Anyone can print flyers and hire a hall. Junior football in Melbourne is full of programs that range from genuinely excellent to well-meaning-but-chaotic — and from the outside, their Instagram accounts can look identical. This is the checklist to run as a parent, in order of importance.
Is the academy safe? The non-negotiables
Run these checks before anything else. They’re pass/fail.
1. Working with Children Checks — every adult involved. The WWCC is Victoria’s legal screening requirement for adults working with children. Ask directly: “Does every adult who will coach or supervise my son hold a current WWCC?” The only acceptable answer is an immediate yes. MatchCraft’s own policy is the same standard: coaches must hold a current Working with Children Check before working with participants.
2. Compliance with Victoria’s Child Safe Standards. These mandatory standards require organisations to have real child-safety policies: codes of conduct, screening, complaint procedures, and a culture where kids are heard. An academy that looks blank when you mention them hasn’t done the work.
3. Public liability insurance. Accidents happen in sport. Ask any program to confirm its current cover — a legitimate operator can do so without fuss, and an uninsured program is a program you cannot enrol in.
4. Consent, medical forms and incident reporting. Before your son’s first session, a proper academy collects parent consent and medical information (allergies, asthma, conditions), and has a stated process for recording and reporting incidents. If they don’t ask about his health, they’re not prepared to look after it.
5. Physical environment. Look at the facility itself: a safe playing surface, a controlled drop-off and pick-up arrangement, and — for indoor programs — a proper hall rather than a repurposed space. (Indoor training has practical advantages of its own: no darkness, no waterlogged grounds, no mid-winter conditions.)
Is the coaching actually good? The quality markers
Once safety passes, judge the football. You don’t need coaching badges to evaluate a session — you need to watch one and count.
- Group caps that are real. Ask the maximum number of players per session and whether it’s enforced. MatchCraft’s planned cap is 20 players per night. Unlimited enrolment means your fee subsidises a crowd.
- A published session structure. Quality programs can tell you exactly how the time is used. MatchCraft’s planned two hours run in three blocks: activation and S&C (6:00–6:40), technical coaching in ability groups (6:40–7:20), then coached small-sided match play (7:20–8:00). Vague answers (“we do drills and games”) usually mean improvised sessions.
- Ability grouping inside the session. A 7-year-old beginner and a 13-year-old club player should never be doing the same activity at the same level. Ask how players are grouped — the answer should mention both age and ability. (More on age-appropriate training in what age should my son start.)
- Kids moving, not queueing. The single best in-session metric: in any five minutes, how many touches does an average child get? Long lines and one-ball drills are a warning sign. Session length matters here too — short clinics can lose a third of their time to overheads.
Is the business honest? The money markers
- Transparent pricing with nothing hidden. The advertised price should be the whole price. Ask about registration fees, compulsory kit and levies. MatchCraft’s planned block pricing is flat: $175 per 4-session block or $300 per 8-session block.
- A clear cancellation policy in writing. Ask what happens when a session can’t run — credit, make-up session, or nothing — and get the answer in writing before paying.
- A chance to see a session before paying. Confident programs let you watch before you commit. Be cautious of anywhere that wants a full term up front from a family that’s never seen a session.
The one-evening test
Every item above can be checked in a single visit. Bring your son along, sit on the sideline for the full duration, and watch three things: whether the coaches know the kids’ names, whether your son is moving or waiting, and whether he’s smiling at the end.
MatchCraft Football Academy is pre-launch: sessions are planned to start in October 2026 across Melbourne’s north and west — boys aged 7–14, Monday to Thursday, 6:00–8:00 pm — with venues being finalised and each group needing a minimum of 10 committed players to run. When sessions begin, we’d invite you to run this exact checklist on us. Until then, register interest — no payment required, and your first confirmed session will be free.
Quick questions, straight answers
What is a Working with Children Check and why does it matter?
The Working with Children Check (WWCC) is Victoria's mandatory screening for adults working with under-18s, checking criminal records and professional conduct findings. Every adult coaching your child should hold one — no exceptions, no 'pending applications'. MatchCraft's policy is that coaches must hold a current Working with Children Check before working with participants.
What are Victoria's Child Safe Standards?
A set of mandatory state standards that organisations working with children must follow, covering child safety policies, codes of conduct, staff screening, complaint handling and empowerment of children. Ask any academy how they implement them; an organisation that takes them seriously will have concrete answers.
What group size is safe and effective for kids soccer training?
Look for a stated, enforced cap. MatchCraft plans to cap every session at 20 players — large enough for proper match play, small enough for coaches to know every boy's name, level and next step. Be wary of programs that take unlimited enrolments per session.
What questions should I ask before paying for a term?
Ask: what exactly is included in the fee, what happens when a session can't run, how long the actual coached session is, what the coach-to-player ratio is, and whether you can watch a session before paying. Clear, immediate answers are a good sign; vagueness is not.