Hockey receives yet more investment with support for Victoria

Hockey’s future is even brighter with the announcement of yet another commitment from the Australian Government, this time providing $500k to support Hockey Victoria.

The investment will help the establishment of the impending second Victorian Hockey One League team, the Melbourne Cobras, based at a planned High-Performance development in Cloverton, in the north of Melbourne.

Victoria is amongst a string of recent announcements supporting the future of hockey, including the Gold Coast as hockey’s official Olympic Games venue in 2032 and investment in Canberra’s National Hockey Facility. The Hockey Australia High-Performance Centre in Perth, supported by the WA Government, will also see several progressions this year after a first look of the facility was released earlier in the year. 

“Hockey Australia welcomes yet another strategic investment from the Albanese Government in the establishment of the Melbourne Cobras, which will have a tremendous positive impact on the pathway development of our players into the Hockey One competition,” Hockey Australia CEO, David Pryles said. 

“Government funding for additional programs and infrastructure nationwide is crucial to ensure hockey’s future as one of Australia’s most successful team sports, so is always welcomed. The Australian Government have supported this with recent investment announcements for hockey in Canberra and now a key location of growth for hockey in Victoria.”

“We would like to thank the Albanese Labor Government for their support of our vision to establish Australia’s first Indian-centric sports franchise. The Melbourne Cobras will become a symbol of aspiration to the fast-growing Indian diaspora in the North-West of Melbourne and Regional Victoria,” Hockey Victoria CEO, Andrew Skillern said.

“The announcement is a central component of a refreshed strategy to launch the Melbourne Cobras as part of our ambitions to grow the game through Northwest Metropolitan and Regional Victoria over the next decade.”

"The Hockey One League welcomes the Labour election commitment of $500k to Hockey Victoria towards the establishment of the Melbourne Cobras. The League has been working closely with Hockey Victoria over the past 12 months towards a Hockey One License for the Melbourne Cobras. This election commitment marks another milestone as we continue collaborating with Hockey Victoria on their second H1 License,” Hockey One League Executive Manager, Sash Herceg said. 

"The Melbourne Cobras project aligns with the League's Strategic Plan ambitions to explore the League expansion and expand our international footprint."

The planned centre in Cloverton, Victoria will be a collaborative effort between the Mitchell Shire Council and Hockey Victoria, and will serve as the home of the prospective Melbourne Cobras and its associated pathway programs.

The Cobras, Victoria’s second Hockey One team, are yet to launch with Hockey Victoria currently satisfying conditions to gain a full licence to join the annual Hockey One League tournament, made up of seven Clubs with both men’s and women’s teams.

Inspired by the recent growth in hockey clubs and participants in outer suburban Melbourne and significant population growth projections in outer suburban and regional centres, the Melbourne Cobras initiative plans to accelerate both participation and community and commercial outcomes for the sport of hockey in Victoria.

About the Hockey One League: Hockey One is Australia’s highest level hockey competition for both male and female players with a host of international talent across the league. There are currently seven Clubs, each with a men’s and a women’s team playing under the same team name – these include Adelaide Fire, Canberra Chill, NSW Pride, Brisbane Blaze, Perth Thundersticks, Tassie Tigers and Hockey Club Melbourne. The League, which is now going into its fifth season in 2025, showcases the very best hockey talent from across Australia, together with a growing number of international stars, and provides a crucial stepping stone within the hockey pathway to be recognised for national squad selection.