South Melbourne Football Club has announced its successful qualification for the inaugural Boys Victorian Youth Premier League, the highest tier in the junior boys’ football pyramid in Victoria.
Tass Roufos, Youth Football Director at South Melbourne FC, stated: “Our football programs have delivered outstanding outcomes throughout 2025. Securing Division 1 status across all levels, from Miniroos and Pre-NPL to JBNPL and Senior Men’s football, positions us uniquely to offer a genuine development pathway for our homegrown talent into senior football.”
The announcement comes as Football Victoria prepares to launch a restructured junior competition model in 2026, replacing the current JBNPL with a tiered system designed to unify club development, enhance technical standards, and optimise resource and facility use.
“With the Australian Championship kicking off in October, this news arrives at a truly exciting time for South Melbourne as a National Football Club,” Senior Football Director Peter Kokotis added.
“South Melbourne FC extends its congratulations to Technical Director Rinichi Mikami, the coaching staff, players, and volunteers whose dedication and commitment have made this achievement possible.
The new competition format aligns with Football Victoria’s strategic vision to strengthen development pathways, remove barriers to participation, and nurture emerging talent across the state.”
Mikami commented: “Next year we will have the platform to compete weekly against the best youth teams in Victoria and continue building on the hard work and progress made this year.
“We now look forward to having 3 of our 4 JBNPL teams competing in the Finals Series, and a further congratulations to our U/16 team who went undefeated in their championship year.
Finally, The South Melbourne FC Board and Club President proudly acknowledge and congratulate Tass and Rinichi for their leadership and contribution to this milestone achievement.”
