Behind the scenes of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a quieter but equally powerful transformation was underway. While millions celebrated the athletic brilliance on the global stage, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and Football Australia were collaborating on a project that aimed to reshape the nation’s community sports landscape. Their shared vision: to strengthen grassroots clubs and ensure the legacy of major tournaments translated into lasting benefits at the local level. The result has been Game Plan, a world-first initiative that is redefining how community clubs operate and thrive.
A Digital Platform for Community Empowerment
Launched in 2020, Game Plan was designed as a free digital self-assessment tool that helps local sporting clubs evaluate and improve their operations. More than 7,000 clubs across Australia have already engaged with the platform. It invites clubs to take a close look at everything from governance and financial sustainability to safeguarding, inclusivity, and volunteer management. Once a club identifies its strengths and weaknesses, Game Plan provides tailored resources, education, and practical guidance to help leaders implement improvements.
The platform is highly adaptable. National sporting bodies can customise its content to meet the unique needs of their communities. Football Australia took full advantage of this feature by tailoring Game Plan to support its “Club Changer” program—a national initiative aimed at creating safer, more inclusive, and sustainable football environments.
Football Australia’s Strategic Transformation
Grace Lambourne, Football Australia’s National Program Manager, has called the collaboration groundbreaking. “This is the first time the national, state, and local levels of football have worked together to directly support grassroots clubs, and the results have been remarkable,” she said.
The data speaks volumes. Within just two years, more than 1,800 clubs joined Game Plan through Club Changer, fueling a surge of new activity across the football community. Participation in women and girls’ football grew by 27%. Overall football participation increased by 200,000 players nationwide. Outdoor football saw a 10% boost, while social football engagement grew by 13%. These figures highlight how digital innovation can align with grassroots enthusiasm to create real, measurable outcomes.
Importantly, the Women’s and Girls Module has been a cornerstone of this success. More than 1,200 clubs have completed the module, cementing the Women’s World Cup legacy by embedding female-friendly policies and facilities at the community level.
Club Success Stories
The impact of Game Plan can best be understood through the stories of clubs that have used it to transform their environments.
- Adelaide Olympic Football Club: Focused on inclusivity by reviewing policies and launching female-friendly programs. Practical steps included improving access to suitable change rooms and recruiting more women as coaches and committee members.
- Canterbury Lions Football Club: Streamlined management processes, improved compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and enhanced the overall member experience.
- Melton Phoenix Football Club: Highlighted Game Plan as an “amazing initiative” for keeping clubs informed, adaptable, and equipped to evolve with changing expectations.
- Australian Catholic University Football Club: Found the tool invaluable for identifying blind spots, creating new programs, and guiding volunteers through practical resources.
- Yanchep United Football Club: Experienced a surge in female participation, leading to the formation of new girls’ teams and the highest number of female committee members in the club’s history. Women now play more active roles in coaching and leadership than ever before.
These testimonials show how Game Plan is more than a checklist—it is a cultural shift in how clubs view inclusion, governance, and sustainability.
A Legacy of the FIFA Women’s World Cup
The timing of the platform’s rise is no coincidence. Australia co-hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, a milestone that drew global attention and local enthusiasm. Game Plan ensured that the surge in interest translated into long-term benefits for grassroots football. By equipping clubs with tools to modernise their operations, the program turned a one-off event into an enduring legacy of growth and inclusivity.
For communities, the value has been both tangible and intangible. Tangible, in the form of upgraded facilities, new teams, and more robust compliance. Intangible, in the form of cultural change—welcoming more women, building diversity, and embedding safeguarding practices.
The Broader Participation Strategy: Play Well
Game Plan is part of a larger vision. It serves as a key deliverable of Australia’s first national Participation Strategy, Play Well, which seeks to transform community sport into a space where everyone feels they belong.
Play Well is built on four pillars: inclusivity, sustainability, safety, and connection. Its ambition is to create a cultural transformation across all sports—not just football—by supporting clubs in ways that go beyond winning and losing. Through Play Well, the ASC envisions community clubs becoming hubs of social connection, health promotion, and lifelong participation.
Why Digital Tools Matter for Grassroots Sport
The digital nature of Game Plan is central to its success. Grassroots clubs often rely on volunteers with limited time, resources, and governance experience. By providing an accessible online platform, Game Plan offers them tools they would otherwise struggle to access. This reduces administrative burdens and increases efficiency, freeing clubs to focus more on member engagement and community building.
Equally important, the data gathered through self-assessments allows the ASC and national bodies to identify systemic gaps and trends. This evidence-based approach helps policymakers and sporting organisations direct funding and resources where they are needed most.
Beyond Football: Expanding Across Sports
While football has been the most visible adopter, Game Plan is available to all sporting organisations across Australia. More than 100 national sporting organisations have already embraced the platform, tailoring it to their specific needs. Sports ranging from netball to swimming and athletics have begun using Game Plan to strengthen their community structures.
The ASC has framed this as part of a national movement to lift community sport standards, increase inclusivity, and enhance the overall sporting experience for Australians. For small rural clubs as well as large metropolitan organisations, the tool provides a scalable way to professionalise operations without sacrificing community spirit.
The Road Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities
Despite its success, challenges remain. Many clubs continue to face financial constraints, difficulties in recruiting and retaining volunteers, and limited access to infrastructure. Digital literacy also varies across communities, making it essential that training and support remain accessible to all clubs.
Looking forward, the ASC has signalled plans to continue evolving the platform, expanding its modules, and ensuring it stays relevant as sporting environments change. Areas such as sustainability, mental health, and digital safety are likely to play a larger role in future iterations.
There is also an opportunity to strengthen cross-sector partnerships. Schools, local governments, and private sponsors can be more directly engaged through the Game Plan ecosystem, helping clubs access additional resources and expertise.
Conclusion: Building Belonging Through Sport
Game Plan has proven that grassroots sport can be transformed through thoughtful innovation and national collaboration. By enabling clubs to assess, learn, and adapt, it has empowered local leaders to build more inclusive and resilient communities. Football Australia’s experience—marked by surges in participation, especially among women and girls—demonstrates what is possible when vision aligns with grassroots action.
As part of the broader Play Well strategy, Game Plan is not just about sport. It is about embedding values of inclusivity, safety, and sustainability into the heart of community life. For Australia, this means a future where community clubs are not only places to play, but places to belong.
For more information, clubs can visit: ausport.gov.au/gameplan.
