Introducing new sponsor Hallmac Electrical Contractors

Thirroul JFC is delighted to welcome Hallmac Electrical Contractors to the club's family of business supporters.

Hallmac Electrical Contractors will sponsor the Under 8s Purple Thunderbolts in 2020, with the team to wear the company's logo on their playing shirts.

Specialising in retail and commercial fit-outs, Hallmac has a reputation for completing complex projects in pressure-filled situations.

Among the clients Hallmac has recently provided high-end electrical solutions for are H&M Wollongong and Macarthur Square, Grand Cru at Sydney International Airport, Bungalow 8 and Cargo Bar at King Street Wharf, Pyrmont's Terminus Hotel and Zara stores around Australia.

Further information about Hallmac Electrical Contractors can be found by visiting hallmac.com or visiting the company's Facebook page.

Thiroul JFC would like to thank Andrew McIntosh for instigating Hallmac's sponsorship of the Under 8s Purple team in 2020.

The club offers a variety of sponsorship packages for all Thirroul JFC teams, from Under 6s Thunderbolts to our senior Thunder and Thunderbirds teams.

Thirroul JFC is a not-for-profit organisation and relies on community support to enable the club to provide facilities, equipment and playing kits for our 650 registered players.

Further details about supporting the club can be found by clicking the Sponsorship tab on the thirroul football.com.au website.

Thunder dominate District League Awards

Congratulations to Thunder players Nathan Mucci and Liam Harris, and coach Kevin Lewis for their awards at the Football South Coast Men’s Council Presentation.

Nathan was awarded the Neville Arrowsmith Medal as the 2019 District League Player of the Year, while Liam received the Golden Gloves award as the competition’s best goalkeeper..

The awards were in recognition of the pair’s role in helping the Thunder to within one win of a first grade grand final berth.

It was the first time Thirroul JFC players have dominated the District League awards.

Kevin, who guided the Thunder to a fourth consecutive Reserve Grade grand final win, was honoured for Services to Football.

Here is a brief summary of Kevin’s involvement with our club and the game.

Kevin Lewis Services to Football Nomination

After emigrating from Wales to Australia at the age of 10, Kevin Lewis resumed his football career with Woonona Junior Football Club where he played for 8 years

At 18 he moved to Bulli FC where he played for 11 years including their 1986 Grand Final win

In 1995 he played a season at Tarrawanna FC

In 1996 he returned to play for Woonona FC and in 1997 joined the coaching staff. He took their Youth Grade to the 1999 Grand Final

1998-2001 he coached both his son’s teams and was the Registrar at Woonona Junior Football Club.

2002 to 2008 he coached his two son’s teams at Bulli Junior Football Club and held the positions of Vice President and President. In 2008 Bulli JFC made him a Life member

He coached his first Grand final win in 2002 Bulli under 10 4th div

In 2008, he joined Thirroul Thunder FC in their inaugural year as youth grade coach

He has continued on the Club’s Coaching staff as Youth Grade Coach, Women’s First Division Coach and Reserve Grade Coach.

Since 2012, he has coached 3 Youth Grade League Champions, 2 Reserve Grade League Champions, 2 Youth Grade Grand Final wins and 4 Reserve Grade Grand Final wins. In the last 8 years alone, he’s been the Thirroul Coach on Grand Final day on 7 occasions for 6 wins and 1 loss including the last 4 consecutive Reserve Grade Grand Final wins.

Kevin’s enormous contribution to player development and his substantial role in many Clubs’ Football histories makes him a worthy recipient.

Thirroul JFC Secures Funding For Weather Shelter

Thirroul JFC would like to thank everyone associated with the club and others who supported the submission to construct a Weather Shelter at Thomas Gibson Park.

Thirroul JFC is excited to announce that the club has been successful in securing funding for the Weather Shelter through the NSW Government’s My Community Project scheme.

The grant will enable the construction of awnings over and adjacent to the existing amenities building at the cricket/soccer fields at Gibson Park, along with additional seating and water tanks to store water from the roof that can be used to improve the playing surface.

This will benefit the the entire community and continues an ongoing plan by Thirroul JFC to develop Gibson Park to cater for the increased use of the facility.

More than 1800 projects across NSW were considered for the My Community Project scheme and Thirroul JFC’s proposal was one of 248 chosen after 61,437 people voted for their favourite local projects.

The successful projects were announced on Thursday, 5 September.

2019 TJFC CLUB AWARDS

Each year Thirroul JFC recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to the club through a series of awards.

Nominations for the 2019 awards close on Friday 30th August. 

Please use the form below to submit your nominations.

Coach of the Year

This award is to recognise significant contributions a coach has made towards the club.  Nominations should detail why the nominee deserves the award and how they have contributed, as a coach, to benefit the club.  You may nominate a coach for any reason that you see fit. This may include such things as developing players, being a good a coach, handling difficult situations, creating a good team environment etc. The nominations should detail the coach's history, performance and role in developing players and football at the club.

Community Award

Each year Thirroul Junior Football Club presents a Community Award to an individual or family who have shown dedication and great commitment to the club. Nominations should outline the positive contribution the nominee has made to Thirroul JFC during the previous 12 months or over a longer period, and the reason you believe they are worthy of the award.

Senior Club Person of the Year

A senior (over 18) member of the club, player, coach or official who has made an outstanding contribution to the operation of the club in the past year.

Junior Club Person of the Year
A junior (under 18) member of the club, in a playing, coaching or supporting role who has made an outstanding contribution to the operation of the club in the past year.

Life Membership

This award is in recognition of a club member who has performed  a continuous (at least five years) outstanding contribution to the operation of Thirroul JFC.

Vote for our Gibson Park Weather Shelter Proposal

Thirroul JFC needs your help to secure funding through the My Community Project scheme for the construction of awnings over and adjacent to the existing amenities building at the cricket/soccer fields at Thomas Gibson Park.

Click here for details on How to Vote

The cricket and soccer fields at Gibson Park currently have an amenity building containing change rooms, toilets and canteen. The building roof provides a great viewing area for both sporting activities.

However, there is no protection from harmful UV rays during summer and no shelter, at all, from rain storms all year round.

This construction of a Weather Shelter will ensure:

• Protection from the weather and additional seating for all the activities that take place in Thirroul's "Village Green".

• Environmental benefits, including water tanks to store water from the roof to be used to improve the playing surfaces.

• Continuation of an ongoing plan to develop Gibson Park to cater for the increase in the use of the facility.

Enhancing the "Village Green" of Thirroul

Gibson Park is Thirroul’s "Village Green”. It is used by joggers, dog walkers, the local schools, as well as organised cricket and soccer. It also, provides walking and cycling connections between the nearby housing and Thirroul Beach, as well as Thirroul Railway Station. This proposal provides respite from the sun for this community, as well as a refuge from the rain showers that can suddenly occur.

Thirroul Junior Football Club, the users of the soccer fields, will carry out the project. The club has a history of carrying out projects to the benefit of Gibson Park and the community in general, including field drainage and lighting to night game standard.

A Development Application has been prepared for this proposal and if approved, work could be completed by the beginning of this year's cricket season.

HOW TO VOTE

Go to the mycommunityproject.service.nsw.gov.au website

1. Select your electorate - KEIRA

2. Log in or create a MyServiceNSW Account - The same account used to claim the Active Kids rebate

3. Verify your identity

4. Shortlist your favourite projects - VOTE 1 for Weather Shelter for Gibson Park

5. Arrange your top 3 to 5 projects - VOTE 1 for Weather Shelter for Gibson Park

6. Submit your vote - VOTE 1 for Weather Shelter for Gibson Park

Thirroul JFC registration for 2019 now open

REGISTER FOR 2019

A new mobile-friendly registration system has been introduced for 2019, which enables users to access their new Football Account with Facebook and Google log-ins as well as email.

An FFA Number is no longer needed to log-in, and family members can each be registered from a single account.

However, there are a number of changes those who have previously registered with the My Football Club system will notice, including a requirement to upload a passport-type photo.

Please continue reading for important information and details about how to register.

2019 FEES

Thirroul JFC has maintained registration fees for all players - from Under 6s Mini-Roos to the Club’s senior men’s and women’s teams - at $180 per player for the 2019 season. (Further details are outlined below).

Under the new registration system, there will be different packages to choose from displaying different fees. Please ignore these as the total amount to register with Thirroul JFC in 2019 will be $180 per player.

Family Discounts are available and all school-aged players are eligible for a $100 rebate as part of the NSW Government's Active Kids Program. Go to service.nsw.gov.au to claim your voucher code for each eligible player.

HOW TO REGISTER

Go to the playfootball.com.au website or CLICK HERE.

Make sure you are on the Thirroul Junior Football Club page and click on the START MY REGISTRATION tab on the bottom right hand side.

Create your Football Account using your email address, Facebook log-in or Google log-in.

Please Note: FFA has migrated all past registrations to the new system. If you have played previously you will be able to claim profiles from MyFootballClub provided you use the same email address to sign up. To claim your playing history and other details you will need to use the same email address used to register on the former MyFootballClub system.

After logging in to your Football Account you will be presented with a list of matching profiles from MyFootballClub where the email addresses match.

Click “continue” and you will be presented with a list of packages or “products” offered by Thirroul JFC.

Select the relevant package and a new page will open detailing the $180 fee for all Thirroul JFC players. Click “continue” at the bottom.

The next page asks you to check your personal details, including Emergency Contacts. After doing so click “continue”.

You will then be asked to upload a passport-style photo.

Continue to the Terms and Conditions, including Code of Conduct. After accepting these you will continue to the final page for payment. Thirroul JFC will not accept registrations as completed until the club has received full payment.

Note: All Junior packages, including Women’s Youth Grade, will have a list of mandatory questions. These are only for Mini-Roos - aged U6s-to-U11s. However, they can not be left blank so please type N/A if they are not applicable.

For further assistance with using the new registration system, CLICK HERE.

REGISTRATION FEES EXPLAINED

The committee of Thirroul JFC has decided not to pass on any increase in fees from governing bodies this year to maintain a registration fee of $180 for all players in 2019.

This includes FFA, Football NSW and Football South Coast fees, as well as insurance, ground hire and lighting at Gibson Park, referees fees. uniforms, trophies and maintenance costs, such as field maintenance and equipment.

It is a policy of Thirroul JFC that all players pay the same registration fee, whether they play Under 6s or First Grade for the Thunder or Thunderbirds.

However, the families of Mini Roos players (Under 6s to Under 11s) are not required to perform canteen duty during the season.

FAMILY DISCOUNT

Where a family has more than one player registering with Thirroul JFC, the following scale will apply – $180 each for the first two players and $150 each for all other immediate family members. The $30 discount applies across the club for players in junior, men’s, women’s and amateur teams.

The Family Discount for three players can be obtained during the registration process if all family members are registered using the same Football Account. In all other instances, the club will reimburse those who are eligible.

REGISTRATION SESSIONS

Thirroul JFC will hold Junior Registration sessions at Thirroul Bowling Club on Saturday, 2 February from 10am-2pm and Thursday, 7 February from 6pm-8pm.

Three in a row for Thunder In Reserve Grade Grand Final

Photo: Jess Hampton

Thirroul faced off against Oak Flats in the WCG Cranes District League Reserve Grade grand final at Win Stadium. Thirroul looked to capture their fourth title in five years, which would also be their third grand final win in a row. For Oak Flats, they made the grand final from the 5th position, downing Coniston, Bellambi and Warilla on their way to the grand final. With both teams in stellar form, the game was shaping up to be a very tight contest.

The match began with both teams being nervous, coughing up possession without building up any pressure. Thirroul had an early penalty shout, but it was waved away confidently by the referee. Thirroul continued gaining momentum, Scott Woods had the first shot on target but couldn’t test Chris Jarman. It was Jordan Cox who almost put the Thunder ahead when he created space for himself with a fantastic touch and hit the ball sweetly but Jarman was up to the task, producing a wonderful save.

Cox once again had a golden chance, but this time he was denied by the woodwork after his header rocketed off the crossbar. Down the other end, Oak Flats failed to find the target, with Nathan Wilson smashing the ball well over the bar and letting Thirroul off the hook.

Thirroul finally broke the deadlock after Simon Ward was taken down inside the area in the 38th minute. With no arguments from the Oak Flats defence, Oscar Pruks stepped up to the spot. He buried the penalty with confidence and gave Thirroul a deserved lead. 

FOR FULL MATCH REPORT CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE FOR POST MATCH INTERVIEW WITH THUNDER COACH KEVIN LEWIS

Saturday 22 September 2018 @ Win Stadium 

Full time: Thirroul FC – 1 (O.Pruks); Oak Flats Falcons – 0

Thirroul FC: C. Wearing, A. Maddock, M.Jones, J. Townson, A.Ward, S.Woods, J. De Lyall, R. Gyngell, O. Pruks, J. Cox, S. Ward. Replacements:  J.Tobin, N. Orvad, C.Pickthall, A.Dark, J. Simms

Oak Flats Falcons: C. Jarman, M.Grasa, R.Graham, J.Tilden, M. Thornton, L. Condello, J.Beregshay, G.Boskovic, M.Wilson. Replacements: R. Franks, B.Crandell, C.Fernandez, J. Sovrano, A.Sloss.

Referee - Caleb Blanch; Assistant Referees - Emajen Crawley and Tristan James; Fourth Official - Mick Agim

Report by Liam Emerton, on Twitter @liamemerton

Active Kids Rebate Now Available

The NSW Government initiative of the Active Kids Rebate is now available to be redeemed from Service NSW.

If you want to claim the $100 Active Kids Rebate before registering, or have already registered and chose the "deferred"option, please go to service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-active-kids-voucher or click here.

The rebate is aimed to help reduce the barriers for families wanting to have their children participate in the activities of sport and fitness, by helping with the cost of wanting to be a part of a sporting community.

Therefore the NSW Government has allocated each child aged from 4.5 - 18 years' old and enrolled in full time school a $100 voucher, which can be applied to the overall cost such as registration and other sign up costs. 

Here's some quick notes which you will need to know about this offer

• The Active Kids Voucher can only be redeemed once per child
• The voucher cannot be split over several applications, and will have to be used in its entirety at the time of use, any unused portion is forfeited
• The programs which it is applied to must run for a minimum of eight weeks
• The child applying for the voucher must be enrolled in school (Kindergarten to Year 12, including the home-schooling system). Or enrolled in a secondary education such as TAFE NSW, for those early school leavers who are still under 18 years of age.
• The voucher will be available to be used from its release (31st of January 2018) to the end of the calendar year (31st of December 2018). If it is not used after this date, the value of the voucher will expire and will not be valid for use in 2019.
• After applying for your voucher, head to the Play Football website to register for your Club. To apply the discount to your registration, at the invoice screen enter your code you receive into the “Active Kids Voucher” field and your registration will automatically be updated with the discount.
• If you have already registered, provide the voucher to your club so that they can validate the code

At the point of applying for the voucher, the parent, guardian or carer will need a valid Medicare Card with the details of the child as well as a MyServiceNSW Account

Thunder ready for pre-season fixtures

• Thunder v Kirrawee Kangaroos

• Youth Cup Draw

• Thunderbirds pre-season fixtures

Thirroul Thunder will play their first game of the 2018 season next Saturday, February 3 when the First Grade squad takes on Kirrawee Kangaroos FC in a trial at Seymour Shaw Stadium, Miranda.

The match, which kicks off at 5pm, is the second consecutive year the clubs have met in a pre-season friendly and Thirroul head coach Garth Bowley believes playing one of the top Sutherland Shire teams was beneficial to the Thunder's 2017 performance.

Thunder Youth Grade will have their first hit-out under new coach Aaron Kellaway the following weekend when they play Coniston in the opening round of the Fernhill Youth Cup at 12.30pm Saturday, February 10 at Ray Robinson Field. 

Youth Grade is also drawn to play Oak Flats at 2.45pm Saturday, February 17 and Albion Park White Eagles at 8.10pm Monday, February 26 (scroll down for the full draw).

In the Fraternity Pre-season Cup, which kicks off on Thursday, February 15, the Thunder have been drawn in the same pool as Balgownie, Bellambi and Helensburgh.

The District League premiership is due to commence on Saturday, March 24.

Meanwhile, Thirroul JFC is in discussions with a Central Coast club to organise a pre-season trial for the Thunderbirds in March.

The club intends to again host the Thunderbirds Cup for team's in the Women's Youth League during Female Football Week, (March 2-10).

The Bonnie Lassie Cup for all FSC Women's clubs is scheduled for the weekend of March 24-25.

Thunder 2018 Coaching Announcement

Thirroul JFC is pleased to announce the Thunder coaching staff for the 2018 season and to welcome Aaron Kellaway to the club as Youth Grade coach.

Aaron will join an established and successful coaching team led by Garth Bowley, who has guided the Thunder to the District League First Grade semi-finals in each of his three seasons as head coach.

The Thunder Reserve Grade will again be coached by Kevin Lewis, who has taken the team to back-to-back grand final wins after achieving similar success as Youth Grade coach.

With John Cropper wanting to devote more time to his role as Thirroul JFC Mentor: Coaching and Development, the club has appointed Aaron Kellaway as Youth Grade coach for 2018.

Aaron has previously coached Youth Grade at Wollongong Olympic and Wollongong United.

He also enjoyed an extensive playing career, which included stints with Macarthur Rams and Marconi Stallions in the NSW State League, and later with Wollongong United.

The Thirroul JFC executive sincerely thank John Cropper for his contribution to the Thunder in the past two seasons and look forward to his ongoing involvement across the club in 2018 and beyond. 

Pre-season training and selection for the Thunder senior men's teams commences on Tuesday, 9 January at Gibson Park.

Training will be each Tuesday and Thursday from then on.

Players are asked to arrive at 6.15pm for a 6.30pm start. 

Thirroul JFC hopes to announce soon the Thunderbirds Division 1 coach for 2018 and details of pre-season training for the women's teams. 
 

Thirroul JFC 2017 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Thirroul JFC  will hold its Annual General Meeting on Sunday, 5 November, 2017 commencing at 4PM, at Thirroul Bowling Club, Station Street, Thirroul.

Nominations are open for positions on the 2018 Club Management Committee. These positions are:

• President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Vice President
• Sponsorship Coordinator
• Events Coordinator
• Media Officer
• Executive Member
• Executive Member
• Registrar
• District Delegate (2 Required)
• Canteen Co-ordinator
• One only Senior Men’s Player representative
• One only Senior Women’s Player representative
• One only Senior Men’s Amateur Player representative
• Club Coach
• Referee's Coordinator
• Football Sub-Committee Chairperson
• Maintenance Coordinator
• Gear Coordinator

Nominations must be made in accordance with the Club Rules, nominators and nominees must be full club members or life members.

Nominations should be made using the Club Committee Nomination form and should be returned to the Club Secretary at either of the addresses below. Nominations close at 5:00 PM on Friday 3 November 2017.

• secretary@thirroulfootball.com.au or
   
• Thirroul Junior Football Club
  PO Box 302
  Thirroul NSW 2515

Nominations close at 5:00 PM on Friday 3 November 2017.
 

Thirroul juniors feature on FIFA18 game

Thirroul juniors Dylan Ryan and Reagan Ogle have been included in the new FIFA18 game.

Dylan, who plays for Dutch club Willem II, played for Thirroul JFC until being chosen for the Skillaroos in 2010 and earning a place in the NSW Institute of Sport program.

The 17-year-old defender enjoyed a stint at Liverpool after being spotted by the club's scouts at a tournament in Manchester in 2015 and he recently moved to the Netherlands on a three year professional contract.

Reagan, who played in the same Under 11s team as Dylan, is now playing in the top team at English League Two club Accrington Stanley.

Also a defender, 18-year-old Reagan joined Accrington Stanley's youth academy on a scholarship after moving to England with his family to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time footballer and in May he was offered a two-year full-time contact with the club.

Dylan Ryan in action for Willem II

.

Ryan Ogle's player profile photo on Accrington Stanley's website

Thirroul bring the thunder to win Reserve Grade grand final

Photo: Jess Hampton

By Cal Behrendt, FSC Match Reporter

In a clash of the two best sides in the WCG Cranes District League Reserve Grade competition, Fernhill Foxes took on Thirroul Thunder at Wetherall Park in the Reserve Grade Grand Final for the right to call themselves Champions.

Fernhill entered the game as pre-match favorites, having topped the ladder with 54 points across their 22 matches and waltzing past Warilla Wanderers 2-0 in the Major Semi Final to book their spot in the big match at the first point of entry.

However, Thirroul – who finished 2nd on the ladder with 47 points after 22 matches – had to work to book their spot in the game, after losing 2-1 to Warilla in the Qualifying Final.

The side then defeated Oak Flats Falcons 3-0 to move onto the Preliminary Final where they faced Warilla again, this time gaining revenge in the biggest possible fashion, with a 6-0 demolition of the Wanderers enough to send the Thunder into the final.

Both sides had taken a win over the other team during the regular season, with Fernhill downing Thirroul 5-3 in round 4 and Thirroul beating Fernhill 3-2 in Round 15, so fans were expecting a close game where either side could win on the day.

The final started off with both sides getting early shots off at the opposing goal, with Thirroul having a free kick from Bradley Strudwick sent over in the opening sixty seconds, while Fernhill’s Matt Richardson would fire off a shot straight down the throat of Thunder keeper Chris Wearing just three minutes later.

But it was the Thunder who would strike first in the 21st minute, with a fantastically placed corner from Strudwick finding the head of Scott Woods, who expertly netted the ball to give the Thunder the opening blow in the Grand Final.

Just three minutes later Thirroul found themselves a second goal ahead, with an attack forming from a great pass by Oscar Pruks to find Bradley Strudwick. It was Strudwick who again found the perfect pass, setting up Jonathon De Lyall to have a simple shot on goal. De Lyall managed to sneak his shot past Fernhill’s Brad Hunter and send the Thunder up by two goals after just 24 minutes of play.

To read the full match report click here

Fernhill FC – 1 (Breslin 82’)

Thirroul Thunder FC – 2 (Woods 21’, De Lyall 24’)

Saturday the 23rd of September 2017 at Wetherall Park.

Fernhill FC – Brad Hunter, Luke McDonald, Brett Kear, Joel Sims, Nathan Thompson, Lee White, Dean Morosin, Damien Warwick, Andrew Breslin, Toby Napper, Matt Richardson 

Subs – Kevin McDonald (on for Morosin), Hiroki Makita (on for White), Christian Armour (on for Sims), Michael Stephenson, Yacoub Hadaya

Thirroul Thunder FC – Chris Wearing, Jonathon Tobin, James Townson, Ryan Hunter, Tom Goodier, Scott Woods, Jonathon De Lyall, Aaron Buzinki, Oscar Pruks, Bradley Strudwick, Robert Gyngell

Subs – Nathan Orvad (on for Woods), Jordan Simms (on for Townson), Marcus Rusbourne (on for De Lyall), Tyler Snelgrove (on for Buzinki), Liam Harris

Referee – Ryan O’Sullivan

Assistant Referees – Keelum Harrison, Darcy Jordan

Report by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

Super Hoops win grand final in extra time

On a cold Saturday morning (16 September), the GPR Super Hoops prevailed to win the Masters Division 4 grand final in conditions best suited for wind surfing.

The game was end to end like watching tennis and the ball was in the air more often than on the ground like aerial pin pong.

The Super Hoops went behind in the first half but evened up the score in the second half and then during the first half of extra time got the goal to put them in front.

From then on it was just a matter of parking the bus, the odd counter attack and waiting for the final whistle.

Well done to the GPR Super Hoops on a history making 2017 season, becoming the first GPR team to claim both the Minor Premiership or League Champions title and Grand Final.

A special congratulations to Rob Allision, who became the first original GPR player to claim two Grand Finals.

Rob was also manager the GPR Super Hoops throughout the year with the assistance of Gavin Stapleton, Nathan Willdig, John Byrom, Matt Bennett and Scott Ellis.

Thanks to the managers of each of Thirroul's All Ages Amateur teams:

Div 1 1st team Thunder AC - Gary Lux and Ryan Davidson.

Div 1 2nd team Thunder DC - James Panteli and Ryan Fairley.

Div 2 1st team GPR Hoops - Leon Mar who is also GPR head of operations and Thirroul fc - Senior Mens Amateur Player Representative, SMAPR. 

Div 2 2nd team GPR R's - Morgan McKinnon and Trent Oliver,

Thanks to the supporters during the year at the games, especially Mrs Mar, and back at the Bowlo. Also thanks to Thirroul JFC, Football South Coast and the RMB Community League committee for their support.

Check out the footage on either the Thunder or GPR Facebook pages. Grand Final footage is courtesy of Lin Hampton. Thanks to Lin for attending some other games to get footage.

GPR Super Hoops in Grand Final this Saturday

Gibson Park Rangers Super Hoops will be aiming to add a grand final win to their Minor Premiership title when they take on Burgh Hogs at 9.30am Saturday at Macedonia Park.

The Super Hoops qualified for the Community League Masters Division Four grand final after beating the Hogs 3-0 in the major semi-final two weeks ago.

The GPR team also triumphed in their In two other previous encounters against the Hogs during the regular season, in which they lost just one match.

Please come and support the Super Hoops, whose team includes a number of current and former Thirroul JFC junior coaches.

Also on Saturday, Thirroul Thunder will be seeking to avenge their semi-final loss to Warilla when they take on the Wanders at 12.15pm at JJ Kelly Park for a place in the District League grand final.

The Thunder beat Oak Flats 3-0 last Saturday to move to within one win of the grand final against Fernhill and the opportunity to claim back to back premierships.

All are invited to celebrate with the teams afterwards at Thirroul Bowling Club. 

Vale Doug LePage: A kind and gentle soul

Thirroul Junior Football Club is saddened by the loss of club stalwart and Life Member, Doug LePage, who passed away peacefully at home last Sunday after a courageous battle with cancer.

Doug's contribution to our club was enormous, especially in the mentoring and development of young referees, and he continued to attend committee meetings until recently.

"He was a kind, gentle soul who always looked out for the welfare of our young referees," Thirroul JFC executive member Peter Harkin said. "I’m hard pressed to ever recall Doug losing his temper and he always seemed willing to stick his hand up to do tasks.

"Even in the later stages of his illness he volunteered to do the barbecue when he could. A quiet achiever who was always the gentleman. Sadly missed."

Long serving Thirroul JFC registar Debbie Crawford said: "Over the years I have known Doug – two of his boys, Tim and Joshua, played for Thirroul – he never lost his cool.  He was quiet and studious, enjoying a chin wag and a beer with mates."

 The club extends its deepest sympathies to Doug's wife Patty, his family and to all who knew and loved him.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Doug's funeral service to be held in the chapel, Parsons Funeral Home, 278 Princes Highway, Bulli on Friday, August 18, 2017 at 12noon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Relay for Life (Bikini Girl's & Friends).

Welcome to Dictate Australia as new club sponsor

Thirroul JFC is pleased to welcome Dictate Australia as a new sponsor to the club.

Dictate Australia has taken up one of the club's Sponsor a Player packages and are sponsoring Thunder player Corey Haines-Grose for the 2017 season.

Corey, who began playing for Thirroul at a young age, returned to the club after a stint with Bulli's successful Youth Grade team and is a key member of the Thunder first grade squad.

He also coaches the Thunderbolts Under 13s Division One team along with Josh Williams and last year coached the Thunderbirds Division One women's team.

Dictate Australia director Dave Holmes was keen to sponsor Corey after he scored match winning goals for the Thunder in recent games against Coniston and Kiama.

Watch Corey's goals by clicking on the links above (in bold).

Dictate Australia Pty Ltd provides digital voice solutions Australia wide. This includes digital voice recorders, dictaphones and transcription kits from Olympus Imaging Australia. We are a Gold Professional Olympus dealer.

Dictate Australia own and use both Windows and Macs and test the products we sell on both platforms allowing us to give full cross platform support.

Dictate Australia is also a leading reseller of voice recognition software for Intel Mac (Dragon Dictate 3.0) and Windows (Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12). We are a Gold Certified Dragon NaturallySpeaking reseller and we are also a beta tester for Dragon Dictate for Mac.

Site licences for education, government and corporate are available for Dragon Mac & Windows as well as standard single install licences.

Further details about Dictate Australia can be found by clicking on their logo, which is located on the home page of the thirroulfootball.com.au website.

Please support Dictate and the community of sponsors who support Thirroul JFC.

For information about sponsoring Thirroul JFC, including Sponsor a Player packages, please go to the Sponsorship tab at the top of the website.

Thirroul junior Reagan Ogle signs with English club

Thirroul junior Reagan Ogle has signed a two year professional contract with English League Two club Accrington Stanley after making his first team debut in the last home game of the season.

Reagan, who played his junior football for Thirroul JFC alongside a number of players in the Thunder's Youth Grade team, joined Accrington Stanley's youth academy on a scholarship after moving to England with his family to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time footballer.

His proud parents, Cathryn and Phil, said the contract was a reward for the hard work Reagan has put in so far.

"Phil and I are very proud," Cathryn said. "This was his dream and he has worked tremendously hard to get there.

"He is a very proud Aussie and also of his football roots being [with] Thirroul JFC. He was a junior at Thirroul for a few years before we left to live in England."

Reagan, who began playing for Thirroul JFC in 2004 as a five-year-old, detailed his journey in an in interview on the AccringtonStanley.co.uk website. 

“I had a friend who came over here and I’d been to school with his daughter and he suggested I came over to see how I’d do," Reagan said.

"We didn’t really think anything would come of it but it was good to see how I compared to English kids and English football.

"When Accrington gave me the chance more or less straight away I wanted to give it a go. I thought if it didn’t work I’d go home a better player than I was. Getting a scholarship was great but once that had happened I wanted to be a pro.”

The 18-year-old fullback was offered a two year contract and will join the first team ranks at Wham Stadium after making his League Two debut as a late sub in the last home game of the season against Luton Town.

Reagan, who had a successful loan spell with non-league Ramsbottom United, also featured in Stanley's Checkatrade Trophy defeat to Wolves last November and has been on the bench for the Reds in several other matches.

He said he could see a path to the club's senior setup from being involved with the under 18’s and now aims to establish himself in the first team.

“Having been at the club for a few years as I have when you get into the youth team you think that it could happen in terms of going pro and if you have a good season or two it becomes more realistic because you’re training with the first team and you know that’s what you want to do,” he said.

“As soon as you get that feeling you want that contract and once you get it it’s a great feeling.

“In the first year of the youth team I wasn’t really thinking about a contract, more about having a good season then in the second year I started playing quite well, went out on loan and that helped and when I came back there were clubs looking at me and I felt like I had a shot.

“When you get on the first team bench for the first time it’s something else. It’s completely different.”

Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman announced the promotion of Reagan to the first squad, along with another 18-year-old Zehn Mohammed.

“We are delighted that Reagan and Zehn have signed,” Coleman said. “They have huge potential and we are looking forward to working with them.

Both players have come through the youth ranks with the club and it’s a big boost to under 18s lead coach Andy Gray.

“We’re chuffed for them,” Gray said. “This is a great opportunity for them to progress. John and Jimmy have seen them in training and watched them. It’s great that Reagan has already made his debut, it’s a pat on the back for the the academy staff and it shows there’s a progression path from the academy to the first team at Accrington Stanley.”

125th anniversary: From Rovers to Bluebells to Thunder, Thunderbirds, Thunderbolts & GPR

Thirroul JFC will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the club with a Thunder-Mental Trivia Night on Saturday, May 20 at Thirroul Bowling Club.

The Thunder will fittingly play Balgownie on Saturday at Gibson Park, as Rangers were one of the clubs Thirroul FC - known as Thirroul Rovers - played in their first season after being founded at a meeting on May 21, 1895. 

Other teams included Helensburgh Rovers, Corrimal and Woonona Swifts, who were founded shortly after the Thirroul club.

Welcome to new sponsor Bulli Medical Practice

Thirroul JFC is pleased to welcome Bulli Medical Practice to the club as a new sponsor for the 2017 season.

Bulli Medical Practice has taken up one of the club's new Sponsor a Player packages and will sponsor Thunderbirds player Alex Pritchard.

Alex, who is a registered nurse at Bulli Medical Practice, is a great club person and role model.

Besides playing for the Thunderbirds Division 3 team, she also coaches the Under 15s Girls team and was last year named the 2016 Thirroul JFC Senior Club Person of the Year.

Another member of the Thunderbirds "Thirdbirds" team, Keely Mar, also works at Bulli Medical Practice, which has a proud history of supporting the local community and is a regular sponsor of Illawarra Folk Festival, Scarborough Board Riders and the PCYC.

Further details about Bulli Medical Practice can be found by clicking on their logo, which is located on the home page of the Thirroul Football website.

Please support Bulli Medical Practice and the family of sponsors who support Thirroul JFC.

For information about sponsoring Thirroul JFC, including Sponsor a Player packages, please go to the Sponsorship tab at the top of the website.