New look Thunder squads prepared for season
FOOTBALL: A storm front is building in the south west and it poses a threat to the FQPL and NPLWQ competition.
With new coaches David Park-Ballay and Ivor Prasad at the helm, the South West Queensland Thunder has kept themselves more than busy during the off-season.
Prasad (FQPL) and ParkBallay (NPLWQ), who both took the reins of their respective squads late last year, have set about introducing their football philosophy to players “old and new”.
In a historic milestone for the senior women’s team, the club welcomed their first marquee player – securing the signature of current Singaporean national women’s captain Siti Rosnani Azman (Nani).
Nani will line-up at centre back for the Thunder women – adding some much-needed starch and experience to the team’s defence.
For the men, Pasquale De Vita is arguably one of the club’s biggest signings, bringing with him a wealth of experience in some of Italian football’s top divisions.
De Vita lined up for Italy at the youth level and is joined by Mirko Crociati who also has an extensive football resume in Italy.
The Thunder also scouted the Toowoomba Football League and was able to sign a number of the local competition’s best and brightest male and female players
FQPL (MEN)
“It’s been a long and sometimes difficult pre-season,” Prasad said.
“We had four matches organised and all of them were cancelled because of the weather.
“I am confident and positive we will have a good season, though.
“Through out the whole preparation, the attitude, passion and commitment of the players has impressed me.
“You can teach skills, but you cannot teach attitude or commitment.
“I believe if you have the right attitude and commitment you can win just about any match.”
With their extensive experience playing in Italy, Crociati and De Vita add a welcome
new dimension to the squad.
“My biggest concern when we bought them in was would they get homesick,” Prasad said.
“That’s not a worry now, though.
“They became a part of the squad straight away, they’re friends with everyone and have the support of the whole squad.
“Everyone is sharing their stories with each other and learning.
“Having them in the squad is fantastic.
“I think the Toowoomba boys, the ones who have joined us from the TFL, have benefited the most.
“Italy is a long way from Toowoomba, but they see that anything is possible with hard work.”
On the field, Prasad is confident his team will be able to find the right balance between structure and free will.
“The skills are there, we have some very talented players,” he said.
“And the players all understand how I want them to play.
“I like my teams to attack, to play a fast game and put pressure on the opposition with and without the ball.
“It’s important they find the right balance, though.
“The balance between playing to the structure and style we want but also thinking for themselves.
“I think we will have that balance on the field.”
NPLWQ (WOMEN)
The Thunder struggled in 2019 – a threadbare squad brought undone by the demands of playing multiple games across each game day recorded just two wins in the season.
It would be unfair to criticise or judge the team too harshly based solely on their wins.
The players were committed, determined and passionate across the whole season
despite the excessive mental and physical strain and for that deserves praise.
That attitude has remained in place over the off-season, and Park-Ballay believes it will serve his squad well.
“It’s exciting to finally be able to say the season is here,” he said.
“It has been a long pre-season, we lost many games because of the weather and we have been busy trying to bring the players together, to get them all to gel.
“It has been good though, everyone is very committed and passionate.
“I think they (the players) needed some time to heal after the demands of last season, and they have.
“We still need to build that belief a little bit more, but we are going the right way as a team.”
On the field, Park-Ballay said the focus had been on developing a solid defensive structure.
“It’s a bit hard to see exactly where we are because of fitness,” he said.
“Without those games, we don’t quite have the fitness we want but everyone has been working very hard.
“Our big focus is to reduce the number of goals this season.
“We want to reduce the space for the opposition to work in.
“That doesn’t mean we will just drop back with two big lines all the time but if that needs to happen some time it will.
“As the season goes on, I think we will introduce new elements and try to be a counterattacking team.”
A new look larger squad will work in Park-Ballay’s favour with the club adding experience to its 2019 line-up.
“It’s good to have the numbers,” he said. “Last year we didn’t have that and it meant there were some weaknesses in the side.
“We a few players for every position, and the ones we have bought in add to the side.
“The TFL girls have good skills and experience and Nani will be great for the team.”
THE SQUADS
FQPL: 1 Jace Hudson, 2 Callum Hart, 3 Mirko Crociati, 4 Brady Mason, 5 Wade Hall, 6 Jacob Bigby, 7 Brodie Welch, 8 Veco Serugo, 9 Pasquale De Vita, 10 Jackson Franke, 11 Ben Adams, 12 Uwan Minogue, 13 Brenton Pennells, 15 Anthony Grant, 16 Richard Hayden, 17 Mustafa Banza, 18 Jordan Howard, 19 Cormac McCarthy, 20 Jayden Richardson, 21 Charles Miller, 22 Josue Kalenga, 23 Oredi Kibombo.
NPLWQ: 1. Elizabeth Hollitt, 2 Lana Styler, 3 Jai Jackson, 4 Madison Franke, 5 Ebonney Kidd, 6 Rachael Cox, 7 Chantal Frohloff, 8 Jordie Franke, 9 Izzy Harris, 10 Madison Lockwood, 11 Caitlyn Stocker, 12 Louise Rolfe, 13 Justeen Kruger, 14 Shandell Robertson, 15 Melanie Lloyd, 16 Bridgit Plummer, 17 Casey Evans, 18 Siti Rosnani Azman (Nani), 19 Georgia Favero, 20 Hannah Evans, 21 Bianca Gibson, 22 Gabrielle Hicks.