Melbourne Knights’ elite football facility upgrades taking shape

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Image credit: Melbourne Knights

Melbourne Knights revealed that their exciting and extensive ground and facility works have got underway in Somers Street.

Knights Stadium is one of the most iconic grounds in Australian football and the club is committed to ‘providing a leading sporting facility in Melbourne’s West’ by creating brand new irrigation and drainage systems, new perimeter fencing, new turf for pitches 2 and 3, upgraded lighting and a brand new small sided pitch 4.

There were four notable upgrades that were announced:

  1. Major structure removal and earthworks

The club are removing the concrete training drill walls on pitch 3, the old Knights Juniors kiosk and the old Drive-In ticket booth. This is to allow enough space for additional earthworks spaces.

  1. Earthworks, irrigation, and drainage

Melbourne Knights’ major corporate partner for the 2024 season, Symon Brothers Constructions, are helping dig up pitches 2 and 3 to accommodate for new irrigation and drainage systems.

This allows brand-new irrigation technology on two of the ground’s main pitches which will ensure hydration on the playing surface and a top-quality playing environment that all players can expect.

  1. Lush Green Grass Installations

The club have announced the installation of new, top-quality Santa Ana Couch to pitches 2, 3 and 4, blended with Rye Grass. This gives the club two varieties of grass so that it can have maximum playability in both summer and winter conditions.

  1. Reinforced Security: New Fencing

Melbourne Knights are investing in strict fencing for pitches 2 and 3, as well as the addition of concrete pathways for spectators. This is to improve overall security at the ground and the aesthetics of the facility.

These upgrades made by Melbourne Knights are in line with the club’s previous statement which suggested the club have that long term vision to eventually join the National Second Division. There are important decisions and upgrades to be made in different sectors before the club make that all important leap.

The ground upgrades improve training and matchday quality through its new pitches, and there is a focus on creating a safer, more aesthetic experience for the fans on each matchday. There is a focal point made by the knights that community engagement and pride in Melbourne’s west is synonymous with the clubs values.

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FCA to Host Exclusive Two-Part Goalscoring Workshop Series with Dr Ron Smith

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One of Australian football’s most respected coaching minds shares decades of research ahead of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) has announced an exclusive two-part coach education series featuring renowned coach educator and football analyst Dr Ron Smith, offering coaches a rare opportunity to explore the evolving science of goalscoring through the lens of one of Australia’s most influential football thinkers.

The online workshops, scheduled for June 1 and June 8, will examine the historical development, modern trends and future direction of goalscoring in football, drawing on extensive research that formed the foundation of Dr Smith’s doctoral studies.

For FCA, the sessions represent the culmination of more than a year of planning and provide a timely opportunity for coaches to deepen their understanding of attacking play ahead of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

“Ron’s work on goalscoring has been years in the making and continues to evolve,” FCA President Ian Greener said.

“We felt there was no better time to bring this knowledge to the coaching community than in the lead-up to the World Cup, when coaches around the world will be analysing the game’s best teams and players.”

Across the two sessions, Dr Smith will present findings from his extensive research into goalscoring patterns and trends, examining how the game has changed over time and what coaches can learn from football’s biggest tournaments.

Topics covered throughout the series will include:

  • Historical analysis of goalscoring trends
  • How goalscoring has evolved in the modern game
  • Key patterns identified through Dr Smith’s research
  • Scoring trends across the last six FIFA Men’s World Cups
  • Comparisons between men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments
  • The role of pressing, transition moments and direct play in creating goals
  • Practical coaching implications for improving attacking performance

The two-part structure has been intentionally designed to build upon itself. Session One will focus on the evidence, data and research underpinning Dr Smith’s findings, while Session Two will explore the practical applications and coaching interventions that can emerge from that analysis.

Football Australia has accredited both workshops with one Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hour each, allowing coaches to earn two CPD hours by attending both sessions.

Dr Smith’s coaching and coach education credentials span decades. He has worked extensively with Football Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport and the Socceroos, while also holding coaching roles internationally in Iceland and Malaysia, as well as within the A-League.

His contributions to coach development have helped shape generations of Australian coaches, making this series a valuable opportunity for coaches across all levels of the game.

Event Details

History and Future of Goalscoring – Session One
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 7:30pm AEST
Format: Online
CPD: 1 Football Australia-accredited CPD hour

Following the completion of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, FCA is also planning a special panel discussion featuring leading Australian and international coaching voices to analyse the key tactical developments, trends and lessons emerging from the tournament.

Further details regarding that event are expected to be released later this year.

FCA members can attend the workshops free of charge, while guest registrations are available through Eventbrite.

Football NSW calls on clubs to Make It Red for Heart Health Round

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Football NSW is calling on clubs and associations across the state to register for the 2026 Make It Red campaign, joining a national awareness movement aimed at reducing heart-related deaths on sporting grounds ahead of Heart Health Round on the weekend of June 5 to 7.

The campaign, developed by the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, asks sporting clubs to wear red, raise funds and build awareness around heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia for both men and women, and one that health authorities say is largely preventable through modifiable risk factors.

The call to action comes as the Foundation continues its work to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across NSW sporting facilities, a project that has already engaged twelve football associations and fed data into both the NSW Ambulance GoodSAM registry and NSW Health’s public AED map. The availability of a functioning, registered AED on site is among the most significant determinants of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, with survival rates declining sharply for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is encouraging clubs to engage with the campaign across three areas. Clubs can register for the Make It Red campaign to help fund research, education and prevention programs. Participants, particularly those aged over 35, are encouraged to seek a free heart health screening test from their local GP or enquire about hosting a Heartbeat of Football testing day. Clubs are also urged to ensure their grounds have active, accessible AEDs in place, with guidance available through Football NSW’s Rescue Ready Guide.

The Make It Red campaign runs from June 5 to July 12, with Heart Health Round taking place across the opening weekend. Clubs can register and access participation resources at makeitred.org.

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