Members of Australia's Street Socceroos programme vie for the ball
© AFP/File William West SYDNEY (AFP) - But the players performing passing drills and running sprints on the unmarked field in the city's tough Fitzroy area show all the intensity of footballers half a world away preparing for new seasons in the English Premier League and Italy's Serie A.
These players -- who have battled problems including alcoholism, mental illness and drug addiction -- are gearing up for the Homeless World Cup, to be held in Melbourne this December.
Teams from more than 50 countries will travel to the southern Australian city to vie for the trophy, with squads from as far afield as war-torn Afghanistan, East Timor, Ivory Coast and Scotland, the reigning champions.
At a weekly training session at Fitzroy, the coach of Australia's Street Socceroos, George Halkias, said the annual event had grown enormously since it was first staged in Austria in 2003.
Members of Australia's Street Socceroos programme vie for the ball
© AFP/File William WestHe said lacing on the boots and joining a team was often the first positive social interaction the players had participated in for years, building their self confidence and helping them cope better with off-field issues.
"It's instrumental in changing people's lives and giving them help," Halkias, a trained psychologist, told AFP.
"For many people, coming here is the one constant in their lives. It's somewhere they feel safe, they can come here and get help on and off the pitch and won't be judged.
"They form friendships with the other players and look out for each other."
One of the players, known only as "Bushy", said his involvement in the game had helped get his life back on track after years living on the streets as he moved from city to city.
"Being classed as an equal, that's important," he said. "People look at you like you're the scum of the earth when you're on the streets. It was a real eye-opener coming here."
Tournament headquarters in Edinburgh allocates the event to a host city that then arranges finance, venues and accommodation for the visiting players.
Sharon, a member of Australia's Street Socceroos programme
© AFP/File William WestThe Melbourne tournament from December 1-7 is being run by the homeless magazine "The Big Issue" with support from the Victoria state government and corporate sponsors.
Venues include Federation Square in the centre of the city, where a temporary grandstand will be built for an event expected to attract 100,000 spectators through the week.
"Giving people a chance to represent their country and having crowds cheering them on, it's a tremendous boost for them," Halkias said.
The rules of street soccer vary greatly from the regular game. Each team has eight players on the bench, four of whom are on the pitch at any one time.
Each half lasts for seven minutes and players can be shown a blue card for foul play, meaning they are suspended from the game for two minutes. The standard red card penalty for serious fouls applies.
"It's not about ability, it's about participation, although we do try to build up the skills" Halkias said.
Some of the participants at the 2005 Homeless World Cup in Edinburgh went on to play for semi-professional sides and secured coaching qualifications.
Stevie Maloney is following a similar path, attaining a coaching certificate after 12 months in the Street Socceroos programme.
A member of Australia's Street Socceroos programme finishes practice
© AFP/File William WestOnce a jockey earning a comfortable living, alcoholism saw Maloney lose his job and his family, including son William, now four.
He has been sober since getting involved in the game, allowing him to coach schoolchildren in football and resume contact with his son.
"My life's done a 360 mate," he said. "I'm sober, I've got a roof over my head and I've got my little boy back in my life, so I'm really grateful.
"It's something to look forward to every week, I've gelled really well with the guys, we've got quite a strong little community here now."
Halkias is also keen to include women, such as Sharon, a 41-year-old with a history of mental illness.
She admitted she was initially being sceptical but wound up representing Australia at the 2006 tournament in Cape Town.
"That was just an amazing experience, I'd never been overseas before," she said.
Bushy was also part of the Australian team in South Africa and at last year's tournament in Copenhagen, trips he said he would never have had a chance to make but for the Homeless World Cup.
Asked how his involvement in football had changed his life, Bushy paused for a moment, then replied with a smile: "I'm getting my own place next week, does that answer your question?"
©AFP