Liam Kafka-Sweeney confirmed as U20s Head Coach and Head of Football Operations for 2027
Alamein FC has confirmed Liam Kafka-Sweeney will continue as U20s Head Coach and Head of Football Operations in 2027, remaining a key part of the club’s football leadership after three years overseeing a period of significant growth as Technical Director.
Kafka-Sweeney will continue to lead an U20s program enjoying a strong 2026 campaign, while taking greater responsibility for the off-field football operations supporting Alamein’s Academy, VYPLG and NPLW programs.
The new structure follows the appointment of current U13 Head Coach and NPLW Assistant Coach Amy Crawford as Technical Director for 2027.
Having previously combined the Technical Director, Football Operations and U20s coaching positions, Kafka-Sweeney will now focus on the operational foundations of the football program and the crucial final stage of Alamein’s player pathway.
Three years of growth
Kafka-Sweeney with the 2026 U13 VYPLG team. Photography credit: Lunchtime Legends Photography
Kafka-Sweeney steps away from the Technical Director role after overseeing a significant period of growth across Alamein’s junior football program. During his three years in the role, the number of players at the club has doubled and the Academy pathway has been established, providing girls outside the VYPLG system with an opportunity to play high-level football with access to NPL-standard coaching and development resources.
Alamein’s VYPLG program has also recorded sustained improvement. Across the past two seasons, the club’s junior teams have increased the number of goals scored and competition points won while reducing goals conceded, culminating in the strongest season of junior results in Alamein’s history in 2026.
Just as significantly, more players are choosing to continue their development at Alamein. Over the past three years, the proportion of existing players receiving an offer to remain with the club has increased by 29 percent. That growth in retention has been matched by increasing demand from players offered a place at Alamein, with the overall acceptance rate of offers rising from 55 percent in 2024 to 88 percent in 2026.
Together, those figures point to a junior program that has not only grown and improved on the field, but has increasingly become an environment players choose to join and want to remain part of.
Building the environment around the player
NPLW skipper Estelle Bougias at the inaugural Senior-Junior buddy session, implemented by Kafka-Sweeney in 2026. Photography credit: Lunchtime Legends Photography
The growth of Alamein’s pathway has been accompanied by significant investment in the environment surrounding its young players. Under Kafka-Sweeney’s technical leadership, the junior program introduced Strength & Conditioning, physiotherapy access for all junior players, individual training opportunities with specialist coaches and the club’s Buddy Program, connecting younger players with Alamein’s senior football environment.
Alongside these initiatives, Kafka-Sweeney has worked to strengthen the depth and quality of Alamein’s coaching group and establish a strong cultural foundation across the junior program. A focus on recruiting empathetic, caring and authentic coaches, together with the introduction of Alamein’s values of Passion, Unity and Integrity and an emphasis on developing ‘good humans’, has helped create an environment designed to combine strong football development with a genuine sense of belonging.
For Kafka-Sweeney, building a stronger football program and strengthening Alamein’s culture have been complementary rather than competing priorities.
Pathways and Senior debuts
The impact of that work is increasingly being seen at the senior end of the pathway, with young footballers who first joined Alamein at U13 level progressing through the club and into Senior NPLW football.
That connection between emerging and senior football has also been central to Kafka-Sweeney’s own work as a coach. After coaching Alamein’s Senior NPLW team in 2024, he moved into the U20s Head Coach role in 2025, giving him first-hand knowledge of both sides of the transition into senior football.
Across his time coaching the U20s, 11 players from the group have made their Senior debuts. That progression continued this season, alongside a strong team campaign that has seen the young squad produce an impressive and sustained run of form.
Mila Ralph (right) earning her place in the Senior NPLW line-up this year. Photography credit: Centre Circle Photography
For Kafka-Sweeney, the opportunity to continue working with players at this critical point in their development remains an important part of his role at Alamein.
“There is a fantastic cohort of players in our U20s, with a number having already made their Senior debuts,” Kafka-Sweeney said. “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 am excited to continue helping these players push towards senior football at Alamein FC and beyond.”
Strengthening football operations
Photography credit: Ayana Aoyagi
Kafka-Sweeney enters his fifth year at Alamein in 2027 with a new focus. As Head of Football Operations, he will oversee the off-field systems and logistics that enable Alamein’s football programs to operate effectively.
His responsibilities will include ground and facility allocations, kits and equipment, liaison with Football Victoria and Boroondara Council, supporting football governance and working with the club’s off-field performance team, including medical and conditioning staff.
With Crawford taking responsibility for the technical direction of the junior program, the new structure will allow both areas to receive greater focus.
“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 said.
“The opportunity now is to spend more time strengthening our off-field processes, while giving the Technical Director the capacity to really focus on the finer details of the football program.”
Building on strong foundations
Kafka-Sweeney will work closely with Crawford, with the pair bringing an established working relationship and significant knowledge of Alamein into their respective roles. For Kafka-Sweeney, Crawford’s appointment provides an opportunity for the club to build on the foundations established over the past three years while continuing to evolve its football program.
“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,” he said.
Alamein FC President Kathy Stamatopoulos said Kafka-Sweeney’s contribution as Technical Director had helped reshape the club’s junior program.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Liam’s contribution to Alamein FC. His continued involvement provides valuable continuity and builds on his success in strengthening our football operations and player pathway,” she said.
“Liam leaves the Technical Director role with a much stronger program than the one he inherited, and that is a significant legacy. We’re incredibly pleased that he will remain such an important part of the club in 2027.
“As U20s Head Coach, Liam will continue guiding our emerging players towards senior football.”
With a growing junior pathway, emerging U20 players pushing towards senior football and a new football leadership structure in place, there is plenty still to build.
Kafka-Sweeney’s continued involvement provides important continuity for Alamein while allowing him to concentrate on two areas central to the club’s future: creating the environment in which its football programs can thrive, and helping its most promising young players take the final steps towards senior football.
His move from Technical Director is therefore not an end to his influence on Alamein’s football program, but a shift in focus within a program he has played a significant role in shaping.
