A-League stars coming to Kiama today

JOEL RITCHIE

SYDNEY FC players Jacob Timpano and Brendon Santalab will hold a clinic with an expected 200 Kiama Junior Soccer Club (KJSC) players at Kiama Sporting Complex today (Wednesday).

The duo are both Illawarra juniors – Timpano, 21, has represented Australia at under 17, under 20 and under 23 levels and Santalab’s (25) strike against Adelaide United was voted the 2007-08 A-League goal of the year.

Timpano started his career with Fernhill Junior Soccer Club and Santalab’s brother, Michael Santalab, is captain-coach of Illawarra Premier League outfit South Coast United.

Timpano was a lynchpin of Sydney FC’s 2006 A-League grand final win and Santalab played previously in Hungary.

The duo will hold a two-hour clinic starting at 4.45pm. That will be followed by a signing and meet-and-greet session.

Six KJCS teams have switched their training day for a chance to rub shoulders with the A-League stars.

They have been lured to Kiama under a Football Federation Australia-sanctioned off-season development program.

KJSC development officer Don Robb used his contacts at the A-League franchise, which won the inaugural competition in 2006, to get Timpano and Santalab to Kiama.

Robb, who moved to Kiama recently, had Sydney FC players hold a clinic at his then Sutherland club in the A-League’s first season.

“We are the first club in the Illawarra to get A-League players here,” Robb said.

“They’re very hard to get as they will start pre-season training in a month.”

Both players attended the recent launch of the Illawarra Stingrays (women’s representative side) season and were keen to make the trek to Kiama for the clinic.

Robb said Timpano, a centre-back, and Santalab, a striker, will participate in training drills with the juniors.

“I want them to participate in the drills with the kids – the meet and greet stuff is great but playing with these guys will be great for our juniors,” Robb said.

Robb said Kiama’s burgeoning junior ranks are excited at the prospect of training with Timpano and Santalab.

“The under 8s, 9s and 10s knew just how big this thing was as soon as we told them,” Robb said.

“Kiama is an almost-untapped area but there is some kids who have great ability.”