Our Junior Program

Western Spirit Football Club is committed to providing quality and affordable football programs that enable our players to reach their football potential in a supportive and engaging environment.

As part of this vision, Western Spirit FC has undertaken changes to how player development is administered at the club and assists with implementing requirements of the FFA National Curriculum.

To achieve this Western Spirit FC has structured player development programs to ensure that we can maintain a clear focus on player development across five key areas that encompasses junior and senior development as well as ensure speciality positions such as goalkeepers are catered for.

Western Spirit FC also recognises the different needs of our female players and have included a Female Football Program that oversees the coaching and player development of our female players from the age of 9 and up.

The Junior Development Program was implemented in 2014 and cover all ages from 3 to 16 years.

Junior Management Team

Introducing our Junior Management Team for 2025!

Western Spirit are thrilled to announce the appointment of three key positions for the 2025 season.

Colin Manning - After leading our Under 18 team to second place in Division One and a place in the Grand Final last year, we are very excited about having such an experienced coach as our MiniRoos Technical Director this season. Colin will work closely with Joe Fenech, our Director of Football to deliver the club's football programs and ensure smooth communication with coaches and parents. His role's key focus is on developing our Under 6-12 players and promoting inclusive coaching practices, mentoring club coaches, and making sure all players and coaches have the resources and support they need.

Cassie Smyth - Junior Divisional Manager. Cassie will keep in touch with our junior divisional teams (Under 13-Under 16) coaches, managers, and parents to make sure everyone's needs are met, and teams have what they need to perform their best. Working closely with our Registrar, Laura, the role also ensures players are eligible to play and is the go-to person for any football-related issues that can't be resolved by the team coach or manager. Working with both Joe (Director of Football) and Colin (MiniRoos Technical Director) Cassie will support junior team operations.

Leighanne Clarke - An experienced Football Queeensland referee, Leigh is a welcome addition to our team as MiniRoos and Club Referee Coordinator. Leigh will be at Kippen Park every Saturday morning during the season, to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for our youngest players and their families. She'll also handle Club referee recruitment, training and scheduling ensuring our young referees are well supported.

Our Director of Football - Joe Fenech

Joe Fenech is a highly accredited Football person who describes himself as a student of the game, because according to Joe “one never stops learning.” Having coached in Queensland since 1995 Joe is well known throughout the State including a stint as Director of Coaching for Football Queensland in several regions. Early in his career Joe was a junior coach at Goodna, and has since been head coach at NPL side FNQ Heat (Cairns), Souths United, and Technical Director as a number of clubs including Holland Park Hawks, Michelton, Olympic, Ipswich Knights and SWQ Thunder.

Joe brings a wealth of knowledge not only to improving the player base but also by imparting his vast knowledge of the game to coaches through coach education. A hands-on coach who is equally at home working with volunteers at a grass roots level as he is with seasoned professionals. His skill development methods along with his management ability will be an invaluable asset to our club.

Joe said “My passion for football coaching has developed from years of playing and coaching the sport; This has brought me a wealth of experience and skills that I now share with players and coaches alike. I am always seeking out new ways of improving the players around me. I believe in being a mentor as well as a coach and growing confidence and competitiveness in all the players I coach is something I am very proud of. I am excited to join my local club Western Spirit as they embark on an exciting rebuilding phase for their senior teams, and manage the significant increase to their junior membership. Spirit have spent time stabilising their off-field operations, and the timing is right to progress on the field.”

GROWING OUR OWN

“The Club aims to consistently compete with other clubs and produce home grown players”

In planning for the 2025 season Joe has developed our Football Plan for 2025. Joe explains “The plan aims to create an elite environment where players can develop under challenging and controlled conditions. This includes support from accredited and experienced coaches, a club curriculum aligned with the FA National curriculum, and ideally, additional support from education, sports science, and medicine. The plan also emphasizes the need for game analysis, fitness monitoring, injury prevention, and preseason health screening.”

“By implementing this plan, the club aims to consistently compete with other clubs and produce home grown players through our ‘Grow our own’ program. The ultimate challenge is to create an uncompromising elite training environment that will lead to the continuous improvement and sustained success of the teams. Providing a value-for-money service that aligns with the club’s business plan is crucial for achieving these objectives.”