Season 2024 Information and FAQ Sheet
This information has been prepared for new players to Avoca FC and their families but the information contained within is relevant to all players.
What is my registration age?
Please note that your registration age can be different from the team age of your nominated team. You should register in the correct age group as determined by your Date of Birth. The correct group is based on the age you will be turning this calendar year (or have already turned if you have a January birthday). For example, if you turn 8 any time between 1 January and 31 December this year then you should register as “under 8”.
Your registration age does not restrict you to the same age group for your team nomination.
No player may nominate in, nor play for a team, of a lower age than their registered age.
Players may nominate in their registered age group, or a team up to 3 years above their registered age group, excluding Overage competitions (M35, M45) providing the player has sufficient physical, mental and playing ability. We often find in the teenage teams particularly that we have fewer players than required to fill a team and so ask some players to play in a team above their registered age. The decision to play above your age will always be made at the clubs discretion depending on numbers.
If you have in previous years registered above your registration age, we encourage you to now correct that registration. As mentioned above, this will not restrict your ability to play in a team age above your registration age.
Registration fees and Process
Age
Amount
5 years
Free *
U6-U9 years
$220
10 – 12 years (boys and girls)
$ 235
13 – 18 years (boys and girls)
$ 265
Senior (MAA/WAA/035/045)
$399
BPL/ WDIV1- $425
* U5 Free rego while Early Bird pricing is ongoing (9th Jan - 9th Feb) After which time Registration will be $150 which is cost price as this is what CCF charge us per U5 player.
All other age groups will increase by $15.
All rego prices include referee fees and a pair of socks.
Deregistration fee is $25.
A big portion of the rego fees are paid directly to CCF, which covers: FFA, FNSW, CCF levies, CCF Team Noms, player insurance, coaching, ground hire/lighting and operating costs including Pluim Park maintenance. The remainder of your fees goes to our Club to cover, admin costs, supply & upkeep of playing shirts and training equipment, ground maintenance & setup, presentations and awards/trophies.
At the bottom of this page is the table from CCF with the breakdown of their fees for season 2024
We recommend you download the MYCOMPAPP. You can register through this app and also you can follow your teams, keep track of draws and ground closures and tables.
You must register yourself online. We can assist you with information but as photos must be added at time of registration its difficult for committee members to do. Also the email you will receive can go to your spam folder so please check there if it doesn’t come through.
Active Kids Rebate
For those wishing, and /or eligible to use your Active Kids Voucher ($100), you will need to use the code/ voucher during the registration process.
Enter the code in the "Voucher" field just before entering payment details (credit card payments only this year.)
We cannot manually claim the voucher and refund, once a player is registered.
If you have forgotten to use the voucher then you will have to use it for another sport, we cannot “retrofit” the voucher and give a refund.
TEAM ORGANISATION
U5-U7- In these age groups we are happy for friends to play together if requested and most teams will be organised quickly once registration is closed in late-February.
U8-U10. These age groups will have an informal “grading” day (usually just 1) to be held on a date to be announced. This age is still “non Competition” so we will are still happy for teams to remain together however if there are kids that are super competitive or “stand out” as at a higher skill level then we may group these kids together to make the teams fairer.
U11- U11 are still non competitive however do participate in a competitive finals tournament to “ready” them for Comp the next year. They will participate in a Grading process with the U12s.
U12-U18. These teams are now in a “Competitive” competition and as such will undergo a grading process. As teams come into the U12 years it can be a hard transition for some as we no longer will automatically allow friends to stay together. Teams will be formed depending on skill level and also on numbers that work for the club.
Each year we have many requests from parents, especially in the U12 and U13 age groups for friends to stay together however this cannot always be accommodated. We must grade teams on skill level in these ages and this will be done by an independent “grading” team. If you believe your child should be given consideration to be in a certain team based on their skill level please contact the club PRIOR to the grading days.
Please remember that committee members are volunteers and do their very best to make kids and parents happy but this is not always possible. Children can and do make new friends, even if placed in a team where they don’t know anyone. This can sometimes be a hard thing, but a great life lesson in dealing with disappointment and learning to adapt. Please support the club and your child if this does happen by encouraging them to be in the team they are placed in.
Dates for grading will be notified as soon as they are known however this can be last minute due to the lack of ground availability during this preseason time. Please follow us on Facebook as this is the quickest way we have to communicate with you. Emails can be sent but these are not always seen in time, especially if wet weather causes a last minute cancellation.
Parent / Guardian participation
Each team requires a coach and a manager in order to participate. In the ages U10 and over teams cannot be nominated in the competitions without both Coach and Manager being registered in Play Football.
We need your support and ask you to consider assisting as either your child’s coach or team manager. If you have never coached / managed before don’t worry, almost none of our existing coaches had until they too were asked to step up and assist their child’s team – most come back again . You will require a volunteer Working With Children Check (WWCC). This is free for volunteers and is applied for online through Service NSW (see more details about this below).
Please do not expect the club to provide a coach for your team. We are a very large club with over 70 teams. We rely solely on parents to coach the teams, we do not have professional coaches as the cost would be prohibitive.
Central Coast Football offer training and resources for any new coaches, and also up skilling for existing coaches. These courses will be held during preseason and we HIGHLY recommend these ad they are FREE.
Fields.
Our home ground for most juniors is ERINA HIGH SCHOOL. This is where you should play the majority of your home games, if you are in the Junior age groups.(U5-U16).
We have also been allocated PAUL OVAL at Matcham from this season however this field will be used mainly for our older ages.
Where and when you play is determined by Central Coast Football… not by Avoca FC, they decide on the draw and clubs have very limited say in changing the draw once it is published. You will usually have one home game followed by an away game but again, this is decided by CCF, not Avoca FC and can be varied at their discretion.
Once the draw is published (see dates above) we will let you know via social media and the website.
You can then go to The CCF website www.ccfootball.com.au to view your own team’s individual draw and also download the MYCOMPAPP .
Training days
Training days are usually Wednesday or Thursday at Patrick Croke Oval, 39 Melville Street, Kincumber for most Non Comp teams… ie U5-U11. Timing is dependent upon what council allows us but in past years has been between 4:00 pm and 8:00pm each night. We aim to schedule the younger children first.
Time and day will also depend on what your coach can do. They are the ones giving up their time to coach so we try to accommodate what time suits them best.
The higher graded teams (ie A grade) who wish to train twice a week may end up training at Fagans Park Point Claire on a Tues night. Teams ARE NOT forced to train at Fagan Park. This is purely an option for teams that want to train twice a week.
Some older Womens and Mens teams train at Erina High school Wed and Thurs nights but these spots are usually reserved for our Mens premier League and Higher level Womens teams as usage at Erina is highly limited.
Working With Children Check (WWCC)
Football NSW requires all committee members, coaches, managers, canteen staff and grounds persons over the age of 18 to complete a Working With Children Check.
The first step is to submit your Working with Children Check application online by going to www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/check.
Once your application form has been completed online, you will be given an application (APP) number.
Then, to complete the application, you must take your application number along with proof of identity to a NSW Motor Registry, RMS Agency, or Service NSW office. Working with Children Checks are free for volunteers
FOOTBALL STRUCTURE ON THE CENTRAL COAST
Non-competition teams- Small sided football
4 yrs -11 yrs
Under U5’s, U6’s, U7’s, U8’s, U9’s, U10’s and U11’s
Mixed teams – open to both male and female players. All ages except U8 offer an All Girls competition.
Players on the Field-
U5-U7 4 players
U8- U9 7 players (including goal keeper)
U10- U11 9 players (including goal keeper)
Competition teams-
Mixed Junior football – (Mixed teams are prefixed with “U” – eg, U13)
Played on Saturdays
11 yrs – 14 yrs
Under U12’s, U13’s and U14’s
Mixed teams – open to both male and female players
11 on the field. Max 16 per team.
Female Junior Football (Female only junior football teams are prefixed with “W” – eg, W13)
Competition played on Sundays
11 yrs – 18 yrs
W12’s, W14’s’, W16’s, and W18’s
Junior Womens teams are done in even age groups to allow enough teams to offer A and B grades.
Open to female players only
11 on the field. Max 16 per team.
Male Junior Football (Male only teams are prefixed with “M’ – eg, M15)
14 yrs – 18 yrs
M15’s, M16’s, (played on Saturdays) and M18’s (played on Sundays)
(note there is no M17’s)
Open to male players only
11 on the field. Max 16 per team.
Senior Competitions-
Women’s Football- All Age women, Women’s Division 1. Open to all ages of Women 16 and above
Men’s Football-
Important dates for this upcoming season-
Saturday Games
All non comp (U5-U11), M12-M16, O35, O45 all play on Saturdays.
Sunday Games
All Women’s competitions U12 and up.
MAA, WAA.
Mens and Womens Premier League and all play on Sundays.
Wet weather
In the event of wet weather, we will publish the closure of OUR GROUNDS ONLY. It is up to the team manager or individuals to check the CCF website and you will be notified through your MY COMP APP.
The CCF website must become your “go to” site for draw and ground closures. We cannot check every team and every ground for you.
When it comes to our training grounds of Patrick Croke oval, Erina and Fagans, the council decides if the ground is to open during wet weather, not the club, and they do not notify us until after 2pm so please don’t contact us asking if the ground is closed before then. We will post as soon as we know on Facebook and the website.
You can also check yourself from the council website though the link-
Sportsgrounds | Central Coast Council (nsw.gov.au)
Cadet Referees
We run a very successful Cadet Referee program that uses our own kids to referee the Non Comp Games (U11 and below). These kids must be over 12 to participate. We are usually oversubscribed with keen Sharkie kids wanting to be part of this program as they get paid, but more importantly get trained and learn some great skills. We hope that many of these kids go on to be formal senior referees. Our program is very highly regarded and our Cadets often praised for their composure and professionalism.
We value these cadet refs hugely and have a ZERO tolerance of any abuse towards them from coaches, parents, players or any spectators. We protect these kids and report any level of abuse to CCF who take these incidents very seriously. Parents and coaches can and have been suspended from supporting their team if these incidents occur.
Sponsoring our Club
We have many loyal Sponsors of our club who come back year after year to support the kids and our club. We couldn’t run the club without them. As a large club running across 3 fields we need much equipment and resources to enable us to give our members the kind of experience that they expect, and our wonderful sponsors are a very big part of that.
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor we have several packages to suit your needs.
Please email [email protected]
Uniforms
Shirts
Are the property of the Club.
They are handed out as an entire kit to the team manager at the muster day starting the season and must be returned as an entire kit at the end of each season.
It is Club policy that players DO NOT wear their shirt home from the ground. Many shirts each season go missing as a result of this practice.
There are change rooms at every ground if players are self-conscious about changing into the shirt before and after the game.
It is also much easier to substitute players from other teams within the Club on occasions when your team is short players if you always have all shirts in the kit.
Ideally the washing duties are rotated between reliable parents.
If, for some reason, an additional shirt is required during the season (eg, because an extra player has been added) please contact us for an extra shirt.
Socks
Are provided to all teams 18 and under as part of your registration fee.
Socks will be distributed to your coach or manager within the team kit along with the shirts at your team’s muster day.
Socks become your individual property to keep.
If you need a new pair of socks during the season, these can be purchased at any time throughout the season for $15 at our home ground canteen at Erina High School.
Shorts
Are NOT included in your registration fee and can only be purchased through the Club.
Once purchased they become your individual property.
These can be purchased at one of the face-to-face registration days or these can be purchased at any time throughout the season for $30 at our home ground canteen at Erina High School.
Shoes – cleats / studs
Are NOT included in your registration fee.
Can be purchased at any time from any sporting footwear store.
Shin pads
Are compulsory.
Are not included in your registration fee.
Can be purchased at any time from any sporting footwear store.
Contacting us
Contact specific people via the website, in our Contacts section, our Facebook/ Instagram pages or email us at [email protected] Please be mindful that our preseason time (Feb and March) is the busiest time of the season for us as we get teams organised. A huge amount goes on behind the scenes so it may take several days for us to contact you back.
This information has been prepared for new players to Avoca FC and their families but the information contained within is relevant to all players.
What is my registration age?
Please note that your registration age can be different from the team age of your nominated team. You should register in the correct age group as determined by your Date of Birth. The correct group is based on the age you will be turning this calendar year (or have already turned if you have a January birthday). For example, if you turn 8 any time between 1 January and 31 December this year then you should register as “under 8”.
Your registration age does not restrict you to the same age group for your team nomination.
No player may nominate in, nor play for a team, of a lower age than their registered age.
Players may nominate in their registered age group, or a team up to 3 years above their registered age group, excluding Overage competitions (M35, M45) providing the player has sufficient physical, mental and playing ability. We often find in the teenage teams particularly that we have fewer players than required to fill a team and so ask some players to play in a team above their registered age. The decision to play above your age will always be made at the clubs discretion depending on numbers.
If you have in previous years registered above your registration age, we encourage you to now correct that registration. As mentioned above, this will not restrict your ability to play in a team age above your registration age.
Registration fees and Process
Age
Amount
5 years
Free *
U6-U9 years
$220
10 – 12 years (boys and girls)
$ 235
13 – 18 years (boys and girls)
$ 265
Senior (MAA/WAA/035/045)
$399
BPL/ WDIV1- $425
* U5 Free rego while Early Bird pricing is ongoing (9th Jan - 9th Feb) After which time Registration will be $150 which is cost price as this is what CCF charge us per U5 player.
All other age groups will increase by $15.
All rego prices include referee fees and a pair of socks.
Deregistration fee is $25.
A big portion of the rego fees are paid directly to CCF, which covers: FFA, FNSW, CCF levies, CCF Team Noms, player insurance, coaching, ground hire/lighting and operating costs including Pluim Park maintenance. The remainder of your fees goes to our Club to cover, admin costs, supply & upkeep of playing shirts and training equipment, ground maintenance & setup, presentations and awards/trophies.
At the bottom of this page is the table from CCF with the breakdown of their fees for season 2024
- Registration is through https://ccf.mycompapp.com/#/registration
We recommend you download the MYCOMPAPP. You can register through this app and also you can follow your teams, keep track of draws and ground closures and tables.
You must register yourself online. We can assist you with information but as photos must be added at time of registration its difficult for committee members to do. Also the email you will receive can go to your spam folder so please check there if it doesn’t come through.
- Referee fees – Your registration includes all referee fees for the season. If your team is not getting a referee consistently (usually affects All Age and teams that play Sundays) then prorata refunds will be offered when refund exceeds $50 for the team.
Active Kids Rebate
For those wishing, and /or eligible to use your Active Kids Voucher ($100), you will need to use the code/ voucher during the registration process.
Enter the code in the "Voucher" field just before entering payment details (credit card payments only this year.)
We cannot manually claim the voucher and refund, once a player is registered.
If you have forgotten to use the voucher then you will have to use it for another sport, we cannot “retrofit” the voucher and give a refund.
TEAM ORGANISATION
U5-U7- In these age groups we are happy for friends to play together if requested and most teams will be organised quickly once registration is closed in late-February.
U8-U10. These age groups will have an informal “grading” day (usually just 1) to be held on a date to be announced. This age is still “non Competition” so we will are still happy for teams to remain together however if there are kids that are super competitive or “stand out” as at a higher skill level then we may group these kids together to make the teams fairer.
U11- U11 are still non competitive however do participate in a competitive finals tournament to “ready” them for Comp the next year. They will participate in a Grading process with the U12s.
U12-U18. These teams are now in a “Competitive” competition and as such will undergo a grading process. As teams come into the U12 years it can be a hard transition for some as we no longer will automatically allow friends to stay together. Teams will be formed depending on skill level and also on numbers that work for the club.
Each year we have many requests from parents, especially in the U12 and U13 age groups for friends to stay together however this cannot always be accommodated. We must grade teams on skill level in these ages and this will be done by an independent “grading” team. If you believe your child should be given consideration to be in a certain team based on their skill level please contact the club PRIOR to the grading days.
Please remember that committee members are volunteers and do their very best to make kids and parents happy but this is not always possible. Children can and do make new friends, even if placed in a team where they don’t know anyone. This can sometimes be a hard thing, but a great life lesson in dealing with disappointment and learning to adapt. Please support the club and your child if this does happen by encouraging them to be in the team they are placed in.
Dates for grading will be notified as soon as they are known however this can be last minute due to the lack of ground availability during this preseason time. Please follow us on Facebook as this is the quickest way we have to communicate with you. Emails can be sent but these are not always seen in time, especially if wet weather causes a last minute cancellation.
Parent / Guardian participation
Each team requires a coach and a manager in order to participate. In the ages U10 and over teams cannot be nominated in the competitions without both Coach and Manager being registered in Play Football.
We need your support and ask you to consider assisting as either your child’s coach or team manager. If you have never coached / managed before don’t worry, almost none of our existing coaches had until they too were asked to step up and assist their child’s team – most come back again . You will require a volunteer Working With Children Check (WWCC). This is free for volunteers and is applied for online through Service NSW (see more details about this below).
Please do not expect the club to provide a coach for your team. We are a very large club with over 70 teams. We rely solely on parents to coach the teams, we do not have professional coaches as the cost would be prohibitive.
Central Coast Football offer training and resources for any new coaches, and also up skilling for existing coaches. These courses will be held during preseason and we HIGHLY recommend these ad they are FREE.
Fields.
Our home ground for most juniors is ERINA HIGH SCHOOL. This is where you should play the majority of your home games, if you are in the Junior age groups.(U5-U16).
We have also been allocated PAUL OVAL at Matcham from this season however this field will be used mainly for our older ages.
Where and when you play is determined by Central Coast Football… not by Avoca FC, they decide on the draw and clubs have very limited say in changing the draw once it is published. You will usually have one home game followed by an away game but again, this is decided by CCF, not Avoca FC and can be varied at their discretion.
Once the draw is published (see dates above) we will let you know via social media and the website.
You can then go to The CCF website www.ccfootball.com.au to view your own team’s individual draw and also download the MYCOMPAPP .
Training days
Training days are usually Wednesday or Thursday at Patrick Croke Oval, 39 Melville Street, Kincumber for most Non Comp teams… ie U5-U11. Timing is dependent upon what council allows us but in past years has been between 4:00 pm and 8:00pm each night. We aim to schedule the younger children first.
Time and day will also depend on what your coach can do. They are the ones giving up their time to coach so we try to accommodate what time suits them best.
The higher graded teams (ie A grade) who wish to train twice a week may end up training at Fagans Park Point Claire on a Tues night. Teams ARE NOT forced to train at Fagan Park. This is purely an option for teams that want to train twice a week.
Some older Womens and Mens teams train at Erina High school Wed and Thurs nights but these spots are usually reserved for our Mens premier League and Higher level Womens teams as usage at Erina is highly limited.
Working With Children Check (WWCC)
Football NSW requires all committee members, coaches, managers, canteen staff and grounds persons over the age of 18 to complete a Working With Children Check.
The first step is to submit your Working with Children Check application online by going to www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/check.
Once your application form has been completed online, you will be given an application (APP) number.
Then, to complete the application, you must take your application number along with proof of identity to a NSW Motor Registry, RMS Agency, or Service NSW office. Working with Children Checks are free for volunteers
FOOTBALL STRUCTURE ON THE CENTRAL COAST
Non-competition teams- Small sided football
4 yrs -11 yrs
Under U5’s, U6’s, U7’s, U8’s, U9’s, U10’s and U11’s
Mixed teams – open to both male and female players. All ages except U8 offer an All Girls competition.
Players on the Field-
U5-U7 4 players
U8- U9 7 players (including goal keeper)
U10- U11 9 players (including goal keeper)
Competition teams-
Mixed Junior football – (Mixed teams are prefixed with “U” – eg, U13)
Played on Saturdays
11 yrs – 14 yrs
Under U12’s, U13’s and U14’s
Mixed teams – open to both male and female players
11 on the field. Max 16 per team.
Female Junior Football (Female only junior football teams are prefixed with “W” – eg, W13)
Competition played on Sundays
11 yrs – 18 yrs
W12’s, W14’s’, W16’s, and W18’s
Junior Womens teams are done in even age groups to allow enough teams to offer A and B grades.
Open to female players only
11 on the field. Max 16 per team.
Male Junior Football (Male only teams are prefixed with “M’ – eg, M15)
14 yrs – 18 yrs
M15’s, M16’s, (played on Saturdays) and M18’s (played on Sundays)
(note there is no M17’s)
Open to male players only
11 on the field. Max 16 per team.
Senior Competitions-
Women’s Football- All Age women, Women’s Division 1. Open to all ages of Women 16 and above
Men’s Football-
- Over 35’s O45s (played on Saturdays)
- All Age Men (Played on Sundays)
- Mens Premier League.
Important dates for this upcoming season-
- Registration opens 9th January. Early Bird pricing applies. Early Bird pricing finished after 4 weeks and all rego prices will go up $15.
- U5 Registration is FREE while early bird pricing is in place. After which is become $150 which is what CCF charge us for an U5 player so essentially it’s a cost price
- Draw Released March 28th
- Season Starts 6th/7th April
- Season will run through to the end of August for on comp and Mid- late Sept for our Competition teams. This can be pushed back if the season is affected by wet weather.
Game days
We encourage you to arrive at the field on game day at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of your match.
There will be times if you are the first team to play on a field that you will be required to get there earlier to help set up the field, and alternatively if you are last on a field, to pack it up.
Saturday Games
All non comp (U5-U11), M12-M16, O35, O45 all play on Saturdays.
Sunday Games
All Women’s competitions U12 and up.
MAA, WAA.
Mens and Womens Premier League and all play on Sundays.
Wet weather
In the event of wet weather, we will publish the closure of OUR GROUNDS ONLY. It is up to the team manager or individuals to check the CCF website and you will be notified through your MY COMP APP.
The CCF website must become your “go to” site for draw and ground closures. We cannot check every team and every ground for you.
When it comes to our training grounds of Patrick Croke oval, Erina and Fagans, the council decides if the ground is to open during wet weather, not the club, and they do not notify us until after 2pm so please don’t contact us asking if the ground is closed before then. We will post as soon as we know on Facebook and the website.
You can also check yourself from the council website though the link-
Sportsgrounds | Central Coast Council (nsw.gov.au)
Cadet Referees
We run a very successful Cadet Referee program that uses our own kids to referee the Non Comp Games (U11 and below). These kids must be over 12 to participate. We are usually oversubscribed with keen Sharkie kids wanting to be part of this program as they get paid, but more importantly get trained and learn some great skills. We hope that many of these kids go on to be formal senior referees. Our program is very highly regarded and our Cadets often praised for their composure and professionalism.
We value these cadet refs hugely and have a ZERO tolerance of any abuse towards them from coaches, parents, players or any spectators. We protect these kids and report any level of abuse to CCF who take these incidents very seriously. Parents and coaches can and have been suspended from supporting their team if these incidents occur.
Sponsoring our Club
We have many loyal Sponsors of our club who come back year after year to support the kids and our club. We couldn’t run the club without them. As a large club running across 3 fields we need much equipment and resources to enable us to give our members the kind of experience that they expect, and our wonderful sponsors are a very big part of that.
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor we have several packages to suit your needs.
Please email [email protected]
Uniforms
Shirts
Are the property of the Club.
They are handed out as an entire kit to the team manager at the muster day starting the season and must be returned as an entire kit at the end of each season.
It is Club policy that players DO NOT wear their shirt home from the ground. Many shirts each season go missing as a result of this practice.
There are change rooms at every ground if players are self-conscious about changing into the shirt before and after the game.
It is also much easier to substitute players from other teams within the Club on occasions when your team is short players if you always have all shirts in the kit.
Ideally the washing duties are rotated between reliable parents.
If, for some reason, an additional shirt is required during the season (eg, because an extra player has been added) please contact us for an extra shirt.
Socks
Are provided to all teams 18 and under as part of your registration fee.
Socks will be distributed to your coach or manager within the team kit along with the shirts at your team’s muster day.
Socks become your individual property to keep.
If you need a new pair of socks during the season, these can be purchased at any time throughout the season for $15 at our home ground canteen at Erina High School.
Shorts
Are NOT included in your registration fee and can only be purchased through the Club.
Once purchased they become your individual property.
These can be purchased at one of the face-to-face registration days or these can be purchased at any time throughout the season for $30 at our home ground canteen at Erina High School.
Shoes – cleats / studs
Are NOT included in your registration fee.
Can be purchased at any time from any sporting footwear store.
Shin pads
Are compulsory.
Are not included in your registration fee.
Can be purchased at any time from any sporting footwear store.
Contacting us
Contact specific people via the website, in our Contacts section, our Facebook/ Instagram pages or email us at [email protected] Please be mindful that our preseason time (Feb and March) is the busiest time of the season for us as we get teams organised. A huge amount goes on behind the scenes so it may take several days for us to contact you back.
