Netflix zooms in on new Coast football academy
An Australian-first football academy has hit the ground running at Peregian Beach to attract the attention of a heavyweight streaming service and TV network.
Sunshine Coast
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An Australian-first football academy has hit the ground running at Peregian Beach to attract the attention of a heavyweight streaming service and TV network.
In combination with educational partner, Peregian Beach College, the Sunshine Coast Fire and Sunshine Coast Sports Club launched a new academy program in July believed to be the first of its kind in Australia for juniors aged U9 – U13.
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It’s a full-time program combining football and education.
Students train up to three times a day while undergoing fully-funded private education.
Academy director Melvyn Wilkes said it had been well received.
“We’re into week eight now so the first block of training has just been done,” he said.
“With it being full-time, and obviously the only one in Australia, we’ve started to get interest from across Queensland, interstate and even abroad in New Zealand, the UK and America.
“Netflix have started to do some filming and we’re in talks with Fox Sports as well.
“So, it’s in a really good space to be honest.”
He said Netflix had engaged film director and producer Matt Inglis from Tiger Tale Productions to create a documentary on the academy.
He was unsure when footage would be released, with the filming part of a long-term project.
“It’s ongoing because what they wanted to do is track their developments through junior football to essentially senior football,” he said.
“I would imagine in 2021 there would be some form of airing of some type.
“We’re just in the process of actually piecing some stuff together as we speak.”
Filming aside, construction recently started on an academy block at their home, based at Peregian Beach College.
“That will enable us to stage our team briefings and stage games because it’s state-of-the-art and will have changing facilities,” Wilkes said.
The academy block is the first phase of a big few years at the site, with a synthetic field and accommodation facilities in the pipeline.
Currently, as part of the program, he said the students had access to a wide range of technology and coaching to advance their skills on the field.
“We’ve got a full-time sport scientist (Bruno Pena Couto) who is an associate professor from Brazil doing thermo-imaging of players’ muscles,” he said.
“These players will be monitored constantly every day.
“They’ve got GPS systems, heart rate monitoring systems - it’s state of the art stuff we’re doing and we’re doing it properly.”
He said 40 kids, who were all members of Sunshine Coast Fire, were currently involved in the academy but expected it to swell to almost 100 next year.
“They’re loving it, they can’t get enough,” he said.
“It’s demanding but as you can imagine as a young player that’s aspiring to play professional football being able to train full-time in the day and combine academic studies, it’s recipe for success.
“We’re not guaranteeing they’re going to be professional footballers but what we will do is put them on a stage to enable them to perform and allow them to be exposed to the higher levels.”
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