Surf Coast under-12s come within seconds of state glory

SURF Coast FC’s under-12 girls came within 38 seconds of winning the State Club Championships title before suffering a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat.

The championships were held at The Home of the Matildas in Bundoora, with Surf Coast fielding teams in the under-10, under-12 and under-15 girls competitions.

The under-12s looked set to lift the trophy before a late Bentleigh Greens equaliser forced the match to penalties.

Coerver Coaching director Adrian Leijer, who coached the three sides, said the under-12 girls’ run was a reward for years of development.

“It was just a fantastic showing from a group of girls that have been developing really well over the years,” he said.

“To go there and do so well just gives them a whole lot of belief, just knowing that they can mix it with the kids in Melbourne.

“The best thing was just the experience. Even though the final didn’t go their way, they performed amazingly well, and they were that close to winning it.”

The under-10s reached the quarter-finals, while the under-15s also enjoyed a strong campaign to cap an impressive tournament for the club.

Leijer said the performances across all three age groups highlighted the quality of Surf Coast FC’s junior program.

The club has the fourth-highest participation numbers among Football Victoria’s more than 230 clubs and was named Regional Club of the Year in 2025.

Leijer said many talented juniors were currently forced to leave Surf Coast FC to play National Premier Leagues football and believed the club was “well and truly knocking on the door” of earning its own junior licence.

“I think it’s time that Surf Coast FC is respected for what they’re doing in terms of youth development,” he said. “[They] really need to be seriously considered now.

“Facilities are fantastic, the people involved are brilliant, and the quality of the average player that we’re producing is of a really strong standard.

“You combine all those things together and the regional location that we have, I think the club’s more than ready to step up. Particularly in the female space, I feel like it’s a space where we’re very, very strong.”

The club’s junior sides will now turn their attention to the remainder of their domestic seasons, before competing in the Ballarat and Shepparton Cups later this year.