Central Coast Mariners Academy

Central Coast Mariners Academy
Company type	Youth academy
Industry	Football (soccer)
Founded	2012
Headquarters	Central Coast, Australia
Products	Football player development

The Central Coast Mariners Academy (CCMA) serves as the youth development branch of Central Coast Mariners FC, located in , Australia. This academy competes within the National Premier Leagues NSW, the highest division of the NPL NSW framework. Occasionally, senior squad members participate in academy matches during their rehabilitation from injuries. The first-grade academy squad is presently led by coach Lucas Vilela. Training sessions are conducted at the Central Coast Mariners Centre of Excellence, while home fixtures take place at Pluim Park.

Initial Academy Phase (2012–2014)

Established through a collaboration between the Mariners and Central Coast Football, CCMA aimed to provide a clear pathway for players progressing to the NYL and A-League teams. Prior to 2012, the academy functioned exclusively as a junior team; however, that year marked its entry into the New South Wales Premier League. Joey Peters was appointed as head coach in October 2012. During its first two seasons, the team secured tenth position out of twelve competitors.

The academy concentrated on developing players for advancement into Hyundai A-League roles. Among its notable achievements, 15-year-old Daniel McFarlane received trial opportunities in the United Kingdom with Swansea City and Birmingham City and was recruited by Patrick Zwaanswijk for the National Youth League. Additionally, local talents such as Steve Whyte, Josh Forbes, Bradley Wilson, and Nathan Verity earned NYL contracts following impressive performances in the NSWPL.

Following disagreements concerning technical direction and financial management, the licence granted by Football NSW to operate the representative team was returned to Central Coast Football in August 2014, resulting in the discontinuation of the Academy program.

From 2015 Onwards

A 2015 review by Football NSW recommended integrating academy squads from Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers into the National Premier Leagues NSW, with a decision pending between the Mariners and Central Coast Football regarding a Central Coast representative side. The Mariners submitted an application for participation in both the NPL and SAP competitions in August 2015 and were accepted starting with the 2016 season, replacing Central Coast FC. They achieved success by winning both the premiership and grand final of NPL2 in 2020, as well as securing the 2022 NPL2 premiership, which earned them promotion to compete in the 2023 NPL season.

Current staff

Head Coaches:

Lucas Vilela	Head Coach – 1st Grade
Josh Rose	Head Coach – U20
Simon Volk	Head Coach – U18
Hugo Da Silva	Head Coach – U16
Jan Jugueta	Head Coach – U15
Jim Cresnar	Head Coach – U14
Will Piriz	Head Coach – U13
Anthony Tugrul	Head Coach – U12
Matthew Edwards	Head Coach – U11
Toby Peil Max Middleby	Head Coaches – U10
Nicholas Duarte	Head Coach – U9

Support Staff:

Andy Bernal Matt Simon	Assistant Coaches – 1st Grade
Blake Longford	Manager – 1st Grade
Nick Van Reede	Physiotherapist – 1st Grade

Honours

Youth

NPL 2/NSW League One Premiership
- Runners-up: 2014
- Premiers: 2020, 2022
- Champions: 2020

Under-23s

Y-League Premiership
- Premiers: 2009–10, 2011–12
- Runners-up: 2010–11, 2012–13

Academy

Football NSW League One Youth U-20 Premiership
- Premiers: 2015, 2018, 2022
- Runners-up: 2019
- Champions: 2020
Football NSW League One Youth U-20 Championship
- Champions: 2015
Football NSW League One Youth U-18 Premiership
- Premiers: 2014, 2017, 2018
- Runners-up: 2019
Football NSW League One Youth U-18 Championship
- Champions: 2014, 2015, 2018
- Runners-up: 2017

Noteworthy Academy and Youth Squad Players

Below is a list of youth and Academy alumni who have achieved full international appearances. Players currently signed with the club are shown in bold, while those still active professionally are indicated in italics.

External links