Nearpost Football

Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Nearpost Radio: Women galore

Is this the only sports show where women outnumber men?

Is there any other show about male sports where there are more women than men on tv or the airwaves.

This is un-Australian and should be stopped immediately.

Tonight Lucy Zelic and Michella Bertrand join Aaron Walker on the Nearpost.
They cover all the A-League and talk Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar.

Also Tom Sermanni checks in from America. I rang him to get an update on the Young Matildas team heading for the Asia Cup. I thought he'd be in Korea or China but when he picked up the phone he was in Chicago watching the WLS League and it's Aussie players before heading to Asia! Small world.

FFA: Run by Dick Van Dyke or Dick Head

Imagine listening to all that twaddle down the years about Small-Sided Games.

It develops your skill, it's great for technique, we must change blah blah blah.

I played small-sided games all my life, on the street with drains for goals. North of England, you know, life was tough we got up before we went to bed!

Anyway slowly Canberra changed, quicker than most, but still slow.

Under 10's last year. 9 v 9 3/4 pitch. Crap games, coaches want strategy and positions as the field is so big, the players so technically inept. Awful. We had fun but awful for player development.

This year Under 10's 7 v 7 much smaller pitch. Every player involved, amazing improvement in players skills. They still have fun.

So Dick Head comes out and say CHANGE BACK. Under 10's must now play on the bigger pitches, bigger teams.

Why? So the few elite players ,less than 1%, can be better prepared for the Under 12 State teams that form a squad which ultimately gets to trial for Australian Undr 13 side.

What a load of bollocks.

Oh and if Futsal is so good, 5-a-side and all, then why aren't we playing 5-a-side outdoor up to 10 or even eleven. I know I've lost this one but Australia has made the change, but it just isn't enough is it.

Monday, 27 July 2009

Santa: Not even for Christmas?

Every A-League player agent must be working overtime to secure their players a more lucrative contract in Asia, Europe, America, Antartica or wherever before the August deadline.

God bless the Agents as they work hard for Australian football.... mainly to send overseas.

Brendan Santalab another who returned from Europe with high hopes of taking it to the A-League, he didn't did he, has fled the Fury before a ball was kicked.

He's no loss. Oh sure a couple of stunning goals, a few runs off the bench and a lot of time injured, what did he give us?

He hasn't made it in the A-League, he won't make it in China.

How his Agent spammed him is beyond belief. Clearly the club has no idea who is coming, how unproven he is in recent years, consistently.

He's no loss, give me David Williams anyday. A younger Santalab with heaps to prove, and hunger to burn.

But one thing for sure is that although your local A-League club might have settled on a squad for next weeks start you couldn't guarantee Shane Smeltz, Adam Griffiths, Tarek Elrich, Ljubo Milicevic, Jason Culina ( I didn't mean that honest) and a host more will run out come game day could you.

Santa, well he'll be home for Christmas won't he. And when he's back I'll be giving him heaps not presents.

Sunday, 26 July 2009

Football Fanzine out August 5th

The name: Half-Time Heroes is holding the lead, but other names continue to be discussed:

4321
451
1443..and yes we know it doesn't add up...did you?
Lone Striker
Route One

But we're almost ready to go. We've got 16 writers from across the country, men and women, bloggers, new writers and most clubs covered.

Alternative, humour we love so if you think you can do it or know someone who would be great, and of course if you have something to contribute, a serious piece, design, cartoon, jokes, quips, shorts you name it we'll consider it; contact me flanagan.eamonn@gmail.com

Still no Mariners, or Jets specialists every other team is now covered but nae bother wait till they see what we write about their teams; bet the writers come flooding in then!

Don't forget to sign up on the right of the this blog if you want that first copy the day before the season begins.

Canberra Professional Football smashes AFL?

AFL the darling of Australian sport, here for 150 years and with my beloved St Kilda leading the way have only

ONE player, one current professional player Sydney Swans Craig Bolton drafted from Canberra in their league.

One, according to the Canberra Times.

Can that be right?

Football has at least 13 guys playing professional football and at least a couple of women.

Joe Simunic, Bundseliga.
Carl Valeri, Serie B
Matt Kemp, A-League
Nikolai Topor-Stanley, A-League
Kaz Patafta A-League
Shaun Ontong, A-League
Adam Casey, A-League
Kofi Danning, A-League
Andrew Baresic, A-League
Stephen Lustica, A-League
Luke Pilkington, A-League
Sam Munro, A-League
Cody Larkin ?, A-League

Have I missed anyone?

Add in Lydia Williams currently on the Chicago WSL list, Caitlin Munoz, and a host of others in the Canberra United W-League side and we're smashing the AFL production ranks in this city.

Canberra: No room for AFL?

Canberra Times was full of stories about how much money we should give the AFL to come to Canberra.

And as Don Furner the Raiders Coach said Brumbies, Raiders, maybe 6 AFL games if Western Sydney get in and a A-League team, the city can't sustain 4 codes.

So the logical argument is AFL get stuffed!

Why because they can only take from an extended Brumbies and existing Raiders seasons, not to mention the corporate dollar.

Raiders and AFL go head to head in Canberra today and I'd be surprised if either code gets 10,000.

So do we want to see our two existing teams ditched? I think not.

Not that we don't want AFL, just that six AFL games, and more Union games will hurt all three codes.

Football well we play in summer although there will be some slight cross-over.

However Brumbies, Raiders and AFL all playing in Canbera at the same time. That ain't possible is it? Blind Freddy can see that and Rugby League fans could see the death of the Raiders.

Let's face it they're hardly packing them in now are they?

So ACT Government why don't you put your AFL funds into A-League/football and promote this business.

All the A-League needs is a great marketing spend, a great image and inclusivity program and of course a strong and viable team.

A successful Canberra football team has more potential for this city than 6 AFL games ever will.

Go the Raiders and The Brumbies, Canberra to the core.

And of course ACT Govt, when you promise to give an A-League team $800,000 per year how come the Brumbies get $1,000,000 plus $750,000 this year and the Raiders get $1.5 million per year.

Dare I suggest all codes get less and equal amounts?

Saturday, 25 July 2009

Cartoonist wanted.

Know a football cartoonist, someone making their way in the world.

Our new Aussie football fanzine would welcome such a person.
Contact me flanagan.eamonn@gmail,com

Saturday media sux

So you wake up in the Professional Football forsaken city of Canberra.
Do the 2 degree dash to get the paper, Canberra Times and Sydney Morning Herald.

Straight to the sport. I'm a guy. Okay the A-League season is almost 10 whole days away, and in Canberra there are 20,000 players running out to play this weekend and in Sydney over 120,000.

So what do we get in the sports section?

Canberra Times: Nothing, absolutely nothing. Not one football story, men, women's local or national. You couldn't make it up could you.

How is it possible that there is not one story that might interest all the kids and parents who are involved in football.

Canberra Times seems to have a brain missing when it comes to their marketing section.

Sydney Morning Herald: One poxy story on Branko "I was desperate for an A-League job but you didn't hear it from me" Culina."

Oh well off to the footy with my kid, talk football with the other 1200 registered players and 3,000 parents at my club.... and let the Aussie media play their pretend games!

FFA on fire.

Football now spend $8 million per year on junior development/grassroots football. A long way from the AFL's $45 million but lightyears from the old days, and that figure will surely continue to grow in coming years.

Cottees announcing school football gala days, up to $20,000 for your club for up to three years from NAB/FFA and now this.

In an exciting boost for grassroots football, Optus and Football Federation Australia (FFA) are delivering special football kits to over 50,000 young football players in regional and urban areas around Australia as part of the latest Optus Small-Sided Football (OSSF) program.

All under 6 registered OSSF players across the country will receive a football kit, which includes a t-shirt, football and backpack. Their local club will also receive some much needed equipment and resource materials.

Type rest of the post here

Friday, 24 July 2009

Fiona Crawford: the real deal.

Over the last couple of years I've had many emails from followers of the W-League and football played by women and girls in general, and I think this reflects the growing numbers who play and watch football played by women.

And of course their lack of ability to get stuff about the game they play, watch and love.

There are many media outlets who cover the W-League without any real passion across the country, in my view, so when I belatedly came across Fiona Crawford on FourFourTwo and Goal.com I realised times are changing, even if it is slowly.

But it was Fiona's more broader writing on www.footballfix.com.au that intrigued me further.

So get off my blog all you followers of football played by women, I'm an imposter, a fraud, Fiona Crawford is the real deal.

That's where I'll be heading for my W-League fix.

Thursday, 23 July 2009

Aussie Fanzine: On it's way.

Well after much discussion with oneself the great Aussie and New Zealand football fanzine is on it's way.

Almost more exciting that the new season innit!

Looking like we've got some exciting writers, I'm genuinely excited by the quality of the writers who have said they'll contribute.

And it's called....Drum Roll.....Half-Time Heroes.

If you want to get the first edition when it comes out, sign up. I'm dead trustworthy as you know and will not use your email for anything other than forwarding Half-Time Heroes...once a month.

Subscribe to Aussie football fanzine: Half-Time Heroes

Aussie flags big in Japan

Check out the Josh Kennedy goal and towards the end the camera swings towards the home end celebrations.

Interesting to see so many Aussie flags already flying high to welcome Josh. This was only his debut!

Aussies on TV: Good old SBS

Forget the Ashes we've lost them, the Tour De France not a chance, as a true Aussie I've thrown my daughters bike away, chucked the cricket ball over next door, I'm now very focused on Diving, getting my daughter to practice immediately we won gold.

And great news this morn from little ol SBS all our Under 20 games live on Telly at some godly hour...but at least there on the telly hey.

SBS ONE
Monday 28 Sept
Czech Republic v Australia LIVE @ 0230 AEST

Wednesday 30 Sept
Australia v Costa Rica LIVE @ 2330 AEST

Sunday 4 Oct
Australia v Brazil LIVE @ 0615 AEDT
(Note daylight savings kicks in on Sunday morning)

Type rest of the post here

That leaves 2 out of 3!

AFL Great Ron Barassi says "By 2025 there will only be three professional football codes in Australia and when of them will be soccer" ( I think he meant football.)

With all the shenanigan in Union and League; the large increase in Union wages now on offer over the more established League code at a national level will it be one of these codes that suffer...or is Ron wrong?

Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Podcast: Adelaide and Brisbane

We talk Aussie football, news interview with the pissant.blogspot.com, Lucy Zelic, Russ Gibbs and myself give you all the Aussie news, and tell you why Brisbane and Adelaide will succeed or fail this year.

And unfortunately no local show this week. Tech volunteer is sick!

Quiz, issues dedications and more. Download here.

Come out come out wherever you are.

English Premier League starts early August....so where is the "I need an extra six weeks of pre-season training" Mark Viduka?

Or is he heading to Italy/Spain where pre-season starts around now maybe.
Either way if he doesn't start soon he's buggered for the World Cup.

He must be training somewhere right now, waiting for his transfer, but where..in Croatia, in England?

Maybe he's retired already.

Tuesday, 21 July 2009

Talent explosion starting to shine

"The number of youngsters in this country playing football at grass roots level is enormous and that's now providing more elite players at junior level and many of them come into the system."

Ernie Merrick talking to FourFourTwo

And this A-League season Kofi Danning, Ben Kantarovski, Mitch Nichols, Luke Devere and many many more young Aussie players are starting to change the Australian game.

Season 5: Awesome!

Aussie Fanzine progress

Update: We've got fourteen writers, four women, one ex-NSL player, 7 bloggers, 1 Football Radio Commentator, 3 radio hosts, three home end terrace squatters, a host of crap names for the title and that's it..so we're moving along nicely!

Suggested so far..keep em coming:

Ethnic Football monthly
Wogs sheila's poofters..lest we forget
Australia's Football Voice
Running, not Diving
Beyond Nicky
Over the Parrot
Proper Football
You'll Never Read Alone

And thanks NUFCMVFC below for your info, anyone else who can suggest someone send them this link.

Design page one layout, football cartoonist, writers with humour. Are you one of these or know someone who is.

Aussie Under 20's: Holland better in Holland?

Qantas Young Socceroos Head Coach Jan Versleijen has selected a squad of 20 players to participate in the Copa Ciudad de Rosario in Argentina as part of his team’s preparations for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup to be held in Egypt starting in two months time. The Qantas Young Socceroos will face fellow FIFA U-20 World Cup finalists Uruguay and the United States of America as well as Argentinean Youth team C.A. Tiro Federal.

But interesting there is no James Holland. Is it a case of training in Holland better than playing for Australia?

And Note no Tommy Oar despite the big wraps on him, but what about Nikola Stanojevic still at the AIS...does this mean he is exceptional..as his age must be 17???? Or less.

Luke Brattan (Brisbane Roar), Isaka Cernak Okanya (Brisbane Roar), Alex Cisak (Leicester City, UK), Peter Cvetanovski (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Kofi Danning (Sydney FC), Luke DeVere (Brisbane Roar), Nathan Elasi (Melbourne Victory), Antony Golec (Sydney FC), Jason Hoffman (Newcastle Jets), Matthew Jurman (Sydney FC), Osama Malik (North Queensland Fury), Tahj Minniecon (Gold Coast United), Aaron Mooy (Bolton Wanderers, UK), Sam Munro (Sydney FC), Jason Naidovski (Newcastle Jets), Mitch Nichols (Brisbane Roar), Chris Payne (Sydney FC), Andrew Redmayne (Central Coast Mariners), Nikola Stanojevic (AIS), Rocco Visconte (Hearts FC, Scotland)

Monday, 20 July 2009

Football Superstar arrives in Melbourne

So the journey from ANU to FOOTBALL SUPERSTAR begins...read the press release below...no press conference when he signed for ANU or did I miss it? Best of luck Luke.

Football Superstar arrives in Melbourne

Media are invited to attend a press conference in the VIP Room at Olympic Park Stadium tomorrow (Tuesday, July 21) at 11.30am.

Football Superstar winner Luke Pilkington will be unveiled as a Melbourne Victory player alongside Melbourne Victory Chairman Geoff Lord and Coach Ernie Merrick, and the club will also make a significant announcement ahead of the 2009/10 season.

Pilkington, 19, was last week crowned Football Superstar in the finale of FOX8’s hit reality television series, earning himself a one-year contract with Melbourne Victory Youth and a scholarship at Monash University.

Lord, Merrick and Pilkington will all be available for comment, with a photo opportunity to follow the press conference.

Media wishing to attend Pilkington’s first Melbourne Victory training session for photo/vision opportunities are invited to Gosch’s Paddock tomorrow (Tuesday, July 21) from 10am until 11am.

The movie they'll never make

When Harry met Timmy and Bernie

Dutch Coach for Canberra A-League team?

Gary van Egmond has already had to take a Public Service funded job and he's only been in Canberra a week.

The FFA has seemingly backed down on their Under 17 AIS/FFA Funded job....so now it's just an AIS position. A Public Servant!

And that means he must be a target for the Canberra A-League team.

He'll be in Canberra, and ready to guide the team forward and Canberra won't be paying comp either.

What about that Con? and more importantly come on Gazza we luv yer.

Saturday, 18 July 2009

Luke Pilkington: How did he keep so fit?

As far as I know Luke Pilkington plays for ANU FC in the ACT Premier League and yet was fit enough to win a contract, through Football Superstar with Melbourne Victory.

I doubt any young 18 year old from top sides Belconnen United or Canberra FC would be fit enough to win that competition without considerable extra training. Correct me if I'm wrong. And the lads from Tuggies well I don't think so do you.

For Luke to step from ANU to Melbourne Victory; was it his ANU FC John Mitchell led fitness program or some other training factor?

Either way he just got out before it was too late. No 19 year old from Canberra Premier League could ever make it to the A-League with their current fitness base could they?

Victoria ahead of Canberra? Surely not!

Junior Age Categories
• season commences: 16/17/18 october, 2009
• 11 ‘round’ home & away competition
• 9 competition weeks
• 2 gala rounds – 1 country-based & 1 metro-based
o gala rounds will coincide with w-league fixtures
• season concludes: 11/12/13 december, 2009

A lot of micky mouse football goes on in Canberra for the 36 weeks of the year when the junior season doesn't run. Yep that's right 36 weeks of non-competitive football and yet we are somehow supposed to be producing quality players, boys and girls.

So it's interesting at what is happening in Victoria. An eleven week season starting in October.

We might not get 18,000 players out for the summer season, but I reckon you get the players who were dead keen wouldn't you?

And don't tell me we can't get the grounds, we wouldn't get the players, can't organise it,..coz I'm sick of can't....nad six-a-side is great fun but a 16 games junior season ain't enough if your into football and want to improve.

And god help us if we want to keep with Victorian kids in coming years.

Following an extensive review of the inaugural 2008-09 summer league competition, FFV is delighted to announce some exciting improvements for Season Two!

Competition Name
To better reflect the representative nature of the competition and to recognise the talent the league attracts, the summer league competition will become known as ‘Victorian Champions League’. ‘Summer League’ served the FFV well in year one as a working name and helped to educate the football community on playing all-year-around. However, whilst it acknowledges the time of year that the competition runs, it fails to appropriately recognise that participants in this league are Victoria’s representative football talent. By re-branding the league to ‘Victorian Champions League’, the FFV believes its young talent, destined to be future champions, is more appropriately recognised.

Competition Branding
In addition to the branding being undertaken at zone level, to give each zone colours, a distinctive name and/or nickname and logo, the FFV has worked graphic designers to create a new ‘Victorian Champions League’ logo. This will be used in league promotional material and play an important role in setting the champions league apart from other football competitions in Victoria, further recognising it as the talented player league it is.

Competition Format
recognising that many of the teething issues in year one were the result of season length and fixturing, ffv has created a new competition format for the champions league.

Key format detail can be summarised as follows:

Open Women & u18 boys
• season commences: 16/17/18 october, 2009
• 11 ‘round’ home & away competition
• 9 competition weeks
• 2 gala rounds – 1 country-based & 1 metro-based
• season concludes: 11/12/13 december, 2009
• top ladder position crowned “Champions League Premiers”
• finals weekend: 18/19/20 december, 2009
• finals format: Saturday – semi-finals; sunday – grand-finals & classifications
• grand final winner crowned “Champions League Champions”

Junior Age Categories
• season commences: 16/17/18 october, 2009
• 11 ‘round’ home & away competition
• 9 competition weeks
• 2 gala rounds – 1 country-based & 1 metro-based
o gala rounds will coincide with w-league fixtures
• season concludes: 11/12/13 december, 2009
• catch up weekends: 18/19/20 december & 22/23/24 january
• top ladder position crowned “champions league premiers”
• 3-week finals series: 26/27/28 january; 5/6/7 & 12/13/14 february
o all teams play in all 3 weeks of finals
o refer attached document for finals series format explanation
• grand final winner crowned “champions league champions”

Some of the highlights of this structure are as follows:
• open women & u18 boys conclude pre-Christmas to ensure absolutely no clashes with pre-season for vpl & wpl clubs/other senior competitions
• junior competition concludes 8 weeks prior to April national championships and well before the junior season commences to avoid pre-season clashes
• all teams play each other only once, creating a fairer draw than inaugural season
• two gala weekends to showcase the competition firstly in regional, and then in metro locations and coinciding with w-league fixtures to create opportunity for summer league participants to support the w-league
• opportunity for teams to be ‘premiers’ pre-Christmas (top of ladder), and fight for the right win the ‘championship’ (winner of finals series) post-Christmas
• seeded pool set up for finals series which gives slight advantages to higher ranked teams, whilst also giving opportunity for lower teams to ‘surprise’
• all teams playing off for ‘rankings’ in the finals series, with a focus on final selection opportunities for state squads over these three weeks
• two ‘catch up’ weekends (late December ’09 and late January ‘10) to allow for any missed games to be re-scheduled to minimise forfeits, etc.
• season commences 1 week earlier than last year, but finishes 4 weeks earlier
• home and away hosting honours operate on a 2-year basis for equity purposes
• metro gala round hosting honours to also operate on a 2-year basis for equity purposes

Zone Committees & Incorporation
the FFV has resolved to continue the second year of the league with FFV staff as the appointed ‘directors’ of each of the zone companies. Current or re-formed working committees will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of each zone, with elections to formally appoint directors from within the zone being held over until 2010 when zone’s achieve 80% club membership. Ffv will continue to work with zones and their respective clubs to reach this membership target. Interested clubs should contact ffv for more information. Over the coming weeks, FFV will circulate application forms for working committee members for each zone. All existing committee members who wish to remain involved will need to complete the application, as will parties interested in joining their respective zone’s working committee.

Keep an eye on the new FFV website for more information on summer league as it comes to hand.

How many boys in your girls team?

PASCOE Vale soccer club says it was just making up the numbers when three boys helped to win a junior girls' match.

Just love junior football don't ya. If we're not slagging the ref, the opposing coach or worse still our own players, we're manipulating the offsides, teaching our kids to foul but this Melbourne club takes the annual award I reckon.

Talk about taking winning seriously....gotta larf at this Melbourne Club. They put three boys in their Under 12 girls team and won the game.

PASCOE Vale soccer club says it was just making up the numbers when three boys helped to win a junior girls' match.

But its opponents insist the club had 15 players and up to four girls on the bench at any one time.

Sandringham City complained after Pascoe Vale fielded three boys in its Under 12A girls game on June 28, which Pascoe Vale won 2-1.

A boy kicked the winning goal with what was described as an "unbelievably super-hard kick".

While Sandringham Soccer Club said the result was not important, it wants Football Federation Victoria to close a loophole allowing boys and men to play in girls' and womens' teams.

Pascoe Vale Soccer Club refused to comment yesterday, emailing a brief statement at 11.08pm.

In it, club president Lou Tona said he was disappointed it had been insinuated that the team fielded boys to try and win the game.

"I strongly deny that this was the agenda ... if the boys did not play the game, it would not have gone ahead,'' he said.

"We are very comfortable that all the work and communication required had taken place before the game, and had Sandringham not been happy with that they could have not started the game, In fact we were prepared to forfeit that game if required.

"The bottom line is that there was an under-12 game to be played and our club did everything it could for that to happen.

"It is also quite disappointing that the girl players in our team have been totally disregarded for this match and that the points have become the main focus.

Sandringham officials insisted they were not at any stage asked permission for the boys to play and that Pascoe Vale had more than a full team of 11 without the boys.

The officials said they complained to the referee several times but did not forfeit as it would have cost their team $500 and a 3-0 loss.

Football Federation Victoria's Junior Standing Committee will meet on Monday to discuss the issue and push for the loophole to be closed.

The organisation says it will look at the issue, probably for the 2010 season, but junior standing committee chairperson Graeme Smith insists action is needed now to prevent further problems.

He wants the FFV to apply to the Equal Opportunity Commission to have boys excluded from girls' comps.

"It's wrong. It's a win at all costs mentality," he said.

"These boys are more experienced, they're stronger, they're rougher. I don't blame the kids at all. It's the parents and the officials that do this.

"The three boys wouldn't have come up and said 'We want to play today in the under-12 girls'.

"This win at all costs attitude is really detrimental to the development of kids."

The loss could cost Sandringham City, known as The Matildas, the premiership, which is decided on ladder position.

But Sandringham officials said losing the game was not the issue.

Coach Georg Robers said his girls felt intimidated and did not want to play against the boys.

"One girl was really upset. She was tackled very hard (by the boys). I think the FFV should show leadership on this issue," he said.

Sandringham girls co-ordinator Ken Montgomery said he complained to the referee but there was nothing he could do.

"The way it is at the moment any club could do that to gain an unfair advantage," he said.

Jakarta bombs World Cup bid.

With the decision for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup being made in 2011 I guess the bombs in Jakarta this week mean Australia has one less Asia competitor to host the 2022 World Cup.

Friday, 17 July 2009

Aussie Fanzine: Should we do it?

Update: We've got fourteen writers, a host of crap names and that's it..so we're moving along nicely!

Well what would you even call it.

It would be something to read maybe when Matty Mckay shoots wide, or when Danny Allsopp hits the corner flag, or Danny Tiatto gives the game a rest with one of his tackles or when Kevin Muscat starts arguing with ref, Cristiano goes for a roly poly.

A 300-500 word contribution from a fan of every A-League club, plus a small number of 25-40 words facts, humour, rumour from each club. And we'd be ruthless, we'd only use the best material. Not funny, not entertaining, not worth a read, we'd return it with thanks..try the other codes!

Socceroos? Matildas, even each W-League club, why not. All we need is the writers.

Distribution is free, no costs, no wages, online production, online distribution and away you go.

A graphic design(er) required for the first edition.
Tony Tannous..he couldn't resist could he? Surely not.
The Football Tragic..we'd need him
Spawning Salmon,
Yer Man from the Fury
Hamish from the Roar
The Fisherman's Friend would be needed
Sarah from Sydney
Eamonn or Fergo from Perth
NUFCMVFC
Stamarocks
Brownie from the Yellow Fever
The Jets..if we can't get Con they'd have a fan who'd die to write surely.

It's all there innit.

And that's just a few I know. I'd imagine there'd be a heap of quality out their.

Spread the word and see if:

We have a graphic designer
Writers

And maybe, just maybe we'll get this thing off the ground.

Anyone seen an Aussie number 10?

Jason Culina could be a playmaker for the Gold Coast, and he's Australian. But we need more and when you look around the A-League there is a dearth, particularly from the Aussies

Each club needs a Carlos Hernandez, or someone heading that way, and from that group of ten playmakers only then can we push one or two overseas and only then will we get one good enough to play internationally for the Socceroos.

Nicky Carle was great for the Jets, but he's gone and still only a Championship player and no real star man even at Crystal Palace. Do they play Champions League?

Mitch Nichols I like a lot at the Roar and hopefully will be good enough to push Charlie TimTam Miller out. And maybe he'll go on to Championship football as well, given his age maybe he'll go higher.

Kaz Patafta, the jury is out. Steve Corica, age has taken him.

Adelaide's Shin is held high but he's Korean, Hernandez, Daniel (Brazilian) at the Phoenix, Sikora (Dutch) at Perth, even John Hutchison at the Mariners is Maltese now!

We need more and here's hoping we see someone, another Aussie or five breaking through this year. Don't expect it do you?

Any ideas?

Jason Culina: Why?

Whatever level of sport you play at stepping down at the peak of your career to play at a lower level is practically unheard of. These guys are born winners and focus on winning and everything that goes with it.

Craig Johnston stopped completely at 28, but can you imagine Ronaldo stepping down to division 2 anytime soon, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, or Roger Federer at their peak stepping down to local tournaments only.

It doesn't happen.

Even at the amateur level I've never heard of a local Premier League going to play div 4 when they are at their peak

So why has Jason Culina, 29, having had just a few short years at PSV in the Dutch Ere Division and Champions League stepped down to the A-League?

He went over to Ajax relatively late, struggled, before re-emerging with Twente and then had just 4 seasons at the top. All that work to throw it all away. What is going on?

And what makes Jason Culina so different, so interesting?

Tony Popovich came back to "help the A-League" after grabbing a year in Qatar...yeah right Tony, John Aloisi came back only when no-one else wanted him and grabbed an overflated salary to boot. Mark Viduka won't comeback, seemingly hasn't earned enough. Mark Scharzwer, Tim Cahill, Lucas Neill, Harry Kewell they ain't coming are they...ever!

The point is footballers are mercenaries, fair enough, and play it seems and move only for money.

We know Mile Sterjovski is on $700,000, John Aloisi on $1.2 mill a goal or a season, and Archie Thompson $400,000 so why has Culina come back?

And is he indeed the most highly paid footballer in the country, surely he came back for more than the over-paid, under-worked ageing John Aloisi.....or has he really come back at the peak of his career for Australia, game and country.

Don't get me wrong I'm absolutely delighted he's back, but I don't get it, not at 29.
And the Aussie journo's being what they are haven't seemed to get the real answer on this one for me!

Thursday, 16 July 2009

Canberra talent deserves a go dunnit

So the Canberra lad won the National TV Football Superstar Melbourne Victory contract. Nice one Luke.

And with so many Canberra boys coming through wouldn't it be nice, nay deserved on quality alone, to see a team in the A-League from this region.

So here goes with current transfer value in brackets.

Keeper

Codey Larkin (Adelaide United Youth,)

Defence

Matthew Kemp (Melbourne Victory, 30, Value $200,000)
Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Newcastle Jets, Socceroo, 23, Value $300,000)
Josip Simunic (Hoffenheim, Bundesliga, Croatian International, 31, $6 million)
Luke Pilkington (Melbourne Victory 18, Value tbd.)

Midfield

Kaz Patafta (Newcastle Jets, Australian Under 17, 20, Value $50,000)
Shaun Ontong (Newcastle Jets, Australian Under 20, 22, Value $50,000)
Adam Casey (Sydney FC, Olyroo, 22, Value $150,000)
Carl Valeri (Grossetto Serie B, Socceroo, 24, Value $2 million)
Stephen Lustica (Gold Coast United, 18 Australian Under 18, Value tbd.)

Forwards
Kofi Danning, (Sydney FC, Australian Under 20, 18 Value $250,000 and rising.)
Andrew Baresic (Gold Coast United, 22, Value $100,000 and rising.)
Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus, J-League Socceroo, 27, Value $2,000,000)

and that makes 13 and a fair bit of football class in those guys.

Have I missed any certain Canberra starters?

Sam Munro and a heap of others running around in NSWPL will be itching to get in the team, not to mention all the guys at the AIS and all Luke's mates in the local Premier League.

Add in a couple of non-Canberran overseas players, maybe a couple of other Aussies and you'd have a squad to compete with any A-League side.

So of course we wouldn't get all these in any one season but the point is Canberra has the talent.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)