The club would like to acknowledge the immense contribution made by departing Men’s First Grade captain Luke Dawson.
Dawso has made 199 Super League/NPL appearances for Men’s First Grade, placing him second on the all-time list. Club Technical Director Jason Eagar had this to say about his time at Tigers:
“Across ten 1st Grade seasons as a Tigers player Dawso played in 6 Finals series, making 3 Grand Finals, winning 2 of those Grand Finals – a very successful period. Dawso has left a great legacy at the Club as a model Tigers player – hardworking, selfless, intelligent, positive, a great person!
“Dawso made a huge contribution on the field scoring important goals and making his trademark runs in behind from midfield. His contribution off the field has been just as valuable as Club Captain over the past couple of seasons, and as a mentor to the next generation of Tigers players as a SAP coach and Boys Youth Coach.
“Thank you Dawso it has been a pleasure to work with you since that first day I met you in 2010 at Mills Park!”
Watkins hits 100
Congratulations to Emma Watkins (West Pymble FC junior) on making her 100th appearance for our Women’s First Grade team last night against Emerging Jets!
First Grade Coach Jason Eagar had this to say about the midfielder:
“I would like to congratulate Emma on reaching 100 1st Grade games, what makes this even more impressive is that she turned 21 only a few weeks ago.
Emma is a true Tiger in so many ways, progressing through Tigers as a youth player into the 1st Grade squad at a very young age.
Emma has immense determination, a great work ethic, and is the type of player everyone wants to play next to.
While her balance is questionable at times her quality on the field isn’t – the goal she scored in the Grand Final last season was a great example of what Emma is capable of.
I’m looking forward to watching Emma play another 100 games in a Tigers 1st Grade shirt!”
Photo thanks to Dan Ullman – Aptitude Photography.
First Grade debut for local junior
On Saturday night young striker Will Hodgson (Northbridge FC junior) made his debut for our Men’s First Grade, having scored 13 goals this season already across matches with our U20s and U18s.
The 18-year-old is in his seventh year with Tigers and becomes the third local junior to make their debut for Men’s First Grade this season.
Brush eyes Matildas return for Tokyo
Lead photo thanks to Dan Ullman (Instagram – @aptitudephotography).
With the prospect of a spot on the plane to the Olympics with the Matildas on the horizon, Ellie Brush has gone all-in on the round ball game, re-signing for Sydney FC ahead of the 2020/21 W-League season.
The 32-year-old has left her AFLW career behind in this pursuit, having spent the past four years balancing her W-League commitments with the Giants.
“With the Olympics being postponed to next year it seemed like a good chance to go around again (in the W-League) to try and make the squad,” she explained.
“I’d really regret it if I didn’t give it another go to play for the Matildas.”
Brush was ever-present for the Sky Blues in the most recent W-League season, playing every minute as the team finished third on the table before losing the grand final to Melbourne City.
The central defender his hoping her form in the W-League will catch the eye of the incoming Matildas coach.
“I just try to be consistent wherever I play, and I feel at the moment I’m playing my best football.
“I’m physically at my best too, the cross-training in AFL has really helped my conditioning.
“Having played two seasons with the Dash (in the NSWL), I think I’ve also shown I can play at the highest level.”
Until the W-League kicks off later this year though, Brush lining up for our Women’s First Grade side in the NPL NSW Women’s competition.
Brush is in her third season at Northern Tigers, playing a pivotal role in the heart of defence as Women’s First Grade qualified for their first NPL1 grand final last year.
Brush celebrates a goal with her teammates in last year’s preliminary final. Photo thanks to Jeremy NG/Football NSW.
“I love the club and we’ve got a tight-knit bunch of players built around the same values – we never stop fighting and we play for one another,” she said.
“I think there’s quite a few players in the team who could make the step up to the W-League as well now a lot of last season’s players have moved to Europe.”
With her extensive playing experience, Brush has provided a guiding presence to the younger members of the squad.
“I love trying to help the younger girls as much as I can, there’s a lot of players in reserves knocking on the door of the first team.
“It’s fantastic having them around in training, they’ve got a lot of talent and great futures ahead of them.”
Women’s First Grade take on Sydney Olympic at Peter Moore Field on Sunday, looking to break a three-match scoreless run.
“We’re certainly tracking in the right direction, we’ve got a good team base,” Brush explained.
“The goals will come, I think once we get one the floodgates will open.”
You can stream this Sunday’s Women’s First Grade fixture (3pm kick-off) live on NPL.tv once you register for a free account.
Scott takes debut chance
19-year-old Oliver Scott (Wahroonga/Turramurra United junior) was given his First Grade debut on Sunday against St George City, with coach Adam Hett moving the youngster straight into the starting line-up after starting the season with six goals in four games for the Under 20s.
After setting up Ollie Wiggin for the opening goal in the 15th minute, Scott then delivered the final pass for the winning goal in the 87th minute!
Now in his eighth season at the club, Oliver has worked his way through the ranks at Tigers since joining our Under 12s in 2013, featuring in our Under 20s Grand final victory last year and also winning the Tigers Trademarks Team Award that season.
Photo thanks to Marlee Mahon.
Brown notches up century
A massive congratulations to Ally Brown (Wahroonga/ Turramurra United Football Club junior) on making his 100th NPL appearance for our Men’s First Grade team on Sunday against St George City!
First Grade Coach Adam Hett had this to say about the midfielder:
“Ally Brown has been a fantastic player for the club. I often refer to him as the David Silva of the Northern Suburbs. He possesses the ability to find space easily on pitch and loves to get on the half turn and play forward as much as possible.
He is such an important player for our first grade squad for the football we try to play. Ally also plays an important role in the coaching department with our junior teams, making sure we have more ‘Ally Browns’ coming through the system. It’s brilliant to see him hit the 100 game mark. It’s hard to believe he is still only in his early 20s!”
Eilidh Mackay: Building a new future
Eilidh Mackay’s life today would have been very different if it wasn’t for the itch to pull on her boots.
Visiting Australia in 2009 on a gap year from her native Scotland, Mackay signed up to play for the local club of her relatives in Sydney – Lindfield FC.
The team was coached by current Northern Tigers Men’s Under 20’s coach Rich Byrne and swept all before them in the NSFA WAA1 competition, winning the league, the finals series and all their matches along the way.
“It’s one of the best years I’ve ever had playing football,” Eilidh reflects.
“The results were great, but most of all I still have friends from that team today!”
Returning to Europe after that whirlwind season, it was a chance catch-up years later that would introduce Eilidh to Northern Tigers.
In the harbour city for a futsal tournament in January of 2015, Eilidh reached out to her former coach Rich, who was now involved at Tigers.
“Rich told me to come down for a kick-around and afterwards the head coach Kai (Lammert) asked me if I was interested in joining the squad for the season,” she explains.
“I was hesitant at first but I ended up staying, though my season was cut short after I did my knee in May!”
Despite a curtailed playing experience that year, off the pitch Eilidh found her newest passion – coaching.
“I got started coaching through the NSFA Football School and Knox Grammar and realised how much I enjoyed it.”
“Through NSFA I was running sessions for teams at clubs like Hornsby RSL and St Ives and I guess was getting positive feedback because Jason (Eagar, NSFA Technical Director) approached me about becoming involved with Tigers.”
“I did my C Licence over the Christmas holidays in a leg brace!”
With a newly-minted C Licence under her belt, Eilidh took charge of the Women’s NPL Under 13’s and the Girls SAP Under 10’s for the 2016 season, while also playing and balancing her NSFA Football School commitments.
The season brought success in both coaching and playing, with the Under 13’s and Women’s First Grade winning their grand finals.
“It was a really special day because all five of our Women’s teams were playing in grand finals,” Eilidh explains.
“I started off the day with the Under 13’s winning, then in the First Grade final I scored the opening goal and we came out on top.
“It was a phenomenal year from all the Women’s teams, which I think showed we were ready to make the step up to NPL1 the following year.”
Eilidh would spend the next two seasons playing for the senior squad before hanging up her boots to focus on coaching.
After coaching her grand final winning Under 13’s the next year as they stepped up into the Under 15’s age group, Eilidh moved across to the club’s Boys Youth NPL teams, coaching successive seasons (2018 and 2019) in the Under 13’s and 14’s.
2019 also saw her take on the role of Girls SAP Technical Director, overseeing the coaches and players of all four teams within the program.
“I wasn’t sure if it was for me, because I was still very keen to continue coaching teams myself,” she says.
“However I’ve really enjoyed being able to mentor our coaches, and the club has always used Girls SAP as an opportunity to develop female coaches.”
Eilidh has used her experience within the Girls SAP program to develop the NSFA Female Coach Mentoring Program.
The program forms part of the NSFA’s Female Football Plan – What’s Best for Her – which Eilidh played an essential part in creating.
“Within GSAP we have a great environment for the coaches where they feel supported and bounce ideas off each other,” she explains.
“I wanted to bring that same idea to grassroots coaches and give them the chance to further their development.”
“We have a range of coaches involved, from more experienced development coaches to teenagers and parents just starting out.”
The program kicked off in March with 24 local coaches to sign up but has already bolstered its ranks to 34 during the season delay.
While she has been continuing to build her skills as a coach mentor, Eilidh has also furthered her own development this season by taking charge of the Women’s NPL Under 17’s.
“This is the oldest group of players I’ve ever coached and it’s the first year of the performance phase so it’s different to what I’ve done before,” she comments.
“However, I’ve coached a lot of these players before so that has helped in making the step up.”
“I would love to coach senior teams at some point, but right now my focus is on this season.”
Click here to view the full NSFA Female Football Plan.
Contact Eilidh if you are interested in the Female Coach Mentoring Program: rpm@nsfa.asn.au.
Lachlan Lloyd: Rise into First Grade and growing club culture
If you asked Lachlan ‘Lachie’ Lloyd about his love affair with sport growing up, you would learn about a self-described “competitive little bugger”. You would learn about a kid who tried his hand (and foot) at every sport he could.
It was football though, which turned out to be Lloyd’s true calling.
Early days and coming through the ranks at the Tigers
Having joined up with the Tigers’ Under 11s squad from local side Lindfield FC as a ten-year-old, Lloyd quickly understood the difference in quality afforded by the age gap, something which provided to a great learning curve.
“In my first year I probably struggled a bit because I was a 10-year-old against 11-year-olds, and when you’re that young age it is quite a big difference. I was a bit iffy in that first year about whether I enjoyed it or not, but then in my second year I was with the Under 11s and I knew I wanted to stick with it.”
From the Under 11s onwards, Lloyd found himself progressing well through the ranks at the Tigers. It was his Under 15s coach, Gui De Souza, who brought Lloyd and his teammates’ passion for football to a whole new level.
“Gui was awesome for our team as we were a pretty inconsistent age group. We would win a game 9-0 one week and then lose 2-0 the next. He brought it all together for us and he made us a lot fitter, which made a big difference.”
“He brought an overarching joy to it because we would love going to training and to games. He had the idea that you perform best when you’re having fun and we had a lot of fun. Which I guess showed in the results.”
Unforgettable memories of a 54-game unbeaten run which started in the Under 15s and then went on to include a grand final win, a dominant tour of England and a strong year in the Under 16s ranks up high in Lloyd’s litany of achievements with the Tigers.
“Gui kind of gave me the fitness and the bases that I needed and then technically I became a lot better under our current First-Grade coach ‘Hetty’ (Adam Hett) when he was coaching me in the Under 20s. He helped me improve a lot quickly on top of the base that Gui formed for me.”
“It’s currently my third year with him (Hetty), he’s probably getting sick of me!”
The foundations laid in his junior years at the club allowed the midfielder to shine in the older age groups, culminating in a First Grade debut at just 18 and a 2019 grand final win with the Under 20s.
Celebrating Grand Final wins in 2015 and 2019.
“Obviously, it’s always a great day when you make your First Grade debut, I was lucky enough to do it when I was 18 off the bench against Spirit (NWS Spirit FC). It was pretty weird; I had a couple of schoolmates in the crowd and they were just waiting for me to go home with them. They were not expecting me to get on the pitch but then I came on, which was pretty funny.”
“Last year, I was in First Grade and then I dropped down to the Under 20s. It was a strange situation; I started the season playing 20s because I couldn’t get in to the first grade squad. I had a good start with the 20s and after five games I was playing first grade for the rest of the year.”
“After an Under 20s game the coach asked if I’d be happy to play in the finals if first grade didn’t push on in the finals and obviously, I jumped at the chance, because a few of my good mates are in that 20s team. It almost reminded me just how fun it is playing with your mates. Winning any grand final is special, but with a few of your best mates it’s even better and we won it with the last kick of the game.”
Time with the senior team
Lloyd kicked off his tenth season at the club with a wonderfully struck last minute goal for the Tigers, securing a 2-1 win over Bonnyrigg White Eagles to start the season off with a bang.
“To be honest I had a horrific game [leading up to that point]. I’d hardly made a pass all game so I wasn’t down on myself but [as a team] we were obviously frustrated that we conceded in the 88th minute after playing quite well.”
“All pre-season Hetty has been ripping in to me about not getting in to the box enough so as soon as I saw the ball going down the line and no one in the box I thought it was my time to get there and to make sure I’m an option, luckily it came to me and it was probably the best I’ve ever struck a ball!”
“It was a good start to the season and would definitely be in my top three moments at Tigers. It’s just a shame it finished so quickly afterwards.”
COVID-19’s influence on the world and on football has been massive. Only in the last week has a health-first approach in the return to training been deemed doable by Football NSW. For Lloyd, this season was set to be the year where he solidified himself as a part of the first grade setup.
“Last year was my first full year in first grade and I felt that I had learned a lot and was focused on trying to become a better player. I really felt that going in to this year it was my time to step up and try to be a key part of the team. I wasn’t the rookie anymore, I felt I needed to perform week in, week out and get consistency in my game.”
“I was feeling good and fit. I’d had a good pre-season and obviously it was frustrating with all this. But hopefully, if we get back on the field we can get going.”
Growth of club culture
A significant change which has caught the eye of Lloyd as he’s come through has been the club’s renewed approach to youth development and the culture that has been fostered as a result.
“Early on it was definitely more about you as a junior and developing. That was when the club wasn’t really as focused on the culture. Like the First Grade wouldn’t really know anyone in the Under 13s team. I think recently Jason (Eagar) has done an awesome job of changing that attitude.”
“[With] all the junior age groups, even when I was 15 or 16, having a coach who played first grade for the last couple of years saying “this is where you want to get to in three years”, it made a big difference because it gave you a goal, rather than just developing and wondering if you’re actually getting better.”
“[Now it’s about] making sure that the kids understand that there is actually that pathway. Because I know there are always good opportunities for good young players at Northern Tigers to go elsewhere, but if you wait your time and keep working hard, you’ll get a good crack at first grade, which you don’t get at many other clubs.”
A strong club culture has aided in the unification across the entire football department. As First Grade players are taking up more opportunities to coach at the club, so too are kids taking up the opportunity to see their coaches in action.
“Off the field it’s (the club culture) becoming better and better. Even last year, the boys and the girls started supporting each other more and more, which was good fun. For the Women’s Grand Final, we had just lost our semi-final and were pretty down, but we knew we were important to the girls and we made sure we were singing for them. Just small things like that make a big difference”
“Just the fact that there are First Grade and 20s players now coaching the younger generation and our SAP (Skills Acquisition Program), it really brings the club together and puts a name to a face. Now, Under 9s kids come in to watch us just because their coach is playing.”
Although, in spite of the strides taken by the club with its culture, Lloyd knows that a good environment does not automatically assure success.
“For me, the teams that I’ve always done best in are the teams that get along well and have a good culture and you need to be able to have a good culture all the way through. I think it’s also brought a different aspect where we’re able to use it as a drawing card to get better players”.
“But at the same time, culture only takes you so far, you need to get the results on the pitch to be successful and that comes from hard work at training and making sure you’re prepared for the game well”.
“We always talk about how good our culture is and I genuinely believe it is one of the best in the NPL. As a Men’s side especially, we need to keep winning to make sure that we are one of the most successful sides on the pitch as well and to get up to NPL 1, because at the end of the day that is where we want to be”.
Written by Matthew Badrov.
Return to Training Guidelines
In preparation for a return to training, we implore all club members to familiarise themselves with the following documents:
Football NSW Return to Training Guidelines – the primary source of information for the football community.
Northern Tigers Return to Training Guidelines – provides information additional to the Football NSW guidelines specific to Northern Tigers FC.
Jason Eagar: Tigers journey and building the future
Northern Suburbs Football Association (NSFA) and Northern Tigers FC have always emphasised the need to put the community first.
For Technical Director and Women’s First Grade coach Jason Eagar, being a part of a club setup that has gone from strength to strength and an association that has developed in to one of the strongest in NSW has made his footballing journey all the more satisfying.
Eagar’s many years with NSFA and Northern Tigers has meant he has been up close and personal as both the association and its representative club made incredible progress across the 2000s and 2010s to now.
Despite admitting to not considering coaching until after retiring from playing, Eagar knew once he started taking the steps towards being a professional coach that it was the life for him.
“I started my coaching journey with Ryde City all those years ago, really just to put my toe in the water and see if enjoy coaching. I think some players, when they finish playing they give coaching a go because they think that’s the next step. Coaching is certainly not for everyone but I found that I enjoyed it and once I found I enjoyed it I thought I needed to get in and do some study to see if I like it further. I ended up doing a Masters in Sports Coaching at the University of Queensland through a course with the Australian Institute of Sport and getting an A Licence. The process isn’t a quick one, it does take a while”.
Early days with the Tigers and current roles
Eagar joined the club at a time when it had only known the Northern Tigers FC name and badge for a few years, meaning it was undergoing a transition period.
Having begun his coaching career with State League side Ryde City, Eagar made the switch to Tigers for the 2006 winter season.
“There was a position open in the Men’s Under 20s at the Northern Tigers, so I applied for and got that role”.
“At the time the club seemed quite organised and were ambitious, I think they had recently come into the Super League (now called Men’s NPL2). It was a good opportunity for me to develop as a coach and that certainly proved to be the case”.
“I coached the 20s for a couple of years, then we won the Grand Final and the competition in 2008. Then I took over the Men’s First Grade in 2009 for about seven years. I took a break from coaching and just did the ‘TD’ role for a couple of years, came back and did the Men’s First Grade for a year and then I went over to the Women’s First Grade last year”.
In a typical week, one not interrupted by COVID-19, Eagar’s role as Technical Director at the NSFA and Northern Tigers is dedicated to keeping everyone on the same path.
“There’s a balance between operational stuff and strategic stuff. Normally on a Monday I’d be reviewing the weekend, looking at what happened across the weekend and gathering information across all of our programs”.
“From there I can see if any action needs to be taken and can make sure all the coaches are on top of what needs to be done for the coming week. I set out a plan for the various coaches, teams and players over the course of the week. And then for the week it is about making sure we are on track and seeing if we need to change things, there are always fires to put out”.
Progress, pathways & execution
With the NSFA publishing their Strategic Plan report outlining the association’s plans for the period spanning 2020 to 2023 to the public and COVID-19 bringing football to a standstill for the foreseeable future, Eagar has been afforded time to reflect on the progress that has been made at the club up until now.
“There’s no doubt been an immense amount of growth and change over the time that I’ve been here, so the next three years are about really trying to capitalise on the work that has been done in the years prior by a lot of different people”.
“Now we are in a very strong position to push, from a Northern Tigers’ perspective, to be able to maintain and really excel in the Women’s space in NPL 1. We want to be a real leader in that space from SAP all the way to the first team”.
“The Men’s team are in NPL 2 at the moment so there is a real energy and focus to try and get promoted to the top level, to give all players within the club and the association a pathway from a local Under 6s level all the way up to then be able to play at the highest level in the state in their area. So that is certainly a massive motivation over the next three years”.
“From a local perspective, we’ve been hampered like everybody else by COVID-19 with a couple of things, but we had an exciting NSFA SAP League that was about to start this year, which was set to be the first one of its kind in the state. At this point we haven’t been able to kick it off but that’s something that we hope we will be able to provide; fantastic opportunities for local kids over the next three years to help them continue to grow. We not only want to build a base within the NSFA clubs and make them stronger, but we ultimately want to help Northern Tigers in terms of players”.
“And then our Super League results for the youth age groups with the boys’ sides have just gotten better and better over the last couple of years. So, we really hope the quality of that league continues to grow. And then likewise, for the girls’ side the Diamond League is really strong”.
“We are improving on a really strong base so it’s just a matter of taking advantage of that now and taking all of those programs I mentioned to the next level”.
“I think at this point (as you would’ve seen in the Strategic Plan) we want to provide the highest level of football that we can within our footprint, which is NPL 1 for Men’s and Women’s. Over the next three years it is definitely getting in to NPL 1 for the Men’s and making sure the Women are a force in NPL 1”.
“We want Northern Tigers to be a first-choice destination for local players and once they’re in, we want them to stay so that if players from the outside want to get in they can see it is a competitive environment. Ultimately, I think that’s healthy in the long term”.
As demonstrated by the goals for the future published in the aforementioned Strategic Plan, for Eagar and everyone involved, transparency is key to the everyday running of the club.
“Certainly, integrity is a big one. So, whatever level we promise to players, parents, coaches and the wider community, we make sure we follow up on it and deliver. That ties in with being honest and up front with everybody so that they know where they’re at. And transparency I guess as much as possible as well. Just being transparent with the way we do things and being open. We’re quite proud of what we do and how we do it and we certainly have got nothing to hide behind. So, we certainly try to be as transparent as possible in all our dealings and with all our stakeholders”.
The free time offered to Eagar through Covid-19’s impact has given he and the club’s coaching staff a chance to reassess some of the behind the scenes operations at the club.
“It’s been a real opportunity to bring our playing style more to life for our coaches. So, what that means is we’ve been going through a process of reviewing all of our training session plans, documenting them all, linking them back to our football plan and then adding to that video footage from our Tigers’ games. We’ve been pulling apart videos to then link in to our session plans so that coaches can easily look at some video to quickly see what we want to work on. Then they can look at our session plan and how that links in with our football plan, to then develop what we call our ‘Tigers language’, which is the talk and phrases we use to explain things to our players and coaches. It’s been about holistically looking at everything we do and how we can improve our processes so that coaches and players can get more out of everything we do”.
Challenges for the Tigers & grassroots football
For Eagar, having been at the club for an extended period of time, he has learnt that the challenges faced by the NSFA and Northern Tigers are not exclusive, but rather they are universal for football across the country.
“One of the biggest challenges has always been, and it’s topical at the moment, getting everyone aligned. Within our local environment it was fractured over decade and a half ago, for various reasons. But that has improved significantly to the point that local clubs, the association and Northern Tigers are all working very closely together and are on the same page, which is fantastic”.
“Before, local clubs might not have wanted to promote their players to the Northern Tigers and may have wanted to hold on to them. That sort of mentality is definitely disappearing. Likewise, players from the Northern Tigers have been encouraged to go back in to the local clubs as well”.
“I think facilities over the years has been a big one as well. At this point we don’t have a real ‘home of football’. We’re working towards that and the NSFA has done a lot of work and hopefully that will come to fruition in a couple of years. The addition of synthetic fields across the association has made a difference to the quality of the product that all clubs can put out, as well as the attraction to players and coaches. Facilities in the early days was a massive problem but that is gradually getting better and better as well”.
Success with Women’s First Grade & legacy
The success of the Women’s NPL team in recent years has been a testament to the enthusiasm and determination within the club to embody the goal of transforming the team into a real force in NPL 1.
“It’s very satisfying for everyone involved in the Women’s side. Some of the coaches have been involved with the setup for a long time, same as the players and the parents. What is probably most satisfying has been being able to come up to NPL 1 with a strong group of young local players predominantly. Then to see them stay at the club, struggle for a few years in NPL 1, but then thrive in NPL 1, it shows fantastic growth of those individuals but also shows that us as a club are on the right track because we are producing players and coaches that can compete at the highest level in NSW”.
“[In the years before promotion] They were working incredibly hard but they just probably weren’t working smart. The focus was, from an organisational point of view, trying to get everyone aligned in the team and understanding their roles and what we’re trying to achieve. That started to instill some belief that they could do it”.
“I’d say last year we probably had the strongest team that we’ve had, a couple of players came in which helped us be a lot stronger. Player quality obviously helps, as they are also able to help out those younger players lift to another level again. The belief kicked in and as always, it was a snowball effect and as the season rolled on, they got stronger and stronger in terms of the intensity and quality of their play. That certainly all culminated in the Grand Final where we had probably our best performance of the year which was quite satisfying. Even though we fell short in terms of the result, the performance was by far the best of the entire season which was fantastic”.
Written by Matthew Badrov.
Click here to read the NSFA Strategic Plan for 2020-2023.
Emma Watkins: A Decade in Green and White
Emma Watkins embodies the phrase “one club player”.
Having successfully elevated herself through the junior ranks at the Tigers, Watkins has been an intimate part of the club’s setup for the last decade. In that time, Watkins has formed a familial connection with the club that has been instrumental in aiding her development into the mature and talented footballer she is today.
For Watkins, her time at the Tigers has allowed her to develop lifelong friendships through simply playing the game.
“I think it’s the social aspect of it, I’ve made so many friends through football. And [at the Tigers] there is really strong core group of us. There are 5 or 6 of us that have been together since the U12s, so a lot of my social life has stemmed from football.”
Emma Watkins & growing alongside Northern Tigers FC
Watkins is immensely proud of the progress the club has made from her arrival to now. The club’s intensive focus on developing quality youth has seen the Tigers’ senior teams reap the rewards of the coaching staff’s dedication to building for the future.
“Obviously bringing in the likes of Ellie Brush and Servet (Uzunlar), all the big guns, to just top off the squad has been instrumental”.
“There was a big focus on developing the juniors when I was coming through, to then eventually produce a good senior squad. It’s been like a ten-year evolution. Which is a credit to the coaches who have stuck around like Steve (Burns), Pat (O’Sullivan) and Jason (Eagar) who have been there from the start and seen it through”.
Promotion & being 2019’s surprise package in NPL 1
Winning a Grand Final and earning subsequent promotion to NPL 1 was a testament to not only the talent of Watkins and her teammates, but to the commitment of the coaching staff in working to evolve the Tigers in to being a serious competitor within the league.
“At the time it was a feeling of finally being able to do this [achieve promotion]. With all this build up from when we were young girls it was incredible. At the time we were playing up a level at quite a young age as we were still 16”.
“[After promotion] Our mentality was that we wanted to continue to strive and really kick butt in NPL 1; we wanted to prove to ourselves that we are capable of it”.
Last year saw the team make a surprise dash towards the NPL 1 Grand Final, a period of good momentum that Watkins credits to the talent and determination within the squad.
“I think it was the addition of the likes of Eliza Campbell and Servet who came late in to the season. We just managed to win these games that we shouldn’t have won. Realistically we had no hope of making the semis but those last games were crucial”.
“Jason really stepped up the idea of you’ve got to believe it if you want to achieve it, and I think that’s what lacked in those previous years. It was a massive mentality shift I found”.
“Beforehand, it was basically “let’s get through these ninety minutes or see how long we can hold teams out for”. It was eighty or ninety minutes of grueling defence. We underwent a complete shift in what our aims are. Now when we play, we are on the attack from the get go”.
Watkins delivered on the Grand Final stage, opening the scoring in the match with a looping screamer which sailed beyond Sydney University’s goalkeeper.
“It all went pretty quick to be honest, I just remember thinking after my first contact with the ball “this is not too bad” and then seeing it float over the keeper and go in”.
“I turned and ran to Josie (Wilson) and celebrated, it was such a surreal moment. Incredible. I still sometimes watch it back or people show it to me and I’m like “yeah, that was me”, it was great”.
Whilst the final result did not favour the Tigers, Watkins firmly believes there were no regrets about the effort that went in to excellent season.
“We lost in penalties, but I think the fight we put up meant no one was down afterwards”.
“Everyone was so stoked with how we played and how we put up such a good fight and proved that we weren’t some sort of pushover fluke team that somehow managed to get to the grand final”.
In terms of following up on a blockbuster 2019 season, for Watkins and the squad, it is a matter of retaining the same effort and matching the quality set by Sydney University’s impressive season.
“Basically, we all sat down and we asked ourselves what do we realistically want out of this. Everyone pretty much concluded that we wanted to be number one and so we went through a lot of the stats from Sydney Uni, who finished first. We told ourselves we’ve got to match that or beat that. That’s what you have got to do if you want to be first”
Women’s football futures & the benefits of being a part of the Tigers family
With women’s football in Australia growing immensely in participation and engagement, Watkins has been impressed by the investment in to women’s football in the country.
“In these recent years, even just within Tigers, there is so much more focus on the girls than there ever was. Even things like this, you would never hear about the women’s team, it was always the men’s team. I think because Football NSW as a whole have improved so much as well it has helped it grow. I think it’s a really important aspect to keep growing and good things lie ahead with it”.
As for where she wants women’s football in Australia to be at in the future, Watkins hopes to achieve a well-earned equal standing with the men.
“[I want] To be equal with men, ultimately, I don’t see why that shouldn’t be the case. I don’t see why other people should view it differently to that. That’s my opinion personally”.
Having tallied up the most appearances by a Tigers player since the team’s promotion in 2016, Watkins knows all too well about what it takes to make it to the top level and believes that Northern Tigers is the best place for local talent to shine.
“You’ve got to keep at it. From when you’re young, obviously everyone thinks maybe this isn’t for them and they may want to try something else, but I think if you’re looking long term you just have to keep going each season and improving. That’s all you can really do”.
“Make sure you’re doing it because you enjoying it, not because you’re forced to or anything like that. I think its easy on my behalf because I am in such a good friendly environment with all my friends”.
“At Tigers, you know all the girls from the different age groups. Youth and seniors are all combined and that supporting environment plays such a key role”.
For the Tigers family, it shows that the deep culture built in to the club has been critical in keeping players on board for so long. And as for Watkins’ message to kids striving to make it professionally in the Tigers setup, nothing but positives can come from time spent at the club.
“You’ve got such good things ahead of you and it is one hundred percent down to the people. Not once have I ever been bored, it’s just like a family. You hear of other clubs which have such big controversy and here I haven’t experienced that and don’t ever want to”.
Written by Matthew Badrov.
Shervin Adeli: Love of the round ball
Shervin Adeli knows all too well that the longevity and success of a footballer’s career is determined by the decisions they make.
A futsal player by trade, Adeli’s career has taken a non-traditional route when compared to other Australian footballers.
Growing up in an Iranian-Australian household fostered Adeli’s love of futsal and assured his aspirations for a career in football.
“In Iran you play a lot of street soccer and small sided games, so my dad had a big interest in futsal from that because that’s all he ever knew.”
“I’m good friends with Daniel Arzani, we used to play a lot together when we were younger when our dads would be playing outdoor or futsal. We would always be on the side kicking the ball around.”
“To this day, any time I can get on a small sided field I’m there. Whether it is with my friends from a local team or my dad’s old mates, I get down there and play.”
In terms of what a football player can gain from investing their time into futsal, Adeli is full of praise for the sport, where quick-thinking and unbridled trickery is valued above everything else.
“From futsal you definitely learn decision making. You always have less time on the ball because it’s a smaller court so it is easier to apply pressure. In football, if the ball is on the other side of the field you can have a rest and switch off in a way.
“In futsal though its non-stop up and down. Close control is important as well; if you’re not good on your feet and not good at control then futsal becomes very hard.”
At just 18, Adeli earned his stripes with the Futsalroos at the AFC Futsal Championship in 2010. He went on to represent Australia at the 2016 Futsal World Cup, as the side faced the challenge of toppling a group that contained Ukraine, Mozambique and Brazil. The South American giants and current number one ranked side in world futsal were to pose the biggest challenge for an Australian side lacking real preparation ahead the tournament.
“Tactically we thought we could beat Mozambique and get a result against Ukraine. Against Brazil, we fight and do our best. If we had more resources and more time together, mainly just someone to give us some extra help ahead of a World Cup, it would go a long way.”
“For them (the Brazilians) they have played futsal all their lives. They get paid to pay futsal, they travel the world for futsal and they have a professional league. For us Australians, most of us had jobs working as plumbers or electricians. We’re playing futsal part time and to come up against them and go to battle was a good achievement for everyone involved.”
“Futsal in this country doesn’t get what it’s deserved. There is a lot of discrepancy about where futsal is going and why it hasn’t been given more acknowledgment. You’ve got players like Daniel; Tommy Rogic who was in my team at the Asian Cup in 2010; (Massimo) Luongo, who all played a lot of futsal and they don’t get acknowledged for it.”
“It is hard for us especially in Australia (to compete) because we are probably the least futsal-focused country in Asia. A lot of other Asian countries do a lot of mini tournaments, camps and preparation, whereas we just train 1-2 days a week or a couple of months before and go to a tournament and try and do our best. If we had extra preparation and support, we would do a lot better.”
Prior to returning to the Tigers for this season, Adeli was introduced to the dynamic world of Italian football.
“[The experience in Italy was] unbelievable. Even in division five we had some teams and players who had played in Serie A or been juniors for Serie A teams. You can just see the way they touch the ball and the way they run is a different level. A lot of the clubs we played against were ex-professional clubs who had been relegated to division five and they still have the same stadium. So you’re playing on fields that Serie A players have played on once.
“That’s the thing in Europe, a team could be in division five and in a couple of years division one. Being around that sort of environment was unreal. Some teams have a massive heritage, culture and fans and so even though they’re in the lower leagues that’s what they look forward to. And it was all televised and covered by the media. Over there you breathe football and that’s it.”
No doubt a familiar face to Tigers fans, it was Adeli’s match winning brace that secured the Tigers their 2015 Grand Final win, a moment and season Adeli looks back on with fondness.
“It was probably one of the most unbelievable moments of my outdoor career. Like Bonnyrigg, Tigers to me has always been home. From the first day I came to Tigers I felt very comfortable as it’s a fantastic environment and culture. That was my second year there and the boys from the first year stayed so we had kept the core of the group. I think with football it is about timing as well. We went on a good run towards the end of the year and we felt we could beat anyone anywhere.
“In those games you just want to win it doesn’t matter who scores you take it. Personally, to win the game like that I couldn’t be happier and it’s something I keep close to myself. Whenever I’m feeling down on confidence or motivation, I have a look at that and get excited and try to replicate it.”
For Adeli and the Tigers, their shared ambitions going forward are unchanged in spite of the delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For me promotion is the only ambition. I want to play in the highest level possible, so NPL 1 is where I’d like to play, unless I can be a part of a team like the Tigers who are playing to win. When I left Bonnyrigg, I made sure that mine and the club’s ambitions were to win. When we were training everything was about winning and trying to get promoted.
“I don’t want to be at a club where everyone is comfortable and happy to be where they are. My mentality now is that I need to be challenged and pushed. I don’t like to feel comfortable on the field even if there’s someone training or playing better than me it motivates me to do better and always fight.”
And for Adeli, being at the Tigers not only complements his winning mentality but his desire to impart his knowledge of the game on to Australia’s bright young talents, having taken up the opportunity to coach the U11s squad and help to oversee the U12s, U10s and U9s on match day.
“Last year with my kids I was doing a lot of very high intensity sessions, as SAP is meant to involve the best youngsters in the country. I encouraged a lot of flair and I told the kids that I want to see creativity. If it excites me, then that’s what I want to see. Obviously, you don’t do flick overs and backheels in front of your own goal, but when you get in to the attacking third I ask them to entertain me and the crowd.”
“I think Tigers do a fantastic job with football. With the youth and the setup, and with Jason Eagar there for a long time he has the club in the right direction, so it is good to be a part of the junior setup.”
“Last year was good as well, a lot of the kids would watch me play NPL 2 and they’d hold me accountable. If I did something well, they’d want to know how to do a certain skill or celebration and that bit of back and forth is only positive.”
“If they score, I encourage them to go crazy and celebrate. High five their team, their mum, whatever. If you score the whole team should celebrate, treat it as a reward.”
“If you’re going to train or play, do it with passion.”
Written by Matthew Badrov.
Gema Simon: NPL, Matildas and the future
Football is something that has always been in Gema Simon’s blood.
Anyone who has seen Simon for the Newcastle Jets will be accustomed to her energy and marauding runs from left back, and Tigers fans can look forward to more of the same from the W-League veteran in the NPL this year when the competition returns.
“I’ve played in teams that have been quite successful and teams that haven’t been as successful and my work rate never changes.
“I’m always going to work hard regardless if the team is strong or not”.
Simon has what it takes to be a leader in this Tigers side, having co-captained the Newcastle Jets for eight years out of her eleven-year stint at the W-League club.
“I think there are different types of leaders – for me, I’m not someone who is going to be loud and yelling at everyone, I’m someone who prefers to lead by example and to do the right things.
“If I’m going to be yelling at someone, I want it to be constructive so that they can be better next time”.
First impressions of NPL NSW
With COVID-19 bringing football and wider society to a standstill, the Tigers’ NPL side were only able to play out one game this season; a Grand Final rematch with Sydney University which ended in a 2-2 draw.
The intensity and desire to play has not been lost on Simon, who has been adjusting to the differences between the W-League and NPL.
“With the W-League, because I’ve played for a long time, I know everyone and so I know what they like to do on the field.
“Whereas in the NPL you’re trying to figure it out as you go and players who haven’t played in the W-League with or against me are harder to mark because they’re unpredictable. It keeps you excited and on your toes.
“I was tossing up between staying (in Australia) and going overseas, but the quality of the NSW NPL being as it is I thought it would be better for me”.
On top of a desire to be a part of the ambitious direction of the Northern Tigers football club, Simon touched on the influence of some familiar names to the Tigers family who were instrumental in getting her to the club.
“I spoke to Claire Coelho, who was annoying me at training all the time about joining the Tigers, and then Loz (Lauren Allan) went to the club as well. I spoke to the club and messaged Servet (Uzunlar) and they said some really good things.
“It seemed like they were pretty together as a team and to have kept the majority of the squad together they’ve got to be doing something right at the club because that’s massive. Even speaking to people who played against the club they said nothing but good things. There are quality players and most importantly good people at the club.
“In my first week of training I felt really comfortable, the girls were really welcoming. Coming down from Newcastle, it makes it easier to have Claire and Loz to road trip with. I actually miss the season already.”
And in spite of regular football being out of the equation with the season suspended, it is business as usual for Simon off the park.
“I’m fortunate enough to have an at home gym and to live near a footy field, so it’s pretty much running every second day and gym most days.
“Not a lot has really changed for me, it’s just there is no training. It’s what I would do for a pre-season anyway.”
Football travels & Matildas moments
Outside of her time Australia, Simon has experienced a unique career travelling the world to take up football opportunities with Canada’s Ottawa Fury in the now defunct USL W-League, Suwon UDC WFC in Korea’s WK League and Avaldsnes IL in the Norwegian Toppserien league.
“I think in Norway they’re a bit more physical but they play a similar style of football to us. They played more directly though at the time when I was there. But then you compare that to Korea, where they were very different. They were all about moving the ball and precise second movements.”
“A lot of my game improved over in Korea and as I’m not tall for a defender it was kind of nice to be bigger. I’ve had different experiences in different countries and played all sorts of different football, and it’s nice to see that your body can adapt to anything.”
With 11 caps for the Matildas, Simon has been up close and personal with the squad that has captured the hearts and minds of Australians everywhere, inspiring a whole generation of up-and-coming talented young footballers in the process.
“You work your entire career to get to something like that and I guess I was fortunate enough to be able say that I’ve been to a World Cup and watch some of the best players in the world. It was nice to go through that with friends and you spend so much time with them that you get comfortable and close with your teammates, that was enjoyable as well.”
And in a tournament that consistently delivers on surprise and spectacle, it was the feeling ahead of the Matildas’ opening game of the World Cup that sticks out most fondly in her memory.
“My greatest memory of last year’s tournament was the first game at the World Cup and the realisation of “this is actually happening”. It’s kind of relieving at the same time to have actually been able to achieve something that I wanted since I was a kid. I was pretty fortunate to be able to say I could do that”.
And whilst Simon will never forget the memory of ecstatic fans in France, starting the 2018 game against Chile in her home ground in Newcastle will be forever treasured.
“I got to play at home in front of all of my friends and family and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Looking to the future
At 29, Simon still has a few years left in football. As for what follows after she hangs up her boots, Simon looks to home.
“I want to work with the Indigenous community, being Indigenous myself I want to be able to give back and to learn a lot more about my family and my culture.
“I want to be able to give kids coming through information that I never had that would help them achieve their goals, whether its sport, or music, or theatre or whatever.
“That’s what I would like to do after football, which may not be too far away. I might have to extend finishing my career after this break we’re having now”.
In terms of advice she can give to younger footballers looking to break into the professional game, Simon is well-versed in the need to prioritise your body and to simply enjoy your football.
“In terms of the football side of stuff, look after your body and do all the little things right. If you do all the little things right hopefully you get a bit of luck but if things don’t go your way it’s important to be patient. That’s what I’ve learnt as I’ve had a few setbacks and injuries in my career, after my first surgery I was probably a little impatient.”
“Listen to your body and enjoy it. Do what makes you happy and if you get to earn a little bit then that’s a bonus, but as a female footballer that’s not why you play the game. If there’s something you’re not good at or want to be better at then it’s important to work at it.”
When asked about where she sees women’s football in Australia being in the next 10 years, Simon was confident in the game’s capacity to capitalise on the current explosion of interest in the sport.
“Hopefully sometime in the future, and it may take a while, the women will be on par with the men. I hope it gets to a point where women can do football full time.
“The gap between girls playing in the W-League and making the step up to the Matildas will get bigger when they are having to commit elsewhere to full or part time jobs – hopefully in the future female footballers will be able to just play football.”
“But it definitely has come leaps and bounds in the last couple of years, especially with the Matildas doing well and the amount of high-profile Australian players around the world. And the support Australia has given to the Matildas as well, by getting behind them and bringing bigger crowds to games has helped the game grow.”
Written by Matthew Badrov. Photos thanks to NPL New South Wales and AAP.
Rolo embraces coaching switch
Mike Rolston has exchanged the playing kit for a coaching tracksuit after becoming First Grade assistant coach last season.
‘Rolo’ hung up his playing boots at the end of the 2018 season, which was his tenth at the club and fourth as First Grade captain.
The immediate transition from training with his teammates to becoming one of their coaches the following season required some adjustment.
“That was probably the biggest challenge, and I think it definitely would have been easier coaching players I didn’t know personally,” he explains.
“Treating someone as a player (while coaching) is different from how you treat a mate.”
“But it also helps in terms of knowing the players’ mindset, psyche and the culture at Tigers.”
Rolo has also come to terms with the different thought process required from a coach instead of a player.
“The biggest change has been the amount of thought I give football before I’m there.”
“When you’re playing, physically you need to do a lot to keep yourself right, and think about how you’re recovering, eating and so on.”
“But now I’m spending my Monday mornings re-watching footage and thinking about the next game coming up.”
Key to Rolo’s continued development as a coach has been working with First Grade Coach Adam Hett.
“He’s a very analytical thinker, very switched on in terms of the way he thinks about the game.”
“I definitely have a much simpler approach than what he does (laughs), but think that probably works well, potentially sometimes I can screen some of his messages to the boys in terms of how that might be interpreted.”
“It’s been good for me to learn from him, he’s experienced a lot of different environments within the professional football set-up, and it’s my role to help him ensure the sessions run smoothly and be a bit of a sounding board at times as well.”
In terms of his future in coaching, the former defender is keeping his focus on the top level.
“Within the future it would be good to consider taking on a head coach role for a junior team,” he commented.
“But right now, I still have that burning desire to get First Grade into NPL1 and I think that’s where my enthusiasm, passion and desire for coaching comes from.”
At the same time as his change of roles in football, Mike has embarked on a new professional challenge, starting his own digital marketing agency – Digi Den.
“I used to work for a company called Lion, starting with brands like XXXX Gold, James Squire, and at the time a little brand called Furphy,”
“I went into the digital team, which at first was just me. By the time I left there was about 20 people, and I’d worked across multiple areas of the brand management and marketing.”
“Now with Digi Den I’m putting what I’ve learned about digital marketing into a lot of different areas – e-commerce companies, non-profit organisations, craft breweries and even a bit of teaching!”
“It’s not been quite what I’ve expected in terms of the way I’ve found clients, but it’s been a great experience so far.”
The Digi Den specialises in digital strategy, social media, SEO and search engine marketing to help businesses connect with their online audience.
Visit their website or contact Mike via email (mike.rolston@digiden.com.au) for more information.
FNSW Competitions Update: COVID-19
Following this afternoon’s announcement from FFA, all Football NSW Competitions and community football activities have been suspended until 14th April 2020. This means all games, training and other football activities must cease.
The club will look into ways we can keep players engaged with Northern Tigers and football during those 4 weeks. Coaches will touch base with the players in the next few days.
As you can imagine this situation is evolving at a rapid rate, we will keep you informed with progressions as they happen.