Football Victoria reveal plans for return to play

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Credit: Football Victoria

Football Victoria (FV) has released a plan detailing how the remaining games of the 2021 season will be completed once restrictions are lifted, and they are asking for feedback in regards to two different scenarios for completing the State League and National Premier League seasons.

FV has put forward two options. The season will either be extended into November to ensure that the entire season is completed, or only two more games will be played before teams enter the playoffs for promotion and relegation.

Option 1 for Men’s State League and National Premier League
Option 2 for Men’s State League and National Premier League

FV CEO Kimon Taliadoros addressed in a statement on August 17 that FV was committed to ensuring that the season is completed in a satisfactory manner.

“When the lockdown ends, we’ll be ready to assist Clubs to get back out playing as quickly as possible, as much as possible. We will be vigilant in working with government, councils and our clubs to provide a COVID safe and compliant environment for any of our activities,” he said.

“Further detail will be shared on these arrangements as we approach September 3, the current lockdown end date. These plans include exploring alternative competition options as well as the possibility of a season extension, double-header weekends and for some competitions, mid-week matches.”

Option 1 for Women’s State League and National Premier League
Option 2 for Women’s State League and National Premier League

The 2020-21 junior season will be extended until September 19, subject to when teams can return to play after the Victoria-wide lockdown has ended.

Juniors and MiniRoos (U7-U21)

Junior games will be fixtured on both Saturday and Sunday to ensure catch up games are completed.

FV has agreed a facility sharing agreement with Cricket Victoria for September, however decisions involving facility access still remain with local councils.

Men’s metropolitan and masters

Regional areas, which are out of the state wide lockdown, have returned to play.

Taliadoros added the return to play in regional areas was an example of how quickly football is able to return once restrictions are lifted.

“For those in regional Victoria, we’re so, so pleased you are carrying the torch for football and Futsal in our state. As hard as it is for metro participants to miss matches, it is heartening to see the vision from regional Victoria of a more COVID-normal way of life,” he said.

“Your excitement is infectious and seeing you living and loving football uplifts us all. Please keep sharing your magic moments each week.”

The full document and details can be downloaded here.

You can leave feedback for Football Victoria at the following links:

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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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Image Credit: Shutterstock

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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