The Werribee Football Club Junior Academy returns for its second year in 2026, continuing the club’s commitment to developing the next generation of footballers across Wyndham.

Following the successful introduction of the club’s first standalone junior academy in 2025, the program returns with another group of talented young footballers from across the region.

The invite-only academy features 50 participants, made up of 25 boys and 25 girls from the City of Wyndham who represented the Western Football Netball League at interleague level this year, providing them with an opportunity to further their development in a high-performance environment.

The academy has again been made possible through the support of A Cleaner World, Kieser Werribee and Corio Waste Management, with all three partners returning for a second year after their support helped launch the inaugural program in 2025.

Werribee Development Coach Kane Johnstone will lead the program as Academy Coach in 2026, with three Werribee VFL players joining him at each session to work closely with participants.

Johnstone joined Werribee at the beginning of the 2026 season as a Development Coach. He also serves as the club’s runner on matchdays and helps run additional development group sessions every second Monday for Werribee’s first-to-fourth-year players.

Before joining Werribee, Johnstone moved into coaching following a 12-year playing career with the Terang Mortlake Football Netball Club. Despite being just 24, he already has several years of coaching experience, having coached Terang Mortlake’s Under 16 side at 18 before serving as an assistant coach with the club’s senior team in 2025.

Johnstone said he was excited to lead the academy in its second year.

“It is really exciting to be coach of an academy that is important to the Werribee community. These academies are where some of the best football memories are made, so to be a part of this is a great honour.”

Werribee Football Club Community Manager Majok Ngong said the academy was an important part of the club’s commitment to supporting the future of football in Melbourne’s west.

“After the success of the academy in its first year, we’re really excited to have the program back for 2026 and continue building on what we started last year.

“As a football club, we have an opportunity to play an important role in supporting the long-term sustainability of football in the western region and helping young players from our community continue their development.

“We also couldn’t deliver a program like this without the support of our academy partners, so we’re incredibly grateful to A Cleaner World, Kieser Werribee and Corio Waste Management for continuing their support for a second year.”

Across the program, participants will take part in sessions not only covering football and on-field skills, but also performance habits, sleep, nutrition and recovery, while gaining a better understanding of the different pathways available to young footballers in the region.

One session will again be delivered with academy partner Kieser Werribee, a physiotherapy, rehabilitation and strength training facility. Kieser’s specialists will take participants through a professional warm-up and specialised strength session, giving them an insight into the physical preparation required at a high-performance level.

The seven-session 2026 program begins with an introductory session at Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval on Monday, August 17, before continuing across August and September, including two extended sessions during the September school holidays.