Maroondah on Football Victoria’s shortlist for new women’s soccer centre
Football Victoria will hold more talks with Maroondah Council about building its new headquarters — and a training base for Australia’s national women’s team — in the region.
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Maroondah is still in with a shot of becoming the new home of women’s soccer in Australia.
Football Victoria has short-listed five locations for the proposed centre, which will be built in Melbourne.
It will serve as a training base for Australia’s national team, the Matildas, and a new headquarters for Football Victoria.
Maroondah Leader reported on Maroondah Council’s expression of interest for the new ‘Home of the Matildas’ in March.
The council has made Football Victoria’s shortlist along with Brimbank, Casey, Darebin and a new sports park planned at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus.
Football Victoria will hold talks with the four councils and the university as part of a feasibility study to determine their preferred location.
They will then develop concept plans and cost estimates for the centre.
The State Government has provided $200,000 for the feasibility study and the Federal Government has promised $15 million towards construction.
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Football Victoria chief executive Peter Filopoulos said the centre would be a “game-changer for women’s football in Australia and across the Asia region”.
Mr Filopoulos said it was important to provide the Matildas with “the high-performance home base that will help them stay at the forefront of international football and ensure the game keeps developing the stars of tomorrow.”
Maroondah Mayor Rob Steane said the council was pleased to make the shortlist and was continuing discussions with Football Victoria about its interest in the centre.
Cr Steane said the council had not selected a location in Maroondah for the centre nor had it done any other planning or designs.
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