Walter Pless on Football

By Walter Pless

The Tasmanian senior men’s soccer squad to take on South Australia later this month has been announced.

Tasmania will play South Australia at KGV Park on Friday, 19 October, and again in Launceston on Saturday, 20 October.

“Having a men’s state team playing matches against interstate opposition has been something we have been working towards for some time,” said Football Federation Tasmania CEO Martin Shaw.

“A good response to the games should ensure that they continue and we’ll be looking for future matches against strong interstate or representative sides with the possibility of larger venues, giving our up-and-coming players a national stage to show their talents.”

The Tasmanian squad will be captained by South Hobart midfielder Tom Roach and includes 12 players from the south, two from the north and two from the north-west.

The squad is: Tom Roach, Bart Beecroft, Daniel Brown, Jonathon Lo (South Hobart), Frank Mainella, Henry Fagg, Ryan Smith, Aaron Brazendale (Hobart Zebras), Nathan Pitchford, Andrew Telega (New Town Eagles), Jonathon Ladic (Glenorchy Knights), Billy Gasparinatos (Taroona), Alex Brownlie (Launceston City), Thataetsile Kakadumane (Northern Rangers), Ben Crosswell (Burnie United), Chris McKenna (Devonport City).

Michael Bulis of Hobart Olympic, the southern Premier League’s leading scorer, is an emergency.

The squad was chosen after the two intrastate games between representative sides from the southern and northern Premier Leagues, which was won 4-1 on aggregate by the south.

The coach is Eamonn Kelly, while Tom McGinn is the assistant coach, Nick Lapolla the manager, Luke Kelly the assistant manager and Leon Van Lierop the physio.

The two-game schedule will be physically demanding for the players as the game at KGV is at 7.30pm on Friday and the second match in Launceston is at 2.30pm the next day.

“It is not often that you get the chance to represent your state at the highest level, so all the players are determined to put in an excellent performance over the two days,” said Kelly.

“Having waited so long for the opportunity, I am confident they will make sure that the fans that come to support them will be treated to a great game of football.”

* * * * *

Tasmania has had mixed fortunes at the national under-15 and under-14 championships being played in NSW.

Results to date: (Under-15s) Tas v Qld Metro 0-4, Tas v WA 1-9, Tas v NSW Metropolitan 0-3, Tas v ACT 0-5, Tas v South Australia 1-0; (Under-14s) Tas v Country NSW 0-1, Tas v Country Victoria 1-0, Tas v NSW Metropolitan 2-3, Tas v WA 0-0, Tas v Victoria Metropolitan 0-4.

Tasmania’s goalscorers have included Sam Jacob and Greg Downes.

By Walter Pless

Futsal Tasmania’s summer season has commenced at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre and grading matches have already been played.

More than one thousand junior players participated on the first evening, Wednesday, 5 September.

Grading for senior men’s and women’s teams will follow and the season will actually kick-off on Wednesday, 26 September.

“There were over 40 junior teams competing on the first night and this is growing, with entries flowing in for the start of the roster,” said Corey Smith, one of the organisers.

“There looks, at this stage, that seniors will be approaching anything up to 100 teams come the start of the roster.

“With numbers soaring and the possibility of having almost 150 teams in juniors and seniors together, Futsal Tasmania and The Tasmanian Hockey Centre have now looked at the possibility of expanding to an extra night per week.

“All the feedback so far has been extremely positive and, once we install the nets dividing the courts next week, the competition will be set to kick off in a frenzy.”

In October, more than 100 Tasmanian school children will travel to Melbourne for the 2007 Vikings Australasian School Futsal titles involving players from schools throughout Australia.

“This is the biggest event as far as participation goes for school children in the Southern Hemisphere, including all sports,” said Smith.

“From the Australasian school titles, these kids will get the opportunity to be looked at by selectors for upcoming overseas tours with Vikings Australia.

“In the past, we have had several Tasmanian players invited to these and recently we had four Tasmanian youths travel overseas in representative sides to Brazil and New Zealand.”

* * * * *

Midfielder Tom Roach has been named as South Hobart’s Premier League players’ player of the year and he was also the team’s leading goalscorer.

Roach and fellow midfielder Bart Beecroft won the ‘best player’ award, while Jon Foley-Donoghue and David Abbott were the ‘most imporved’.

Goalkeeper Mark Moncur and sweeper Nathan Robinson took out the coach’s award, while midfielder Colin Wain won the ‘most consistent’ award.

Moncur also earned life membership of South Hobart.

Other South Hobart Awards announced at the club dinner on 8 September were: (Club Leading Goalscorer) James Wilkinson, (Junior Clubman) Rory McCallum, Trent Pearce, (Clubman of the Year) Barry and Margaret Davies, (Chairmans Award) Simon Burrett (Presidents Award) Mark Moncur; Womens Div 1 (Leading Goal-scorer) Zenah Husari, (Most Improved) Emy Bostock, (Coach’s Award) Joy McConnochie, (Most Consistent) Joy McConnochie, (Players’ Player) Jessica Manuela, (Best Player) Jessica Manuela; Premier League Women (Leading Goal-scorer) Kelly Koning, (Most Improved) Sahar Mohamad, (Coach’s Award) Lizann Gibbons, (Most Consistent) Danielle Raymond, (Players’ Player) Hanna Manuela, (Best Player) Lizann Gibbons; Men’s U-19: (Leading Goal-scorer) James Wilkinson, (Most Improved) J Muldoon, (Coach’s Award) Michael Voss, (Most Consistent) Brenton Kopra, (Players’ Player) Patrick Foley-Donoghue, (Best Player) James Wilkinson; Men’s Div 1 Reserves: (Leading Goal-scorer) Simon Burrett, (Most Improved) Rory McCallum, (Coach’s Award) Phan Ho, (Most Consistent) Simon Burrett, (Players’ Player) Simon Burrett, (Best Player) Dexter Franklin-Paddock; Men’s Div 1: (Leading Goal-scorer) Rohan Franklin, (Most Improved) Adam Hill, (Coach’s Award) Travis Wailes, (Most Consistent) Travis Wailes, (Players’ Player) Hugh Jarvis, (Best Player) Hugh Jarvis; Men’s Pemier Reserves: (Leading Goal-scorer) Callan Paske, (Most Improved) Joey Summers, (Coach’s Award) Trent Pearce, (Most Consistent) Tom Gordon (Players’ Player) Callan Paske, (Best Player) Nathan Wardle.

By Walter Pless

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Michael Bulis, the southern Premier League competition’s leading scorer this season with 15 goals, has been added to the southern squad which will play against the north later this month.

Southern coach, Eamonn Kelly, said Bulis’s goal-scoring feats meant the Hobart Olympic striker could no longer be ignored.

“I knew I’d have to look at him sooner or later, given that he’s the competition’s leading scorer,” said Kelly.

“South Hobart’s Nathan Robinson has had to pull out of the squad because of work commitments, which is a bit of a blow.

“We have a squad of 20 players and that will be whittled down to 16 on Wednesday, 12 September.”

The southern men’s and women’s sides play the north at KGV Park on Saturday, 15 September, with the return legs scheduled for Launceston’s Mitsubishi Park on Saturday, 22 September.

“We beat them 5-3 in Launceston in an exhibition game in July, but this will be different and I expect a closer game and a closer result,” said Kelly.

“They’ll be better organised and have a completely different set-up, but we’ll be better organised, too.

“Now that the league season has ended, we’re training three times a week.”

* * * * *

Launceston City, one of the great names in Tasmanian football will be celebrating their 50^th anniversary next year and big celebrations are planned.

Club president Noel Van Est is on the hunt for memorabilia, including old photos, and he can be contacted on 0418 526 665.

City won this year’s Milan Lakoseljac Memorial Trophy and the cup final marked the final game for three of the club’s stalwarts.

Striker Roger Mies, midfielder Justin Dyer and goalkeeper Lino Sciulli have called it a day after long service with City and the cup win was an ideal way to go out for three of Tasmania’s biggest names over the past couple of decades.

* * * * *

University chairman Andrew Zacharek has scotched persistent rumours that the Premier League club would pull out of next year’s competition and field teams only in the lower and social leagues.

University Bombers - This won’t be the face of University next year

There has even been talk that University would disaffiliate from Football Federation Tasmania and run their own competition on their own grounds.

The scrapping of compulsory union fees for university students has hit the club’s hip pocket to some extent, but Zacharek said University was a Premier League club and would stay in the top flight.

“We have advertised for coaches and we intend to play at the top level,” said Zacharek.

“The club has done very well at the top level in recent years and there may be a need for some new blood in the committee as people do get tired because of the work load, but we certainly won’t become a club involved only in social soccer.”

* * * * *

Former Socceroos Ange Postecoglou, Craig Foster and Paul Wade will visit Tasmania soon to conduct junior coaching clinics.

Postecoglou was most recently coach of Australia’s international youth teams, while Wade was a long-serving captain of Australia. Foster is currently SBS TV’s football pundit.

Foster and Wade will conduct a clinic at Harley Parade in Launceston on 13 and 14 September, while Postecoglou and Wade will run a clinic at Ogilvie High School from 20-21 September.

* * * * *

Tilford Zebras striker Aaron Brazendale is confident the southern champions will do well against northern champions Somerset on Saturday in the State premiership decider.

Aaron Brazendale - confident of beating Somerset

Zebras will travel to Cardigan Street by bus on Saturday morning and Brazendale did have some misgivings about the effects of the trip.

“It’s a bit hard to paly after being cramped up in a bus for four or five hours, but we’ll get there early and have a stretch,” Brazendale said.

“They’d be feeling down after losing the Milan Lakoseljac final last weekend and I think we can beat them.”

It’s a pity the State championship is not decided on a home-and-away basis, or at least played on a neutral ground.

Playing the game at the home of one of the finalists seems unfair.

By Walter Pless

Clarence United’s Premier League women’s team gave Nelson Eastern Suburbs a real run for their money in the final of the women’s State-wide Cup last Friday.

And, sisters Harkana, 14, and Marlugu Dixon, 21, were at the heart of Clarence United’s challenge.

Clarence United’s Harkana and Marlugu Dixon

Clarence, second last on the ladder, took the game right up to league champions Nelson and it was Marlugu who headed Clarence in front from Harkana’s corner in the 36^th minute.

The sisters almost repeated the corner routine later in the game, but Nelson managed to equalise and take the game into extra-time before winning 3-1.

“Too bad our second corner routine didn’t work,” said Marlugu. “We work pretty well together.

“We sort of try and work together. I know her game really well and we try and work together and help out the team.”

Nelson beat Clarence 13-0 when they first met in the league this season and it wasn’t until July that Clarence scored its first goal.

“I’m very proud of them,” said Clarence United’s joint-coach, Ronnie Bolton, a former Hobart Olympic star.

“We’ve earned a lot of respect this year and I’m very proud of them.

“It’s very difficult to keep up with a team like Nelson and they’re the benchmark and have been for a number of years.

“Our girls tried, but to do it for ninety minutes is extremely difficult, and in extra-time is almost impossible.”

The Dixon family moved to Tasmania from Papua New Guinea nine years ago and both girls went to The Friends School, where they began their soccer careers.

Harkana is currently a student at St Mary’s, while Marlugu is doing a management trainee course at Drysdale and working as a waitress at a Salamanca restaurant.

Harkana plays for the Clarence under-16 girls’ academy and was promoted to the club’s Premier League side this year.

Marlugu, who scored twice in the semi-finals to help Clarence qualify for the cup final, spent a ‘gap year’ in England, where she said she improved her skills.

“I’m really looking forward to the women’s south versus north series in a couple of weeks’ time,” said Marlugu. “I’m pumped up for that.

“I’ve met all the other girls in the squad and it’s really good.

“We may play against Nelson in the league, but afterwards, we’re all friends and I think it’s brilliant.”

Marlugu rates her sister, Harkana, very highly and is hoping that she will represent Australia.

“She’s going to make it big time,” said Marlugu. “She’s going to make the Matildas, definitely, and I’m going to support her.”

By Walter Pless

Hobart Olympic’s 25-year-old midfielder, Chris Tsakiris, is one of the most versatile players in the Premier League soccer competition.

Tsakiris can play as a striker, midfielder, defender or sweeper, but probably not in goal, given his stature.

He played as sweeper for four games this season when the club’s regular sweeper, his older brother, Peter, was out injured.

Olympic won all four games and the younger Tsakiris was superb in marshalling the back-line.

“Peter was injured for three weeks and, when he resumed, coach Farrell Shaw put him in midfield for the first game back, against Zebras,” Tsakiris said.

“I guess he had put me in the sweeper position and wanted to keep me there for one more game.

“I found it okay, and it’s good when you’ve got players in front of you who can keep the strikers away from you.”

Tsakiris has now resumed his normal position as a wide midfielder on either the left or right.

It is in this position that Tsakiris utilises his creative abilities to launch attacks.

Last Sunday, in Olympic’s 5-0 win over University, Tsakiris scored his first goal of the season.

“We just worked things well to get the ball wide and Danijel Djekanovic crossed the ball into the middle and I was there to put it away,” said Tsakiris modestly.

“We were pretty pleased with the win because when they went down to ten men we kept our shape and kept knocking the ball around and we got a good result from it.”

Olympic is third, with two rounds remaining, but Tsakiris dismisses the possibility of the club winning the title.

“It would be very hard,” he said. “South Hobart and Zebras would have to lose both their remaining games.

“Even if they did, we’d have to win both of ours by a considerable number of goals.

“But, we’re happy with third spot.

“We finished third-last last season and to finish third this season is a good performance.”

Tsakiris is confident of a good future for the club.

“Things are already looking good for next year,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of good players coming up through the under-19s and reserves.

“We’re still a young team, with Peter and Lee Mason the only players over thirty.

“We work together and we’re all best friends and really close, and that’s what it comes down to.”

By Walter Pless

Jacob Huigsloot is following a family tradition in soccer.

The 16-year-old is already a regular in Clarence United’s senior Premier League side and is following in the footsteps of his late father, Peter, an excellent player, and his uncle, Tom Huigsloot, of Glenorchy Knights and one of the league’s leading marksmen.

Another uncle, Robbie, is joint coach at the Knights and still turns out for the club’s reserves.

Jacob was captain of the State under-15s and is a product of the Clarence Academy.

“I made my senior debut in the Summer Cup this year and then appeared in the seniors on and off,” said Huigsloot.

“I now seem to be a regular starter in the seniors.

“I am a defender now, but I’d like to play in central midfield eventually.

“I’ll work towards being a central midfielder.

“The season is going well for me, personally, and the team has been pretty successful.”

Clarence is fourth and lost its chance of the title when it went down 4-0 to second-placed South Hobart on Saturday.

“It’s pretty unfortunate that we didn’t do well against South,” Huigsloot said.

“We made a lot of mistakes, but we’ve got a lot of things to build towards.

“Our young boys, including Ben Hamlett, myself and Chris Nicholson have all come through from the under-16s.”

Huigsloot is full of praise for the Clarence Academy.

“It’s a good program, with great coaching staff, and the facilities at Cambridge are excellent,” he said.

“Clarence is a nice family club and a really close club, and you can talk to the coaches about anything.

“They give you the opportunity to step up, which I have.”

Clarence’s senior coach, Andrew Brown, has high expectations of Huigsloot.

“He’s a born leader,” said Brown. “He fitted in very well in the Academy squad but he needed another challenge, and he’s got that now.”

By Walter Pless

Hobart Zebras restored their three-point lead over South Hobart at the top of the Premier League soccer ladder with a comfortable 4-2 win away to sixth-placed Kingborough Lions United at Lightwood Park yesterday.

Kingborough scored first through Brett Andrews in the 24^th minute, but Zebras led 2-1 at the break after strikes by Josh Thorpe and Aaron Brazendale.

Chris Cox made it 3-1 with a header six minutes after the interval and Brazendale added his second and the Zebras’ fourth in the 80^th minute.

A goal in the fourth minute of injury time by Michael Palmer made the score a little more respectable for the home side.

Third-placed Hobart Olympic stayed seven points off the pace after beating seventh-placed University 5-0 away at Olinda Grove, Michael Bulis netting a hat-trick to regain the lead in the individual goal-scoring race with 14 goals, one ahead of Glenorchy Knights’ Tom Huigsloot.

Matthew Hedge and Chris Tsakiris scored Olympic’s other goals against a University side that was without Mark Rapley and Julian Proud and which had Craig Stockdale sent off after only 15 minutes.

In the Reserve League, sixth-placed Zebras beat second-ranked Kingborough Lions United 4-1, with Dylan Fennell netting a hat-trick and Fabian Lapolla scoring once for the visitors and Luke Barlow replying for the Lions.

Fifth-placed University held visiting fourth-placed Olympic to a 1-1 draw, Matthew Platts scoring for the Students and Saad Mohamad replying for Olympic.

In Division One, the top-of-the-table clash between leader Beachside and second-placed South Hobart ended in a 1-1 draw.

South Hobart took a 78^th minute lead through an own-goal, but Beachside equalised through Jonathon Greenwood a minute later.

Third-placed Kingston Cannons, who downed sixth-placed Hobart United 3-2 at Sherburd after leading 2-1 at the break, have goalkeeper Richard Fox to thank for the three points as he saved a penalty.

Andrew White, Steve Giudici, with a penalty, and Neil Thomas were the Cannons’ marksmen, while David Neads and Akuel Guot replied for United.

By Walter Pless

South Hobart drew level on 36 points with Premier League soccer leaders Hobart Zebras after beating fourth-placed Clarence United 4-0 away at Wentworth Park yesterday.

Zebras’ superior goal-difference keeps them in front and they can restore their 3-point lead if they win away against sixth-placed Kingborough Lions United at Lightwood Park today.

After a goalless opening half, South Hobart struck twice in the opening 11 minutes of the second period to take a stranglehold on the match.

Two minutes after the break, Jonathon Lo made it 1-0 when he converted a cross from the right by Alex Gordon.

Colin Wain added a second in the 56^th minute before Gordon twice went close and tested Clarence goalkeeper Michael Moschogianis.

Midfielder Tom Roach struck twice before the end to complete the visitors’ tally.

Clarence might have pulled a goal back through Ben Hamlett, but South goalkeeper Mark Moncur produced a brilliant save against the youngster from point-blank range.

Things are tight at the foot of the table, where bottom-side Metro-Claremont drew 5-5 with fifth-placed Glenorchy Knights at KGV Park on Friday night and second-last New Town Eagles beat third-last Taroona 2-1 at home at Clare Street yesterday.

Eagles, with two games remaining, are now eighth with 10 points, while Taroona, also with two games to play, is second-last on 8 points. Metro is last with 7 points, but has three games remaining.

Metro produced a courageous display against Knights and came within a whisker of winning.

Metro trailed 0-1, 1-2, 1-3 and then 2-4 at the interval before coming back to level at 4-4 and lead 5-4 with 18 minutes remaining in what was a thriller.

Tom Huigsloot netted four goals for the Knights to become the league’s leading marksman with 13 goals, but he also missed a penalty, which cost his side victory.

Metro was marshalled superbly by veteran sweeper Terry Kent, while youngsters Aaron Marney, Adam McKeown, Shane Kent and Jason Dawes produced a shining display of attacking soccer.

Marney scored two excellent goals, Shane Kent netted from a twice-taken penalty, while a goal by Dawes and an own-goal by the Knights’ Matthew Brown earned Metro an invaluable point.

The second half went for an incredible 55 minutes, and yet there were no injuries and no delays in play.

Chris Stingle put Eagles ahead against Taroona, while Alex Leszczynski hit the goal that gave Eagles their second league win of the season. Chris Cox replied for Taroona.

By Walter Pless

Kingborough Lions United held on to fourth place on the Division One soccer ladder when it scraped home 3-2 away to last-placed Huon Valley at Ranelagh yesterday.

Geoff Freeman, Martin Elliott, a former Huon Valley star, and Tom McDonald hit the goals for the visitors.

Anthony Dare netted both goals for Huon Valley, which has yet to earn a point this season.

Fifth-placed Northern Suburbs-DOSA survived a torrid match against a lively second-last Christian United at home at the Showgrounds to win 2-1 through goals by Mark Wakefield and Derek Story.

Story will retire at the end of the season after a 19-year career.

John De Vries scored Christian’s goal direct from an in-swinging corner which DOSA’s keeper could only help into the net.

Reserve League champion South Hobart was held to a 1-1 draw by third-placed Clarence United at Wentworth Park, Julian McMahon netting for the home side and South, suffering from post-championship blues, relying on an own goal for a share of the points.

A late goal by Jon Burridge gave eighth-placed Taroona a 1-0 away win over bottom-side New Town Eagles and lifted the visitors up a place to seventh on the ladder.

Second-last Metro-Claremont led seventh-placed Glenorchy Knights 3-1 at the interval at KGV Park on Friday evening before having to settle for a 4-4 draw.

Bright young prospect Edward Guma netted all four goals for Metro, while Knights hit back through Sasha Puclin, Ivan Vucica, Peter Frank and Jarrod Cumming.

By Walter Pless

Clarence United defender Sam Cannamela is one of the most unassuming young players on the local Premier League soccer scene.

There has been some public outcry about him not being included in the southern representative side to play the north in the home-and-away series, but the 21-year-old Cannamela shrugs it off.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “There are heaps of good defenders out there.

“I wouldn’t want to take any one else’s spot.”

Cannamela is, however, one of the success stories of Clarence and he has played a leading role in the club’s excellent performances this season.

Clarence is fourth and, technically, not out of the title race, but Saturday’s 2-2 draw with third-placed Hobart Olympic was a blow to its chances.

“It was a bit disappointing all round because we could easily have won the game,” said Cannamela, who has been in the seniors for the past four seasons.

“We had the opportunities and we didn’t put them away.

“To Olympic’s credit, they defended well and held us out, but we had a fair few chances in the second half.

“I think Hobart Zebras are a strong pick for the title now and I can’t see them losing too many points and us winning enough games to challenge for the title.

“It would have been nice to beat Olympic and creep up the ladder a bit.”

Cannamela is at university studying information systems and teaching, and he has a casual job as well.

He has been delighted by Clarence’s progress over the past four years in which he has been at the club and at the development programs the club runs.

“We’ve done really well this year and I’ve been pleased that we’ve been improving each year,” he said.

“This year has been a real highlight.

“We’ve got really good young players coming through from our academy and they’re excellent and have amazing skills.

“They’ve got so much talent and desire to play the game.”

Cannamela puts Clarence’s success down to having a group of players who play for each other as a team.

“Most of us have played together for a few years now,” he said. “We play for each other and as a team and there are no real superstars.”

Clarence’s next big test comes on Saturday when it takes on second-placed South Hobart at home at Wentworth Park.