TALKING ALL THINGS SOCCER

29 November 2014

Shepparton News - Matthew Galea

 

GOULBURN VALLEY STAKEHOLDERS RELISH CHANCE TO SHARE VIEWS WITH NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

Shepparton was lucky to host the only regional Football Federation Australia consultation as part of the ‘‘Whole of Football’’ plan on Wednesday night.

FFA invited stakeholders from all levels of the game to meet at La Trobe University for an open discussion about the game from a number of different perspectives.

Head of community and women’s football Emma Highwood represented FFA in Shepparton, while Football Federation Victoria chief executive Peter Gome also attended.

Conversation based around the cost of soccer, its governance, grassroots facilities, development of elite youth players, the national team, local competition and the game’s supporter base.

The opportunity to meet with FFA attracted people from Wangaratta, Bendigo and Echuca-Moama as well as people from Shepparton and its immediate surrounds.

Tatura president Mimmo Lia and fellow Ibis Nick Corbo was in attendance, as was Kyabram Phoenix president Simon Fiske and Goulburn Valley Suns’ co-technical directors Shaban Mehmet and David Davkovski.

Local soccer identities Brendan Gosstray and Matt Maiorano attended as did Shepparton Junior Soccer Association’s Karen Hocking.

The cost of soccer proved a big sticking point for the room, particularly at a National Premier Leagues Victoria — which is meant to offer the highest level of competition in the state — level with the Suns.

There was also a consensus within the room that more had to be done to grow the participation level of the game in the region at all levels, with particular concern for the future of the women’s game in the area.

Soccer boasts strong numbers at a junior and sub-junior level through SJSA, but many felt kids were lost to the sport from the age of 12 when they moved towards clubs.

The number of imports and Melbourne based players playing senior soccer in the area was highlighted as a key concern — denying already limited senior opportunities among the six Goulburn North East Football Association clubs.

Furthermore, many felt the sport needed to do more to have a presence in schools.

It was also suggested that school representative sides should be taken more serious by state team and elite level selectors, particularly in regional areas where kids are not seen by metro-based representative squad coaches.

Access to the elite pathway as a whole in regional areas was also scrutinised, with many local kids having to travel back forth from Melbourne for trials and training, further ostracising regional players.

Local clubs applauded the impending takeover of local competition by FFV, having highlighted a lack of support from the state body, which local clubs had previously turned away, as another concern.