Football Victoria welcomes state government funding to assist families with participation costs

Philip Panas03/11/2020 5:55 am04/08/2021

Football Victoria have welcomed the Victorian Government’s $45.2 million funding announcement on Sunday, which will help families with the cost of community sport for next year.

The funding boost includes a $21 million support program that will help up to 100,000 children with their participation costs, for their community sport of choice.

The Get Active Kids Voucher Program provides $200 vouchers to help families with the cost of sports uniforms, equipment or memberships.

Thousands of football players across Victoria are set to benefit from the initiative, after a year of very little activity on the park.

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence understands the challenges families will face, as young people begin to return to the activities they enjoy.

“Every child deserves the chance to be active and healthy – but especially after this year – and these vouchers will help families afford the sports their kids love.”

FV Interim CEO Kimon Taliadoros was delighted with the announcement, believing the payment will make a significant difference for those that most need it.

“This commitment will help to ease the financial burden for Victorian families, as we start to return to a COVID normal way of life. We know that community sport has a huge role to play, for the mental and physical wellbeing of everyone involved at our Clubs.

“This initiative has been very warmly welcomed by our football community. So many families have been heavily financially impacted by the pandemic and this payment will assist many to take part in 2021 competitions, that otherwise may not have been able to.”

The payments are expected to be made available by next year, with Football Victoria to release more information on eligibility criteria in the coming months.

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Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

Declan Chan12/05/2026 6:05 am11/05/2026

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

Declan Chan11/05/2026 6:05 am10/05/2026

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.