North Coast Football (NCF) has received a solid response to its invitation for players to trial with its high-performance player development programs in 2022.
NCF offers two high-performance programs for players aged 9 to 16. The programs have proven a pathway for players from the North Coast to the Matildas, other national teams and both the Men’s and Women’s A-Leagues.
The National Premier League Program is for female and male players 12 to 16 who compete for North Coast in a representative level 24 round competition week in week out with players from Newcastle and the Mid-North Coast.
The Skill Acquisition Phase Program is for female and male players aged 9 to 12 who train with NCF twice a week to gain skills over and above what they receive when training and playing with their clubs. They also compete monthly with teams from Northern NSW and Newcastle to assist talent identification and benchmarking.
Trials for season 2022 are on in the first two weeks of December. NCF head of player and coach development Alex Nolan reports strong interest in joining both programs from the Coffs and Clarence.
The NCF Player Development Program links into the Northern NSW Football Talented Support Program, which identifies talent early and gives them additional support as well as opportunities to perform at the state and national level.
In 2022 players from the regions TSP will be invited into School Holiday Tournaments and ‘Elite Games’ to assist Football Australia’s National Team staff to identify players for junior and youth National Teams.
Former Dutch international, Kew Jaliens, oversees the program as Newcastle Jets and Northern NSW Football Youth Technical Director. Jailens and NNSWF head of football development, Peter Haynes, will be visiting Coffs at the end of the month for discussions on talent identification and program development.
The NCF Player Development Program has been the starting point for players who have represented their country or played at the highest level in Australia.

The NCF honour role includes:
• Jenna Tristram (Matildas, Brisbane Roar)
• Olivia Price (Australia U20, Western Sydney Wanderers)
• Jasmin Courtenay (Newcastle Jets)
• Erin Herd (Melbourne City)
• Alannah Rosewood (Newcastle Jets)
• Ryan Scott (Western United)
• Oskar Dillon (Brisbane Roar, Western United)
• Sam Gallaway (Western Sydney Wanderers, Newcastle Jets)

Mr Alex Nolan, Head of Player and Coach Development at NCF said the player Development Program is delivering week in week out for footballers on the North Coast. Players are getting tastes of football they can’t get anywhere else.
“Improvement comes from top-level competition, and we get that with the National Premier League for our older youths. Younger youths are training and watched from an early age and compete against each other from all over northern NSW regularly in season.
We’ve got a great set-up now at NCF with excellent coaching staff, excellent facilities, and a strong partnership with NNSWF to get players visibility with A-League Men and Women clubs.
In the last 18 months, we’ve had players train with the Newcastle Jets, Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne City. This year, Alice Webster joined the Wander Women program of the Western Sydney Wanderers. NCF has proved a great stepping stone.
I think the trials in December will set a new standard for football in the region. We can’t wait to see what’s on offer”.