Full name Illawarra Gridiron Inc League Gridiron NSW Head coach John Boss | Founded 1991 President Malcolm Corderoy | |
Sport Gridiron (American football) | ||
The Wollongong Mustangs are a gridiron football team competing in Gridiron NSW Division 1, first founded in 1991, first season in 1992.
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In May 2011 the Wollongong Brumbies (The Mustangs' u18 team) won the State Championship, Marking the first time that a Wollongong team has won a Gridiron Championship.
On 18 May 2012 the Wollongong Brumbies defeated the Central Coast Sharks 42-30 to become back to back NSW State Champions.
The Wollongong Mustangs and Brumbies are a proud bunch of people who take pride in the sport of American Football.
An example of this is the 2015 Colts team embarked upon a heavy season with little or no experience of the game. They faced brutal games and devastating losses. The boys of this team did not see the losses as a demoralising instead they took the field every week they could, travelled far and never gave up. As they progressed they began to score more points and love the game even more. The boys of the Wollongong Mustangs and Brumbies will assemble again for the 2016 season and take it to victory.
Mustangs History
In July 1991 an exhibition game of American Football between college teams from Arizona and Idaho was played at Brandon Park, Wollongong drawing a crowd of 8000. Drawing upon the interest generated by that game and the popularity of the sport on television, several Illawarra based players who had been playing with the Sutherland Seahawks decided to start a gridiron club in Wollongong.
Recruiting begain in September 1991 and about 80 interested players attended an information meeting. Over the coming weeks this was soon whitled down to around 30. Those initially impressed by the uniform and the glamour of the game were soon sickened by the costs, commitment and energy needed to play amateur gridiron.
Those veterans from the Seahawks – Hugh V’Cortez, John Boss, Joran Janevski and Ben and Paul Curcio became the club’s first coaching staff.
Through John Boss’ connection with the Wollongong TAFE College the team had a training base and place to store equipment. Having secured sponsorship from a local McDonald's franchise and the North Wollongong Hotel, and with a favourable exchange rate with the US dollar, the team was able to purchase equipment. The club’s colours of cardinal and gold were in part determined by the McDonald's sponsorship and the players were given a vote on two team names beginning with M so the logo could be incorporated in the club’s decal – in the end the Mustangs won out over the Mavericks as the proposed name for the new club.
The initial club committee comprised:
The first game the Wollongong College Mustangs played was in an exhibition match called the Merino Bowl on May 9 at Walker Park in Yass against the Canberra Sabretooths. The Mustangs going down by the respectable scoreline of 12 – 0.
The club’s first season was part of the New South Wales Gridiron Football League (NSWGFL) AAA Division. At the time the NSWGFL had two divisions with the stronger established teams competing in the AA Division and the newer teams entered in the AAA Division.
The Mustangs’ first NSWGFL game was against another new team to the NSWGFL – the South East Sydney Jets at Caringbah High School on June 14. Unfortunately the Jets prevailed on the day and it wasn't until the following season that the Mustangs were able to savour their first victory.
2009 Season
Before the start of the 2009 season the Mustangs made the decision not to compete in the 2009 Division 1 Competition. The hope was that the time away from competition would allow the team to become better organised and a more competitive team in the future. Immediate goals were to revisit the clubs administrative practices, establish a Colts program and recruit for a return to competition in 2010. The club did just that returning in 2010 with a team in both the Colts and Division 1 competitions and have since seen growth in competitiveness from both teams.