The Home of the Matildas is part of the La Trobe University Sports Park, a world-class precinct for teaching, research, community participation and elite sport.

Sitting within the precinct is the new elite training centre for the Australian women’s football team which is also the permanent home for Football Victoria’s representative teams for women and men of all ages and their administration operations.

As Principal Design Consultant, Populous created a modern, centralised, gender neutral, football facility as a ‘Football for All’ venue for players and officials of the World Game.

The $57 million facility is one of the first in Australia for a national Football team to call home while connecting all levels of Footballers from grass roots community players to state and national youth teams and supports player pathways to becoming a Matilda.

The facility was supported and embraced by the Victorian and Federal Government and will assist in providing a homebase to foster youth talent, strengthen senior elite talent and become a home for Victoria’s best players, officials, coaches and administration staff.

Populous’ design objectives for the facility focused on providing a safe, inclusive and enjoyable environment for all footballers, coaches, referees and volunteers, irrespective of age, gender or ability.

The athlete journey was also a major focus in the planning and design of the building to ensure the athlete moves through the spaces efficiently to maximise their training time and collaboration with the teams.

Another value of having all levels of athletes able to train together is the visible elite player pathways and shared learnings through observation and collaboration; reinforced with equity through the provision of spaces designed for use by all.

Equivalent training facility provision provided for both men and women in football facilities are located within the buildings to optimise access and interactions when using the gym, auditorium, team meeting rooms and the premier field.

Both junior and senior players can follow in the footsteps of their football heroes with opportunities to train and play on the five natural, hybrid and synthetic pitches.

The medical and rehabilitation facilities are located centrally to optimise their use by the playing group with increased levels of privacy to cater to players of all ages. The Football Victoria administration space is open plan to unify the admin body with its wider training, players and community operation groups.

Through these closer synergies, the new facility nurtures the positive culture of the organisation, promoting a comfortable, non-hierarchical work environment for staff.

The Home of the Matildas provides year-round access to elite training and match facilities which delivers the best opportunities to enjoy programs, competitions and training which can upskill women both on the pitch and in sports admin and leadership.

As part of Football Australia’s bold and ambitious Legacy ‘23 plan, Victoria is leading the way in ensuring that there will be an everlasting legacy for women and girls’ football long after 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament has been successfully held in the region. ​

The precinct will provide a world-class training facility and a home that celebrates and recognises the pinnacle of women's football in Australia and provides a global benchmark that will enable the world game for women.

The Home of the Matildas delivers on the vision for the code by fostering a deep comradery to unite a football organisation with a culturally positive environment.