Words: Michael Flynn, Football Queensland
Image: South West Queensland Thunder FC

NPL Queensland’s elite player pathway is providing unprecedented access to quality football for junior female players in remote areas according to South West Queensland Thunder Chairman Anthony Bigby.

Thunder are based in the South West Queensland Football zone’s major centre of Toowoomba, however many of the team’s players across the age groups travel from much further afield to train and play with the club several times a week.

Bigby, who is also coach of Thunder’s Under 15 Girls team, said Thunder’s programme was of particular benefit to girls in regional areas where the small populations afford little opportunity for junior female football development.

His side alone includes players from towns as far flung as Chinchilla, Goondiwindi, Inglewood, Kingaroy and Nanango.

“Some of them travel two hours or more each way for training and probably half the team travel an hour each way to get to training,” Bigby explained.

“Especially in a small population centre, even if they can get a team together, well who do they play against? There just isn’t enough opportunities.”

“That’s why a lot of the kids travel the distance they do to be part of the NPL. They are committed to improving themselves and to make something of their interest and their love for football.”

Bigby said regional footballer administrators and coaches within the South West zone see the benefits of the NPL pathway provided by Thunder.

“We’re trying to develop the players from our region and not just from Toowoomba or the surrounding half hour,” Bigby explained.

“I’ve been out to some of the regional areas and met with zone reps and club representatives and they were really supportive and were stressing to me that they have many players that would like to be part of it.”

“They are very supportive of the whole NPL approach and they’re wanting to give their players from their area every opportunity and I think a lot of them can see those avenues are open where previously it was presumed close.”

He said the tyranny of distance offered challenges to junior development that differ to other NPL Queensland clubs based in major metropolitan areas.

“Obviously when you’re planning things the kids have been in the car for two hours, so our flexibility with our training times just isn’t there. You have to have it at a time that suits everybody.”

“Similarly you’ve got to be aware that they have to get home again. If we finish training at 7:30 then it’s 10 o’clock before some of these kids get home and into bed.”

“With some of them you just have to be flexible. If they can’t get to training because they are harvesting or cutting hay or whatever it might be they are doing back on the farm, then that’s got to happen as well.”

Bigby said the commitment shown by the players and their parents was heartening and an endorsement of how NPL is benefitting the South-West zone as a whole.

“Without the parents commitment it would be very difficult. It’s a massive impost on their time, it means they are out of the house for five or six hours as well for a round trip,” he explained.

He added, “And there’s the cost of it – a tank of petrol once or twice a week for training. It’s a massive cost on top, let alone when we travel an extra two or three hours to get to the coast or somewhere, then that’s a five or six hour drive each way.”

Bigby said despite the challenges, the girls were responding well to the National Coaching Curriculum and are developing into astute and competitive footballers.

“The only way to look at it is the difference between where they end up and where they start. Although the results may look one way, the level of improvement from individuals and the way they play is fantastic to see.”

“We’ve got a couple of kids who are now in the state team or in the selection process. One of my girls is a boarder this year (in Toowoomba) and last year they drove her out a couple of hours each way and now she’s in the state team.”

“Just because they come from a farm or from out bush doesn’t mean they can’t play and it doesn’t mean they can’t train and work hard and when it all comes together, it comes together really well,” he concluded proudly.

Previous success stories from the South West zone include former Matildas player and inaugural W-League Player of the Year Lana Harch. Fellow Matilda’s representative Karla Reuter also originally hailed from the region.

Football Queensland Chief Operations Officer Ben Mannion explained that providing access to the elite player pathway for juniors in all zones is an important component of the National Premier Leagues in Queensland.

“South West Queensland is one of ten zones within Queensland and we need to set up opportunities and pathways in each of those zones,” Mannion said.

“Some zones are much bigger in distance and some zones are much bigger in participation, but it doesn’t matter, we still have to provide the opportunity.”

“Having a central point like South West Queensland Thunder allows for the best within that region to be able to come in and play at the highest level available in Queensland.”

“I think it’s great a thing for the region,” Mannion concluded.