FA announces new youth Matildas coaches, ‘team of coaches’ initiative

Football Australia announced that Michael Cooper would take charge of the Junior Matildas (U-17) and Alex Epakis would take charge of the Young Matildas (U-20) sides, ending an extended period where both teams were without coaches.

Cooper has a history of working in youth development and high-performance programs, as well as with national teams, having most recently worked at Football South Australia as a Coach and Technical Director from 2022 to 2025 and as an Assistant Coach for the U-17s Men’s National Team from 2019 to 2025.

Cooper said that his experience with the U-17 Men’s side will help him a lot with his role.

“I’ve gone overseas many times and qualified for Asian Cups, and working with the likes of Trevor Morgan and Brad Maloney I’ve learnt a lot about the realities of Asian football and hopefully I can bring that back to ensure that we qualify as well,” Cooper said.

The new coach also noted that while it would be great to qualify for the U-17 Women’s World Cup, ultimately the programs goal is to develop as many players as possible to be able to play for the Matildas.

“Success is making sure those players have the skills, the mindset, [and] physical capabilities to perform at the highest level for the Matildas,” Cooper said.

Epakis’ resume speaks for itself, having taken charge of Perth Glory’s A-League Women side from 2020 to 2024, before leaving that role for personal reasons. His most recent roles saw him working as the Technical Adviser for Football NSW Girl’s Youth Development (2024 to Present) and as the Head Coach for Football NSW Girls State Team (2024 to Present).

Prior to that, he had also worked at A-Leagues clubs Sydney FC and Canberra United, as well as being the Head Coach and Technical Director for Sydney University’s NPL Women’s NSW program from 2017 to 2020, where he had sustained success, being crowned Premiers multiple times in his tenure, and doing the double in 2019, also being crowned Champions.

Epakis described it as a humbling experience and said he felt very honoured to have been selected for the job.

Youth development has been a core thread of his coaching approach and style, which showed through his roles at Sydney University and Perth Glory, which will help him with his new role as Young Matildas coach.

“I’ve always relied on young players. Through the model of both those clubs, youth was a real important part, so I’ve spent a considerable amount of time putting time and trust into young players and shaping their development,” Epakis said.

“Development for players is never linear. It’s never going to be easy, and I think it’s a multi-faceted approach.

“The player has to be invested, the coach has to be invested, and I think when you’re really clear about what those development goals are with feedback, with time on the grass, and with reviewing, I think ultimately that relationship towards the ultimate goal, development can really happen and take place.”

In addition to the appointments of Cooper and Epakis, Football Australia also announced the Team of Coaches initiative, designed to help develop future national team leaders.

The program aims to develop the next generation of high-performance football coaches by providing hands-on experience in national team environments, training camps, and tournament environments, with the coaches still maintaining their club commitments.

Four coaches have been selected as part of the inaugural group to take part in the program: Melissa Barbieri, Catherine Cannuli, Emily Husband, and Kat Smith.

Football Australia’s Head of National Teams, Gary Moretti said that the appointments and Team of Coaches initiative reinforced the governing bodies commitment to building a seamless pathway from the youth teams to the Matildas side.

“Michael and Alex bring proven expertise in talent identification, player development, and high-performance coaching,” Moretti said.

“Their leadership will drive sustainable success and ensure stronger alignment between club and international football, creating a more connected coaching ecosystem for the future.

“Team of Coaches is a game-changer – offering top coaches national team experience while continuing their club roles, strengthening our coaching depth and leadership pipeline.”