Michael Thwaite opens up about scoring his very first goal for the Red & Black and reveals the special meaning behind his goal celebration.
Michael Thwaite opens up about scoring his very first goal for the Red & Black and reveals the special meaning behind his goal celebration.
After making a number of impressive performances for the Wanderers, defender Michael Thwaite’s hard work has finally paid the dividends after scoring his very first goal for the club.
The 179cm central defender leapt onto the end of a perfect corner by Marcelo Carrusca and headed home the Wanderers’ second goal in their 4-0 thumping of Wellington last Sunday.
A perennial team-player, Thwaite was humble about his goal and was proud of his fellow teammates efforts in getting a crucial result at home.
“They don’t come too often (the goals). I actually scored three in China, similar goals, but I think the keeper was diving the other way,” said Thwaite.
“I’m very happy and more importantly we got the result and two wins in a row.
“In a nutshell, that’s exactly how Gombau wants us to play.”
It may have been Thwaite’s first goal for the Wanderers but it wasn’t his first goal in the Hyundai A-League having previously scored for Gold Coast United and Perth Glory.
Thwaite pulled out all the stops for his celebration with a proud nod to the culture and heritage of the region where he grew up.
“I grew up in Cairns. It’s a very important region to myself and there’s an aboriginal dance company called Tjapukai,” explained Thwaite.
“It represents the mountains in the region, so that’s a bit of a trademark for them.
“But the older you get the harder it is on your knees, especially with wet wobbly legs.
“I’m just showing my happiness. I’m very grateful to have scored and be part of this club, I don’t think enough players celebrate so many the old boys can show them.”
The Tjapukai people inhabited the tropic region that extends from Cairns to Port Douglas and the inland of Kurunda.
Their name means the “People of the Rainforest” and their cultural dances portray the Dreamtime through to the present reality of today’s Tjapukai people.
An important lesson from Thwaite’s goal celebration is to always be proud of where you come from and it’s no surprise then that this is why Thwaite has perfectly into the Wanderers puzzle this season.
