Lilli Pilli U16 Girls Crowned Champion of Champions to complete the treble
In a triumphant end to a stellar season, the Lilli Pilli Under 16 Girls who represented the Sutherland Shire Football Association have been crowned Football NSW Champion of Champions, claiming the prestigious title in a thrilling final on Sunday at Valentine Sports Park clinching their third piece of silverware this year.
The Champion of Champions tournament, which celebrates the best of community football across New South Wales, brought together more than 300 teams and 5,000 players from across the state. To qualify, each team first had to win their local league’s Premiership, earning the right to represent their association in the elite knockout competition.
In the final, Lilli Pilli faced the Wakehurst Tigers, Champions of the Manly Warringah Football Association in a gripping, hard-fought clash under hot conditions at Football NSW headquarters. The Shire-based side held their nerve to secure a 2–1 victory and lift the coveted trophy.
The win capped an extraordinary 2025 campaign for the team, who achieved the rare and highly sought-after club football treble: winning the Football NSW State Cup, the local SSFA Premiership, and the Champion of Champions title — all in the same year.
This marks the second time in three years that this talented group has lifted the Champion of Champions trophy, having also won the title in 2022.
Their treble campaign began in July, when they defeated Wakehurst in the State Cup final. They followed up with their third straight Sutherland Shire Football Association Premiership, boasting the best defensive record among all 595 teams in the league — conceding just three goals all season.
Of the 699 teams that entered the 2024 State Cup across 15 age groups, only three went on to complete the treble, placing Lilli Pilli in elite company. In the club’s 64-year history, this is only the second time any Lilli Pilli team has achieved the treble — and notably, the first time ever by a women’s team. The last treble was in 1995.
Their campaign kicked off in February at the Proctor Park Challenge in Bathurst, setting the tone for a season of excellence. The team is coached by Brad Penfold and Kory Babington, and managed by Kane Bourke, whose leadership has been widely praised.
“The girls were outstanding this season and will go into the history books as the first female side in our club to capture a treble,” said Club President Greg Storey.
“Brad, Kory and Kane are brilliant and helped in so many ways to ensure it was a brilliant season. It was a fantastic final that remained tense right to the final whistle.”
The squad’s success is especially meaningful given their journey through the club, with most players beginning as six- and seven-year-olds in the MiniRoos program and progressing together through the junior ranks.
After a season to remember, the girls will now enjoy a well-deserved off-season before stepping up to the Under 18s next year with momentum, pride, and history firmly on their side.
