Rowville Eagles · Rowville Foundation Academy
What makes us different
Paid, professionally trained coaches, a real football curriculum and a year-round program — built so every player knows what they’re working on and what comes next.
Coaching
Paid, professionally developed coaches
Every session is led by a paid coach who has completed our professional development program. That means qualified, consistent and accountable coaching for your child — every week, all year.
Learn more
Before they coach a single session, our coaches complete a 10-week professional development program that teaches them to deliver sessions “the Foundation way”. They learn our lesson sequence, how children learn, how to communicate with and motivate young players, how to break down technique, and how to use constraints to develop it. Just as importantly, they learn who we are — our culture and our values — so every coach is aligned from day one.
- ✓ Paid, never volunteer-run
- ✓ 10-week professional development program
- ✓ Same lesson sequence every session
- ✓ Aligned with our culture and values
Curriculum
A real football curriculum
Modelled on the Victorian school curriculum, our football curriculum runs from Foundation level (up to age 7) through every age to 13. Each player follows a clear progression, so players and parents always know what they’re working on and what comes next.
Learn more
Each level sets out achievement standards across six strands. Coaches plan sessions against those standards, track progress through the year, and report on it — the same way a good school does.
Foundation Football Curriculum
Phase: Discovery
(ATT)
Achievement standard: By the end of Age 8, players dribble at speed with their head up using the inside, outside and sole of both feet. They escape pressure with drag-backs and hooks, use a body feint or scissor to unbalance a defender, and finish into the corners from different angles. They move into space in front of goal when a teammate has the ball.
- FF-8-ATT01Dribble at speed using different foot surfaces, lifting the head between touches.
- FF-8-ATT02Turn away from pressure using the drag-back and inside and outside hooks.
- FF-8-ATT03Use deception (body feint, scissor) to unbalance a defender in a 1v1.
- FF-8-ATT04Place shots into the corners from different angles with either foot.
- FF-8-ATT05Attacking positioning: move into space in front of goal when a teammate has the ball.
The other five pillars
- (DEF)Winning the ball back and protecting our goal together.
- (PHY)Speed, agility, balance and coordination for football.
- (PAS)Moving the ball with purpose and controlling it under pressure.
- (TAC)Reading the game and making good decisions.
- (CHA)Effort, respect, resilience and being a great teammate.
A preview — the full curriculum, every pillar at every age, is what our coaches plan from and what player reports are written against.
Every session
Every session, five stages
Every session is built around one learning objective and follows the same five stages, so players get the most out of every minute.
Step 1
A fun, high-energy start that switches players on to the session’s focus.
Step 2
Coaches break the skill down with clear demonstrations and lots of touches.
Step 3
Practise the skill under pressure, with opponents, decisions and constraints.
Step 4
Link the skill to real match moments in small-sided games.
Step 5
Finish with a game where using the objective helps you win.
⏱ 75 minutes for U5–U11 · 90 minutes for U12+
Reports
Player reports you can follow
Once or twice a year, coaches assess each player against the curriculum’s achievement standards in every strand. Reports live on your child’s profile in the player portal, so you can see their progress over time.
Learn more
Each strand is assessed on a five-point scale — Well below, Below, At, Above or Well above the standard for their level — with a short comment from the coach on what’s going well and what to work on next.
Player report · Term 2
| Strand | Well below | Below | At | Above | Well above | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attacking Great at getting into space — keep working on finishing with the weaker foot. | Above | |||||
| Defending Closes down quickly; next step is staying on her feet when tackling. | At | |||||
| Physical Excellent agility and balance through the ladder work. | Above | |||||
| Passing & Receiving Receives on the half-turn really well — a standout this term. | Well above | |||||
| Tactical Starting to scan before receiving; keep building this habit. | At | |||||
| Character A brilliant teammate — always encouraging others. | Well above |
All year
A year-round program, four terms
We run all four Victorian school terms, so development doesn’t stop when the season does — around 80–100 training sessions a year.
Learn more
In the off-season (Terms 1 and 4) players train twice a week with the Rowville Foundation Academy. In season (Terms 2 and 3) they train twice a week with their team and play weekly games, with an optional third academy session focused on their personal targets.
Late Jan – early Apr
Twice a week with the RFA academy
Mid Apr – late Jun
Twice a week with your team + weekly games · optional RFA session
Mid Jul – mid Sep
Twice a week with your team + weekly games · optional RFA session
Early Oct – mid Dec
Twice a week with the RFA academy
Pathways
One club, two pathways
Players can be Rowville players in our club teams, Rowville Foundation Academy players, or both. Players from other clubs are welcome in the academy and stay connected to Rowville — and you can join part-way through the season through the academy, even when teams are full.
Learn more
The academy and the club share the same curriculum and coaching approach, so moving between them — or doing both — is seamless.
Club teams
- Teams for every age — MiniRoos through to seniors
- Weekly games through the season
- Train with your team during the week
- Boys and girls, every level welcome
Or do both — the club and the academy share the same curriculum and coaching approach.
Every Friday
Free Friday Community Night
Every Friday night is for families: a fun-only game, a free dinner, music and dessert. It’s our way of bringing back the community and culture we feel football has lost.
Learn more
Dinner is usually pizza. There’s nothing to book — just rock up. We only ask that a parent or carer stays to supervise their child.
- When
- Fridays at 5:30pm during Victorian school terms (not school holidays)
- Where
- Parkridge Reserve, 208 Dandelion Drive, Rowville VIC 3178
Foundation+: training that keeps going at home
Our online training platform: levelled drills in six areas, video challenges checked by Academy coaches, badges and leaderboards.
Come and see the difference
Book into the academy, register interest for a team, or start a free month of Foundation+.