Joel Griffiths is a former Australian professional football player who played primarily as a striker.
Griffiths married his childhood sweetheart, Bianca Janson, in December 2007.
He represented Australia at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Nigeria.
Biography
Early Life
Joel Griffiths is a former Australian professional football player known for his dynamic play as a striker. Born into a family with a strong football background, he has two brothers, Adam and Ryan, who also pursued careers in professional football. Griffiths married his childhood sweetheart, Bianca Janson, in December 2007, and they welcomed their daughter, Gizelle Janson Griffiths, on April 29, 2009.
Career
Griffiths's football journey began with Sydney United FC in 1997, where he showcased his talent before moving to Parramatta Power in 1999. His career took him to various clubs, including Newcastle Jets FC, where he had a standout season in 2007-08, winning the A-League Championship and earning the Johnny Warren Medal for his exceptional performance. He also claimed the A-League Golden Boot that season, scoring 12 goals. His international career was marked by his debut for the Australian national team on October 9, 2005, where he scored a goal against Jamaica, celebrating in a memorable kangaroo hop. He represented Australia at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and was part of the Socceroos squad for the 2008 training camp, although injuries limited his appearances.
Griffiths played for several clubs throughout his career, including stints in the Chinese Super League with Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua, and he returned to Newcastle Jets multiple times. After retiring from professional play, he transitioned into management, taking the helm at Newcastle Olympic FC in the National Premier Leagues Northern NSW.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Career & Clubs
He represented Australia at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Nigeria. Griffiths made his debut for the full national team on 9 October 2005 against Jamaica, scoring a goal before celebrating by hopping up and down like a Kangaroo. This was Australia's final warm up match before their World Cup qualifier playoff match against Uruguay. In January 2008, he was named in the 22-man Socceroos squad for the training camp at Sydney, but did not play the World Cup Qualifying match against Qatar due to injury. In May 2010, after not making the 31 man provisional squad for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, he made the following comments about Pim Verbeek:
There was no phone call, not even a text. Not once did he come and watch a game. He made the effort to watch the third division in England or third division [in] Italy, and sometimes they [the Australian players] were not even on the bench. It really pisses me off when he said we have better strikers than Joel Griffiths, how the f--- would he know? He's never seen me for two years and when he did I was [A-League] MVP and golden boot.
- Club
- Newcastle Jets FC (2001–2003)
- Club
- Avispa Fukuoka (2008–2008)
- Club
- Beijing Guoan F.C. (2009–2009)
- Club
- Sydney FC (2013–2013)
- Club
- Leeds United F.C. (2006–2006)
- Club
- Neuchâtel Xamax FCS (2003–2006)
- Club
- Parramatta Power (1999–2001)
- Club
- Sydney United FC (1997–1999)
- Club
- Shanghai Shenhua F.C. (2012–2012)
- Club
- Newcastle Jets FC (2006–2010)
- Club
- Beijing Guoan F.C. (2010–2011)
- Club
- Qingdao Hainiu F.C. (2013–2013)
- Club
- Newcastle Jets FC (2014–2015)
- Club
- Wellington Phoenix FC (2015–2015)
- Club
- Lambton Jaffas FC (2016–2016)
- Club
- Australia men's national soccer team (2005–2008)
- Club
- Australia men's national under-20 soccer team (1999–1999)
Personal
Griffiths's twin brother, Adam and younger brother, Ryan are also professional footballers. He married his childhood sweetheart, Bianca Janson, in December 2007. His daughter, Gizelle Janson Griffiths, was born on 29 April 2009.
Legacy
Club
Sydney United Australian National Soccer League Premiership: 1998-99 Newcastle Jets A-League Championship: 2007–08 Beijing Guoan Chinese Super League Championship: 2009
Individual
Johnny Warren Medal: 2007–08 with Newcastle Jets A-League Golden Boot: 2007–08 with Newcastle Jets – 12 goals Newcastle Jets Player of the Year: 2007–08 Newcastle Jets Member's Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
Clubs
- Sydney United FC1997–1999
- Australia men's national under-20 soccer team1999–1999
- Parramatta Power1999–2001
- Newcastle Jets FC2001–2003
- Neuchâtel Xamax FCS2003–2006
- Australia men's national soccer team2005–2008
- Leeds United F.C.2006–2006
- Newcastle Jets FC2006–2010
- Avispa Fukuoka2008–2008
- Beijing Guoan F.C.2009–2009
- Beijing Guoan F.C.2010–2011
- Shanghai Shenhua F.C.2012–2012
- Qingdao Hainiu F.C.2013–2013
- Sydney FC2013–2013
- Newcastle Jets FC2014–2015
- Wellington Phoenix FC2015–2015
- Lambton Jaffas FC2016–2016
Played together with
Aaron ClaphamWellington Phoenix FC · 2011–2011
Aaron LennonLeeds United F.C. · 2003–2005
Abdiel ArroyoNewcastle Jets FC · 2019–2020- Abraão Lincoln MartinsAvispa Fukuoka · 2007–2007
Adam ClaytonLeeds United F.C. · 2010–2010- Adam ClaytonLeeds United F.C. · 2010–2012
Adam JohnsonLeeds United F.C. · 2006–2006
Adam SmithLeeds United F.C. · 2012–2012
Adam TaggartNewcastle Jets FC · 2012–2014
Adrian MierzejewskiShanghai Shenhua F.C. · 2021–2021- Adrian MierzejewskiSydney FC · 2017–2018
Ahmad ElrichWellington Phoenix FC · 2007–2008
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Joel Griffiths is a former Australian professional football player who played as a striker in the A-League and Chinese Super League. He later manager for Newcastle Olympic FC in National Premier Leagues Northern NSW.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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