A professional nutritionist will be delivering a nutrition presentation to all our players about eating the right foods during this time, as well as what we should all be doing before and after training,” Coveny says.

“We have also introduced a football app for the mental health side of things called Arete. We are currently delivering it to our NPL teams and Women’s teams on a trial basis. We are planning to get feedback from them and parents to see what they think of the app.”

“We think it is important to reach out on that side of the game. Mental health is becoming more important and more understood these days,” Coveny adds.

With the online training proving a success and an ongoing focus on the physical and mental wellbeing of the Royals football community, Coveny is hoping the club will act as a positive example for the football industry and inspire others to look for opportunity in times of crisis.

“Because we all have more time now, we are able to think about things like mental health, nutrition, and technology and deliver on things that we usually wouldn’t be able to,” he says.

“It’s been a difficult time. We all have to stay strong and get through it together. The situation is going to impact clubs financially, but we think we can get through it by supporting each other as well as we can.”

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Australia’s Urban Sporting Landscape changing with smart surfaces

At the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC25) innovations in synthetic, natural, acrylic, and hybrid sports surfaces will be central in response to tackling pressing environmental and health concerns.

The convention is set to kick off on June 25-26, 2025 at Melbourne’s Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The event is dedicated to Sports Surfaces and it highlights it will showcase how cutting-edge surface technologies are revolutionising public spaces, creating durable, safe, inclusive and sustainable environments that get communities moving.

Some innovations on show include Polytan, which has unveiled eco-friendly long pile turf solutions engineered for intensive use whilst slashing environmental impact through sugar cane-based polymers rather than traditional petroleum derivatives.

Hybrid systems such as POWERgrass’s approach combine natural grass with synthetic reinforcement, delivering enhanced traction, comfort, and can withstand up to 30 hours of weekly play.

Meanwhile, acrylic surfaces versatility allows multiple sports to share the same surface with exceptional durability, making them perfect for pocket parks.

Despite their advantages, synthetic surfaces face scrutiny over environmental and health implications, particularly concerning microplastics and heat retention.

The NSW Chief Scientist’s comprehensive report identified critical knowledge gaps, sparking industry-wide moves toward alternative materials.

Martin Sheppard, Managing Director of Smart Connection Consultancy and author of the ‘Smart Guide to Synthetic Sports Fields,’ emphasises the importance of evidence-based decision making.

“These surfaces will address common perceptions and challenges associated with synthetic surfaces, providing evidence-based insights into player safety, environmental impacts, and surface playability,” Sheppard explained via National Sports and physical activity convention media release.

NSC25’s keynote presentation, ‘Designing Active Urban Places,’ will explore comprehensive strategies for future-proofing cities to promote healthy, active lifestyles.

The session features Kristen Clark from the Heart Foundation, who will unveil the fourth edition of the ‘Blueprint for an Active Australia,’ alongside Professor John Cairney from the University of Queensland, discussing movement-friendly urban design principles.

The convention’s PitchFEST session will showcase practical innovations including acrylic pocket parks, multi-sport surface designs and environmentally conscious long pile turf solutions.

These initiatives address a concerning reality: only 17 per cent of Australian youth currently meet recommended physical activity guidelines.

The focus on creating opportunities for youth recreation and unstructured play reflects growing recognition that accessible, well-designed sporting infrastructure plays a crucial role in community health outcomes.

Through collaboration between government agencies, industry leaders and community stakeholders Australia is becoming a world leader in building healthier, more active communities whilst maintaining environmental stewardship.

As urban density continues to reshape our cities, these surface innovations offer hope that every Australian can access quality sporting facilities, regardless of where they call home.

AI and Tech Transforming Australian Community Sport

Community sport across Australia is undergoing rapid change, driven by artificial intelligence, digital innovation, and emerging technologies.

These innovations are changing the way community and school sports operate, connect with people, and foster more inclusive, efficient, and vibrant sporting environments nationwide.

Martin Sheppard, CEO of the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention, highlighted the magnitude of this change.

“We’re witnessing a game-changing moment where technology is not just supporting sport – it’s redefining it. From grassroots to schools, digital solutions are enabling smarter operations, deeper engagement, and more inclusive environments. At this year’s Convention, we’re bringing together the pioneers of this transformation to ensure every club, school, and community can benefit,” he said via press release.

As outlined by the ASTN, the sports technology sector in Australia is now a well-established industry worth $4.69 billion, featuring over 765 active businesses.

This development shows a strong national push to utilise innovation to solve problems, boost efficiency, and grow opportunities across community sport.

At the forefront of this transformation is the AI, Digital & Sports Tech stream at the 2025 National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC), set for June 25-26 in Melbourne.

Highlighting innovations from AI-driven analytics to mobile apps and immersive virtual tools, this stream will explore how technology is reshaping community sport.

Griffith University researchers in Queensland, collaborating with VALD from Brisbane, developed a rapid test that identifies high ACL injury risk in athletes within 10 minutes, supporting coaches to implement personalised prevention.

NSC’s AI, Digital & Sports Tech stream will highlight visionary ideas and key figures shaping sport’s future.

The Impact Keynote session, ‘Embracing Technology to Impact Sport’, will feature Dawid Naude, CEO of Pathfindr.ai, and Andrew Walton, Managing Director of Sports Tech World Series, discussing how AI and machine learning empower clubs to optimise their operations and enrich member engagement.

Afterwards, the ‘Embracing AI to Be More Inclusive’ panel will consider how commercial technologies from around the world are being applied to grassroots levels, featuring insights from Martin Schlegel (ASTN), Yasmin London (Qoria), and Brent Richardson (Enrichd Group).

To learn more about the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention and the AI, Digital & Sports Tech stream, click here.

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