DOC Football Academy

DOC Football opened in Australia in 2005 and is situated at Eltham College/Research. The facility and its playing fields has to be one of the best in Victoria and is a fitting home for DOC Football Academy.

David O’Connor founded the DOC Football Academy in Singapore in 2002 where he coached in the S- League. He recognised the need for an academy when he discovered there was a lack of grassroots coaching being offered to the children of Singapore. DOC Football Academy grew very quickly to become the leading Academy in the country.

In December 2004 David returned to Melbourne and spent almost a year setting up the Academy here to make sure that it was ready to offer the very best coaching possible for all kids. The most important thing was to get the right coaching staff, and we believe that we have done that as all the coaches have been handpicked by David himself.

There are a great many coaches in the game of soccer that can teach skills and game concepts. However DOC Football is not just about soccer. We use the great game of soccer as a vehicle to develop players to their full potential to be future leaders on and off the field. DOC Football Academy trains players from other Clubs.

Tom Roberts and Tray Sullivan were two of our best players developed at DOC Football Academy. Our programmes focus on fostering a positive environment that allows the development of highly skilled players and teams, as well as leaders for tomorrow.

DOC Football Academy is affiliated with English league club Sheffield Wednesday and talent scouts for them. We have taken a number of our players overseas to train with professional clubs in the UK and had one selected to train with A-league club Melbourne Victory. Over the past five years 12 Academy boys have signed for professional clubs in the Victorian premier league, an achievement which we at the academy are proud of, as it proves to us that we are on the right track. Our number one objective is and always will be to give our kids the knowledge and skill to follow their dreams of playing the game professionally.

DOC Football has run training for Veterans for many years. This is for players over 35 years of age who still want to have a kick but just for fun and fitness not in an over competitive way. We have players still playing over sixty years of age.

DOC Football believes in giving back to the communities in which we live. We work actively within the community to raise funds for charities. Over the past few years we have raised money for many worthwhile causes such as the Lions club, Special Needs and the recent tragic Melbourne bushfires, to name a few.

DOC Football assists players to obtain education/sports scholarships at selected colleges and to date has successfully obtained these scholarships for a number of players.

DOC Football runs a programme for people with special needs. Furthermore, we also sponsor them and help with fundraising. David personally coaches the kids and generously dedicates his time. He wants to expand this programme and intends to form a special needs league in the near future.

DOC Football is proud to offer soccer programmes at every level – Special Needs groups, Competitive, Recreational and Developmental. The traditional goals of our soccer programmes include, but are not limited to, providing a structured, challenging learning environment where friendship, teamwork, and lifetime mental & physical fitness can evolve. The Academy and Club offer the most positive outlets for soccer players and is a place where the community can come to make friends and enjoy a good social atmosphere.

• Creating an environment where players are developed to their fullest potential and have the best chance of self-actualizing as citizens, students, and athletes.

• Providing professional leadership, high quality coaching and instruction with an emphasis on life skills, discipline, strategy, good health and having fun, fun, fun!

• Establishing a culture and atmosphere where family values, sportsmanship, fair play, honesty, integrity, and loyalty are the foundation for the future at DOC Football.

• Reaching out to our community through our commitment of Community based projects and charity work.