Pages

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Nearpost Podcast

Nearpost talk football.

A-League, news, opinions and all the analysis...including what A-League players must do after they've missed a goal.

Download




Read More...

Nearpost Local. NTC and Paul Penna

Download the local show here

Peter Funnell talks FFA NTC Challenge and his interview this week is with Paul Penna, a very experienced sports psychologist. Why don’t we see more of their professional contribution in clubs, the Premier League, Capital Football’s HPP just to name few football opportunities?



The FFA NTC Challenge is underway and ACTAS is participating. It’s a terrific football treat this early in the year, its tense and there is plenty of football talented to amaze. This is the first activity for the FFA as it will be the first consolidated football competition in the a pivotal age group (15-16 years), in which we will see how well the New National Curriculum has been implemented. The games are tense and the coaching staff under a lot of technical scrutiny by the FFA’s Technical Development Committee. How will ACTAS be rated in this competition. Early games indicate that it seems unlikely to be scoring too many “Technical Points” for its style of play. Football West and South Australia are early standout performers, but that’s not a surprise. If it the new curriculum is not evident in the manner and style of play at this age, there is real cause for concern, early days or not! Hope they publish the full points scores for each team by game, so that we can see what the FFA thinks is happening at ACTAS and elsewhere. More to follow on this important football development event.

The interview this week is with Paul Penna, a very experienced sports psychologist. Why don’t we see more of their professional contribution in clubs, the Premier League, Capital Football’s HPP just to name few football opportunities? You don’t have to be an elite player to benefit from the integration of a sports psychologist into your football team’s efforts this season. Paul Penna has seem most of what there is to see where elite sports persons are concerned, he is practical and insightful. In this first part of his interview, he sets the scene and note his favourite saying when advising athletes of sports and levels – “swim in your lane”!

Read More...

Sunday 24 January 2010

Half Time Heroes Number 5.

The Half-Time Heroes are back in action, The Football Tragic, Shane Davis lamenting Australia's defensive decline, Stuart Randall running the rule over Rafa, and Canbera's own Russ Gibbs presenting a comprehensive review of this season's W-League.
Get into it, anyway you can.

Read More...

Oh no Harry' injured.

Add in Vinny Grella, Scott Chipperfield, David Carney and a few others.

We're gonna be rooned I tell ya..rooned.

Read More...

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Who da man coming now?

Every year the A-League is churning out new Aussie stars. This year is no different. There's more this year than any year in my view and a couple with real quality others with real potential.

Some like Mark Viduka, Brett Emerton and Ned Zelic will go straight from the domestic league to top European sides. Others like Nicky Carle will wander around China, England and Turkey maybe never really getting to a leading team.

Either way if you standout in the A-League at a young age you have a great chance to make it in the game, maybe a top overseas contract or maybe a Socceroos gig.

Here's the ones who have impressed this year so far, of those (mostly)who have made their entrance this year. And don't worry next year there'll be another load of young Aussies with the ball at their feet and a chance to dance. What a great time to be a young gun.

Definite Socceroos of the future in my lame view all other things, injuries, drugs, girls, AFL, agents, and a decent career path:

Mathew Leckie...when was the last really pacy exciting Aussie young forward actually see Kofi below.
Mitch Langerak....our next
Kofi Danning
Ben Kantarovski

Possible Socceroos
Tommy Oar
Todd Howarth (age?)

Made a strong impact but fair way to go yet to reach A-League standout level:

Chris Payne
Mate Dugandzic
Tando Velaphi
Anthony Juric (age?)
Sean Rooney
Michael Marrone (at 22 maybe a tad old...but you never know...think Jedinak)
Daniel Mullen
Scott Neville
Rhyan Grant
Anthony Golec
Adam Sarota

Read More...

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Nearpost National: A-League heaven

Download National Podcast
A-League is ramping up as the race is on for the finals spot and the first Asian Champions League spot.

We've got all the moves, news and views, quiz and commentary.






Why didn't Taj Minniecon's pass to Joel Porter get mentioned time and time again. Don't worry we didn't mention it either, maybe because he's not Brazilian, maybe because he's not called Dwight, Brosque or Bridge(s).

Pass of the season we reckon.

Anyway it's all here more football than you could ever want...and find out why Paddy's partner Amy called their first born Zara....it's always football on the nearpost innit!

Read More...

Nearpost Local: Futsal Focus

Nearpost Local Download






Peter Funnell writes:
In this program we have a very close look at the ACT participation in the FFA’s Futsal Nationals......


just concluded here in the ACT. Capital Football did a terrific job organising the Nationals. How did we do, how can we get better and what are the pressures around developing Futsal in the ACT. And why are some of our very best football players being held back or electing not to represent the ACT at age at Nationals? And why did the Canberra Times give so little press coverage to the Nationals?
Just so that you have this in perspective, our Womens Youth Team won their final and are National champions. This is hotly contested group and women’s football and futsal is making terrific progress in the Act – some say better than the boys / mens! These are the ACT teams that campaigned their way through many round games to get a place in the Futsal Natinoals finals at the AIS last Friday;

U11 Girls Cobras
U15 Girls Cobras
Youth Womens Cobras
Open Womens Cobras
U16 Boys Cobras
Youth Mens Cobras
Open Mens Cobras

This is a sensational result. We pucnh above our division in Futsal and the competition is getting tougher each year.
And what about that terrific little Solomon Islands team – how good were these lads?
Futsal is growing fast and we need a good commercial sports model to allow it to grow. I just can’t help thinking about Viking Futsal – go back and have a listen to that interview, because so much of it makes so much sense.


Read More...

Tuesday 12 January 2010

Nearpost National Podcast






Download National Show we talk Socceroos, Dario Vidosic, A-League, Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and of course all the news, moves and opinions you could want.
And of course why Fozzie is wrong....again.

Read More...

Nearpost Canberra show

Peter Funnell writes:

This weeks program covers two very interesting themes – but related! What is a football curriculum anyway? The US organisation SoccerPlus FC has some very useful information.

Then we move to someone who has a lot of interesting things about building a footballer and being a coach. None other than Arsene Wenger, coach of Arsenal FC.

Download local show









The Futsal Nationals are underway in the ACT this week and we have a lot of young players representing the ACT. There is a galaxy of good games to go to, mens, womens, boys, girls, junior, youth, open, the lot and from all states in Australia. Go to Futsal Nationals for all the draws, times, locations and scores – pick a game and go and see it.

The program covers two very interesting themes – but related! What is a football curriculum anyway? The US organisation SoccerPlus FC has some very useful information.

Does your club or your age group in the High Performance program have a detailed curriculum they can produce for you to consider? And I don’t mean a few scratching on a scrap of paper or a few generalities, phrases, colloquial expressions! Ask them! If we want a technical revolution, there needs to be detailed planning and documention and resources available to be used and evaluated and amended as we go forward. How else can you make it work? . Given the new FFA National Curriculum, we need to start seeing this sort of detail emerge and quickly if coaches, players and parents are to make any meaningful use of the glossy FFA publication. In our case, it starts with our peak body, Capital Football, the Premier League clubs and the major Junior Clubs in the ACT. Then of course we go to “periodised training programs”, but that’s another story. This is one that the Near Post is only just beginning to get it’s teeth into in 2010. More to come.

Then we move to someone who has a lot of interesting things about building a footballer and being a coach. None other than Arsene Wenger, coach of Arsenal FC.

This coach knows plenty and all of it is applicable to all of us at every level of football in the ACT. We learn form the best at every level.

Read More...

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Yes Pim did cock up in Canberra didn't he!

Less than 12 months since we played Kuwaitin Canberra and look at the team. Expect to see 7 A-League players on the field tonight.

But how many started in Canberra.....meaning the National Coach stuffed up big-time, in my view, with his teams selections.

More so that many of his starting A-League players that Canberra night aren't EVEN in the squad this time!

Matt Simon, Matt McKay, Michael Zullo, Daniel Mullen, Matt Thompson, Mitch Nicholls, Tom Pondeljak all played a part in Canberra. None will start tonight, most aren't even in Kuwait!

Did a National Coach ever change a squad so much in under 10 months?

Read More...

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Socceroos v Kuwait...all aboard

If you're not in the starting eleven this time you ain't going to the World Cup are you?

Barring injury. Let's see who starts and who doesn't.

If you're not in surely you don't need a loan spell either. Go the beach!

Read More...

Nearpost national and local football shows...love it, want it.

Nearpost get stuck into the Socceroo wannabees, Roar and Moore and Postecoglou...all the news; is Viteslev good news for Sydney, should the Griff get gone, and a quiz question to die for from our own Paddy Bordier. Lucy Zelic and myself complete the panel of "experts."

Hope you enjoy our enthusiasm for the Aussie game...and a letter from Anthony Fergo Ferguson as he looks back on his decade of football.

Download here.






Locally:
Download here







In the first program for 2010 we give top billing to the development of junior footballers. Who better to talk to than Warren Grieve, the High Performance officer for Football West. He coached that fantastic Under 13 Boys team who captured the attention of all who saw them at the inaugural Australian FFA Under 13 Boys Nationals. They were the team that played “football” in all circumstances – the
“Barcelona of the West”.

Sadly, by contrast, the ACT Under 13 Boys team had a dreadful campaign. They were well off the pace and that said far more about our talented player development proves in the ACT than it did about the young lads that played for the ACT in this championships competition.

The question that should occupy our thoughts is whether Capital Football has made enough ground, preferably in the direction of Football West, to enable the ACT to be more competitive in the 2010 and play in style that gives meaning to the new National Curriculum.

The next championships in this age group will probably be in April 2010, so its not far away and is a good first examination of the new High Performance Football program. A bit harsh you say – well not really, because if it the HPP doesn’t work for this age group the entire development process collapses. Its that important! One thing is certain, you don’t need to win to be successful – the WA Under 13 Boys proved that last year.

Warren Grieve provides a candid insight into the conduct of the program that produces this wonderful young team that went on to provide a significant number of players to the inaugural Australian Under 13 team , including the Captain. As they say “the times they are a changing”! Oh yes, the inaugural FFA Under 13 Girls National Championships will be held at the same in 2010. Excellent.

Read More...