Football NSW strengthens commitment to Female Para Program

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Image credit: ParaMatildas

Football NSW is proud to reaffirm its ongoing support of the Female Para Football Program, made possible through the NSW Office of Sport’s NSW Football Legacy Program and the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s Play Our Way initiative.

Launched in 2019, the Football NSW Female Para Program is a vital part of Football Australia’s ParaMatildas pathway, empowering women with disabilities to engage with the sport at all levels. This renewed investment will support a series of monthly training sessions at Valentine Sports Park, building on the momentum of the initial ‘Come and Try’ day.

This groundbreaking player identification and development program is designed to enhance inclusion, talent growth, and pathway opportunities for female athletes with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury (ABI), and stroke-related impairments.

The first ‘Come and Try’ session will take place at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday 14 June, held in conjunction with a ParaMatildas national team camp. Participants will have the unique opportunity to try Para Football and meet members of the CommBank ParaMatildas squad.

Head of Women’s Football, Hayley Todd, welcomed the announcement, highlighting the importance of inclusion and early talent development.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide more resources and investment in this program, which aligns with our commitment to creating inclusive football environments and providing pathways for women with disabilities,” she said via press release.

“Our goal is to identify talent early, support their development, and inspire more women to experience the joy of football.”

Together with its partners, Football NSW aim to break down barriers and create a more inclusive future for women in football.

Female players of all experience levels are encouraged to register their interest and be part of this exciting new chapter. Whether you’re new to the game or have played before, the Female Para Football Program welcomes everyone into a supportive and inclusive environment.

To secure your spot, register here.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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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.

Football NSW supports Female Coaches CPD as Women’s Football Surges

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Football NSW has used the platform of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to deliver a targeted professional development workshop for female coaches, bringing together scholarship recipients for an evening of structured learning and direct engagement with elite women’s football.

Held at ACPE last month, the session was open to female coaches who received C or B Diploma scholarships through Football NSW in 2025. Coaching accreditation carries a financial cost that disproportionately affects women, who are less likely to have their development subsidised by clubs or associations operating in underfunded community football environments. Scholarship access changes that equation at the point where many women exit the pathway.

Facilitated by Football NSW Coach Development Coordinator Bronwyn Kiceec, the workshop focused on goal scoring trends from the tournament’s group stage, with coaches analysing attacking patterns and exploring how those insights could translate into their own environments. The group then attended the quarter-final between South Korea and Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia.

The structure of the evening mattered as much as its content. Female coaches in community football rarely have access to elite competition environments as a professional resource. The gap between the level at which most women coach and the level at which the game is analysed and discussed tends to reinforce itself. Placing scholarship recipients inside a major tournament, as participants rather than spectators, closes that gap in a way that a classroom session cannot.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented across all levels of the game in Australia. The pipeline that will change that depends not only on accreditation access but on the professional networks, peer relationships and exposure to elite environments that male coaches have historically taken for granted.

The workshop forms part of Football NSW’s ongoing commitment to developing female coaches through scholarships and structured learning opportunities.

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