The esteemed award recognises the club's outstanding contributions to the local community, and it's dedication to fostering a positive environment for young footballers.

The club was nominated by Football NSW for Club Changer of the Year due to its drive to boost female participation rates. Shellharbour's numbers have grown year-on-year, with 1100 juniors registered for 2024.

Their recent Summer Football competition saw 1500 players take part.

The club also has teams in both the men's and women's Illawarra Premier League senior competitions.

Shellharbour has been on an upward trajectory since juniors were given a direct pathway to senior football through a landmark merger between the Shellharbour juniors and Shell Cove seniors back in December of 2022.

SJFC president Yani Sekuloski said the award from Football Australia was a testament to the all-round effort of those at the club.

"It's an absolutely fantastic achievement of Shellharbour Junior Football Club," Sekuloski said.

"It's a reflection of our current committee members past and present in what we have achieved to date. Full credit goes to our committee and our volunteers.

"The dedicated volunteers and committee members of SJFC, under the guidance of the club's program led by Joshua Day (committee), have implemented many new programs over the last 12 months to improve the offering our club has to the local community, and to the greater football community."

SJFC committee member and Club Changer program manager Day said whilst he was proud of what they had achieved so far, there will be bigger things to come.

"Although girls participation rates aren't where we want them yet, we are extremely proud of what we have been able to achieve over the last few years," Day said.

"In 2023, for the first time ever, we had an all-girls division in our social summer comp from under eights through to under 16s. This year we are currently sitting on a 26 per cent girls participation rate, with hopes that young girls will continue to come and try football and stick with it until they reach out premiership winning women's teams."

SJFC have a proud history of producing a number of talented football players.

Current Young Matildas superstars and sister duo Jynaya and Indiana Dos Santos played their junior football at the club, as did current Western Sydney Wanderers defender Alex Bonetig.