THE 2016 football season, administered by Football Federation Victoria (FFV), has barely kicked off in what promises to be an incredibly exciting year of football ahead. And it’s not too late to play football!

It starts with the Matildas playing New Zealand on Saturday June 4 and Tuesday June 7 as part of their preparations for the Rio Olympic Games in August. The second of those matches will be an all-star double header with the Socceroos who play Greece at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday June 7, 2016. In July, the International Champions Cup returns to Melbourne with European powerhouse Clubs Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur and Atlético de Madrid competing at the MCG.
 
The excitement is contagious. Football can capitalise on this excitement and not only encourage new players but also reignite the passion of those players who have not returned to our game this year.
 
As part of an extended #PlayFootball campaign we will be contacting all players who are yet to return to football in 2016, encouraging them to head back to their Club, or to find a new Club, and to continue playing football this year. We are targeting 5,400 MiniRoos players who have not come back from last year.
 
What will FFV do?

We will be emailing all the non-returning players promoting that it is not too late to play football. Our message is to embrace this excitement, call their club and put the boots on again this year. 
 
What can you do?

Please make contact with your Junior and MiniRoos players from last year who have not returned. Email or call. If you require a list of these non-returning players, please contact FFV Business Analyst Aaron Vincent (avincent@ffv.org.au). Your Club can enter MiniRoos players any time before the final MiniRoos regrading process at the end of June. Enter a new team now and our Competitions Team will work with your Club to either enter them in a current league (if a bye exists), or provide an inter/intra Club opportunity ahead of the regrading process.
 
We want to ensure every player who wants to play football this year, plays football!
 
What if your club is at capacity?

If you receive calls for aspiring players you cannot accommodate, please take their names and contact details and call us on the Play Football hotline (03) 9474 1800, press 1 or email us playfootball@ffv.org.au. Alternatively pass these contact details on to your callers.
 
Once again, can I take this opportunity to thank every Club for the continued effort and hard work you do in making our sport so successful and popular in Victoria, and wish you all the best of luck for the remainder of season 2016.

Peter Gome

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Football Federation Victoria (FFV)