by Ronald Toito’ona
The dream of seeing a Solomon Islands footballer play in Australia’s elite A-League may soon become a reality, as momentum builds around new partnerships and development pathways between Solomon Islands and Football Australia.
Speaking to local journalists in Canberra earlier this month, Heather Garriock, Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Football Australia, expressed strong support for Solomon Islands footballers chasing professional careers.
“It would be Football Australia’s pleasure to see the first Solomon Islands player come and play in the A-League,” Garriock said.
“That is something for Solomon Islands players to aspire to, but Football Australia can help as well where we can give back to the Solomon Islands from a football perspective,” she added.
A growing number of Solomon Islands footballers are currently playing in various state-level competitions across Australia, particularly in the South Australian National Premier League (NPL) and State League One, as well as the NPL in New South Wales.
Notable players include Raphael Le’ai, Rovu Boyers, William Komasi, Javin Alick Wae, Junior David, and Micah Lea’alafa
These leagues offer semi-professional environments but fall short of the fully professional A-League.
Though no Solomon Islander has yet played in the A-League, several have taken part in trials with top-tier clubs, thanks to growing support and coordination from the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF).
National team head coach, Joshua Smith recently revealed that SIFF is actively pursuing a partnership with an A-League club, which could revolutionize the development of local talent.
“A lot of work has been done to secure a relationship with an A-League team. But it’s not confirmed yet,” Smith said.
But he remains optimistic.
“We are hoping to see that this relationship will bring more opportunities for our younger players to train in an A-League environment,” Smith explained.
“Additionally, we aim to bring an A-League team here once a year to play friendly matches against our national team, offering football fans and supporters some exciting matches to enjoy.”
The national coach added, it’s about building pathways for Solomon Islands players to break into professional football in Australia and New Zealand.
“When I arrived in Honiara to take up the role, securing opportunities for national players overseas, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, was part of my mission.
“Through the Solomon Islands Football Federation, we are committed to creating pathways for player growth,” he said.
With the right partnerships, support systems, and development infrastructure, Solomon Islands football may soon witness its first player making history in the A-League.