Essendon Royals Awarded License to Compete in Junior Girls National Premier League
We are thrilled to announce that Essendon Royals Soccer Club has been awarded a prestigious license from Football Victoria to compete in the Junior Girls National Premier League (JGNPL). This achievement marks a significant milestone for our club, allowing us to extend our elite National Premier League (NPL) program to our talented female players, just as we currently do for our boys.
Club President Richard Di Sauro hailed the announcement as another important milestone in the club’s ongoing commitment to the women’s game.
“Our club has made women’s and girl’s football an absolute priority over the last ten years,” he said.
“From the re-introduction of our Senior Women’s program to the doubling of our junior girls teams over the last few years, we have strived to provide as many opportunities for girls to play this wonderful game as possible whilst ensuring our Senior Women are capable of playing at the highest level available to them.
“Being awarded this license is another significant milestone on our journey as an increasingly popular home for female footballers, and ensures that now girls in the Moonee Valley finally have access to this program.”
For many years, the Royals have been committed to developing exceptional female footballers, even without the formal JGNPL structure. With our Senior Women’s team already competing in the NPLW—the highest level of women’s football in Victoria—we are now delighted to offer a corresponding junior program that supports the growth and development of young female players within our community.
A Legacy of Female Football Development
The Royals have a proud history of nurturing talented female footballers who have gone on to achieve great success. Notable players like Polly Doran began their journey with us when the club was still in State League 2. Polly went on to become a Championship winner with Melbourne Victory before taking her career to new heights in England with Crystal Palace and now Swedish side Linköping FC.
Francesca Iermano, another talent who got her senior debut with the Royals, also advanced to the A-League, representing both Melbourne Victory and Western United.
More recently, our club’s proactive approach to developing women’s football has seen a remarkable increase in registrations, with female players now making up over a third of our membership. Our Senior Women’s team has been promoted twice in the last two years, advancing from State League 1 to the Victorian Premier League (VPL), and now proudly competing in the NPLW. Impressively, in our first year in the NPLW, we secured a spot in the finals, demonstrating the strength and potential of our women’s program.
New Opportunities with the JGNPL License
With the newly awarded JGNPL license, Essendon Royals will field Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 teams in the Junior Girls National Premier League. This provides an exciting new pathway for our young female athletes to compete at the highest levels, hone their skills, and potentially follow in the footsteps of past Royals players who have achieved success at both national and international levels.
We are committed to building a robust junior girls program that mirrors the success and professionalism of our boys’ NPL program. In the coming weeks, we will be sharing more information about the structure of our JGNPL program and introducing a brand new Female Football Technical Director who will lead this exciting new chapter for the Royals.
Stay Tuned for More Information
Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the JGNPL teams are now open. Use the form below to express your interest.
We encourage all interested players and families to stay tuned for further announcements and to consider being part of this historic opportunity with Essendon Royals.
We are incredibly excited about this new venture and the continued growth of female football at our club. Together, we can create an environment where all our players, both boys and girls, can thrive and achieve their full potential.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and here’s to an exciting future for female football at Essendon Royals!