The Australian Institute of Sport Football Program is an association football talent identification and player development program run by the Australian Institute of Sport

Australian Institute of Sport

The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...

, in Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

. The AIS runs this program for both men and women: the men's program was one of the eight founding sports of the AIS in 1981, with the women's program being added in 1998.

History

The AIS football program is funded by the Australian Federal Government, through the Australian Sports Commission

Australian Sports Commission

The Australian Sports Commission is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in Australia. It is an agency of the Government of Australia within the portfolio of Health and Ageing...

. In 2005-2006 this funding amounted to A$

Australian dollar

The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

1,115,000. Currently, 20 students per year are selected for an initial period of 12 months training and study, with the additional option of a second year. The men's program is residential, while the women's is training camp-based. Students are generally 15–17 years old when selected and the only compulsory requirement is that they have current, or pending, Australian citizenship.

The original stated aim of the men's program was

"To identify and develop players for the national under-20 youth team and to develop coaches through the Scholarship Coaching scheme".

National Representation

Following the decision of several football graduates to represent other countries at a senior national level (e.g. Josip Simunic

Josip Šimunic

Josip Šimunić is a Croatian footballer who plays as a defender for Dinamo Zagreb and the Croatian national team.-Club career:...

), the AIS implemented contracts whereby the cost of the scholarship will have to be repaid by any graduate that goes on to play football at a senior level representing a country other than Australia, in international competition.

National Soccer League

The AIS fielded teams in the former National Soccer League

National Soccer League

The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...

's youth competition

National Soccer Youth League

The National Soccer Youth League, also known as the National Youth League, was an Australian national football league run in parallel to the National Soccer League. The aim of the league was to provide a pathway for young players to play regular high-level football, and allow reserve players from...

. Within that competition it was placed in the Northern Division. The AIS won three titles, in 1986, 1998 and 1999.

Victorian Premier League

The men's program had previously entered a team in the New South Wales Premier League

New South Wales Premier League

The New South Wales Premier League is the highest state-level men's soccer competition in New South Wales, Australia. Nationally, it is considered one grade lower than the A-League...

 competition in 2005. In 2007 the AIS entered a team into the Victorian Premier League

Victorian Premier League

The Victorian Premier League is the highest State level association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and second highest nationally after the A-League...

. This would allow regular, weekly competitive matches that were lacking for previous scholarship holders. As part of their inclusion as the only non-Victorian team in the VPL competition, all 'home' fixtures were played in Victoria for the 2007 season. The side struggled for consistency throughout the season, finishing 12th on the ladder, however great benefit was reportedly gained from the participation in a men's competition. In 2008 the men's program team continued to participate in the Victorian Premier League

Victorian Premier League

The Victorian Premier League is the highest State level association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and second highest nationally after the A-League...

, improving from the previous year as the AIS finished 8th on the ladder. AIS home games were also played in Canberra, while some high profile matches which includes the Round 21 match between the AIS and the Preston Lions FC

Preston Lions FC

The Preston Lions Football Club are an Australian football club from Preston, a northern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...

 was played in Country Victoria at Rumbalara Oval, Shepparton. This was designed to promote the competition and bring the top state league competition to new areas.

However the men's program team will cease to compete in the Victorian Premier League

Victorian Premier League

The Victorian Premier League is the highest State level association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and second highest nationally after the A-League...

 competition for 2009, as the AIS program will be designed to accommodate younger players, hence eliminating the need to compete in a senior men's competition.

National Youth League

On 3 July 2009 it was announced the AIS would compete in the National Youth League

A-League National Youth League

The A-League National Youth League is an Australian national football league run in parallel to the A-League. The aim of a league is to provide a pathway for young players and state league players to play regular high-level football, and allow reserve players from senior A-League teams to remain...

.

Current squad

Past Squads

Players noted in Bold went on to play for the Socceroos.

2010 Scholarship Holders

2009 Scholarship Holders

2008 Scholarship Holders

* Invitational player

2007 Scholarship Holders

2006 Scholarship Holders

2005 Scholarship Holders

Notable Alumni

Name	Club	Position	Years	Current Status	Country	International Caps
		FW	1982–83	Retired		67
		FW	1983–84	Retired		38
		DF	1984-85	Coaching		22
		MF	1985-87	Retired		28
		FW	1986	Media		46
		MF	1986	Coaching		33
		MF	1986-87	Media		29
		DF	1987-88	Retired		32
		DF	1988	Media		34
		DF	1988	Retired		27
		FW	1989-90	Retired		27
	Australia U-20 Australia national under-20 football team The Australia national under-20 association football team, more commonly known as the Young Socceroos, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia in international Under 20 or youth football competitions....	FW	1988	Coaching		22
	Sydney FC Sydney FC Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...	MF	1989–90	Coaching		32
	Melbourne Victory	DF	1990–91	Coaching		51
	Melbourne Heart	FW	1990–91	Coaching		6
*		MF	1990–91	Retired		9
*		DF	1992–93	Retired		52
	Melbourne Heart	GK	1992–93	Playing		4
		|DF	1993–94	Retired		11
*		MF	1992–93	Coaching		51
*	Melbourne Heart Melbourne Heart FC Melbourne Heart FC is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 2008, the club has competed in the A-League, the highest division of football in Australia, since its inaugural 2010–2011 season. It is the twelfth club to have played in the league...	FW	1992–93	Coaching		55
*		FW	1992–93	Retired		43
*	Al Jazira	DF	1994–95	Playing		75
*	Dinamo Zagreb Dinamo Zagreb GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...	DF	1995–96	Playing		86
*	Sydney FC Sydney FC Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...	MF	1996	Playing		89
*	Blackburn Rovers	MF	1996	Playing		46
	Melbourne Heart	DF	1996–97	Playing		26
*	Karabükspor Karabükspor Kardemir Demir Çelik Karabükspor is a Turkish sports club based in Karabük, Turkey. The team was founded in 1969 after a unity between Karabük Gençlikspor and Demir Çelik Spor. The club serves in branches as football, wheelchair basketball and volleyball. Currently, the football team plays in Süper...	MF	1996–97	Playing		16
*	Perth Glory Perth Glory FC Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...	MF	1996–98	Playing		43
*	Al Nasr	MF	1997	Playing		57
*	Free Agent	MF	1997–98	Playing		11
	Hajduk Split HNK Hajduk Split HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...	DF	1997–98	Playing		6
*	FC Dynamo Moscow FC Dynamo Moscow Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...	MF	1997–98	Playing		62
*	Nagoya Grampus Nagoya Grampus are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...	FW	1998–99	Playing		25
	F.C. Tokyo	DF	1999	Playing		34
	SønderjyskE SønderjyskE SønderjyskE is a Danish sport club. They have two football teams , two handball teams and an ice hockey team based in Vojens. All the teams play in South Jutland...	GK	2000-01	Playing		2
	Shimizu S-Pulse Shimizu S-Pulse is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...	FW	2001	Playing		7
	Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...	MF	2001	Playing		19
*	Sassuolo U.S. Sassuolo Calcio Unione Sportiva Sassuolo Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Sassuolo, Emilia-Romagna.In the season 2010-11 it plays in Serie B.The club was founded in 1922....	MF	2001–02	Playing		41
*	Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...	GK	2001–02	Playing		4
*	JEF United JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...	DF	2002	Playing		12
	Melbourne Heart	FW	2005	Playing		2
	Fortuna Düsseldorf Fortuna Düsseldorf ' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga...	FW	2005–06	Playing		10
	Borussia Dortmund Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...	GK	2005–06	Playing		0
*	Hertha BSC	FW	2005–06	Playing		6
	Adelaide United	FW	2006	Playing		9
*	Adelaide United	MF	2006	Playing		14
	Urawa Reds	DF	2006	Playing		8
	AEK Athens	MF	2006	Playing		7
	AZ Alkmaar	MF	2006–07	Playing		5
	Kavala	FW	2007	Playing		0
	Gyeongnam Gyeongnam FC Gyeongnam FC is a South Korean football club. Based in Changwon, the capital city of Gyeongsangnam-do, Gyeongnam FC joined the K-League as its 14th club for the 2006 season and was founded in 2005.-2006 season:...	DF	2007-08	Playing		0
	Central Coast Mariners	MF	2009	Playing		0
	Sydney FC Sydney FC Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...	MF	2009	Playing		0
	Mladá Boleslav FK Mladá Boleslav FK Mladá Boleslav is a Czech football club from Mladá Boleslav.- Recent times :The team was promoted to Gambrinus liga for the first time in its history in 2004 and in their first top-flight season fought against relegation, eventually finishing in 14th place...	FW	2009	Playing		0

*Represented Country at a FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

External links

• Official Website