The Victorian Champions League kicked off over the weekend at venues around the state, with our top young footballers getting their first taste of representative football for the summer season.

Football Federation Victoria Talented Player Development Manager Les Bee was at Springside Recreation Reserve in Caroline Springs and was impressed by what he saw from traditional VCL heavyweights Western Wolves as well as VCL debutants Southern Cross Strikers from Ballarat.

“It was only Round One, but I was pleased to see several improvements from last year, especially in the younger age groups who looked very sharp. I've spoken to people who attended other matches and their overall impressions were positive,” he said.

“Teams were trying to play positively and that was great to see. While maintaining possession is important, it is just as important that possession is used effectively.

“Given Strikers’ split from Wimmera South Coast Eagles which has halved the number of players they can select from, I was happy to see Strikers playing to a good standard and working well to try and play to the National Curriculum.”

According to Les, the standard of goalkeeping has also improved, with most zones now having a specialist goalkeeping coach, as well as the supporters maintaining a high standard of behavior.

“The parent and spectator behaviour I saw over the weekend was exemplary. It is very important that VCL players play in a supportive environment and I was happy to see that this was the case on the weekend,” said Les.

“I spoke to both Head Zone Coaches and they were pleased with the way their teams are shaping up, and I’m looking forward to another successful year of VCL.”