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he Central Coast Mariners have formed a partnership with the Central Coast Sports College, with the intention of offering more full-time opportunities to female coaches and football players in regional NSW and the Central Coast.

Resources and education will be offered from the school to provide the most efficient career pathways possible.

NPLW 1st Grade Coach, Dan Barrett, will act as the Mariners Head of Female Football and lead the program.

Barrett said the partnership will provide unmistakeable benefits for the players.

“The big part of this for me is the opportunity to spend more time with the players and also being able to provide the Mariners players at the school with the things that we don’t have on the Academy side yet,” Barrett said.

“Access to the gym and other assets like that, where we can really work on the development of a player in entirety, and although it’s a bit of a buzzword, the fact that we can manage their workload so much better will be important.

“A key part of player development is encompassing all aspects of what they need both on and off the field, and providing support for them between the Mariners, where we have the team and the competitive environment, and the school with mentoring and off-field components, the two go hand in hand to build a very good player,” he said.

Head of Community and Marketing at the College, and former Matilda Julie Dolan, said: “this is a fantastic opportunity for women and girls in general, not only those on the Coast.”

“The school is right here, this synergy with the Mariners is what will make it so beneficial and the key thing we can offer is for regionally based players to relocate and be part of a full time playing and education program.

“In the leadup to the 2023 Women’s World Cup, this presents something for local girls to aspire to and with a strong program behind them it opens up that opportunity which is something that hasn’t been there before,” Dolan said.

The partnership aims not only to provide greater full-time opportunity for both players and coaches but also an opportunity to develop and grow better coaches for the Central Coast area.