Amy Crawford appointed Alamein FC Technical Director
Alamein FC has appointed Amy Crawford as Technical Director for 2027, with the current NPLW Assistant Coach and U13 Head Coach set to lead the technical direction of the club’s junior football program as Alamein builds towards the 2027 season.
Crawford will take over the role from Liam Kafka-Sweeney, who will continue as Alamein’s Head of Football Operations and U20s Head Coach.
The new structure will allow Crawford to focus on the club’s on-field football program, including coach and player development, recruitment, curriculum, development opportunities and establishing greater alignment in Alamein’s technical approach and style of play.
Kafka-Sweeney will continue to oversee the operational structure supporting the football program, alongside his role developing emerging players as U20s Head Coach.
The appointments provide continuity within Alamein’s football leadership while creating an opportunity for Crawford to bring her own ideas and experience to the next phase of the club’s development.
A pathway viewed from both ends
Photography credit: Centre Circle Photography
Crawford steps into the Technical Director position after two seasons working simultaneously at junior and senior level at Alamein, as Head Coach of the club’s U13 Victorian Youth Premier League Girls team and Assistant Coach of its Senior NPLW team.
That experience has given her a valuable perspective on the pathway Alamein is continuing to build: working directly with young players entering the NPL environment while also experiencing first-hand the technical, physical and performance standards required at senior NPLW level.
Her work at Alamein was recognised in 2025 when she was named the club’s Coach of the Year following a landmark season with the U13s. Under Crawford, the team achieved Alamein’s best junior result to date and won the Junior Nike FC Cup, while a number of players subsequently progressed into U15 NPL programs at Alamein and other clubs.
Two members of that squad were selected for Football Victoria’s Academy program this season, while a further four players from Crawford’s current U13 group were selected for Football Victoria’s advanced development programs.
Crawford had already demonstrated success in junior player development before joining Alamein. In 2024, she coached an U11/12 girls team to victory in the Chelsea Macron Cup and was named a finalist for Football Victoria’s Community Female Coach of the Year.
Developing coaches
Crawford holds Football Australia B and C Diplomas and is a Football Australia and Football Victoria Coach Education Tutor, bringing to the Technical Director role experience not only in coaching players, but in developing coaches themselves. She also holds a Diploma of Business & Sports Management through Federation University and the Melbourne City Institute of Sport and Business.
In 2025, she was selected to take part in Football Australia’s inaugural all-women Coach Education Tutor Workshop, delivered with support from CommBank as part of a national initiative to increase female representation in coach education.
At the time, women accounted for just 10 per cent of Coach Education Tutors nationally. Participants from around Australia undertook intensive training designed to equip them to deliver coach education within their own football communities, with each tutor potentially able to support the development of dozens of coaches each year.
That experience will form an important part of her work as Alamein’s Technical Director, with a focus not only on the development of individual players, but on supporting the coaches responsible for developing them.
The appointment will allow the club to further strengthen consistency in coaching practice, technical principles and player development across its junior program, while building a clearer connection between each stage of the Alamein pathway.
Crawford’s experience also extends into the professional women’s game.
During the 2025/26 season, she completed a coaching internship with Melbourne City FC’s Ninja A-League Women’s team, gaining first-hand exposure to a professional high-performance environment and the coaching, player development and performance standards of the elite women’s game.
She also coached within Melbourne City Football Schools for several years and previously held roles with Bentleigh Greens, Bayside United, Southern United, Football Focus, Bowen Academy and West Auckland AFC.
Understanding the pathway
Crawford brings to the role her own experience progressing through female football pathways in Australia and New Zealand.
Her playing background includes the New Zealand National Women’s League, New Zealand U17 National Tournament, Melbourne Victory Girls Accelerator Program, Victorian NPLW and senior women’s football, alongside participation in New Zealand Football identification camps.
This experience gives Alamein’s incoming Technical Director an understanding of player development from both sides: as a coach responsible for preparing young footballers for their next opportunity, and as a player who has experienced the demands, challenges and transitions of the pathway herself.
High standards, the Alamein way
Photography credit: Lunchtime Legends Photography
For Crawford, the next stage of Alamein’s football program will be about combining something the club already values deeply with an increasingly ambitious approach to performance.
“My vision for Alamein is to be a club where people love being part of the football environment, while also having high standards and ambitious goals,” Crawford says.
“I want to create a positive, safe and competitive environment where players and coaches can express themselves, take risks, learn and continually improve.
“A key part of this is player development. We need a clear pathway from juniors to seniors, so young players can see their opportunities, understand what it takes to progress, and know the club is invested in their development.
“I also want a strong Alamein identity, recognisable in how we play, compete and represent the club.
“Most importantly, I want our players, coaches, families, volunteers and supporters to feel connected to Alamein and proud to be part of it.”
That ambition will include continuing to build a high-performance environment in which development and competitive success are complementary rather than competing objectives.
Alamein wants to develop talented footballers and good people, while setting high expectations for how its teams train, play and compete.
Building on strong foundations
Photography credit: Centre Circle Photography
Crawford inherits a football program that has undergone significant development under Kafka-Sweeney during his three seasons as Technical Director.
During his tenure, Alamein has doubled its player numbers and established its Academy pathway, while introducing initiatives including Strength & Conditioning, physiotherapy access for junior players, individual specialist training and the club’s Buddy Program.
Kafka-Sweeney has also overseen the continued development of Alamein’s coaching group and helped strengthen the connection between its junior and senior pathway.
He says the new structure will allow both roles to receive greater focus as Alamein continues to develop.
“We have come a long way in the past three seasons and put some fantastic measures in place that have revolutionised our program,” Kafka-Sweeney says.
“Now, Amy’s experience within Alamein FC and the A-Leagues will give the club a leader who not only understands what we are about, but also has great ideas for where we can go next.”
Remaining as U20s Head Coach will also allow Kafka-Sweeney to continue working directly with players approaching the final transition into senior football.
“There is a fantastic cohort of players in our U20s, with several having already made their Senior debuts. They’re a very young U20s team and, looking at the growing strength of our junior program, it’s exciting to see more home-grown players from the VYPLG who will push into our U20s NPLW squad.
“I’m excited to continue helping these players push towards senior football at Alamein FC and beyond.”
Alamein FC President Kathy Stamatopoulos said Crawford’s appointment represented both continuity and an exciting opportunity for the club to take another significant step forward in the development of its football program.
“I fully support Amy’s appointment and am confident that her vision, professionalism and commitment to player and coach development will have a lasting and positive impact on Alamein FC,” she said.
Crawford will work closely with Kafka-Sweeney and Alamein’s coaching group as planning continues for the 2027 season. She will continue coaching the U13s for the remainder of the 2026 season, and will continue as Assistant Coach to the Senior NPLW squad in 2027.
Her appointment as Technical Director reflects the Club’s ambition to build a distinctive, connected and high-performing female football program, with strong coaches, high standards and a genuine pathway for talented young players to progress towards senior NPLW football.
