Thunderbirds W2 team qualify for finals

The Thunderbirds W2 team have qualified for the finals of the Football South Coast Women's Division 2 competition after a 6-1 win over Coledale at Gibson Park on Wednesday night.

Thirroul will now take on Kiama in Sunday's elimination semi-final after Kiama beat Wests Illawarra 3-0 at Unanderra Oval on  Wednesday night.

The two results forced officials to reach for their calculators to determine which team had finished the regular season in fourth place as Thirroul and Wests were level on 32 competition points and had an identical goal difference of +18.

However, the Thunderbirds' season remains alive as they scored 39 goal to 32 by Wests.

The Thunderbirds play Kiama in the elimination semi-final at 11.45am Sunday at Ocean Park, Woonona, so get along and support the team if you can.

Thirroul junior Ashley Dribbus selected for Young Matildas

Congratulations to Thirroul junior Ashley Dribbus on her selection in the Young Matildas squad to play in the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship Qualifiers in Vietnam from August 25 to September 3.

Ashley played her junior football with Thirroul JFC in the team which is this season's U16.1 side and also featured Dylan Ryan, who earlier this year signed with English Premier League club Liverpool FC.

The 15-year-old recently made her first grade debut for the Illawarra Stingrays in the NSW WNPL 1 competition.

Ashley was invited to attend two Young Matildas camp at the AIS in Canberra last month and was then selected for a second camp before being named in the 23-strong Under 16s squad to be coached by Ante Juric.

She will leave next week for a pre-tournament camp in Hanoi ahead of the AFC U16s Championship Qualifiers, which signify the start of the elite women’s football pathway and the first steps for young female football players who aspire to play for the Matildas.

The AFC U16 Championship Qualifiers serve as the qualifiers for AFC U16 Women’s Championship, which will be played in China in September 2017.

The top three nations from the AFC Championships will progress to the 2018 FIFA U17 World Cup, which will be played in Uruguay.

Australia is in Group D along with Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Palestine and Iraq and opens their campaign against Palestine on 25 August at the Vietnam Youth Training Centre in Hanoi.

Minutes silence for Mel Bond at all FSC Women's Games

All matches in the opening round of Football South Coast Women's Competitions this weekend will commence with a minute's silence to to honour the memory of Thirroul Thunderbirds player Mel Bond.

Mel, who was the goalkeeper and captain of last year's league winning Division 3 team, has been a valuable member of the Thirroul Football Club and wider football community and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

All four senior Thunderbirds teams will play their opening round matches of the 2016 season at home on Sunday.

12.30pm: Division 3 v Oak Flats W3

10am: Youth Grade v Oak Flats Falcons

12pm: Division 2 v Woonona 2

2pm: Division 1 v Woonona 1

The Under 12s, Under 13s, Under 16s and Under 17s Girls teams will also play at Gibson Park on Sunday, along with the Under 17s Boys.

Thirroul JFC has created a Mel Bond tribute page on this website.

Mel Bond: Daughter, Sister, Friend, Thunderbird

It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we inform our families of the passing of Mel Bond - Daughter, Sister, Friend and Thunderbird.
There are no words at this time that feel adequate to express our community's loss.
Our hearts go out to the Bond family.

Albion Park win Thunderbirds Cup

Albion Park Under 18 Girls won the second annual Thunderbirds Cup  at Gibson Park on Sunday.

The tournament, which was part of Football NSW's Female Football Week celebrations, featured eight teams from Albion Park, Bulli, Coledale, Woonona and Thirroul.

Despite the hot conditions and the fact it was the first hit out of 2016 for most teams, the standard of football was high and kept the crowd entertained throughout the day.

Albion Park Under 18s beat Coledale Under 16s and Thirroul Youth Grade before triumphing 2-0 over Bulli Under 16s in the final.

Last year's winners, Woonona Under 16s, won the Thunderbirds Plate after recovering from a loss to Thirroul Youth Grade in their first match to beat Coledale Under 16s before coming from behind to edge out Thirroul Under 17s 4-2 in the final.

Earlier, Thirroul Under 16s and Youth Grade teams won their first games against Woonona teams to advance to the Cup semi-final but the Under 16s lost 4-2 to Bulli, while Youth Grade were eliminated by Albion Park.

Thirroul JFC would like to thank everyone who made the day a success, including the other teams for the spirit in which they played, those who volunteered in the canteen and on the BBQ, the referees without whom the tournament couldn't have gone ahead and the officials who ensured the fields were ready for games.

THIRROUL JFC TO CELEBRATE FEMALE FOOTBALL WEEK

Thirroul Junior Football Club will celebrate Female Football Week by hosting a tournament for Under 16-18s Girls teams in the Football South Coast competition at Gibson Park this Sunday.

The tournament, which has been sanctioned by Football NSW as an official event of Female Football Week, brings together some of the best young women's teams from those age groups in the South Coast region for a day of pre-season action.

Eight teams from Albion Park, Bulli, Coledale, Woonona and Thirroul will compete for the Thunderbirds Cup in a round robin-style format, in which they will each play a minimum of two games.

An article about the tournament has been published on the Football NSW website and Facebook page.

The tournament has also been listed in Football NSW's calendar of events for Female Football Week.

Thirroul JFC coaching co-ordinator Brad Walter said the club was pleased to host an event associated with Female Football Week.

"This is a great initiative by Football NSW and the FFA as the interest in the game among young girls and women at our club and within the Illawarra area is absolutely booming," Walter said.

"The number of girls playing for Thirroul JFC is now almost half the club's 450 junior players and the Thunderbirds will this season have an Under 21s Youth Grade team for the first time, as well as three senior women's teams.

"With the Westfield Matildas qualifying for the Olympics, that growth is only going to get bigger."

Thunderbirds Cup

Sunday, 13th March 2016

Thomas Gibson Park, Thirroul, NSW 2515

Kick-off: 9am

Final: 2pm

Thunderbirds Amanda Allnutt and Asha Hodgins in All Stars

Congratulations to Thirroul Thunderbirds players Amanda Allnutt and Asha Hodgins on their selection in the Football South Coast All Stars team to play Illawarra Stingrays on Wednesday, 2nd March.

The full FSC Women's All Stars squad is: Brittany Ring (Albion Park), Kendall Vaughan (Albion Park), Letisha Cable (Olympic), Emi Skopal (Olympic), Lisa Tolson (Balgownie), Josie Iorianni (Kiama), Shenae Bruce (Fernhill), Mel Ireland (Woonona), Amanda Allnut (Thirroul), Kristina Janeska (Port Kembla), Elise Battin (Olympic), Kristina Giorgio (Berkeley), Tanaya Davis (Albion Park), Vanessa De Freitas (Berkeley), Faith Atkins (Albion Park), and Asha Hodgins (Thirroul).  Coach: Umberto Sorrentino (Wollongong Olympic).

The match kicks off at 6pm at Crehan Park, Cringilla and will be followed by the clash between FSC All Stars Men and Wollongong Wolves.

The team selected to represent Football South Coast Mens is: Hayden Durose (Olympic), Bradley Jardine (Woonona), Daniel Ferraro (APWE), Jack Keating (Cringila), Ben Brooks (Wollongong United), Billy Tsovolos (Wollongong United), Guy Knight (Bulli), Denis Stojic (South Coast United), Sam Davies (Bulli), Mitchell Delturco (Dapto Dandaloo Fury), Zac Mazevski (Port Kembla), Tommy Skara (South Coast United), Jake Morlando (Tarrawanna), Isaac Lee (Shell Cove), Chris Smith (APWE), and Kieran Morris (Bellambi). Coach: Oliver Vrtkovski (Wollongong United).

THUNDERBIRDS ANNOUNCE 2016 COACHING TEAM

Thirroul JFC is pleased to announce Corey Haines-Gross as Thunderbirds first division coach for the 2016 season.

Corey, who was assistant coach last season, will work with Adam Ward and a coaching team which also includes John Paegle, Todd Yarrow and Oscar Pruks.

John Cropper has also been appointed to the role of Mentor: Coaching and Development, and he will work with all teams across the club.

At this stage it is anticipated that John Paegle will coach the Thunderbirds Youth Grade team playing in a new Football South Coast competition for players aged 16 to 21, while Todd Yarrow will be in charge of second division.

A final decision will be made once the club has a better idea about playing numbers and whether there are three or four Thunderbirds teams this season.

Training for the women's teams has begun and is at 6pm each Monday and Wednesday at Gibson Park.

Thirroul JFC would like to thank last year's coaches, Brad Matiuscenko, Alex Matiuscenko and Jonathon Tobin, for their time, effort and commitment.

Under Brad, the First Division team qualified for the 2014 grand final and were semi-finalists in 2015, while Jonathon's Third Division team were League Champions last season.

Unfortunately, they were unable to commit to coaching roles again this year but the club is excited about the upcoming season under Corey and our senior women's coaching team.

THUNDER PRE-SEASON FRATERNITY CUP

The Thunder's season is set to officially start with the Fraternity Club Cup pre-season competition beginning on 18th February.

Thirroul has been drawn in Group A of the District League Conference, and will play Bellambi, Helensburgh and Berkeley Sports over consecutive weeks.

The top team in each Group advances to the Conference semi-finals, along with the best second placed team of the three Groups within the Conference.

The first round of the Bert Bampton/Youth Cup has also been scheduled for 19th March, a week before the first round of the District League.

Youth Grade will also play in the PeopleCare Fernhill Cup, with the Thunder's first match against Port Kembla on Monday, 2nd February at 6.55pm.

Thirroul's other pool matches are against Cringila on Saturday, 6th February at 2.45pm and Fernhill on Saturday, 20th February at 12.15pm.

FRATERNITY CLUB CUP POOLS

Premier League

Group A – Cringila, Woonona, Picton, Shell Cove

Group B – Wollongong Olympic, Port Kembla, Albion Park White Eagles, Tarrawanna

Group C – Bulli, South Coast United, Wollongong United, Kemblawarra Fury

District League

Group A – Bellambi, Thirroul, Helensburgh, Berkeley Sports

Group B – University FC, Oak Flats, Kiama, Fernhill

Group C – Wests Illawarra, Corrimal, Balgownie, Warilla

More information about upcoming matches and the season schedule will be posted on thirroulfootball.com.au as it becomes available.

Thunder Youth Grade - PeopleCare Fernhill Youth Cup 2016

The Thunder's Youth Grade will have their first hit out under new coach John Cropper in the PeopleCare Fernhill Cup, with the team's opening match against Port Kembla on Monday, 2nd February at 6.55pm.

Thirroul's other pool matches in the PeopleCare Fernhill Cup are against Cringila on Saturday, 6th February at 2.45pm and Fernhill on Saturday, 20th February at 12.15pm.

The quarter-finals are on Saturday, 27th February, with the semi-finals and final to be played on Saturday, 5th March. 

See the draw here.

2016 TJFC Information Pack

Please check out the 2016 TJFC Information pack for useful information about our club and the upcoming 2016 season, and also how you can volunteer to help our great club.

Read the pack here.

Thirroul FC Thunder & Thunderbirds Preseason 2016

If you're a casual visitor and want to trial for the Thunder or Thunderbirds, watch the video for details

HNY Thunderbirds 2016

Happy New Year to all our players, families and supporters. Thunder preseason resumes on the 11th January

Thunderbirds Kickaround

THUNDERBIRDS KICK AROUND ON JANUARY 11
There will be a kick around for anyone interested in playing for the Thirroul Women's First Grade, Youth Grade, Second Grade and Third Grade teams on Monday, January 11 at Gibson Park. Players intending to play for the Under 16s or U17/18s Girls teams in 2016 are invited to attend.

Dylan Ryan - Liverpool Academy

Thirroul's Dylan Ryan is about to embark on every footballer's dream, when he heads to Liverpool on January one to take up a spot at the Premier League giants Football Academy.

Thirroul's Dylan Ryan is about to embark on every footballer's dream, when he heads to Liverpool on January one to take up a spot at the Premier League giants Football Academy.

Posted by WIN News Illawarra on Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Ryan signs with Liverpool

Every young Thirroul Player should look at this. Well done Dylan

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3592393/simply-red/?cs=302#disqus_thread

Introducing Women's Youth Grade Under 21s

Football South Coast will continue its growth of Women's Football in the region, with two new competitions beginning in twenty sixteen.

An under six girls competition will be played for the first time, while older juniors will get a chance to feature in an under twenty one's division.

Football South Coast will continue its growth of Women's Football in the region, with two new competitions beginning in twenty sixteen.An under six girls competition will be played for the first time, while older juniors will get a chance to feature in an under twenty one's division.

Posted by WIN News Illawarra on Monday, December 21, 2015