Cade Lucas
“We’re in the midst of painting Melbourne red.”
Liverpool Football Club’s Kevin Kalinko is up front about why the English Premier League giant has entered into partnership with Emmanuel College in Point Cook and Altona North.
Having established similar partnerships with schools across the rest of Melbourne, Liverpool scoured the western suburbs to complete the set.
“We were looking a for a school in Melbourne’s west that shared the same set of values with Liverpool Football Club, those being ambition, commitment, dignity and unity” said Kalinko, the club’s international academies Australia director.
That search took them to Emmanuel College in Point Cook and Altona North, traditionally one of the west’s school soccer powerhouses.
“In our first meeting it had become evident that our selection had been the right selection” said Kalinko, who was on hand for the launch at Emmauel’s Notre Dame campus in Point Cook on Wednesday.
Former Matildas goalkeeper and long time Emmanuel College coach Melissa Barbieri was also present, while school alumni such as Socceroos debutant Jordon Bos – in China preparing to play World Cup winners Argentina in a friendly – sent video messages.
Bos is among a host of professional players who’ve come through Emmanuel under the tutelage of its long time head of soccer Michael Pincher.
“They saw the program we had running at the college for nearly 15 years was aligned with what they wanted to do,” said Pincher of what attracted Liverpool.
“It’s literally just transferring what we’re doing and combing the two together now,” he said.
Under the partnership, Liverpool’s high-performance school soccer program will be based at the school, but made available to to young people across the west, not just Emmanuel students.
Coaching, holiday programs and vocational training will also be offered.
Details: www.lfcacademy.com.au.
