Eltham Redbacks are delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan Barrientos as the club’s Senior Women’s Head Coach for the 2026 Victorian Premier League Women’s (VPLW) season.
Barrientos joins the Redbacks following a successful four-year tenure with Bundoora United, where he guided their Senior Women’s program to promotion from State League 1 to the VPLW, and led the side to back-to-back Nike Cup Semi-Final appearances.
Having spent several years coaching in Victoria’s elite women’s competitions, Barrientos brings proven experience, tactical nous, and a deep passion for player development to Eltham North Reserve.
“After being in the VPL for a few years, there was always something about Eltham that really attracted me,” Barrientos said.
“When the opportunity arose to be part of this club, it was something I really focused on acquiring – and I feel very lucky to be here.”
Barrientos said the Redbacks’ clear direction and recent success across the club made the role especially appealing.
“Eltham’s work off the field, and of course on it, really stood out to me. The men’s success with back-to-back promotions, the strength of the JGNPL and JBNPL programs – it all shows the club’s ambition to be one of the strongest in the north,” he said.
“With the experience I’ve gained in the VPL and my own ambitions as a coach, I feel Eltham is the perfect place for me to help the women’s program grow and push for promotion to the NPL.”
As preseason approaches, Barrientos is focused on building a hard-working, entertaining, and united squad.
“We’ll be retaining a core group of players and recruiting new faces who share the same hunger,” he said.
“My main focus is to build a team that’s willing to win, play a fantastic style of football, and make Friday nights at Eltham a place no one wants to come to – because we’ll dominate that pitch every week.”
With a new era beginning for the Redbacks Women’s program, Barrientos is eager to get started.
“I’m definitely excited to be a part of Eltham for 2026. The club’s perspective and goals align perfectly with what I want to achieve in football.”
Before joining Eltham, Barrientos built an impressive coaching résumé across both elite outdoor and futsal environments.
He represented Australia at the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup with the Futsalroos, before serving in a series of High Performance Coach roles at some of Victoria’s top clubs, including Dandenong Thunder (2017), Whittlesea Ranges (2018), Avondale FC (2019–2022), and Western United FC (A-League Women, 2023).
His experience across high-performance and professional environments adds another layer of quality to Eltham’s coaching staff as the Redbacks continue to strengthen their pathway from juniors through to seniors.
Keep an eye on the Redbacks’ social channels for more exciting announcements ahead of the 2026 season.