 Adam Griffiths gives instructions at a Wellington Phoenix training session in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adam David Griffiths | ||
| Date of birth | (1979-08-21)21 August 1979 (age 46) | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder,Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Sydney United | ||
| 1997 | Sutherland Sharks | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998 | Sutherland Sharks | 6 | (1) |
| 1999–2001 | Northern Spirit | 21 | (1) |
| 2000 | →Gippsland Falcons (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2001 | →Manly United (loan) | 21 | (9) |
| 2002–2003 | Newcastle Jets | 31 | (1) |
| 2004–2005 | Oostende | 27 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Watford | 0 | (0) |
| 2006 | AFC Bournemouth | 7 | (1) |
| 2006–2007 | Brentford | 37 | (1) |
| 2007–2009 | Newcastle Jets | 38 | (3) |
| 2009 | Gold Coast United | 1 | (0) |
| 2009 | Al-Shabab | 15 | (0) |
| 2010 | Adelaide United | 8 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Hangzhou Greentown | 33 | (3) |
| 2012–2013 | Sydney FC | 18 | (0) |
| 2013 | Selangor FA | 16 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | Kedah FA | 16 | (4) |
| 2015 | APIA Leichhardt Tigers | 15 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008 | Australia | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2016–2020 | Manly United (Assistant Manager) | ||
| 2020–2022 | Manly United (First Team Manager) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Western Sydney Wanderers (Assistant Manager) | ||
| 2023–2025 | Wellington Phoenix (Assistant Manager) | ||
| 2025- | Perth Glory (Assistant Manager) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16 September 2015 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 May 2014 | |||
Adam Griffiths (born 21 August 1979 in Sydney) is an Australian professional football manager who currently serves as an Assistant Coach at Perth Glory FC. He is a former professionalfootball (soccer) player and Socceroo.
In 2020 he became Head Coach of National Premiere Leagues NSW sideManly United. In 2022 he transformed Manly United FC into a dynamic, attacking team that reached the 2021/22 NPL Grand Final, earning him recognition as NPL Coach of the Year. Adam was awarded Coach of the year 2022 at the Football NSW Gold Medal Awards. In July 2022 he was appointed to theA- League as Assistant Coach under Mark Rudan at TheWestern Sydney Wanderers. Griffiths helped guide the team to their first finals in seven years and the league’s best defensive record during his debut year as an A-League assistant coach.
Since July 2025, Griffiths has been an Assistant Coach at A-League clubPerth Glory, where he has joined to assist head coachDavid Zdrilic.
Griffiths played for a number of Australian clubs before moving to Europe withBelgian clubOostende, and later England withWatford. He moved to another English club,League One sideBrentford on 11 July 2006.[1]
Griffiths was released by Brentford on 16 May 2007 and rejoined former clubNewcastle Jets the next day.[2] His twin brotherJoel Griffiths also played for the Newcastle Jets.[3]
He made hisA-League debut in Round 1 of the 2007–08A-League season againstPerth Glory,[4] and scored his first goal in the A-League in Round 5 againstMelbourne Victory.
As of Thursday 20 November 2008, Griffiths signed for new expansion clubGold Coast United, on a three-year contract starting in the 2009/2010 season.[5]
After playing only one game for Gold Coast, Griffiths moved to Saudi Arabian club Al Shabab, in a deal worth $1.2 million USD a season plus a $650,000 transfer fee.[6] It is now reported that Griffiths will be leaving Al Shabab and returning to Gold Coast under the terms of his deal.
On 3 February 2010, Griffiths signed withAdelaide United for the club'sAsian Champions League campaign.[7]
Later in 2010, Griffiths moved to China to joinHangzhou Greentown who he helped clinch qualification for the2011 AFC Champions League after a fourth-place finish in the 2010 CSL season.
On 4 June 2012, Griffiths signed a 1-year deal withSydney FC.[8]
However, as a result of Sydney FC failing to qualify for the A-League finals, Griffiths, along with teammatesPaul Reid,Krunoslav Lovrek,Trent McClenahan,Nathan Sherlock andJarrod Kyle were released by Sydney FC at the conclusion of the2012–13 A-League season.[9]
Subsequently, Adam joined Malaysian sideSelangor FA in April 2013 until the end of the 2013 Malaysian football season.[10]
He signed for theAPIA Leichhardt for the 2015 season.
Adam's twin brother,Joel and younger brother,Ryan, are also professional footballers.[11] Adam is also an artist and up-and-coming film director and writer.[12] He is married to the actress Lily Brown Griffiths.
In 2016 Griffiths transitioned from a professional football player into coaching, joiningfirst division NSW club,Manly United senior program. In 2020 Griffiths became the Head Coach ofManly United men's 1st grade team. In his first full season 2021 he helped steer the club into 3rd position in the league before the season was cut due to COVID disruptions. In the 2022 season Griffiths transformed the team into fast efficient attacking passing team and came within 1 goal difference fromManly United winning the title, finishing 2nd on goal difference. Griffiths achievements attracted the attention of Mark Rudan, Head Coach ofWestern Sydney Wanderers and on the 5th of July Griffiths was appointed Assistant Coach ofA-League Men clubWestern Sydney Wanderers.[13]