Image Credit: Glenn Ferguson - Geelong Advertiser

In a first for Australia, Football Federation Victoria is piloting a girls’ Skill Acquisition Program in Geelong.  

The program was introduced by Football Federation Australia in 2010 and is the first step in national talented player pathway.

While there are several programs nationwide which cater for boys and girls, this is the first ever girls only program.

The program caters for 9-12 year olds, with 12 girls currently involved in Geelong.

Pete Bradley is the Program Manager with Cath Sattler as coach, putting the girls through their paces at the Torquay Sports Precinct each week.

The program aims to develop key skills in Geelong’s most talented young females which will form a solid foundation for them to reach their full playing potential and hopefully play for a Westfield W-League side or even get a call up for the national team.

Football Federation Victoria Technical Director and former New Zealand international Sean Douglas said that Geelong was an excellent choice for Australia’s first Skill Acquisition Program for girls.

“The Geelong program is in very good hands with Pete Bradley and Cath Sattler and I look forward to seeing the improved quality of players that will emerge,” he said.

“I will be paying particularly close attention to how this pilot program runs and other Technical Directors from around Australia will be too.

“It is a priority to get all-girl Skill Acquisition Programs up and running to develop technical ability on the ball at a young age and this is a great starting point.”

In its short history, the Skill Acquisition Program already has an impressive success rate, especially for girls who previously took part in boys programs. At the Under 13 Girls National Championships in April, four girls from the Victorian State team were selected for the National All-Star team. All four girls took part in a Skill Acquisition Program in 2011.