Surf Coast triumphs

SURF Coast FC has been lauded for its growth, commitment to inclusion and strong culture on and off the field.

The Torquay-based soccer club was crowned Football Victoria’s 2025 Regional Club of the Year at its gala evening last weekend.

The award comes off the back of a huge year for the ‘Coasters’, who won a women’s premiership, received promotion in the men’s competition and increased playing numbers across the entire club.

The club is now the sixth-biggest, by playing members, in the state, and the fourth-biggest for players under the age of 11.

Surf Coast FC president Brett King said the award was great reward for effort for the club’s diligent team of players, coaches, volunteers, committee, family and sponsors.

“The club has had a really great three or four years, where we’ve been in this really harmonious position,” King said.

“We’ve had great buy-in across the board. More and more people are coming to help us because they feel that harmony and can see the great culture and impact that we are having.

 

“It’s great to have a label put on all the effort, particularly from our peers and our governing body that we are doing well – very well at that.

“All our team can have something now to hang their hat on.”

King said key partnerships with local businesses have helped to elevate the club’s offering to the community.

“Our partnership with Coerver Coaching has been massive for our coaching development, as well as our connection with El Nido Cafe, who do our bar and canteen management,” he said. “Those two have brought a level of professionalism to our club and a level of assistance that we couldn’t get organically by just using volunteers and ourselves.

“The commitment and trust from our committee into these partnerships has been really critical and contributed to the harmony of the club.”

On the field, he said Surf Coast is in a top-notch position to attack 2026 and beyond.

“I don’t speak about our on-field success as a measure of our club success, but what this award does is put a much bigger label on the success that we really are having,” King said.

“Over the past two to three years, our on-field success has run in parallel to our great culture, safe environment, and fantastic people around our club.”