Waverley City Soccer Club boosted by significant funding from the Victorian Government  

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Waverley City Soccer Club have received a $125,000 funding boost in the form of new and improved competition grade lighting, through the Victorian Government’s World Game Facilities Fund.

The installation of the state-of-the-art LED lighting at the club’s home ground at Milpera Reserve in Wantirna coincides with recent upgrades currently in progress at the facility, which includes the implementation of a new playing surface, irrigation system, fencing and goals.

Club president Kevin Tan explained to Soccerscene that the range of upgrades are extremely beneficial for the club.

“For us specifically, it’s fantastic that we now have the ability to train and play night games sporadically in the same location,” he said.

“Before this, we had to move our training sessions to a different ground and play games here.

“Being able to train at the ground you play may seem like a small thing but for us it saves us so much money. There are also other benefits such as having the juniors and seniors training together, so the juniors and seniors now see each other and interact – which is great for building a culture in the club.”

The club was formed in 2007 on the back of a group of mates who were looking to play games of football together on the weekends.

Since then, the club has expanded significantly with 172 members, fielding four senior men’s teams, two senior women’s teams and six junior teams.

The local community have played a huge role in the progress of the club and according to Tan, the new upgrades are for all to enjoy.

“In regards to our affiliation with the area, we want be more visible in the community; we can hold events and things like that to get to know our neighbours a bit more,” he said.

“The wider community can obviously use it, importantly it’s for them as well.

“Some of the early feedback we’ve received from members around the community is that they love the ability to walk around Milpera at night now.

“Previously there was no lights at all, so if they want to go for a walk at night in the area while we train, they can, and have, which is really good.”

Lisa Cooper, Mayor and Councillor of Knox City Council, spoke about the funding for the lighting upgrades: “There are so many new teams, and every team needs a suitable space to train and play. The Victorian Government’s World Game Facilities Fund is helping us keep up with growth in the sport locally.

“Training and match standard lighting enables more teams to train and play in the evening but it can be expensive, and the grants are helping us complete the upgrades more quickly than Council could find the budget for on our own.

“The LED lighting is energy-efficient and focuses the light on the pitch so it doesn’t spill into surrounding backyards,” Cooper concluded.

The funding boost has also been complemented by goodwill agreements with the local council, who have cancelled ground hire costs for Waverley City Soccer Club this season.

“Our council has been good with us; they’ve waived fees this season for ground fees,” Tan said.

“We’ve obviously had some financial struggles in the last year with Covid like a lot of clubs, so being able to save money while you can, is amazing for us.

“It is something that has allowed us to stabilise the club.”

In the near future, further upgrades are set for Milpera Reserve, including the introduction of portable change-rooms which will give the club the scope to eventually expand the number of boys’ and girls’ teams.

“It’s part of a 3-year plan which had been previously confirmed, but COVID has messed up the timeline a bit,” Tan said.

“Previously we had a really good chat with our former councillor Jackson Taylor and he was really big on improving our area’s sporting clubs (he eventually became a member of parliament for Bayswater) and really helped a lot with getting our grants sorted for us.

“The lights were meant to be done in the last year, but nothing really got done in 2020 because of the pandemic. I’m now not actually sure of what the rest of the timeline is, but I do believe they (portable change-rooms) are guaranteed for some time in the future, which is definitely exciting for us.”

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General Manager of Oakleigh Cannons FC Aki Ionnas: “We’ve proved we are the best team in NPL Victoria”

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Aki Ionnas is the General Manager & Director of Football at the Oakleigh Cannons FC, whose senior men’s side were champions of the National Premier Leagues (NPL) Victoria in 2024.

Speaking with Soccerscene in a wide-ranging chat, Ionnas details why his club continues to have great success on and off the park – cementing themselves as one of the top clubs in the state.

First of all, going back a couple of months now, you were crowned champions of NPL Victoria in 2024 – tell me a little bit about how rewarding it was to win the GF in Victoria this past season?

It was an amazing season and we deserved the results from the hard work we put in. If we even look back a bit further, what we’ve shown in the last 3 years is that we’ve proved we are the best team in NPL Victoria.

We’ve won 2 Championships in that time, a Dockerty Cup, a Community Shield and a Premiers Plate – what else can I say, these are great achievements.

What were the factors that you think contributed to your success last season, but also the last few years?

First of all, Chris Taylor and his coaching team, who are absolutely fantastic and have been for a number of years. Chris is a top class coach and since he’s been with us, he has won us plenty of silverware. Our Football Operations person, John Ioannou, has also made a huge contribution to our success on the field – working very closely with Chris.

The entire board, the great support we have from sponsors, it’s all a big family and the results continue to speak for themselves.

Everyone works hard together for the same cause and that’s a main reason why we have been so successful.

How will you sustain that success moving forward into next season, what are your objectives for next season?

It’s always hard to sustain the success, it’s not easy at all. We are a close-knit club and we are now always going to be the hunted. Being the hunted is always difficult, but we will always continue to try and achieve our goals and be up there at the end of the season.

There’s a recent history of success that we’ve established, record Grand Final wins and also good results in the Australia Cup (reaching the quarter and semi-finals recently), so we’ve found the formula and I don’t see why we can’t continue that.

Image credit: One Nil Media

Are you able to provide an update on the facility upgrades at Jack Edwards Reserve, how is that progressing at the moment and when is it due for completion?

It’s all going great. Our 550 Lux light towers are now up and they will be operational in a couple of weeks. All of our home games next season will be on a Friday Night, so everything is going to plan, which is amazing to see.

Could you just detail what the other planned facility upgrades are for?

Alongside the 550 lux light towers, there will be upgrades with a new 500 seat grandstand, a corporate function room upstairs in the pavilion, medical rooms, referee rooms and also first aid rooms. The plan is for everything to be completed by late 2025.

Council has contributed significantly to these upgrades – tell me a little bit more about how this will positively impact your club and the local community overall?

We definitely appreciate council’s support but also a big thanks goes to our Chairman Kon Kavalakis and our President Stan Papayianneris – these two have been instrumental in getting this project up and running.

The facilities are great and it’s a hub for the local community in the area; it’s going to be fantastic and really take the club to the next level. We’ve seen success on the park and now we’re starting to see the success off the park. We’re going to be one of Melbourne’s leading clubs in the state of Victoria.

Image credit: One Nil Media

Moving on Aki, what are your thoughts on the finer details announced around the National Second Division (NSD) recently – what is Oakleigh’s stance on potentially joining the second tier?

Of course, we’d love to be a part of the national second division. We have some of the best facilities in the state, we are looking very positively at the idea (of joining a national second tier).

Image credit: One Nil Media

What were the reasons around why the club wasn’t amongst the foundation clubs of the competition?

We initially just wanted to wait and see more of the details come out at the time of submission. Now that more details have come out into the open, it’s looking very positive overall.

With NPL Premiers across the country invited to join next year’s NSD, are you aware of the financial expectations if you were to win the premiership in NPL Victoria next season and get invited to the national competition (have they been communicated from FA to the clubs?)

No not as yet, but we expect those details to come out when appropriate.

What do you personally think of the NSD’s “Champions League” model, as opposed to the Home and Away model?

I personally think it’s a great start (with the announcement of the Champions League model) and if it was to be a home and away season eventually, we would look at those details when they come out and make a further decision.

Just back on the club, obviously women’s football participation continues to boom in the state – is an NPL Women’s side for your club on the immediate agenda for you to implement?

It’s definitely on the agenda and it’s a high priority for us. We have people in the background working on this and with the participation rates great around the women’s game it.

Image credit: One Nil Media

What does the future for the club look like Aki? Obviously, there are very positive signs – where do you see the club positioned over the next few years and what are its main objectives?

We want this club to continue its strong success in all areas. We are always striving for this club to be competing for silverware, whether that’s in Victoria or on a national level.

CiTC’s ‘Man Up’ initiative uses football to inspire change

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Image credit: Melbourne City website

The City in the Community (CiTC) initiative ‘Man Up: Creating Respectful Relationships’ has launched the evaluation report for the pilot program, which aims to promote healthy relationships, respect, and gender equality. The initiative, funded by the Federal Government’s Safer Communities Grant, was rolled out through Victorian community settings, primary and secondary schools. 

CiTC Young Leaders and football coaches delivered the program, which included contributions from A-League Women’s star Laura Hughes, Melbourne City’s Powerchair champion Shaun Millett, and A-League Men’s teams. The program targeted adolescents, with a specific focus on multicultural youths using sports as a hook to get youths interested in participating. 

Important findings from the initiative’s evaluation were that there was a demonstrated shift in masculine attitudes, youths exhibited positive impacts on Young Leaders and peer influences, leading to improved relationships. 

Local state MPs and federal representatives supported the launch of the report findings. Tim Richardson MP (Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) spoke at the launch, emphasising the significant importance of addressing gender-based violence and shifting attitudes of adolescents.

Dr Pam Kappelides (La Trobe University) instructed the evaluation of the program and applauded the report for initiating critical conversations. 

Women’s A-League Melbourne City player Laura Hughes spoke about her role and experience from participating as a Youth Leader. 

“As a professional footballer, I hope I can positively impact young people’s lives in some way,” she said in a press release.

“I’ve especially enjoyed connecting with young men sharing some of the barriers female athletes face as well as the great opportunities we’re afforded here at City.” 

Key recommendations found from the program:

  • Extend the length of the program beyond one day in some cases
  • Establish a long-term evaluation system
  • Incorporate visual/interactive elements
  • Evaluate program title change 
  • Source for experienced leaders/coaches

CiTC hopes to extend the initiative and seeks stakeholder and funder engagement. Victorian schools have reached out to CiTC to bring the program to their students in both primary and secondary schools.

The program successfully used football as a platform to engage youths in participating, actively engaging, and having critical conversations to understand the importance of promoting gender equality and healthy relationships among young people. 

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