Report from The AIS Challenge

Capital Football's Chris Gottas sent in this report on the NTC Institute Challenge.

ACTAS Leading the Way

The partnership between the Capital Football Academy and the ACT Academy of Sport is proving to be a success at the ACTAS NTC Institute Challenge with the local side recording three wins from as many games as we reach the half way stage of the national tournament.

The future of Australian football has converged on the nation’s capital in the form of eight State Institute squads all of whom are being watched by the Qantas Joeys coach Martyn Crook and assistant coach Jean-Paul de Marigny.

The ACTAS have been the ones to watch with a 2-1 victory over the West Australian Institute of Sport on the opening day followed by a 2-nil defeat of South Australia and a 5-nil demolition of the Queensland Academy of Sport.

“They’ve been very focused and professional in what they’re doing. We’re starting to see some results and reward for the months and months of hard work. I’m very pleased with the way we’re going,” ACTAS Football Men’s Coach Mike Milovanovic said.“We’re not here to win, it’s an opportunity for these boys to play in front of national selectors for kids born in 1992, and particularly 1991, to put their best feet forward for national selection.”

The participating teams are ACT Academy of Sport (ACTAS), New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS), Northern New South Wales Institute of Sport (Newcastle based - NNSWIS), Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), South Australian Institute of Sport (SASI), Tasmanian Institute of Sport (TIS), Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) and the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS).

Already the Academy/ACTAS program has established itself to be a breeding ground with four current members up for possible Joey selection also four members are currently training with the Matilda’s and two former players are now members of the AIS men’s football program.

Capital Football Technical Director Ian Shaw believes this Institute Challenge is a step in the right direction for football with more to be done.“It’s fantastic, this Challenge is giving all the Institutes and Academies a chance to benchmark themselves against each other but having said that there needs to be more pressure on the FFA for a National Youth League to give these footballers a chance to develop further and provide a stepping stone to the Hyundai A-League.”

Tomorrow the ACTAS will host the Victorian Institute of Sport before taking on the Tasmanian Institute of Sport on Wednesday.
Tuesday, 24th July 2007

Wednesday, 25th July 2007

ACTAS v VIS
Kick off @ 9:00am
ACTAS v TIS
Kick off @ 11:00am