Australian Institute of Sport Football Program

Australian Institute of Sport

Full name	Australian Institute of Sport Football Program
Founded	1981
Ground	Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra
Head Coach	Gary van Egmond
League	A-League National Youth League
2009-10	TBD
Home colours Away colours

The Australian Institute of Sport Football Program is an association football talent identification and player development program run by the Australian Institute of Sport, in Canberra. 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. In 2005-2006 this funding amounted to A$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), 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's youth competition. 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 competition in 2005. In 2007 the AIS entered a team into the Victorian Premier 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, 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 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 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.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player GK Paul Izzo GK Jordan Thurtell GK Luke Kairies DF Jake Monaco DF Connor Chapman MF Kwabena Boahene DF Corey Brown DF Riley Woodcock DF Mitchell Oxborrow DF Benjamin Warland

No. Position Player MF Jacob Melling MF Yianni Perkatis MF Milos Degeneck MF Stefan Mauk MF Hernan Espindola MF Benjamin Garuccio FW Anthony Proia FW Teeboy Kamara Matthew Davies

Past squads

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

2010 scholarship holders

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Aaron Lennox 2 MF Jake Monaco 4 DF Curtis Good 6 MF Ryan Edwards 7 FW Jesse Makarounas 8 DF Jason Geria 9 MF Aaron Peterson 10 MF Jake Barker-Daish 11 DF Kwabena Boahene 12 MF Melvin Becket 13 FW Adam Taggart 15 DF Corey Brown 16 MF Milos Degeneck

No. Position Player 18 MF Yianni Perkatis 19 FW Hernan Espindola 20 GK Lachlan Tibbles 21 DF Connor Chapman 23 FW Brodie Paterson 25 FW Antony Proia 26 DF Kevin Davison 30 GK Paul Izzo MF Patrick Dixon DF Scott Mellish DF Alex Cerruto MF Giancarlo Gallifuoco MF Joshua Da Silva

2009 scholarship holders

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Lawrence Thomas 2 DF Trent Sainsbury 3 DF David Talevski 4 DF Marc Warren 5 DF Sam Gallaway 6 MF Patrick Dixon 7 MF Terry Antonis 8 FW Eli Babalj 9 FW Aaron Leon 10 DF Nikola Stanojevic 11 MF Chris Bush 12 MF Jared Lum 13 FW Kamal Ibrahim 14 FW Dado Lokvancic 15 DF Brendan Hamill

No. Position Player 16 MF John Martinoski 17 DF Kevin Davison 18 FW Ersin Kaya 19 MF Curtis Good 20 GK Aaron Lennox 21 MF Mustafa Amini 22 MF Jake Barker-Daish 23 DF Jason Geria 24 DF Scott Mellish 25 DF Daniel Petkovski 26 MF Aaron Peterson GK Robert Kolak DF Alex Meibusch FW Kerem Bulut

2008 scholarship holders

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Andrew Redmayne 2 DF Travis Anderson 3 DF Luke De Vere 4 DF Steven Tibbetts 5 DF Peter Cvetanovski 6 MF Richard Greer 7 MF Daniel Taylor 8 MF Howard Fondyke 9 FW Jason Hoffman * 11 FW Jason Naidovski 12 MF Alex Tabor 13 MF Laurence Braude 14 MF Matthew Theodore 15 MF Sam Munro 16 MF Rhyan Grant *

No. Position Player 17 FW Ivan Pavlak 18 GK Mark Birighitti 20 MF Dane Milovanovic 21 DF Alex Sunasky 22 DF Daniel Mullen 23 FW Kofi Danning 24 MF Bonel Obradovic 25 DF Ante Cicak 26 FW Ramone Close FW Michael Debono * GK Sebastian Mattei * DF Daniel Bowles * DF Sam Gallaway * MF Matthew Mullen *

* Invitational player

2007 scholarship holders

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Andrew Redmayne 2 DF Sebastian Ryall 3 DF Ante Cicak 4 DF Luke DeVere 5 DF Daniel Mullen 6 MF James Holland 7 MF Matthew Harper 8 FW Milos Lujic 9 MF James Brown 10 FW Jason Naidovski 11 MF Matthew Mullen 12 MF Matthew Theodore 13 MF Laurence Braude

No. Position Player 14 MF Dane Milovanovic 15 FW Marko Jesic 16 MF Bonel Obradovic 17 MF Isaka Cernak 18 GK Jerrad Tyson 19 MF Richard Greer 20 DF Alex Sunasky 21 MF Stefan Vrbešić 22 DF Peter Cvetanovski 23 FW Dominic Giampaolo 24 FW Tahj Minniecon 25 DF Matthew Jurman 26 MF Apostolos Giannou

2006 scholarship holders

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player GK Tando Velaphi GK Michael McEntagart GK Mitchell Langerak GK Aleks Vrteski GK Peter Gavalas DF Chris Nunes DF Foad Comandari DF Greg King DF Steven O'Dor DF Joel Peach DF Matthew Špiranović DF Peter Eleftherakis

No. Position Player DF Michael Marrone MF Shaun Ontong MF Jimmy Downey MF Chris Grossman MF Troy Hearfield MF Dario Vidošić MF Evan Berger MF Nathan Burns FW Joel Allwright FW Robbie Kruse FW Bruce Djite FW Nikita Rukavytsya

2005 scholarship holders

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player GK Tando Velaphi GK Michael McEntagart GK Peter Gavalas DF Chris Nunes DF Noel Bahnsen DF Joel Peach DF Peter Eleftherakis DF Michael Marrone MF Shaun Ontong

No. Position Player MF Jimmy Downey MF Chris Grossman MF Cameron Watson MF Brad Porter MF Kaz Patafta MF Troy Hearfield MF Evan Berger FW Nikita Rukavytsya FW David Williams

Notable alumni

Name	Club	Position	Years	Current status	Country	International caps
Farina, FrankFrank Farina		FW	1982–83	Retired		67
Spink, WarrenWarren Spink		FW	1983–84	Retired		38
Hooker, RobbieRobbie Hooker		DF	1984-85	Coaching		22
Polak, JasonJason Polak		MF	1985-87	Retired		28
Trimboli, PaulPaul Trimboli		FW	1986	Media		46
van Blerk, JasonJason van Blerk		MF	1986	Coaching		33
Foster, CraigCraig Foster		MF	1986-87	Media		29
Horvat, SteveSteve Horvat		DF	1987-88	Retired		32
Zelić, NedNed Zelić		DF	1988	Media		34
Murphy, ShaunShaun Murphy		DF	1988	Retired		27
Sorras, GeorgeGeorge Sorras		FW	1989-90	Retired		27
Edwards, AlistairAlistair Edwards	Australia U-20	FW	1988	Coaching		22
Corica, SteveSteve Corica	Sydney FC	MF	1989–90	Coaching		32
Muscat, KevinKevin Muscat	Melbourne Victory	DF	1990–91	Coaching		51
Milicic, AnteAnte Milicic	Melbourne Heart	FW	1990–91	Coaching		6
Lozanovski, GoranGoran Lozanovski*		MF	1990–91	Retired		9
Moore, CraigCraig Moore*		DF	1992–93	Retired		52
Bolton, ClintClint Bolton	Melbourne Heart	GK	1992–93	Playing		4
Foxe, HaydenHayden Foxe		DF	1993–94	Retired		11
Skoko, JosipJosip Skoko*		MF	1992–93	Coaching		51
Aloisi, JohnJohn Aloisi*	Melbourne Heart	FW	1992–93	Coaching		55
Viduka, MarkMark Viduka*		FW	1992–93	Retired		43
Neill, LucasLucas Neill*	Al Jazira	DF	1994–95	Playing		75
Šimunić, JosipJosip Šimunić*	Dinamo Zagreb	DF	1995–96	Playing		86
Emerton, BrettBrett Emerton*	Sydney FC	MF	1996	Playing		89
Grella, VinceVince Grella*	Blackburn Rovers	MF	1996	Playing		46
Colosimo, SimonSimon Colosimo	Melbourne Heart	DF	1996–97	Playing		26
Šerić, AnthonyAnthony Šerić*	Karabükspor	MF	1996–97	Playing		16
Sterjovski, MileMile Sterjovski*	Perth Glory	MF	1996–98	Playing		43
Bresciano, MarkMark Bresciano*	Al Nasr	MF	1997	Playing		57
Ergić, IvanIvan Ergić*	Free Agent	MF	1997–98	Playing		11
Miličević, LjuboLjubo Miličević	Hajduk Split	DF	1997–98	Playing		6
Wilkshire, LukeLuke Wilkshire*	FC Dynamo Moscow	MF	1997–98	Playing		62
Kennedy, JoshuaJoshua Kennedy*	Nagoya Grampus	FW	1998–99	Playing		25
North, JadeJade North	F.C. Tokyo	DF	1999	Playing		34
Coe, NathanNathan Coe	SønderjyskE	GK	2000-01	Playing		2
Brosque, AlexAlex Brosque	Shimizu S-Pulse	FW	2001	Playing		7
McKay, MattMatt McKay	Rangers	MF	2001	Playing		19
Valeri, CarlCarl Valeri*	Sassuolo	MF	2001–02	Playing		41
Federici, AdamAdam Federici*	Reading	GK	2001–02	Playing		4
Milligan, MarkMark Milligan*	JEF United	DF	2002	Playing		12
Williams, DavidDavid Williams	Melbourne Heart	FW	2005	Playing		2
Kruse, RobbieRobbie Kruse	Fortuna Düsseldorf	FW	2005–06	Playing		10
Langerak, MitchellMitchell Langerak	Borussia Dortmund	GK	2005–06	Playing		0
Rukavytsya, NikitaNikita Rukavytsya*	Hertha BSC	FW	2005–06	Playing		6
Djite, BruceBruce Djite	Adelaide United	FW	2006	Playing		9
Vidošić, DarioDario Vidošić*	Adelaide United	MF	2006	Playing		14
Špiranović, MatthewMatthew Špiranović	Urawa Reds	DF	2006	Playing		8
Burns, NathanNathan Burns	AEK Athens	MF	2006	Playing		7
Holland, JamesJames Holland	AZ Alkmaar	MF	2006–07	Playing		5
Giannou, ApostolosApostolos Giannou	Kavala	FW	2007	Playing		0
De Vere, LukeLuke De Vere	Gyeongnam	DF	2007-08	Playing		0
Amini, MustafaMustafa Amini	Central Coast Mariners	MF	2009	Playing		0
Antonis, TerryTerry Antonis	Sydney FC	MF	2009	Playing		0
Bulut, KeremKerem Bulut	Mladá Boleslav	FW	2009	Playing		0

*Represented country at a FIFA World Cup

External links

• Official website