ESSENDON
When we opened the first round of 2027 expressions of interest in July, we said the community side would follow later in the year. It has, and there are two forms to know about.
Back in July we opened the first phase of our 2027 expressions of interest, covering our Boys and Girls Victoria Youth Premier League squads, the VPL under 20s and under 23s, and coaching and team management positions. At the time we said community football, MiniRoos and our Kangaroo teams would open later in the year.
That is what this is. Community expressions of interest for season 2027 are now open.
There are two forms, so please use the one that matches your child
We have split the community intake in two, because the two groups are selected differently and grouping them made both harder to plan.
The first form is for boys in our Kangaroo teams, from under 8s through to under 11s, and for boys and girls going for a Pre-YPL under 12s team.
Kangaroos U8 to U11 and Pre-YPL U12 expression of interest →
The second form is for every other community team, boys and girls from under 7s through to under 18s.
Community U7 to U18 expression of interest →
If you look at that and are not certain which one is yours, fill in either. We would much rather sort it out at our end than have a player miss a season because they picked the wrong link.
What an expression of interest actually is
It is a short online form telling us your child would like a place in 2027. That is genuinely all it is. There is nothing to pay, it does not lock you into anything, and it is not a registration.
What it does is give the club a real number to plan against. We have been running teams here since 1959 and we still cannot guess how many under 10s will come back next season. Guessing badly means either turning families away or running a team that is half empty, so every form that comes in makes that picture clearer.
The questions parents ask us first
Does getting in early help? It does not buy your child a place. What it does is make sure they are counted while we are still working out how many teams to run in each age group, which is the stage where numbers matter most.
Is my child guaranteed a spot? No, and we would rather say so plainly. Places depend on how many players come forward in that age group, how many teams the club can staff and field, and for some teams a selection process as well.
What if the team is full? Join the waiting list on our Play at the Royals page. Squads shift between an expression of interest going in and the season starting, and the waiting list is how we know who to call when a place opens up.
What happens next
Every submission is recorded with the date and time it arrives and goes straight into the list our football department works from. From there we group them by age group and gender, work out how many teams that supports, and come back to families about next steps. Everyone who submits will hear from us.
If you are not sure which form is yours, ask before you guess. We would rather spend two minutes pointing you at the right link than have a player in red and white miss a season.