Altona City SC unveils new pitches and pavilion

Jullian Sardana12/08/2024 6:05 am11/08/2024

Image credit: Altona City SC Facebook

Altona City SC has revealed three new upgraded pitches and a new pavilion at their home ground, HC Kim Reserve, with help from a government investment of $800,000.

The new works at HC Kim Reserve included a complete rebuild of pitch one and irrigation upgrades for pitches two and three. This will ensure improved surface quality and consistency, safety, as well as more capacity and opportunities to boost women and girls’ participation.

The newly added pavilion is female-friendly and features six change rooms, umpire facilities, a first aid room, dividable multi-purpose social space and storage.

Altona City SC shared their appreciation to all parties involved in a heartfelt statement on their media platforms.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the State Labour Government and the Hobsons Bay City Council. Your unwavering support and generous funding has made our dream of new club rooms and sports grounds a reality. This project signifies not only the growth of our club but also the strengthening of our community,” the club said via their social media accounts.

“A special thank you to The Honourable Melissa Horne, Member for Williamstown. Your dedication and commitment to our community have been truly inspiring. We are immensely grateful for your support.

“This new facility is more than just a building; it is a beacon of hope and a symbol of what we can achieve when we come together as a community. It will serve as a hub for young athletes, families, supporters, members and all past players fostering a sense of belonging and pride for many years to come,” the club said.

Melissa Horne, Member for Williamstown, said the new upgrades at HC Kim Reserve will make sure all players at Altona City SC can continue to develop and create more opportunities for locals to play.

“The pitch upgrades and new pavilion will ensure Altona City and other members of the community can ramp up training and development and create more opportunities for locals of all ages and abilities to participate in football,” she said via Football Victoria media release.

With the club having to play at three different ‘home’ grounds this season, which included The Home of Matildas in Bundoora, Altona City SC have finally returned home with a new and improved upgrades to their facilities.

The unveiling of the new pitches and pavilion at HC Kim Reserve will also help the club further its development and will also attract more locals around Hobsons Bay to come play for the club while aiming to increase female participation.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Patrick Irving16/04/2026 8:55 am16/04/2026

Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

Patrick Irving15/04/2026 6:05 am14/04/2026

Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.