Football Australia has announced the appointment of Football NSW’s Club Technical Development Coordinator Alex Epakis as the new Young Matildas Head Coach reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the national team coaching pathway, developing elite talent, and fostering a world-class high-performance environment for women’s football in Australia.
A passionate builder of grassroots and elite pathways in Australian football, Epakis brings a wealth of experience, having played a key role in youth and professional coaching development. Epakis has previously served as:
- Technical Adviser, Football NSW Girl’s Youth Development (2024 – Present)
- Head Coach, Football NSW, NSW Girls State Team (2024 – Present)
- Head Coach, Perth Glory FC Women (2020 – 2024)
- Lead Opposition Scout, Philippines Women’s National Team (FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Australia and New Zealand™)
- Senior Head Coach & Technical Director, Sydney University SFC NPL Women’s NSW Team (2017 – 2020)
- Academy Age Group Head Coach & Administrator, Sydney FC (2015 – 2017)
- Senior Assistant Coach, Canberra United FC A-League Women (2017/18 Season)
A strong advocate for the professionalisation of women’s football, Epakis is recognised for his possession-based, attacking style of play, his ability to nurture young talent, and his commitment to creating positive, high-performance team cultures.
Holding a Football Australia/AFC Professional Diploma, a Master of Education (Sports Coaching) and an accredited Football Australia Coach Educator and Developer, Epakis is well-positioned to lead the Young Matildas’ program into its next phase, ensuring a clear pathway to the Matildas.
In his current role as Technical Adviser for Football NSW Girl’s Youth Development, Epakis supports the technical development of coaches and clubs to develop best practice coaching methodology across NSW’s Women’s National Premier Leagues youth league programs.
Football Australia has also announced a Team of Coaches initiative which aims to develop the next generation of high-performance football coaches by providing hands-on experience in national team environments, international camps, and tournaments, while maintaining their club commitments.
Two known NSW female coaches in Catherine Cannuli and Emily Husband will be part of this team along with Melissa Barbieri and Kat Smith.
Source: Football NSW
