The Boys' National Youth Championships were held recently in Wollongong, where some of the top talents from each state faced off against each other in front of Football Australia’s Talent ID department. This year, for the first time in the Boys' competition, a Football Australia Invitational XI comprised of Indigenous players participated in the U16s age group to provide further opportunities for First Nations footballers. The program builds on implementing the same invitational team at the Girls' Youth Championship, who participated in the 2023 edition and at this year's event. Macarthur FC’s NPL Assistant Coach Tim Aitken, a Koori man, is at the centre of it all. Front Page Football recently spoke to Aitken to hear more about this initiative from Football Australia and his journey in coaching as he continues to take a prominent role in developing young talent at the Youth Championships and Macarthur.
Football Australia's Invitational XI played at this year's National Youth Championships for the first time. (Image: Damian Briggs/Football Australia)
Serving last year as the head coach of the Girls' team, Aitken stepped into a Technical Director role for both teams this year. He oversees the Girls' side, with former Matilda and Newcastle Jets fullback Gema Simon taking the coaching reins. Aitken coaches the Boys' side himself.
Preparing the Invitational XI for the tournament looked different from how it would for the other state federations. Putting the squads together required an extensive search across Australia, gathering data on all registered Indigenous footballers, and liaising with the state federations to reach out to the players.
“We're more resourced now and a bit more organised, and after last year, we started planning a little bit earlier. Courtney (Fewquandie), the general manager, wanted me to move into a TD (Technical Director) role so the program was more sustainable,” Aitken told FPF.
“We had to get as much data as we could, and that was a big process, more so for Courtney than it was for anybody else. She was able to get a list of as many players as she could across the country, both boys and girls, that identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. We're talking 500+ kids just in one age bracket. From there, we were looking at what levels these kids are playing at, then reaching out to the state TDs.”
The Invitational XI finished 14th in the Under 16 Team Rankings in Wollongong. (Image: Damian Briggs/Football Australia)
As the teams represent a community across the country, the squads only met each other once they arrived at their respective camps, meaning any learning required before the tournament had to occur online.
“I think our situation is different to everybody else's because we don't get to get the players on the pitch and have training sessions leading into the tournament. A lot of our learning is done online, and that was my idea," Aitken said.
“I've run online sessions, which has been some tactical stuff and videos that we've got of teams that I've coached before applying our defensive principles, applying our principles in attack.”
For Aitken, the goal was to help the players experience what it is like in a national team camp, where you need to come together with players you may not be familiar with and be able to learn, absorb, and execute new instructions.
“You're going into camp. You need to now be able to take in new information and apply it in a game and perform well. Our development probably looks different to the other states because it's long-term development for them, whereas we're treating this like what you're going to see in a national team environment,” he added.
“It's going to be jam-packed with information, and you've got to absorb it, apply it, and perform to the best of your ability.”
Aitken wanted to create an environment akin to a national team camp for the Invitational XI. (Image: Damian Briggs/Football Australia)
Aitken’s journey in football has been anything but straightforward. After spending most of his playing career in the NPL, he turned to coaching after illness forced him from his work outside the sport. Starting coaching in his local area of Western Sydney, he was soon picked up by Blacktown Spartans, a former club of his, and began in their SAP (Skill Acquisition Phase) Program.
It was here where Aitken connected with current Macarthur boss Mile Sterjovski and began to learn from him.
“From there (the SAP team), I went into their 18s. My team was doing well, and I was fortunate that Mile Sterjovski’s son was in the 16s. So they were training next to my squad every session. Mile was watching, saw the progress of our team, and reached out to have a meeting. Before I knew it, I was his assistant at Macarthur Bulls,” Aitken said.
In 2021, Leah Blayney brought Aitken into the Young Matildas setup in the lead-up to the U20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica. The side faced the host nation in front of 19,000 people and heavyweights Brazil and Spain, who went on to win the tournament. It was an experience Aitken still holds in high regard.
“It was unreal. The first game that we played we had Costa Rica; the streets were packed, [and] it was intimidating. But when you get into the stadium, they’re lovely people, the Costa Ricans,” Aitken said.
Aitken spoke with Front Page Football in the lead-up to the U20 Women's World Cup in 2022.
He has since left this role for family reasons. However, Aitken has continued his position as the NPL Assistant Coach at Macarthur. Brought in by Sterjovski, the head coach of the side at the time, before their entry to the NPL, Aitken has also worked alongside Zeljko Kalac and now Craig Noone.
He spoke about how much he had been able to develop his own skill set during that time and Sterjovski's influence.
“Almost everything I do as a coach is Mile 2.0,” Aitken said.
“I've developed so much as a coach; I’ve watched players develop, move on to bigger and better things in terms of overseas moves, moving from our academy into full-time, elite players.”
Working with Noone this season, who is himself starting his coaching journey, Aitken has been able to bring some of his own ideas to the table, particularly his defensive principles, which he has developed while working with various high-profile managers.
“This year, working with Craig Noone in a league below, we've been able to have younger players and put the things that I've learned off Mile, Kalac, Leah, and defensively, put those structures in place with a little bit of my own twist on it. It’s rewarding to see these ideas working in senior football,” Aitken added.
“Regarding the attacking side, Noone was a winger, so he works a lot with those guys (the attackers) and then we collaborate our ideas and bring them together to help the team perform.”
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Aitken explained that his style was influenced by his time with Kalac, particularly the defensive side, with a structured and organised block that allows his attackers to express themselves.
“Last year, we pressed a lot with the team under Spider; the reasoning for my idea of sitting in a block is so when we break and start to transition forward, it's fast-paced, high energy because we're not doing so much pressing,” he said.
“I think anyone that's listened to me from the sideline, every time we get attackers on the ball, my information is to take players on, express themselves, and attack with freedom.”
While Aitken's recent focus has been on the National Youth Championships, his ambitions for the future are clear.
“Short term, I want to be a head coach; I like working with elite academy players. They're professional, trying to crack it into the big leagues, and I believe I can help them achieve that,” he said.
“Long term, I'd love to be an A-League assistant, hopefully, one day under Mile again.”
Aitken's career has shown that his experiences and ability extend beyond working with the talented pool of Indigenous footballers across the country. So, having a coach who's worked in various roles where he's able to develop individual and collective talent is a positive move from Football Australia to ensure that young Indigenous footballers can also have the opportunity to grow in a high-quality environment.
As Football Australia continues to liaise with Indigenous groups and increase their presence in Australian football's landscape, having people like Tim Aitken involved in these setups also ensures that a role model of sorts is not only presented to them at an impressionable age but also puts them in positions where they can work closely with one another.
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