Our TFG Team
Nick Montgomery
Owner & Program Co-ordinator
Nick has a football background of the highest pedigree, having played professionally for 20 years in the English Championship, Premier League and A league.
Nick arrived in AUSTRALIA in 2012 and immediately helped the Central Coast Mariners to their inaugural A league championship as well as
qualifying for the latter stages of the Asian Champions league.
Playing alongside local legend and grand final winning skipper John Hutchinson, Nick “Monty” as he is known became a crowd favourite and took over captaincy when Hutchinson retired.
Nick has hung up his boots and playing days to take on a coaching role having for the previous two seasons been the Head coach of the Central Coast Mariners, leading them to Grand Final Victory in 2022/23. He has since departed Australian shores to take up the Head Coach position at Hibernian Football Club in Scotland. however is still actively involved in the running and programming of TFG.
His vision for The Football Grounds was to provide programs to help develop young players and keep them fit, healthy, active and passionate in the off season. Football should be fun and he believes in playing for your local team and enjoying the beautiful game with like minded friends.
Nick and his family, wife Josie and 3 daughters Chloe, Leah and Eva have now moved to Scotland for the term of Nicks contract however are Australian Citizens who one day will return to our shores. Heidi our Operations Manager will continue to run TFG and liaise closely as always with the Montgomery's!!!
Lucas
Head Coach
Lucas Fajardo Vilela is the Head Coach here at TFG but also Nick Montgomerys second assistant coach at the Central Coast mariners and also the coach of the U15s NPL Mariners squad.
He is a proud Brazilian/Uruguayan citizen and has been living and breathing football since the age of 4. In his hometown, Porto Alegre, he had the chance to play through his youth phase for Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, where he understood the game and training objectives at a high level.
He graduated in Physical Education at the Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul where Lucas also played for the University Team and helped create a semi-professional Team - SC. Ipanema.
After completing his degree, he had the golden opportunity to experience the professional level when working with Douglas Costa - Brazilian National Team, Juventus (ITA), Shakhtar Donetsk (UA). From that experience, Lucas decided to move to Australia and learn English to restart his football coaching career.
He holds a CBF "B" Licence, and it is on top of the development of both PROgress Sports Management and DVLX Football philosophy and methodology. Lucas understands that through football, players can develop all senses of human beings and so becoming better people. He is very passionate about his coaching work and loves developing young athletes. The whole program is over seen and run by Lucas to ensure top level coaching so kids can develop up the Mariners Pathway.
Heidi Wark
Operations Manager
Heidi has a degree in Business Administration and has enjoyed a variety of high end administration roles within different fields over many years. With both her children playing football at a high level, it was a natural transition for Heidi to use her skills in managing the centre. Heidi's
responsibility as Centre Manager is to ensure not only that The Football Grounds is run efficiently, but above all, that we offer a quality product for everyone on the Coast. Heidi will be the one the other end of the phone or emails dealing with the day to day running.
Myah
Senior Coach
I have played football since the age of 10. I started from the bottom and worked my way up to WPL where I am in my third season of premier league.
I love playing and working football. I especially love seeing young girls
enjoying themselves playing football and really enjoy coaching the younger kids.