Football Tasmania’s four-year Facilities Strategy to increase grassroots participation

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Football Tasmania Facilities Strategy

Football Tasmania has released a new Facilities Strategy for 2023-2026, as they transition from their 2019-2023 strategic plan.

The Facilities Strategy is an evidence-based strategy, designed to ensure sufficient football facilities are available to cater for unmet demand and support the projected growth of football in Tasmania, from grassroots to elite level.

Football Tasmania is seeking support from all key stakeholders – clubs, associations, state and local government, schools – to address the challenges they face in terms of growing the sport in the state.

Bulkeley stated via media release that while the primary focus of the Facilities Strategy was to support grassroots growth, it was also prepared with the view of future-proofing football in Tasmania for eventual A-League teams of its own.

There are key statistics mentioned in the Facilities Strategy by Football Tasmania that highlight where the current state of football is at as of 2022.

38,068 people participated in football, both indoor or outdoor, across Tasmania, with 13,093 of them registered for outdoor football alone. This is the most highlighted and important statistic that Football Tasmania are trying to rapidly increase in the grassroots game.

More importantly, there was a decent 39.4% increase in participation from 2020 to 2021, proving that the growth of the sport has its foundations in Tasmania and they can build on it.

There is an estimated $1,900 annual economic benefit per participant to the State, with social and health benefits
additional. It’s a system right now that can be hugely successful for the state financially and building upon it with this Facilities Strategy is key.

3,768 women and girls are registered to participate in football in Tasmania in 2023, highlighted due to the importance Football Tasmania are putting on 50:50 participation across both genders and is one of their key pillars in the Facilities Strategy.

3,954 people registered for Futsal and participated in it for the year 2022.

Football Tasmania have set foundations for the plan to ensure it succeeds in improving individual facility development at all three levels of football in the state which include:

  • State
  • Regional hubs
  • Local facilities

The Facilities Strategy is based over three planning periods (horizons), to assist in prioritisation and resources allocation to ensure long-term sustainable outcomes.

Horizon 1 –  The First Half (2023-2024)

This is considered the planning stage before the implementation of their new facilities and will lay the foundation for long-term success. Includes:

  • Facilities Strategy endorsement – including narrative, priorities and resourcing
  • Collecting up-to-date data about grassroots football
  • State & Federal Govt. engagement – incl. State Sport and Recreation Strategy

Horizon 2 – The Second Half (2025-2026)

The second stage that plans to tick boxes and aim to complete the goals set in the Facilities Strategy. Includes:

  • Start and finish work on Regional hubs
  • State facility Master-planning / delivery
  • Football association / club integration model – juniors and seniors

Horizon 3 – Extra Time (2026+)

The future past this Facilities Strategy that will ensure perennial growth of football in Tasmania. Includes:

  • Lobby for Developer Contributions Program
  • Embedded planning for elections across all tiers of government
  • Creating additional Regional hubs

The growth of football participation is vital for Tasmania, and they are expecting a large amount of growth throughout this 4-year period in the strategy.

Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley confirmed that football is the largest participation team sport in Tasmania, with around 38,000 participants.

“Football in Tasmania is growing across all categories and is expected to continue to grow,” he said via press release.

The currently have 13,093 registered outdoor football participants as of 2022 which is a 5.8% increase from 2020, indicating the growth is subtle but the demand to play the sport is most certainly there.

There is also more of a focus on the women and girls representation in Tasmanian football. Bulkeley explained the importance of improving facilities to keep the participation for women and girls healthy.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this year will add to that demand, and we want to ensure that participants – particularly women and girls – aren’t turned away due to the lack of suitable facilities,” he added via press release.

Women & Girls participation and demand numbers

  • 3,768 registered outdoor football participants from 2022
  • 6.2% increase in registered participants from 2021
  • 16.5% increase in registered participants over last 4 years
  • 28.8% of total outdoor participants are women and girls with a goal to level this to 50:50 gender participation by 2027

The Facilities Strategy set out by Football Tasmania is in-depth and is a sign that they are positively pushing for suitable facilities that will attract the youth of the state in participating in the sport. Whilst the sport continues to grow, capitalising off the FIFA Women’s World Cup has also been a big talking point in the plan and certainly will help their ambition to grow the women’s game rapidly.

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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.

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

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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.

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