Hills Football Association

What Hills Football Association does

Hills Football Association is a non-profit community football governing body formed in 2016 to administer grassroots football across the Hills District of Sydney, NSW, Australia. The organization unites 20 member clubs that collectively fielded over 1,000 teams in the 2026 season — including 174 female-only teams — serving approximately 14,500 registered players in the 2024 winter season alone. Following Football NSW's formal inclusion of the Hills Football Zone within state boundaries in September 2025, the association moved from operating under a deed of affiliation to holding official zone status, giving it governance exclusivity over community football within its defined territory.

The association's product surface spans core competitions (Men's Premier League, the newly-launched Men's Super League, Women's Premier League, age-grade competitions from MiniTildas through Over 55s), a player development pathway running from Little Legends (ages 3-5) through Holiday Clinics, the Development Academy, and Development Squads, plus targeted inclusive programs (Football4All for participants aged 5-21 with disabilities, Walking Football, Kick-On for Women). It also runs structured coach education (MiniRoo's Certificate, Foundation of Football, C Diploma) and a referee program that scaled to 399 officials in 2025. Underlying technology is limited to integration with the national Play Football registration platform and the Dribl fixtures/results platform; no proprietary software or AI capabilities are described.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring registration fees paid by players, coaches, and referees (processed via Play Football), supplemented by one-time fees for coaching courses (e.g., A$100 Foundation of Football course, free under the 2026 Hills Football Coaching Scholarship for U8-U18 coaches), Holiday Clinics (A$60/day or A$150/three days), and commercial partnerships with Deploy Football, IMB Bank, Hallmark Sports/Legea, Castle Trophies, Peppers The Hills Lodge and ACPE. Distribution relies on direct delivery through the 20 member clubs (which act as franchise-style local operators), the association's own development programs, and community channels including school holiday events, local school partnerships, and programs such as Football4All Gala Days. As of late 2025 / mid-2026, leadership comprises CEO Jeremy Toivonen (appointed November 2025) and Chair Brad Shorrock (elected June 2026), with operations run by a team of approximately 39 employees based at the Bella Vista head office.

Name

Hills Football Association

Legal name

Hills Football Association

Website

https://hillsfootball.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hills Football Association is a non-profit community football governing body serving the Hills District of Sydney, uniting 20 member clubs that field over 1,000 teams for approximately 14,500 registered players across all ages and abilities, from Little Legends (ages 3-5) through to senior and inclusive programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sports Governance

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

Keywords

• Community football association
• Grassroots football leagues
• Football development programs
• Referee training programs
• Coach education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Bella Vista

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Registration Fees: Players, coaches, and referees pay registration fees to participate in Hills Football competitions and programs, which fund association operations and member club support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hills Football Association is the peak governing body for community football in the Hills District of NSW, organizing competitive leagues across all age groups (U5 to Over 55s) through 20 member clubs. It delivers structured development programs including Little Legends, Holiday Clinics, and the Hills Football Development Academy, alongside paid coach education courses and a referee program. It also runs inclusive and alternative-format football programs such as All Abilities/Football4All, Walking Football, MiniTildas, and Kick-On for Women, with a dedicated Women's Premier League.

Product overview

Hills Football Association operates as a community football governing body for the Hills region of Sydney, running a unified football competition with 20 member clubs. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of products and services organized around a core competition structure (Men's Premier League, Men's Super League, Women's competitions including Women's Premier League, All Age competitions, and senior Over 45/55 competitions), player development pathways (Little Legends ages 3-5, Development Academy, Development Squads, Holiday Clinics, Summer Football), inclusive programs (Football4All/All Abilities, Walking Football, Kick-On for Women), and support services (Coach Education, Referee Program). The products are interconnected through the player pathway system, with development programs feeding into competitive leagues and both serving the association's mission of providing football participation opportunities for all ages and abilities in the Hills community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hills Football Community Competitions Competitive community football leagues delivered through 20 member clubs covering all age divisions from U5 to Over 55s, available to players and families in the Hills District of NSW.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,500 players participated in the 2024 winter season, a 10% increase from prior year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Football NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Football NSW officially announced the inclusion of the Hills Football Zone to the Football NSW boundaries in September 2025, formalising Hills Football's position within the state football landscape after nine seasons operating under a deed of affiliation. This partnership enables Hills Football clubs to access state-level competitions and development pathways.
• North West Sydney FootballcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2025North West Sydney Football and Hills Football launched a joint Men's Premier League (PLM) and Men's Super League (SLM) squad-based competition in 2026. This partnership combines competitive men's football across both associations, creating an expanded competition structure and shared pathway opportunities.
• Hills Shire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2025Hills Shire Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding affirming Caddies Creek Reserve as the 'Home of Football' for Hills Football and Hills United FC. The council is also backing the 'Fight for a Fairer Hills Future' campaign to fund 40 new playing fields to meet projected population growth of 140,000 new residents over 10 years.
• Hills United FCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Hills United FC operates under a Deed of Agreement with Hills Football (signed in 2020) to deliver a unified football pathway from grassroots to elite levels. The collaboration enters its fifth year in 2026 and includes shared development programs (Little Legends, Development Academy), the Hills Football Player Pathway, and the Hills Football Head of Football role.
• Peppers The Hills LodgecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPeppers The Hills Lodge is a 4.5-star boutique hotel in Castle Hill serving as the Principal Accommodation Partner of Hills Football for the 2026 season. The partnership aligns two organisations with deep roots in the Hills District, with the hotel offering hospitality services to the Hills Football community.
• Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACPE serves as the Principal Education Partner of Hills Football, with a renewed partnership for 2026. ACPE welcomes Hills Football members to its Open Days and provides study pathways in sport for the Hills Football community. The partnership supports education and career development within football.
• Deploy FootballcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDeploy Football is the Official Premier League Ball Partner of Hills Football, having partnered since 2017. The company provides official match balls for all Men's Premier League 1 matches and exclusive deals for Hills Football clubs and participants. Deploy also sponsors sweepstakes competitions for members.
• IMB BanksecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerIMB Bank is the Official Mini Roos Competitions Naming Partner for Hills Football, having partnered for nine consecutive years since approximately 2017. IMB Bank is a community-focused financial institution headquartered in NSW, supporting the local Hills community.
• Hallmark Sports Pty Ltd (Legea/Markka)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHallmark Sports Pty Ltd, trading as Legea/Markka, is the official Apparel and Equipment Partner for both Hills Football and Hills United FC under a three-year partnership announced in July 2026. The company supplies high-quality apparel, teamwear, training gear, and football equipment.
• Castle TrophiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCastle Trophies provides trophies and awards for Hills Football competitions and events.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Canterbury & District Soccer Football Association: Football NSW zone in Sydney's inner west/south-west, running a comparable range of men's, women's, junior and over-age community football competitions through member clubs. Similar governance and product model.
• Sutherland Shire Football Association: Football NSW zone in southern Sydney offering community football competitions, women's programs, all-abilities football, and development academies. Closely comparable to Hills Football in product breadth and member-club structure.
• Northern Suburbs Football Association (NSFA): Football NSW zone covering Sydney's lower north shore, operating a parallel community football structure with member clubs, representative teams, and development pathways. Comparable scale and competition format to Hills Football.
• St George Football Association: Football NSW zone in southern Sydney running community football competitions, coach and referee education, and member-club services across a multi-club structure. Operates an analogous grassroots-to-elite pathway model.
• Manly Warringah Football Association: Established Football NSW zone on Sydney's Northern Beaches, operating a comparable member-club model across men's, women's, juniors and over-age competitions. Hills Football's new CEO Jeremy Toivonen previously served as MWFA CEO, indicating close operational similarity.
• North West Sydney Football: Neighbouring Football NSW zone covering Sydney's north-west, with a comparable mix of community clubs, junior and senior competitions, and a similar player base. Hills Football and NWSF have a joint Premier League/Super League partnership in 2026, making them the most direct operational peer.

Broad incumbents

• Football NSW: State-level governing body for football in NSW under which Hills Football now operates as a formal Zone. Sets competition rules, manages state pathways and grant funding, and is a key strategic counterpart rather than a competitor.
• Football Australia: National governing body for football/soccer in Australia. Operates the Play Football platform used by Hills Football for all registrations and sets overarching participation, safeguarding and competition policies that frame the association's operating model.

Emerging players

• Hills United FC: Elite-level representative club operated under Deed of Agreement with Hills Football since 2020 to deliver the grassroots-to-elite pathway. While not a direct competitor, it is the strategic downstream partner that channels Hills Football development outputs into NPL-level football.

Others

• Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE): Higher education partner (Principal Education Partner) supporting coach education pathways and sport career development for Hills Football members. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rousehillramssoccer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hills-football-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hills Football Association