Expression of Interest- Women’s 2027

Be Part of the future of Manningham Juventus

Expressions of Interest for 2027 Season for Seniors / Reserves are now open

Register your interest via our link today and join the black & white family

About our coach/program:

🇬🇧 The UK Foundation: Somerset Grassroots

Before moving to Australia, Mel spent nearly a decade heavily embedded in the Somerset football landscape.• On the Pitch: Mel played competitive senior women's football in regional English leagues for local rivals Ilminster Town Ladies FC and Combe St Nicholas Ladies. • Coaching & Development (2010–2018): Alongside playing, she worked for over eight years as a Head Football Coach for the Somerset Football Association, dedicating her time to youth development and building grassroots community programs.

🇦🇺 The Melbourne Chapter: Building Female Pathways

Upon relocating to Melbourne's east, Mel shifted her focus entirely to establishing dedicated, long-term pathways for female players within Football Victoria (FV) structures:• Macedon Blues United FC: Mel stepped in as a female teams mentor and committee member, coaching the junior girls and progressing to coach the Senior Women's squad.• Manningham United Blues FC: She served as the Female Football Director, steering strategic growth for the women's game in the municipality.• On the Pitch: She laced up her boots to play competitively in the Football Victoria Women's State Leagues 3 and 4.• Doncaster Rovers SC: Expanding local youth setups, she launched a dedicated female program and coached the U14 to U18 girls' cohorts.• The Masters Initiative (2024): Spotting a gap for women wanting to stay active or return to the sport later in life, Mel launched a Women's Soccer Masters group.

⚽ The Next Generation: A True Football Family

The Cullingford love for the game runs deep, with all three of Mel's children actively playing across two hemispheres:• Mikayla (Miki): Continuing the Somerset legacy, Mikayla is currently coaching the senior women's team and playing for Combe St Nicholas Ladies in the UK.• Tyler: NPL player at 16 and the returning to the UK having previously spent a spell playing for Combe St Nicholas, Tyler is currently hitting the pitch back in England playing for Crewkerne Rangers FC. • Freya: Mel's youngest daughter, Freya, has been playing football consecutively since the age of 9. Now 17, she has built a strong player history through the Victorian grassroots pipeline, including coming through the ranks to line up for the Macedon Blues 

🚀 Launching the Future: Manningham Juventus FC Female Program

Mel and Freya are now uniting as a mother-daughter duo to launch a brand-new, comprehensive female football space at the long established Manningham Juventus FC.

Combining Mel’s decades of structural coaching experience with Freya's active youth perspective, the pair are on a mission to encourage women and girls of absolutely all ages to get their boots on and play. Whether a young girl picking up a ball for the first time at age 9, an open-age player looking for competitive football, or a mother joining the Masters, their combined program is designed to break down barriers and foster a tight-knit community at Park Avenue Reserve.