Women’s football reinforced by 118 new community grants

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Image Credit: Football Australia Website

Football Australia has celebrated the latest round of the Growing Football Fund Community Grants, with 118 clubs and associations awarded up to $5000 to support women’s football programs. 

In conjunction with the Commonwealth Bank, the latest grants from Football Australia built upon the first round of the program from March 2024 that saw 121 clubs and associations rewarded with grants.

The grants aim to strengthen women’s football through number of initiatives:

  • Assisting the development of female coaches by subsiding coach training programs
  • Assisting the hosting of ‘come and try’ days and participation programs
  • Assisting health and training workshops for women and girls
  • Assisting the allocation of professional female fitting uniforms

Through the program, Football Australia also illustrated its desire to bolster rural women’s sport by providing 38% of the grants to organisations from regional areas.

Football Australia General Manager of Women’s Football, Carlee Millikin, explained the impact the grants would have on community women’s football.

“We are thrilled to see the clubs and associations that have been awarded the grants demonstrating a strong commitment to long-term investment in women and girls’ football within their communities that goes beyond the financial,” she said in a press release.

“It means the Growing Football Fund can play its role to help supercharge their ambitions that result in positive outcomes for female participants. The wide breadth of projects is exciting, as it shows a deepening understanding of what is required to develop inclusive and safe environments.

“In partnership with CommBank, we have already seen great results from the round one clubs delivery of initiatives and look forward to witnessing how the latest cohort creates a lasting impact through their programs.”

CommBank’s General Manager of Brand, Sponsorship and Content, Di Everett, expressed their pride to sponsor the grants.

“We are so proud of what this fund has achieved so far, and congratulate the recipients of the Round Two grants,” she said via press release.

“We are passionate about making community sport more accessible for all. These grants have enabled clubs across the country to assist coaches through training opportunities and support local families through an expansion of programs to drive participation for young women.”

The clubs awarded with grants from Round Two of the program are listed below via member federation:

Capital Football 

  • BellaMonaro Women’s Football Club
  • Belsouth Football Club
  • Canberra Juventus Football Club
  • Canberra White Eagles Football Club
  • Tigers FC
  • Tuggeranong United Football Club

Football NSW

  • AC United Football Club
  • All Saints West Oatley Soccer Club
  • Ashfield Pirates FC
  • Austral Soccer Club
  • Balgownie Junior Football Club
  • Box Hill Rangers AFC
  • Collaroy Cromer Strikers Football Club
  • Colo Soccer Football Club
  • Enfield Rovers Football Club
  • Fairfield Bulls Football Club Inc.
  • Figtree Football Club
  • Football Canterbury Association
  • Forest Rangers Football Club
  • Future Leaders Australia Football Club Incorporated
  • Gordon Football Club
  • Gosford City Football Club
  • Leichhardt Saints Football Club
  • Leppington Lions Soccer Club
  • Lindfield Football Club
  • Millthorpe Junior Soccer Club Inc
  • Narooma Football Club
  • Narromine Soccer Club
  • North Epping Rangers Sports Club
  • North Turramurra
  • North West Sydney Football Association
  • Pennant Hills Football Club
  • Pitt Town Football Club
  • Ropes Crossing Strikers Football Club
  • Russell Lea Women’s Soccer Club
  • Sydney Uni Soccer Football Club
  • Wagga United Football Club
  • Warradale FC
  • West Griffith Soccer Club

Northern NSW Football 

  • Charlestown Azzurri FC
  • Coffs City United Football Club
  • Cooks Hill United Football Club
  • Corindi Red Rock Sports Association (Football Club)
  • Great Lakes United Football Club
  • Inverell Football Club
  • Moore Creek Football Club Inc
  • Norths United Football Club Incorporated
  • Old Bar Barbarians Football Club
  • Shores United Soccer Club

Football VIC

  • Barwon Heads Soccer Club
  • Bayside Argonauts Football Club
  • Berwick City Soccer Club
  • Boroondara Eagles Football Club Inc
  • Craigieburn city Fc
  • Croydon City Soccer Club Inc.
  • Darebin Women’s Sports Club
  • Daylesford & Hepburn United Soccer Club
  • Deakin Ducks Fc
  • Drysdale Soccer Club
  • Fitzroy Lions Soccer Club
  • Footscray United Rangers Football Club
  • Gippsland United Football Club
  • Glen Eira FC Football VIC
  • Keilor Park Soccer Club
  • Leongatha Knights Football Club
  • Middle Park Football Club
  • Officer City Football Club Incorporated
  • PEGS Soccer Club Football VIC
  • Phillip Island Breakers Soccer Club
  • Spring Hills FC
  • Swan Hill Soccer League
  • Traralgon Olympians Soccer Club
  • Truganina Lions Soccer Club

Football QLD

  • Annerley Recreation Club
  • Bluebirds United Football Club Inc
  • Brighton District Soccer Club Inc
  • Burdekin Football Club Inc
  • Centary Stormers FC
  • Dayboro and Districrs Football Club
  • Gold Coast Knights Football Club
  • Holland Park Hawks Football Club
  • Logan Village Falcons All Sports
  • Mackay Wanderers Football Club
  • Moreton City Excelsior FC
  • Rebels Football Club
  • Redlands United Football Club
  • The Gap Football Club
  • Townsville Warriors Football Club Inc
  • Woombye Snakes Football Club Inc

Football SA

  • Adelaide Ateltico
  • Adelaide Jaguars Football Club Incorporated
  • Campbelltown City Soccer and Social Club
  • Flinders United Women’s Football Club
  • Mount Barker United Soccer Club
  • Sacred Heart Old Collegians Soccer Club
  • South Adelaide Panthers FC
  • Sturt Lions Football Club Incorporated
  • The Pulteney Old Scholars Soccer Club Incorporated

Football West 

  • Baldivis Districts Sporting Club Incorporated
  • Country Coastal Junior Soccer Association
  • Esperance Soccer association
  • Forrestfield United Football Club
  • Karratha Glory Soccer Club
  • Kingsley Westside Football Club
  • Perth Atheletic FC
  • Twin City Saints Soccer Club
  • Westnam United Soccer Club

Football TAS

  • Clarence Zebras Football Club
  • Hobart City Football Clug
  • Launceston United Soccer Club
  • North Launceston Eagles Soccer Club
  • South Hobart Football Club
  • Woodbridge Football Club

Football NT

  • Darwin Olympic Sporting Club
  • Litchfield Football Club
  • Palmerston Rovers Football Club Incorporated
  • Stormbirds
  • Verdi Football Club

For more information on the grants, click HERE.

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Blacktown District Soccer Football Association Launches Youth League and Poaching Program

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Blacktown District Soccer Football Association has outlined a package of initiatives for the 2026 season centred on youth development, coach education and the celebration of female participation, as the Western Sydney association moves to raise standards across community football and strengthen pathways into state-level competition.

The centrepiece of the association’s development agenda is the Blacktown Youth Development League, a new competition structure spanning all youth Division One competitions in the Under-13 to Under-18 age groups, including Phoenix League female competitions involving both BDSFA and GDSFA clubs. The league applies a benchmarking framework adapted from Football NSW‘s junior competition standards, with clubs encouraged to implement structured training environments including a minimum of two sessions per week where possible.

BDSFA General Manager Owen Liiv said the initiative responded to clear demand from within the football community for more substantive development environments.

“It is pretty clear that people want more and better football experiences,” Liiv said. “The measure for us is high-quality youth football competitions within Blacktown and ultimately, stronger performances in state-wide competitions such as the Football NSW State Cup or Football NSW Champion of Champions.”

The referees branch will support the league by prioritising Division One fixtures and providing three-person match control where available, an operational commitment that acknowledges the role officiating quality plays in the overall development environment.

The Managerial Infrastructure

Running alongside the youth competition is a free coach education program, with Foundation of Football courses delivered across BDSFA’s 24 member clubs by permanent association staff. With more than 1,000 registered coaches across the district, BDSFA has set a target of 85 percent achieving Foundation of Football accreditation within three years. Removing cost as a barrier to accreditation is a deliberate structural choice, reflecting growing recognition across Australian football that coaching quality at community level is inseparable from participation outcomes.

The association also launched Female Football Week with a “Cocktails on the Pitch” event at Blacktown Football Park, attended by close to 100 players, coaches, referees, administrators and volunteers. Former Matilda Leah Blayney addressed the gathering, speaking about her pathway from Wentworth Falls to international football. BDSFA has indicated the event is likely to become an annual fixture on the association calendar.

Taken together, the initiatives reflect an association investing deliberately in the structural conditions that determine whether community football grows sustainably rather than opportunistically.

Manchester City open new training centre for Women’s First Team

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Image credit: Manchester City

The training centre opened earlier this week, following years of planning, investment and ambition for Manchester City Women.

State-of-the-art facilities

Recently crowned WSL Champions, Manchester City Women will now be able to train, prepare and recover in a truly special, purpose-built facility.

Covering 17,000 square feet, a world-class gym, strength & conditioning facilities and dressing room, the site will help players  to maximise performances on the pitch.

But given the facilities also received input from players and staff, inspiring added touches like social spaces and recognition for players with over 100 appearances, it is clear that this is a deeply personal project for all involved at Manchester City Women.

As Managing Director of Manchester City Women, Charlotte O’Neill, highlighted, the training centre is a symbol of excellence and ambition.

“This building is about so much more than bricks and mortar,” O’Neill said via press release.

“It is about creating an environment here our players can thrive, where standards are set at the very highest level and where the current squad has everything it needs to continue to compete for and win silverware.”

A winning project, for a winning team. The training centre is sure to propel Manchester City Women to even greater heights in the seasons to come.

 

Continuing investment trends

Furthermore, as the result of an AUD 18.6 million (GBP 10 million) investment and purpose-built for Manchester City Women, it is yet another example of the current strength of WSL investment.

Just a few weeks ago, Brighton & Hove Albion unveiled plans to construct a new venue for its women’s team, delivering on a clear intention to support commercial growth and infrastructure in the women’s game.

But even after winning their first WSL title this season, the message from the board is clear: Manchester City Women are a fundamental part of the club’s long-term vision.

“This new facility marks the next logical step in our long-term commitment to Manchester City Women, and is an important milestone for the club as a whole,” said Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

“We have always believed in investing to create the right environment for players and staff to develop and succeed. That approach has underpinned every aspect of our work since the professional relaunch of Manchester City Women in 2014.”

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