Building The Next Generation: Matteo Fanto and Adelaide City’s Girls Pathway

Adelaide City’s junior girls program will enter 2027 with a clear focus on development, opportunity and building a stronger pathway for young female players.

At the centre of that next phase is Matteo Fanto.

Fanto joins Adelaide City after a successful period with Western Strikers, culminating in the club being crowned 2026 Girls YCC Tier 1 Champions.

His experience in the female game extends well beyond one team or one season.

Fanto also runs Unica Female Football Academy, South Australia’s first dedicated female-only football academy, reflecting his commitment to creating development environments specifically for female players.

“The girls’ game has been growing for a number of years and we want to keep developing,” Fanto said.

“We want to get the program to a point where we are providing the best environment we possibly can.

“It is about having a direction, developing the players and continuing to build.”

That direction will be a major focus for Adelaide City in 2027.

With a Technical Director dedicated specifically to the junior girls program, the Club will be able to place greater attention on individual player development, coaching support and consistency across the different age groups.

The objective is not simply to produce successful junior teams.

It is to create an environment where players are challenged, supported and provided with a clear understanding of what is required to progress through the Adelaide City pathway.

For Fanto, that starts with establishing clear standards and a strong development philosophy across the program.

“It’s a big club and you have to come in with a plan and a direction,” Fanto said.

“There is a responsibility that comes with that, but that is also what makes the opportunity exciting.”

An important part of that work will be strengthening the connection between Adelaide City’s junior girls and senior women’s programs.

For young players entering the Club, the ambition is to provide a pathway they can see and aspire towards.

From their early years in junior football through to the senior game, Adelaide City wants players to understand what the next step looks like and what is required to reach it.

Fanto also has a strong playing connection to Adelaide City, having represented the Club from Under 14 through to Under 19 before progressing into the South Australian Sports Institute.

At Under 19 level, Fanto was coached by the late Steve Maxwell, before also representing Adelaide City in the National Youth League under Club great Sergio Melta.

His return now comes at a very different stage of his football journey, with the opportunity to help shape the development of young players coming through the Club.

His work with Western Strikers and Unica has provided Fanto with extensive experience working specifically within female football, something Adelaide City sees as increasingly important as the girls program continues to grow.

The Club’s aim is to build a program that combines strong coaching, high standards and genuine opportunities for progression, developing quality footballers but, more importantly, outstanding young people.

Success on the field will remain important, but the longer-term measure will be the quality of players being developed and their ability to progress through Adelaide City’s pathway.

For Fanto, 2027 represents an opportunity to begin building those foundations.

And for Adelaide City’s junior girls program, it represents the next stage in its development.