Girls Junior Development League continues improvement through Club Standards and Benchmarking Framework
Football NSW is pleased to release the 2026 Girls Junior Development League (GJDL) Club Standards Assessment ranks.
In its third year of implementation, the Club Standards and Benchmarking Framework in 2026 was focussed across 27 Girls Junior Development League programs with a fantastic improvement in the total average of 11%, rising from 46% in 2025 to 57% in 2026.
The Club Standards & Benchmarking framework is the Football NSW benchmarking, quality assurance and club support process to provide better services for our players, coaches and Clubs across the state by empowering improved football environments. At the heart of the Club Standards are three themes that Football NSW strives to deliver; Accountability, delivery of Best Practice and the ongoing Capability Building of Club Technical staff.
Each Club at the conclusion of the 2026 season has received a Club Standards & Benchmarking Assessment score out of 100, based on the publicly available Club Standards & Benchmarking Framework Information Pack.
The score provided allocates Clubs into a category, which has been published below, ranging through Development Committed, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
“The Club Standards Framework continues to support clubs in assessing their current practices and identifying opportunities to strengthen key areas of their football program. The commitment shown by clubs throughout the process demonstrates a shared focus on providing quality football experiences and supporting the development of players and coaches.” said Football NSW’s Club Technical Development Manager, Neil Mann.
“The 2026 outcomes provide an important snapshot of the work and improvements clubs are implementing across their technical leadership, coach development, player support, governance, and football operations,”
“The outcomes are not intended to define a club, but rather to provide an objective assessment against the Club Standards Framework and identify opportunities for growth.”
“The framework is designed to support clubs on their development journey. By using the outcomes to guide planning and prioritise key initiatives, clubs can continue to strengthen the environments they provide for players, coaches and the wider football community.”
The experience players have within their football environments is paramount to Football NSW and it was once again pleasing to observe an increase in the average ‘Delivery’ score within the Framework, rising to 64% overall. This increase in score is realised through the improved coach to player connection, delivery of age-appropriate development and the leadership of the newly mandated Head of Program role across all Clubs.
Football NSW applauds Clubs in their significant improvement within the ‘Planning’ component of the Standards which directly evaluates four core components within a Club. The Youth Development Plan focuses on the Clubs vision and roadmap to develop our youngest talented players, Football Operations focuses on the organisation of the Club, Player Services & finally Coach Education, to support the coaches that bring the football to life and are key influencers in our players enjoyment and development within football.
In 2025, we saw a remarkable 20% increase in the planning scores on average, reaching the Bronze category and creating a solid foundation for Australian football to stand on moving forwards. In 2026 this momentum continued with the average Club scoring 60%, and the highest score across the landscape of reaching 90%, or 18/20.
The achievement of this score has been influenced by Football NSW monthly Capability Building workshops delivered to JDL Clubs, however the main recognition for this improvement is attributed to those within our Clubs that have worked hard to improve the above-mentioned criteria – thank you.
The Club Standards aims to not only create a great development environment, but one that is safe and trusted with suitably qualified technical staff. Clubs have matched the ambition of Football NSW with an increase of 12% within the Technical Qualifications component of the Framework, stretching Clubs beyond the minimum competition qualification expectations and many clubs striving towards best practice qualifications environments.
Long term player development principles highlight the importance of a long-term focus on the development of individuals, taking into consideration growth periods, biological age, training age and the acceptance that players will have periods of growth and plateau. As such, continuity for players within their environment is a vital ingredient to ensure connection, and patience is afforded. In 2026, we saw GJDL Clubs double their average player Progression & Retention score compared to 2025, showcasing the adoption of these principles within their Club practices.
The Club Standards & Benchmarking framework has been designed to stretch Clubs and not be a simple ‘tick box’ exercise whereby each program receives a high score. The Framework has been designed to create a clear roadmap for Club improvement and a defined support mechanism for Football NSW to build capabilities over the next 6 years. In 2026, Football NSW set a minimum expectation for JDL Clubs of the Bronze category rating and applauds all Clubs that achieved this milestone and above. Those Clubs within the Development Committed category will be supported over the next 12 months to maintain their eligibility within the JDL and improve their offering to their members.
“Clubs within the Girls JDL have worked hard over the past three years to improve, align and invest within their programs with the fruits of their labour being seen in the overall improvement of the average Club score to 57% and the outstanding achievement of 16 Clubs within the Silver & Gold categories, up from only 3 Clubs in 2024,” said Edward Ferguson, Football NSW Head of Football Development.
“Whilst the GJDL Clubs have experienced Football NSW support and presence in each of the past three years, their coaches have risen to the challenge and the outcomes we are seeing on the ground with 17 Clubs achieving a Silver rating, up from 8 Clubs in 2024 is outstanding.
“We anticipate the graduation of players, and coaches, to the Girls Youth League over the next few years and have full confidence the experience received within the GJDL will enhance the level of Australian football and the Girls enjoyment and aspirations in football in the future.
“Finally, well done to all Clubs, coaches and staff. You have created more positive environments for your players and should be proud.”
