Bentleigh Greens are knocking on the door of history once again. The club’s board recently announced with great fanfare a $2.4 million investment to build a brand-new pitch at the Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, dedicated entirely to the development of women’s football.
This isn’t just another playing surface—it’s a symbol of equality, opportunity, and a brighter future for hundreds of girls and women dreaming of pulling on the green jersey and chasing their ambitions. Backed by the federal government and Kingston Council, this project is set to supercharge football’s momentum in our community.
The total funding comes in at $2.4 million, with the lion’s share—$1.5 million—coming from the Australian government’s “Play Your Way” programme, a scheme aimed at boosting women’s sport. Kingston Council will chip in a significant sum, while Bentleigh Greens themselves are putting their money where their mouth is, proving their commitment to growing the game. Construction is slated to kick off in 2026, and with a bit of luck, the pitch will be ready for the 2027 season.
Neos Kosmos caught up with the club’s president, Abraham Gregoriou, to get the lowdown.
“The Play Your Way programme is all about funding women’s sport, and it was a no-brainer for us to get involved. As a club, we always want to do the best we can for the sport we love,” Gregoriou said, beaming with pride.
“We’ve achieved some cracking things in our women’s programme. A few seasons back, we joined forces with Bayside United, which was a belter of a move and gave our girls elite pathways to progress.”
Indeed, that merger, green-lit by Football Victoria in December 2023, created a new entity with teams across all age groups, cementing the Greens’ presence in Melbourne’s southeast. Today, Bentleigh Greens boast over 700 players, with a strong focus on girls’ programmes from MiniRoos to senior levels—and that number’s only growing. But space? That’s the sticking point.
“We’ve reached a point where the space we have just isn’t enough, and we don’t want to turn girls away. This new pitch will let us keep growing and encourage more girls to take up the sport,” Gregoriou added.
For the president, the way clubs can help the game is crystal clear: build facilities that meet players’ needs.
“You see other clubs splashing cash on grandstands and fancy setups, but that’s not the issue for us. It’s not about showing off—it’s about growing the game. The only way to do that is to get kids playing, and that means safe pitches and proper facilities. If you don’t have a pitch,
what’s the point? I’d rather spend $2.4 million on a ground for the kids than a grandstand that gets packed once or twice a year.”
Finally, we spoke with Gregoriou about the men’s team’s massive success, clinching the VPL1 title and earning promotion to the NPL.
“Getting relegated to VPL1 was a dark moment for the club. We spent the last two years learning from our mistakes. We brought in George Katsakis, upgraded the squad, and together we’ve put Bentleigh back where it belongs—in the top tier of Victorian football. We’ll do everything in our power to stay there.”
