Futsal players kick goals on state ands national stage

FUTSAL Ballarat teams have continued to stamp themselves among Australia’s best by winning state and national level titles.

Capping its most successful campaign yet, three of the club’s representative teams won Melbourne Futsal League (MFL) titles in 2025.

They included the girls (aged) nine squad, which claimed the MFL nine and 10s girls championship.

The club’s golden run, which came on the back of a revamp of its academy program 18 months ago, continued with championship honours in the boys nine and 10 competitions.

Ballarat players backed up their success in Melbourne with a bold showing at the Gold Coast International Futsal Tournament in January.

The largest club tournament in Australia, the event draws teams from across Australia, competing alongside a sprinkling of international teams from New Zealand and Nepal, to be crowned Australian champions.

Futsal Ballarat players represent not only Ballarat, but the broader region, and compete in the national tournament as Vic Country Warriors.

The Warriors had five of eight teams selected to tour and make quarter finals or better.

Three teams made it through to either the gold medal playoff game or the bronze playoff game.

The girls nine team led the charge with a silver medal, with the eight boys securing a bronze.

Also more than holding their own against elite opposition, the Warriors 16 boys narrowly missed a medal, ending the tournament in fourth.

Club director Dermott Tebb said the club’s ‘fantastic achievements’ showed that regional futsal players had what it took to compete against the best in Victoria and Australia.

“We revamped our academy program 18 months ago and we are really seeing the results, not only on court, but in the way our players are developing as individuals and within a team environment,” he said.

“We know we have one of the best futsal player development programs in Victoria.

“Over the past year we’ve sent coaches to Spain to learn from the best coaches in the world and bring that knowledge back to Ballarat.

“The club also invested in player development by having international futsal superstars like Spanish national team players Adrian ‘Pola’ Alonso and Roberto Tobe travel to Ballarat to coach our kids.

“We are proud that we are opening doors for regional players to learn from the best and now that Australia has a senior men’s and senior women’s national teams, we hope to play a role in unearthing the next Futsalroo or Matilda.”

Futsal Ballarat is the only Football Victoria and Football Australia affiliated futsal competition provider in Western Victoria.

Boasting more than 2000 registered players in Ballarat and Geelong, the club is the largest in Victoria.

Players selected for the Futsal Ballarat Vic Country Warrior representative program all play in weekly competitions held at Futsal Ballarat or Geelong Futsal.

With an established pathway from community competitions to the academy and Vic Country Warrior program, regional players have the opportunity to play locally before progressing into regional, metropolitan, national and international level competitions.