Football Australia will partner with Member Federations to pilot a newly developed Academy initiative designed to nurture the nation’s emerging generations of elite playing talent.

In an Australian first for football, the Football Australia Academy will commence its pilot phase from October 2024 in collaboration with Football South Australia, Football Tasmania, Football Victoria, and Football West.

The three-tier program is designed and focused on refining the technical skills, tactical understanding and high-performance behaviours of the talented young male and female players. It ensures access to highly skilled, qualified, and experienced coaches throughout the player development journey. Football Australia will work alongside FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to formalise Australian coaching accreditations as globally recognised qualifications.

Aligned with Football Australia’s newly-established advanced development pathways for players and coaches, the Football Australia Academy will draw from talent identified through the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) announced earlier this year, in a joint initiative between Football Australia and FIFA. The TDS broadens the scope for talent identification, providing more scouting opportunities and multiple ‘capture’ points for emerging players across Australia. By the end of 2024, the TDS will have provided up to 3,000 young players an opportunity to be identified from schools, clubs, and elite programs, nationwide.

The Football Australia Academy is subsidised by the Member Federations and Football Australia.

Football Australia Chief Football Officer, Ernie Merrick, said the establishment of the Football Australia Academy addresses the challenges that have impacted player development and Australia’s ability to be internationally competitive on a consistent basis.

“In 2021, FIFA released the findings of a ground-breaking study which identified that every talented player deserves a chance to be identified and developed”, Mr. Merrick said. “The Football Australia Academy responds directly to that opportunity by bringing the core components of the football development ecosystem under one, unified program incorporating the TDS, the National Youth Championships, and our U17 boys and girls national teams.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with the pilot group of Member Federations to bring the Football Australia Academy to life, which marks a significant step forward in our efforts to create a clear pathway to our Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas for Australia’s best and brightest young footballers”, Mr. Merrick said.

Following the pilot phase, Football Australia will work closely with the participating Member Federations to evolve and refine the program based on learnings. The aim is to collaborate towards a national roll-out in the medium term, ensuring that all states and territories have access to a consistent and integrated high-performance framework.