Aussie kids at the Gothia opening ceremony. Apparently it was amazing. Sounds it!
The girls and the boys team from Woden Valley got to walk out with their Aussie flags and kangaroo to a crowd of 52,000 - yes that's 52,000.
It was like the Olympics, and here comes Australia!!
Amidst the gloom a chink of light.
Canberra Football suffered a black day on Friday according to a report below. But as often in these times a real hero steps up. Coaches of two ACT Premier League sides are praised for their leadership.
Report from Peter below.
It was disappointing to see the adverse publicity in the Canberra Times over the first Friday night football match at Deakin, between Woden Valley FC and O’Connor Knights Premier League teams.
I was there and the violent incident that punctuated an interesting game (not a spiteful game), was just sickening. So I guess we should think twice before we say our game doesn’t have behavioural problems, or setting ourselves up to be better than other codes.
Our game, like any other has its fair share of idiots on and off the field, and so it was on Friday night.
I felt sorry for the coaches for both teams, because what happened, in an otherwise desperate and competitive struggle, did not reflect their intentions or abilities. Coaches cannot coach for these contingencies, but they are left with the fallout.
There are always examples of unacceptable behaviour and sometimes violent behaviour by players that sit outside the rules of the game and give you reason to cringe.
Every now and again you get a game that just goes wrong, disrupted by petulant, self serving displays by players (usually and thankfully on most occasions) toward referees which is hard to watch or condone and in equal measure.
Sadly, danger enters the scene on the field (and sometimes from idiot spectators) when as they say, we get the “second man in” – that special brand of a fool and coward for a player, who decides to indulge himself by entering into the fray. The victim is usually “king hit” in some form or another and the risk of very serious injury is ever present.
On the sideline, you get the occasional moron who throws a tanty, making that single mistake of thinking the game on the field is not the main entertainment and that it’s all really about him.
These are the individuals that really kick off bad situations at the game and referee’s can’t do a lot about it. Police can and on Friday night it came close to calling the Police and perhaps someone did.
If they had it was good judgement, although we were lucky that the situation cooled down sufficiently for it not to be necessary – but not by much!
I have watched my club (Woden) play two games in successive weeks in which some of our players crossed the line, giving us all reason for embarrassment and regret. The offences centred around swearing, ungentle manly conduct and poor on field behaviour, not violence. They arose out of games that could not be described in way as “spiteful games”, which is unnerving.
But never ask a player what he did to get sent off – their first response is “I’m f….d if I know”. Yeah sure mate! Denial is big among fools for footballers. Someone one else is always to blame! One thing is also certain – they didn’t think of the club or their team mates or the game when they behaved badly. Just themselves.
Capital Football disciplines them and clubs too often leave the offender without any administrative consequences. Clubs can be very unhappy with a player for his behaviour and wish he were not among them, but do nothing.
Why? Too scared to lose a player? The truth is that these players are not “character” of the game, they are just badly behaved individuals. Who needs them?
These two weeks have illustrated (to me) the frustration respectful and decent players, coaches and supporters can feel, and complications for the future when unpleasantness happens on the field.
Its made all the more difficult when the incidents come out of games that were not inherently nasty games of football and when the blame could not be conveniently shunted onto referees.
Importantly, if you asked those that watched the club play regularly or were at training regularly, they would probably say they were “not surprised” by the unacceptable behaviour” of the offender(s). How often do you hear that when someone has been sent from the field? Makes you think.
Before I go on, I want to make one other point to clubs and Capitol Football about players, particularly in the Premier League. Aside from a couple of cashed up clubs who are able to pay and retain senior players, the age across the PL / PPL /P18’s is very young.
Our club is known as a young club, we operate (like a number of others) on the smell of an oily rag, and filed teams that have average ages this year of 19 / 18 /17 years respectively. That means we have a high proportion of “minors” in our teams. I repeat “minors”.
That brings a lot of issues to the table that must be managed very carefully. On Friday night following the violent on field incident, I looked at our back four and I reckon it included 15, 17 and 18 year old players. None of these lads were involved in the violent incident, but they could easily have been drawn into the mess that threatened to engulf the game.
The victim, an O’Connor Knights player didn’t look too old to me as he walked holding his head where he had been kicked. The two offenders were from my club.
But I get ahead of myself. This is what I observed when following my Premier League club in the last two weeks.
The first incident was a premier league game (PPL) which saw the teams unable to assert the ascendancy and both playing pretty ordinary football. Coaches on both sides were not happy. Players were getting frustrated with themselves, not their opponents, but there was developing pressure.
It was a game played without a hint of nastiness. Into this picture came a quixotic ref who decided to police players with their shirts not tucked into their shorts. He pursued it like a man on a mission. A spectator wondered if this was an instruction from the referee’s hierarchy, but most thought not.
One of our players displayed his immaturity when for the second time he was told to tuck his jersey into his shorts. He made a juvenile unsporting gesture to another player and got a yellow card – well deserved.
He was now firmly in the ref’s sights and for good reason and that came as no surprise to his club coaches, staff and some other players. There was only one way this was going to go. He’s not big enough or strong enough to pull the skin off a rice custard, and I suppose we should thankful for that, but he has a sharp tongue, matched only by episodes of arrogance and ignorance. He holds his place because he is genuinely talented, people talk of his “potential”, but he is a bit of a serial pest and “potential” is seldom realised!
In times gone by they would have simple said “he’s a bloody young goose”. But of course that’s not PC these days is it?
So their we have it – game conditions favourable, frustration levels going up, a picky ref and a young goose! What a brew.
You guessed it, his jersey came out again and the ref chipped him. Instead of just putting his jersey back in like the other players from both teams, he decided to ask why and debate the issue, a hissy-fit followed and a second yellow card and leave the field.
More petulant behaviour and an embarrassed and angry coaching staff and other players by the manner of his departure. Our team was down a goal and as often happens, when the player left they lifted, even played some good football and got an equaliser.
The offending player is now out for a few weeks. Is that the end of it? Some would no. They would say that he should be stood down from the club for the rest of the season, because who needs this rubbish and there are plenty of other young players who play by all the rules, even when they don’t think it is exactly fair or reasonable.
But like most community based clubs, I guess they will feel that the bad behaviour was resolved by Capital Football. In truth, nothing is likely to have been resolved because you wont convince this young fellow that he was in the wrong – its all someone else’s fault.
The second incident is just as frustrating but far more dangerous and violent.
I watched the first premier league game on Friday night. Again, it was not a spiteful game, not at all. The team I watch was down two goals by half time, following a previous round flogging by CFC (biggest in anyone’s recent memory).
They were not playing good football. The second half started to look better for my team, then it happened.
Two opposing players contested the ball and jostled each other. They reached that point where it was move on with the game or escalate the confrontation. Smart players walk away.
This didn’t happen and jostling became punches thrown and wrestling on the ground. I though our player was the one more responsible, but who really knows looking at it from the fence.
Importantly, they both had moved quickly from probable warning, to yellow card to send off in quick time, though mercifully, neither seemed to have hurt the other. Lots of huff and puff.
In to this stupidity came the “Second man” (from the club I watch) and things went through the roof. For reasons best known to himself and nothing to do with football, he kicked the opposition player in the head while he was wrestling on the ground.
Unbelievable! This triggered a melee on the field, though in fairness most players were keen to stop things. On the sideline, the coaching staff , club personnel, other club players and spectators were outraged by this dangerous and violent behaviour.
People went on to the field that had no business being there, but by sheer good luck it did not translate into a full scale brawl. It takes more time to tell of it than it did when it happened. But make no mistake, this was a dangerous situation.
Among my clubs supporters, we were all aghast and embarrassed, after it was clear that no serious damage had been done to the young opposition player. Our coach was horrified by what one of his players had done and was doing all he could to ensure the players, particularly our young players, did not get into a very bad situation.
He was successful in doing so. He was Capitol Football’s Coach of the Year last season and for good reason – he is a thoroughly decent man. He was visibly shaken by what had happened and took it personally.
The opposition coach was inspirational among his club; he demanded and got reason from his players and most of his officials and spectators. He took decisive action to contain his hotheads and that made a big difference in a bad situation that could easily have got right out of control – on and off the field. This was real leadership in action.
Nearpost National Show:
Ed Hollis talks about his Tottenham day job.
We preview the A-League, talk Olyroos and update on the Canberra A-League bid.
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Locally:
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Woden Valley's Ed Hollis, Rachael Harrigan, Kadee Hollis and Amy McCloughlin talk Dane Cup, and their trip of a lifetime.
Ivan Slavich gives an update on the Canberra A-League bid as he heads off to meet the FFA.
Weston Creek's Cath Temple and Nearpost Host Russ Gibbs in the temporary 2XX Studio.
As football registrations continue to boom across Canberra, our local clubs rely on an increasing number of unsung heroes to provide children with the opportunity to play.
Kath Temple, from Woden Valley, has a passion for children, for their development and thankfully for the sporting community of Canberra, for fooball.
Kath has played football for fourteen years. She is now a Kanga Cup Co-Cordinator, as well as the Woden Valley Kanga Cup Co-ordinator. Kath is Wodens’ Junior Rooball Co-ordinator, she also coaches her sons Under 12 side. She has worked extensively in her professional capacity as Childcare Director and School Age care director at the YMCA, and brings many of her professional skills and observations to her various football volunteer roles.
Kath joined us at the Nearpost this week.
“I think if you have a passion for something you really find time. This is important to me. I played for 14 years, I have a son who plays in the Under 12’s,” opened Kath.
“I coach because my son nagged me for 3 years. I fell in love with it, it’s a great side of the game, and I revel in the opportunity to be around as many kids as possible.
“I was a Director of Childcare for 18 years. My professional background is Childcare, and School Age care and holiday programmes with the YMCA. I love it.
Playing Career
“I played for 14 years with University of Canberra. In my time there I had an exceptional coach in Paul Fitzpatrick. Fitzy taught me almost everything I know.
“I have 3 brothers who are Rugby League freaks really. My younger brother had to play soccer until he was older. I tagged along with him at Katoomba United in the Blue Mountains. But I got roped in to play and I loved it from then on.
“When I started at the University of Canberra we had one team. We were never taken seriously right through until one year we had a team in every Grand Final.
Rooball insights
Kath is now the Rooball coach at Woden Valley. Small Sided Games (SSG’s)are now being pushed hard across Australia by the Football Federation.
Kath says, ”The SSG’s have been in for a couple of years now, so bit by bit we are getting used to them. This is all about communication and re-education of parents who may have played the game, or parents who never did play these rules. It’s not going too badly.
“It’s not quite standardised yet across the ACT, but everyone’s doing their best. Not all clubs are cashed up. Some have new size goals for the Under 11’s and 12’s and some don’t. Everyone is doing their level best to get the kids on a field of any size.
“The younger children (3-8’s) all they want to do is be with their mates and kick a ball and run around. Children at that age, developmentally just play and play and keep going. With less kids on the field and more time to touch a ball and experience actually kicking a ball around there are a lot of positive attitudes coming out and the kids are happy.
“My son coaches an Under 8 team. The refs are great. They actually help the kids.
“The SSG’s gives the kids a better opportunity to be involved,” says Kath.
Some concerns have been raised about the lack of goalkeepers.
“A lot of kids do not have the gross motor skills to goal keep a ball. If you put kids in too early they will get scared and walk away from the game.
“We’ll see how it goes but I’m all for the SSG’s.”
Kanga Cup
Kath has been busy organising for this years Kanga Cup. There are a record 229 teams entered. Smashing last years previous high of 175.
“We’ve got 9 teams in, five boys and four girls. It’s just fantastic. One of our teams, the Under 13 girls won the plate last year, so they’re back.
“I think this tournament is everything it should be, the whole spirit of football, even getting together with the teams on Monday night for dinner,it’s great!”
And the Nearpost team thanks Kath Temple for her time. You can catch the full interview on the podcast on www.nearpost.blogspot.com
Next week’s guest is Director of Coever Coaching Australia Jason Lanscar. If you have any questions you’d like raised with Jason email them to flanagan.eamonn@gmail.com
A-League Manager, Politicians, Socceroos, Local players and Local Celebrities will help Woden Valley celebrate the launch of their new clubhouse on Sunday at 11am.
Fantastic effort. And the Woden Valley Girls Under 14 side are off to play a game in Japan in July and then head to the Dane Cup, in Denmark. The team has raised over $80,000.
Some effort, some club.
It’s Canberra Football but not as you knew it!
The Weekender this weeks looks at the changing face of Canberra Football.
Canberra Football is booming on and off the field. It wasn't always so. But as Woden Valley celebrate the opening of their new clubhouse on Sunday 18th May with Central Coast Mariners Lawrie McKinna, Ahmed Elrich and Sasho Petrovski in attendance, I took a look at the changes occurring across the Capital.
Twenty years ago, when I came to Canberra, we had plenty of grass, but few clubhouses, a few shared ovals and that was about it. People used to complain we had little access to football news, little media coverage and few resources. There was little sense of unity, or purpose.
How this community has changed.
Have you noticed the building that has been going on across this city?
Clubs across Canberra have been building. Not just Stadiums and Clubhouses but building community.
They’ve been building with pride; producing match day programmes that run to many pages, Internet websites full information, we now have TV Coverage on ChannelVision, Club Newsletters, Blogs, A radio show and more football, and football coaching than you could hope to watch or ever read about. There are intra-club tournaments, interstate tournaments and international events.
Here’s four clubs, just four, each leading the way.
Woden Valley celebrate 20 years as a club next Sunday. And what a celebration it will be. With a new Clubhouse to be opened, Politicians, Central Coast Manager Lawrie McKinna, Socceroo Ahmed Elrich will all attend. A celebrity football match, small games for the young, skill tests for the old, it promises to be a great day.
Belconnen United has the splendid McKellar Stadium. For men and women it is a great place to play and watch football. Last years Premier League finals pulled in over 2,000 people. The Stadium sets a standard for the City.
Not to be outdone Premier League Champions Canberra FC now has its own new Stadium. The club has produced possibly the most number of professional players of all our local clubs over the years. They have also invested heavily in new infrastructure.
Fomer Socceroo and Canberra FC player Ned Zelic, who has just secured the Georgian Championship and will play next season in the Champions League, turned the first sod in early 2007.
And recently, as the new season approached, I wandered in and found Club Captain Paul Ivanic, Technical Director Nado Spaleta working hard to get things finished. The place has a feeling of pride about it.
And feel free to take a look when you are passing the Deakin Stadium, it looks great with seating for 2,100.
Tuggeranong United are an old Canberra Club. As our city grows Tuggers has become a community with vision and confidence.
Club Captain Jeremy Butler impressed me recently on Nearpost radio as he spoke of building a club for the community. A man with heart, a man with passion. He told of the clubs charity work and annual events. He outlined the plans to move forward with Kambah Oval. Already the ground has a fence, next a quality pitch, a Clubhouse and more. Watch this space.
And of course Capital Football has big plans for Hawker Oval. The ACT Government promised new lighting in the recent budget and a new pitch preparation.
The football playing community is exploding. We have talented people, very talented people, from all walks of life in our midst.
Businessmen and women, politicians, journalists professors, tradespeople and children all playing the game. All involved in some way in their local club.
Woden Valley has set a standard for overseas trips for the young. In this city,in this area, they clearly lead the way. Their approach to football development has also to be applauded. They are well advanced with Small Sided Games introduction; their desire to teach and improve our children’s football experience and all round development is exciting to see.
When the people of Woden Valley enjoy their twenty year celebration on May 18th they are doing something more than playing football.
Like the other clubs around the region they are building community, building a future. Football has always been so much more than a game. Canberra football clubs have clearly recognised this.
And I know some other club have plans to build.Some are further advanced than others. If you'd like to put me right or highlight what your club is up to, please drop me an email.
Woden Valley will open their new Club House on Sunday 18th May 11-3pm. Events galore for young and old.
And Central Coast Mariners Lawre McKinna, Ahmed Elrich and Sasho Petrovski will be in attendance. More details next week.
Capital Football Vice-President Rachel Harrigan and tweleve year old Kadee Hollis live on air on last Tuesday's show.
Our first ever junior guest, Kadee you were a star, thanks.
Last Tuesday we had Woden Valley junior Kadee Hollis in the studio.
Kadee is off with her club to the huge International Youth tournament the Dane Cup, via a game in Japan!
An amazing support crew is on board as I'm sure you'll agree.....
Kadee is in the local Woden Valley under 14 side heading off to the Dane Cup, a massive junior tournament in Denmark in July.
This Under 14 side is:
Managed by former Matildas World Cup 1999 and 2000 Olympics Sports Psychologist and Capital Football Vice-President Rachel Harrigan
Ed Hollis's daugher is Kadee. Ed is also making the trip. (he did it two years ago with the previous side that went.)
Ed is the ex-Tottenham physio (last year) and of course he has many many great stories from his time in England. He was also physio to the Raiders and Brumbies in Canberra.
oh and the The Coach is none other than former Socceroo George Kulscar.
The team stopped last time enroute and played a game in Shanghai this time it's Japan.
The Dane Cup is huge and is held in a unique football town in Denmark where the women's facilities are better than the men's according to Ed Hollis.
Australia's former Matilda Ali Foreman, who played professional football in Denmark, now runs the whole competition.
What an impressive line-up and what a marvellous opportunity for all involved.
Cameron Gordon and Marcin Zygmunt, are Woden Valley players heading off for training this week with the Central Coast Mariners.
Great for the guys, but hurts to see Canberrans leaving town for another A-League club.
With the news filtering through about an A-League bid for Canberra, hopefully the lads won't have so far to travel in future. Good luck lads.
Full report below from Chris Gottas below
Woden making waves on the Coast
The relationship between the Hyundai A-League’s Central Coast Mariners and two Capital Football clubs is already proving fruitful with two Woden Valley players the latest Canberra footballers to get a call up for training this week on the coast.
The Woden Valley Football Club receiving some good news, following a disappointing season on the paddock, that Cameron Gordon and Marcin Zygmunt will travel north today to train with the currently undefeated Hyundai A-League leaders.
“It’s been a very difficult season this year for our first grade side but this news is a great reward for two of our more committed players this season and the club is genuinely excited about the chance,” Woden Valley Premier League coach Tony Olivera said.
The two players will get a chance to train with the first grade team tomorrow and Wednesday following the Mariners impressive performance against the Melbourne Victory yesterday.
“I made sure Cameron and Marcin watched and studied the Mariners game against the Victory, hopefully it will give them some confidence to get involved with team discussions while they’re up there.”
A program was established between the Woden Valley club and the Mariners in June when the professional outfit were visiting town for a trial match against Belconnen United, the program will see two players make the trip north annually.
The program extends to the youths providing a pathway for the largest junior club in Canberra which will see a number of under 18’s to train with their Central Coast academy as well.
“We’re hoping that opportunities such as these will strengthen our club as we pursue our journey through the Capital Football Premier League, we’re hoping these players can return home with the hunger to achieve success at that elite level,” Olivera said.
Belconnen United is the other team with a Central Coast Mariners agreement. Premier League goal keeper Ben Cheyne has already trained with the squad at the start of the year and impressed their officials.
These lads could be on the start of a very long journey. Not just at this tournament. Who knows where we may be reading their names in future years.
QANTAS JOEYS BEGIN INTERNATIONAL JOURNEY
Australia’s latest crop of Qantas Joeys will take their first steps in an international environment next week when an 18-strong squad will depart Australia to compete in the Toyota International Youth Football Championship in Japan.
The Qantas Joeys will commence the long-road towards qualification for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup with participation in the prestigious annual six-nation tournament.
Australia will meet Japan and the USA in their group matches before play-off matches will decide the tournament placings with the Korean Republic, United Arab Emirates and a Japanese High Schools team in the other group.
The Qantas Joeys will spend three days in camp in Sydney before departing for Japan on Sunday.
In keeping with the age bracket for the 2009 World Cup, coach Martyn Crook will take an underage squad to the U-16 tournament in Japan consisting primarily of players in the U-15 category supplemented by three players in the U-16 age group.
“This tournament will be a great experience for such young players and will provide an ideal test for them both as individuals and as a group ahead of the start of qualifying in October,” said Crook. Australia will travel to Singapore in October for the first stage of qualifying with two of six teams to progress to next year’s AFC U-16 Championship.
The Qantas Joeys squad is:Mark Birighitti (WA*), Bailey Wright (VIC), Marc Warren (NSW), Fabio DiLizia (VIC*), Anthony Bran (VIC*), Jared Lum (NSW), Joel Miller (SA), Benjamin Kantarovski (NNSW), Stephen Domenici (ACT), Joseph Costa (SA), Kamal Ibrahim (VIC), Tedros Yabio (VIC), Nikola Stanojevic (NSW), Danai Gapare (ACT), Brendan Hamill (NSW), Petar Franjic (VIC), Christopher Bush (NSW), Nicholas Tubbs (QLD)(* Players born 91, all other players born 92)
Training match v TBCTuesday 7 August
Australia v JapanThursday 9 August, 16:30 (17:30 AEST)
Australia v USA Saturday 11 August, 16:30 (17:30 AEST)
Sunday 12 August, Play-off match
Andrew Young former coach of the ACT Under 14 side tells with pride of an historic day for Canberra football.
"Four of that side have made the progession to the Joey's. (The Australian Under 17 side.)
"We've never had four in the team before."
The Under 17 Australian side has been Captained by the likes of current Socceroo Canberran Carl Valeri.
In fact Carl Valeri was spotted by Inter Milan when he was playing for the Under 17 side.
The four ACT boys selected are:
Chris Bush.Woden Valley
Alex Meibush Woden Valley
Danai GaparieWoden Valley
Steven Domenici Belconnen (if anyone knows Steven's club could you please post it thanks.)
