Royals Quartet Earns Victoria Call-Up as Club Sets a New Benchmark
Essendon Royals’ commitment to nurturing young talent has been rewarded in spectacular fashion, with four current juniors selected in Victoria’s under-15 squads for July’s Emerging Matildas and Emerging Socceroos Championships.
The Royals are the only non-A-League or FV Academy club to boast at least two representatives in both the boys’ and girls’ programs – an achievement that underlines the club’s flourishing player pathway.
The selected Royals are:
- Abigail Elinghaus – named in the U15 Vic Blue Girls squad
- Zoe Goncalves – selected for the U15 Vic White Girls squad
- Nate Bradley – included in the U15 Vic Blue Boys squad
- Daniel Gale – chosen for the U15 Vic White Boys squad
Adding to the celebration, Head of Football Vaughan Coveny has been appointed Head Coach of the U15 Vic Blue Boys, while JBNPL coach John Psarros joins the state coaching staff. Their selection is a ringing endorsement of the Royals’ coaching philosophy and high-performance standards.
The Royals’ influence stretches even further. Former juniors Mush Sawiz, Jack Milis, Levi Buttigieg, Emma Tieri and Jobe Davies – all of whom played junior football in the Royals red before moving to A-League or FV Academy environments – have also earned state honours.
Their inclusion highlights the club’s capacity to prepare players for elite programs and reinforces the strength of the broader Victorian talent pool.
“It takes a village to produce state footballers,” Coveny said. “From coaches and volunteers to supportive parents and dedicated teammates, this achievement belongs to the whole Royals family.”
With all four JBNPL squads locked into Division 1 for 2025, and the club’s inaugural JGNPL teams already proving competitive, Essendon Royals continue to set a high standard for development in a setting that does not forget its community roots.
We can’t wait to cheer on our current and former Royals as they don the navy blue of Victoria next month.