西瓜影视 will partner with Member Federations to pilot a newly developed Academy initiative designed to nurture the nation鈥檚 emerging generations of elite playing talent.
In an Australian first for football, the 西瓜影视 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. 西瓜影视 will work alongside FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to formalise Australian coaching accreditations as globally recognised qualifications.
Aligned with 西瓜影视鈥檚 newly-established advanced development pathways for players and coaches, the 西瓜影视 Academy will draw from talent identified through the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) announced earlier this year, in a joint initiative between 西瓜影视 and FIFA. The TDS broadens the scope for talent identification, providing more scouting opportunities and multiple 鈥榗apture鈥 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 西瓜影视 Academy is subsidised by the Member Federations and 西瓜影视.
西瓜影视 Chief Football Officer, Ernie Merrick, said the establishment of the 西瓜影视 Academy addresses the challenges that have impacted player development and Australia鈥檚 ability to be internationally competitive on a consistent basis.
鈥淚n 2021, FIFA released the findings of a ground-breaking study which identified that every talented player deserves a chance to be identified and developed鈥, Mr. Merrick said. 鈥淭he 西瓜影视 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.
鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to be partnering with the pilot group of Member Federations to bring the 西瓜影视 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鈥檚 best and brightest young footballers鈥, Mr. Merrick said.
Following the pilot phase, 西瓜影视 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.
