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Dear Northern Tigers FC members,

The NSFA Board met last night to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

It was decided that all NSFA football activities will be postponed until Friday 1^st May. The decision will allow for six weeks of planning to deliver a modified season, which at this stage will commence at the beginning of May.

Please note that as they involve NSFA registered players, all Development Squads have also been postponed until Friday 1^st May.

At this current time, we are awaiting further information from Football NSW in regards to competitions under which Northern Tigers FC sit. We expect to have further communication by COB today.

We will update you as soon as we hear anything.

Regards,

Edward Ferguson

NSFA & Northern Tigers – CEO

Posted at 10:01am, 17/03/20.

More info on COVID-19

For further information regarding self-isolation and testing, refer to the NSW Health website.

February 15-16

Mixed SAP

Saturday vs Hills at NTRA: U9/U10 from 10:30am, U11/U12 from 12:30pm.

Sunday vs North Sydney United at Cammeray Oval: U9 at 8am, U10 at 9am, U10 at 10am.

Men’s NPL

Saturday vs Newcastle Jets at NTRA: U18 at 3pm, U20 at 5pm.

Saturday vs New Lambton at NTRA: First Grade at 7pm.

Women’s NPL

Sunday vs Sydney University at NTRA: U14 at 9am, U15 at 10:25am, U17 at 12pm, Reserves at 1:35pm, Firsts at 3pm.

Girls SAP

Sunday vs Sydney University at Charles Bean: U10/U11 at 9am, U12 at 10am, U13 at 11am.

Youth NPL

Sunday vs Hills United at Charles Bean: U13 at 12pm, U14 at 1:25pm, U15 at 2:45pm, U16 at 4:20pm.

We would like to formally introduce our coaching staff for the 2020 season:

Club Technical Director

Jason Eagar

Girls SAP

Technical Director: Eilidh Mackay

Under 10’s: Isabella Foletta

Under 11’s: Saoirse Cobbe

Under 12’s: Malia Steinmetz

Under 13’s: Hannah McNulty

Assistant Coach: Melissa Garcia

Men’s NPL

Under 18’s: Richie Byrne

Under 20’s: Richie Byrne

U18’s/U20’s Assistant Coach: Raphael Blanchon 

First Grade: Adam Hett

First Grade Assistant Coach: Michael Rolston

Mixed SAP

Technical Director: Steve Hurd

Under 9’s: Ally Brown and Hamish Mahon

Under 10’s: Raphael Blanchon and Benji Sneddon

Under 11’s: Marc Messina and Aidan Hancock

Under 12’s: Tom Colfer and Dan Febo

Women’s NPL

Under 14’s: Danilo Gama

Under 14’s Assistant Coach: Melissa Garcia

Under 15’s: Steve Burns and Pat O’Sullivan

Under 17’s: Eilidh Mackay

Reserve Grade: Andrew Galbraith

First Grade: Jason Eagar and Pat O’Sullivan

Boys Youth NPL

Under 13’s: Darren Pratt

Under 14’s: Karim Moursi

Under 14’s Assistant Coach: Dan Febo

Under 15’s: George Georgiou

Under 16’s: Raphael Blanchon

Goalkeeper Coaches

Davide Del Giovine

Elliot Carwadine

We have released updated information regarding positions available and trials for the 2020 season.

Follow the link for more information and to register your interest.

On Sunday September 8, our Men’s and Youth NPL teams celebrated the end of the 2019 season at Hornsby RSL Club.

After another strong year of results our teams were recognised for their hard work and commitment on and off the pitch throughout the season.

2019 Award Winners

Tigers Trademarks Club Award: Andrea Vitale

Golden Boot: Will Hodgson and Sam Parry

Goalkeeper of Year: Elliott Wheeler

The Flipper Award: Rich Byrne

Team Awards

Under 20’s

Players’ Player: Will DiMartino

Tigers Trademarks Team Award: Oliver Scott

Under 18’s

Players’ Player: Paul Toepfer

Tigers Trademarks Team Award: Luke Klusman

Under 16’s

Players’ Player: Sam Parry

Tigers Trademarks Team Award: Dylan Lawson

Under 15’s

Players’ Player: Julien Vitale

Tigers Trademarks Team Award: Bodie Denton

Under 14’s

Players’ Player: Javier Struve-Betancourt

Tigers Trademarks  Team Award: Asger Balle

Under 13’s

Players’ Player: Jake Da Silva

Tigers Trademarks  Team Award: Charlie Rengasamy

On Friday August 30, our Women’s NPL teams celebrated the end of the 2019 season at Pymble Golf Club.

The evening capped off a phenomenal season for the club, with four teams qualifying for finals and Grand Final appearances for our Under 17’s and First Grade.

2019 Award Winners

Tigers Trademarks Club Award: Danielle Bartels

Five Years Service Awards: Penelope Knox, Mia Hing, Shivani Mehta, Saba Murray

Pat O’Sullivan Junior Player of the Year: Daisy Cheesman

Golden Boot: Daisy Arrowsmith

Goalkeeper of Year: Jodi Drever

Lip Sync Champions: Under 15’s

Team Awards

First Grade

Players’ Player: Malia Steinmetz

Tigers Trademarks Team Award: Emma Smith

Reserve Grade

Players’ Player: Beth Bernardi

Tigers Trademarks Team Award: Katie Philipson

Under 17’s

Players’ Player: Rosie Andrew

Tigers Trademarks Team Award: Ashley Purcell

Under 15’s

Players’ Player: Lucca Taylor

Tigers Trademarks Team Award: Tara Watson

Under 14’s

Players’ Player: Chloe Callaghan

Tigers Trademarks  Team Award: Annabel Hutcheson

This season our Women’s NPL Under 17’s and First Grade have made club history by qualifying for their respective grand finals, and they need your support!

Both finals will be played on Sunday, September 1 at Valentine Sports Park, with our Under 17’s kicking off the action at 12:45pm against Football NSW Institute. First Grade are then in action at 5:45pm, taking on Sydney University.

Wear your Tigers colours and come along to cheer on the players!

Eilidh is currently the Girls SAP Technical Director, Boys Under 14’s Coach and Representative Programs Manager at Northern Tigers and a Program Leader for XLR8 Player Development!

How did you first get involved in coaching?

There was an opportunity to join a coach development program when I was at university in Scotland. This provided a variety of opportunities including running after school programs, coaching children with disabilities and being exposed to great learning experiences. I was intrigued by coaching and gained coaching qualifications in various sports, not just football. I didn’t regularly start coaching until 2015 when I decided to stay in Sydney and play for Northern Tigers. It didn’t take long for me to realise this was something I wanted to do with my time.

Do you think professional coaching should be exclusively for the advanced or elite player? Why/why not?

I think professional coaching should be available to all players. I think working with players of all levels help develop you as a coach.

All players in the game should have the opportunity to be exposed to a positive, engaging football environment whether they are dreaming of playing professionally or would like to play in a social competition with friends. Professional coaching assists players/teams/clubs to have a positive, engaging environment as they tend to have more resources and experience behind them.

How important is a coach in a players football experience?

Crucial, it is a big part of my WHY when it comes to coaching. This has stemmed from my experiences as a youth player and what I wish was available to me growing up. A coach plays the same role as a teacher and football can make up a huge part of a child’s life. They are a role model, an influencer who has a direct impact on a young person’s life.

How do you find coaching boys and young men?

Challenging. Rewarding.

I have coached both teenage girls and boys and from my experience, gender stereotypes are off base.

Is there any excuse that female cannot be technically and tactically on the same level as men in regards to football ability?

Absolutely not. However, obstacles that are preventing us currently:

• Coach quality
• Training and Game Facilities
• Depth of participation which impacts team and competition selection
• Genuine career pathway

When the culture changes to be fully inclusive to females in the game and this is happening. The expectation and standards to everything in the female game will improve and we will see female players be technically and tactically savvy as the guys.

Saoirse is the current Northern Tigers Girls SAP Under 12’s Coach and also coaches with XLR8. She previously played with Northern Tigers for nine years after progressing from her junior club, Lane Cove FC.

How did you first become involved in playing football?

I used to play with my older brother and father in the backyard when I was very young and I then joined Lane Cove Football Club at aged 5. I played there for 6 years and was fortunate to have a really good coach who encouraged me to go further with my footballing ability. This lead me to being selected for the Northern Tigers Development team when I was 9 years old and then being selected to play for the Northern Tigers U12’s Girls representative team the following year. I played for the Northern Tigers for the last 9 years before I stopped playing this year to focus on coaching the Northern Tigers U12’s Girls SAP squad.

What made you take the step into coaching?

While playing at the Northern Tigers a friend persuaded me to attend a coaching course with her during the school holidays. I found it very interesting and really enjoyed it and was offered a coaching position at the NSFA Football School where I started doing school holiday coaching. It was my first experience of coaching young children which I enjoyed. The Football School then became XLR8 and the expanded program gave me more opportunities to coach and increase my learning and gave me my first coaching role with the Chatswood U14G team. This then led me to coach the Northern Tigers U12 Girls SAP this year.

What characteristics do you think are critical for a coach of young players to possess?

I’m still learning, however I’ve found that some of the important characteristics is patience and having a good connection with the players and being able to have a few laughs with them. I find younger players respond better and play better with positive encouragement but also by challenging them to continually improve, trying new skills and be prepared to work hard. By working and communicating with them and providing feedback as to how well they are doing then they will work better for you.

Can you describe the current coach mentoring role you have with XLR8?

My current coaching role at XLR8 involves assisting parent coaches and working with them to expand their coaching knowledge especially in how they are running sessions so they get the most out of their young players. This has allowed me to approach sessions in a different way including offering advice and helping them understand their aims for the session, identify any issues and what needs to be done to address them.

What would be your message to females across NSFA?

Girls football is going through a big explosion at the moment and it’s a great game for girls to play. I would encourage all girls to focus on the skills and ball control, the more confident they are with the ball then they will enjoy the game more and will be able to play at a higher level. Football gives girls great opportunities to make new friends, keep fit and play to a level they are comfortable at be it either social football or all the way to the Matildas!

Our 2019 Annual Club Weekend was a magnificent success across both Saturday and Sunday at North Turramurra Recreation Area.

The weekend showcased the incredible culture within our club and gave members across all areas the opportunity to come together and enjoy some football.

A particular highlight was watching the Men’s First Grade and Girls SAP cheering along the Women’s First Grade together on Sunday afternoon up on the Northern Kop!

Players from across all our SAP and Development Squad programs got the opportunity to walk out onto the field our Men’s First Grade and Under 20’s and our Women’s First Grade and Reserve Grade.

Both First Grade teams were able to engage with plenty of our younger players during their respective poster signing sessions on Saturday and Sunday, giving them a unique experience they can remember for years to come.

With an incredible 32 games in action across the weekend from Under 9’s all the way through to First Grade, the club would like to thank the volunteers who helped set up fields, managed the barbecue and ensured the whole weekend ran smoothly.

It was also fantastic to welcome our local club representatives as well as State MP Alister Henskens and Federal MP Paul Fletcher to both First Grade matches across the weekend; giving them an insight into the Northern Tigers club environment with pre-game and half time comments from team coaches as well as showing our vision for further facilities at NTRA.

With only around a third of the season now completed, there’s still plenty of football left for all our teams and we are excited to see the club spirit that was on show last weekend throughout the remainder of the year!