Dandenong Thunder SC
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| Full name | Dandenong Thunder Soccer Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Thunder | ||
| Ground | George Andrews Reserve, Dandenong, Victoria | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 | ||
| Chairman | Driton Maliku | ||
| Manager | Stuart Munro | ||
| League | Victorian Premier League | ||
| 2009 | Minor Premiers, Runners-up | ||
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Dandenong Thunder SC is a football (soccer) club from Dandenong, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They are an Albanian Australian-backed club. From the 2009 season they compete in the Victorian Premier League, which is one tier below the A-League. In 2009, it claimed the Victorian Premier League Minor Premiership, winning the league by 12 points.
History
Early years
The club was founded in 1970 as South Dandenong by Albanian migrants. Even today the club is primarily backed and supported by Albanians and Albanian-Australians living in Melbourne. They started competing in the Victorian District League East Division, which was the eighth tier of football (soccer) in Victorian Football Pyramid. For decades they were playing in the lower divisions until the mid 1990s when they started to climb the entire Victorian pyramid. In 1994 they were playing in State League Division 3, and every year managed to get promotion to a higher level until they reached the Victorian Premier League in 1998.
1990s
After a successful 1997 season, when they became the champions of Victorian State League Division 1, South Dandenong played their first ever Victorian Premier League season in 1998. Being led by their player-coach Fadil Muriqi, the team managed to stay in the Victorian Premier League after finishing the season in 12th place. Same thing didn't happen in the following season and the team was relegated to Victorian State League Division 1.
2000–present
They came back in Victorian Premier League in 2001 but were relegated again as the season ended. Since 2001 they spent seven season in the Victorian State League Division 1. In 2007 they signed boom recruits Veton Korcari from Richmond SC as well as Louis Brain, a former player with Adelaide United in the A-League. Joe Di Iorio, Marcus Stergiopoulos, Alfonso Opazo and Levent Osman were other big names who put on the Thunder jersey for a successful season in 2008. The Thunder achieved its aim in getting promoted to the Victorian Premier League, after a successful 2008 season in which the club finished second, 3 points behind leaders Sunshine Georgies. It had been a long wait for one of Victoria's biggest clubs into the top flight after a seven year absence. After a slow start to the season with only 2 wins from the first 5 games; the Thunder had a barnstorming run with an unbeaten run of 17 games which was the catalyst in gaining promotion. In its return to top flight football, the Thunder proved all nay-sayers wrong by clinching the 2009 Minor Premiership with a lead of 12 points. It included going the first 15 rounds of the season undefeated and a club record 31 game undefeated streak after not losing since round 5 of the 2008 season. Season 2009 also saw youngster Jack Hingert being selected to play for new A-League side North Queensland Fury, as well as Joey Di Iorio winning the golden boot for leading goal scorer in the league. Hamlet Armenian, Ryan Davidson, Jack Hingert, Sam Bailey all represented a Victorian 11 which played a series of games against A-League champions Melbourne Victory, with defender Aron Wilford being selected but unavailable due to injury.
Home-grown talent
The two home-grown talents so far to have tasted National Soccer League appearances are Xhezair Sulemani (Melbourne Knights 2000-2003) and Ibraim Ibraimi (South Melbourne 2001)
Supporters
Dandenong Thunder are known to have one of the most passionate supporters groups in Victoria, with support coming mainly from the Albanian community in the area as well as support from sister club North Sunshine Eagles. The club averages 1,500 spectators at its home venue whilst also out-numbering the home side for support for away matches, with its great number of traveling fans (BAY 13 ROKDER) led by Ferman "Bundy" Zekiri and his accompanying sidekick Zani "Bush" Reshitovski.
Honours
- 2009- Victorian Premier League Minor Premiers
- 2008- Victorian State League Division 1 Runners-Up
- 2000- Victorian State League Division 1 Champion
- 1997- Victorian State League Division 1 Champion
- 1996- Victorian State League Division 2 Runners-Up
- 1995- Victorian State League Division 3 Runners-Up
- 1991- Victorian State League Division 4 Runners-Up
- 1990- Victorian Provisional League 1 Champion
- 1989- Victorian Provisional League 2 Runners-Up
- 1988- Victorian Provisional League 3 Champion
Individual honours
- 2009- Victorian Premier League Coach of the Year: Stuart Munro
- 2009- Victorian Premier League Leading Goal Scorer: Joe Di Iorio
Top goal-scorers
- 2011- Luke Sherbon 14 goals
- 2010- Jamie Reed 6 Goals
- 2009- Joe Di Iorio 18 Goals (Awarded Golden Boot)
- 2008- Ryan Davidson 11 Goals
- 2007- Veton Korcari 10 Goals (Runner up in the league)
- 2006- Ryan Davidson 9 Goals
- 2005- Leon Buhic 9 Goals
- 2004- Veton Korcari 9 Goals
- 2003- Miles Tidd, Joey Di Iorio 11 Goals
- 2002- Alfonso Opazo 10 Goals
- 2001- Boris Ovcin 4 Goals
- 2000- Victor Korkaric 17 Goals
- 1999- Nick Van Egmond, Billy Wright 7 Goals
- 1998- Pino Corallo, Reshat Mezensof 11 Goals
- 1997- Billy Wright 28 Goals (Top scorer in the league)
- 1996- Billy Wright 30 Goals (Top scorer in the league)
- 1995- Billy Wright 27 Goals (Joint Top scorer in the league)
- 1994- Billy Wright 22 Goals (Top scorer in the league)
Club Champion Award
- 2010 - Levent Osman
- 2009 - Levent Osman
- 2008 - Levent Osman
Off-season player movements
In
- Ben Harrison, Gold Coast FC
- Steven Gray, Bohemians
- Chris Taylor,
- Liam Kearney, Waterford United
- Mathew Theodore, Altona Magic
- Alex Rojas, Bentleigh Greens
Out
- Aron Wilford, Bentleigh Greens
- Ryan Davidson, Bentleigh Greens
- Scott Bulloch, Bentleigh Greens
- Jeff Bright, Unknown
- Noel Bahnson, Unknown
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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