SOCCER THE 2022 league season gets underway this weekend with high hopes that for the first time in three years a full season can be completed. There are a few local clubs that fancy their chances this year none more so than Frankston Pines. However head coach Kevin “Squizzy” Taylor is on holiday in the UK and will miss the first three games. Assistant Paulo Pinheiro takes over as Pines embarks on a State 3 campaign it hopes will go some way towards making up for the club’s bitter disappointment at the outcome of the previous two seasons. Mornington rounded…
Author: Craig MacKenzie
SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines captain CJ Hodgson won’t play this season due to post-concussion syndrome. Hodgson was substituted in a friendly against Mazenod early last month after a head clash. The 28-year-old has suffered multiple concussions throughout his career which now hangs in the balance as there is uncertainty over whether he can return. “I knew something wasn’t right straight away as my eye was going weird and there was blurriness so I had to come off,” Hodgson said. When a teammate phoned later that night it was clear that all was not well. “I was lying in bed when Marinos…
SOCCER RHYS Craigie could be the last piece of the promotion jigsaw put together by Mornington gaffer Adam Jamieson. The 24-year-old Scottish midfielder arrived in Melbourne just over a week ago for his second stint in State 1. Edinburgh-born Craigie was picked up by Hearts when he was just nine-years-old and was involved with the Jambos until he was 18. “I played one year full-time at Hearts then they released me and I signed with Stenhousemuir,” Craigie said. In 2019 he was on holiday in Melbourne when invited to Beaumaris for a two-week trial. He signed with Mornington’s State 1…
SOCCER SEAFORD United players walked off Edithvale Recreation Reserve pleased with the 3-2 away win that kept their promotion hopes alive in State 4 South. It’s Friday 30 July, 2021 and no-one has the slightest inkling that this is Seaford’s last appearance in State League ranks for some time. Perhaps forever. Peter Schwellinger was in his first full season as senior coach and along with assistant Andy Lancaster had embedded belief and structure in the squad. When COVID-19 forced Football Victoria to call a halt to the league Seaford was third, one point behind second-placed Endeavour United after 12 games.…
SOCCER THE first qualifying round of the 2022 Australia Cup was held last weekend and of the six local clubs in action just two survived this Victorian section of the national competition. The rebranded knockout tournament replaces the FFA Cup and last weekend’s opening involved local State 4 and State 5 clubs Baxter, Chelsea, Somerville Eagles, Rosebud, Aspendale Stingrays and Mount Martha. Seaford United was involved in the Cup draw but forfeited its away clash with Westside Strikers Caroline Springs FC. Peninsula Strikers, Skye United and Frankston Pines participate in the Cup next weekend but the draw had not been…
SOCCER LANGWARRIN has sealed the signing of attacking midfielder Keiran Dover from NPL heavyweight Bentleigh Greens. It’s a massive coup for the local club but its off-season splurge may not end there as another NPL star is considering joining Scott Miller’s men. The curtain falls on the NPL transfer window at 5pm on Thursday but already what surely is the strongest squad ever assembled at Lawton Park is preparing an assault on the NPL2 title and a historic place in Victoria’s elite club competition. Dover, 25, has reached the highest levels in Australian club soccer making his debut for Melbourne…
SOCCER THE Fijian tsunami surging through Frankston Pines continued unabated last week when the State 3 title contender announced the signing of 19-year-old Thomas Dunn from Navua FC. Pines currently have goalkeeper Aeseli Batikasa, defender Penni Tuigulagula, midfielder Savenaca Baledrokadroka and striker Tito Vodowaqa on their books while midfielder Jordan “Caka” Avraham has previously been selected in the Fijian under-23 national squad. While Baledrokadroka still is trialling at NPL3 outfit Doveton the local club expected Tuigulagula and Vodowaqa to train this week despite both players trialling with Springvale White Eagles recently. And the influx of Fijian stars doesn’t end there…
SOCCER THE 10th staging of the annual Steve Wallace Cup was put on hold last weekend after clubs were hit with player unavailability due to the current pandemic. Instead host club and event organiser Langwarrin changed Saturday’s usual format from group and finals stages to a number of one-off 90-minute games. “The day still went well and was well attended,” Langwarrin president Tanya Wallace said. She plays a pivotal role in organising the charity event named in her father’s honour and this year over $2000 was raised and will be donated to Frankston Hospital’s Emergency Department. The revamped tournament was…
SOCCER THE panic attacks are less frequent now but anxiety is a regular companion. Such is the lot of Tanya Wallace, 32, Langwarrin soccer club president and registered nurse who works in emergency at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Fear and uncertainty are ever present on the pandemic frontline and part of her everyday life. “The second lockdown in 2020 was the hardest one,” she said. “I couldn’t see my mum or my brother for three or four months and we had an outbreak in my hospital and mum (also a nurse) had an outbreak in hers. “Being forced into not being…
SOCCER PAUL Truman is the new senior coach of Seaford United. He fills the void left by Peter Schwellinger whose recent departure was unexpected. Schwellinger had coached at Frankston Pines, Old Carey, Melton Phoenix and Whittlesea United before being appointed to the Seaford job in December 2020. However he faced a demanding travel schedule and it eventually proved too much. “I spent up to 10 hours a week in the car just to get to training and back home as I live in Pascoe Vale and work in Truganina,” Schwellinger said. “To coach will cost me $150 dollars minimum per…
SOCCER BAXTER has achieved Gold Level status in the Skilled Workplace program run by Mental Health First Aid Australia. Bryan Jeffrey from MOAT Mental Health Services conducted the course at Baxter Park that involved 16 participants drawn from the soccer club’s administration, coaching and playing ranks. “I spoke to MHFA and they confirmed that no other club in the world has this accreditation,” Jeffrey said. “It entails two days of training but we split the training up into evening chunks to make it easier for the club to organise participants.” The course draws parallels between general first aid and mental…
SOCCER JOSH Hine’s nightmare may be over. Fatherhood, football and a positive prognosis are the keys to unlock the door and walk free of the personal hell he has endured for most of 2020 and throughout 2021. There’s a baby on the way (his partner is due in May) and his surgeon has told the 30-year-old that he’ll be able to play soccer again. That news was a godsend for the star Mornington striker who continues to battle a soul-destroying legacy from a road accident when cycling last year. “I’ve had at least five surgeries since then,” Hine said. Initially…
MORNINGTON will take on A-League giant Melbourne City on Saturday in a glamour friendly at Dallas Brooks Park.The David and Goliath clash kicks off at 2pm and at 4pm Mornington’s reserves will square up to City’s NPL outfit featuring some of the finest young talent in Victorian soccer.The double-header is expected to attract a bumper crowd to the local venue with at least 10 players from City’s senior squad expected to feature.On Wednesday night City defeated Perth Glory 1-0 and the City substitutes for that match are all expected to play against Mornington.That should ensure significant game time for central…
SOCCER WHEN Alex Van Heerwarden went down injured during an intraclub training game at Centenary Park late last year he thought he’d never play again. The big defender had his worst fears confirmed a few days later when x-rays revealed a second ACL knee injury that required reconstructive surgery. It was his left knee this time having recovered from similar surgery to his right knee back in 2009 in his first season with Langwarrin. His route to Lawton Park had come via a junior career in NSW after his family had left Melbourne when he was four years old. His…
SOCCER CARLO Melino’s name has been synonymous with local football since the ’90s and 2022 will mark his fifth successive season as head coach of State 4 club Chelsea. The Melino family moved from Adelaide to the Victorian capital in 1996 after Melino’s father bought a Nissan dealership on the peninsula. Just 14 years old the teenager had spent his junior days at Adelaide City and had played in its under-18s when he was just 13. Here he played in the reserves at Glen Eira, spent a season at Bentleigh Greens alternating between the National Youth League and reserves squads…
SOCCER WHEN Aspendale Stingrays effectively sacked senior coach Lee Barber early last month it raised a few eyebrows. Barber was completely blindsided by the move. “I wanted to stay but I got an email from the president saying they wanted to go in a different coaching direction and good luck on your travels sort of thing,” Barber said. “Look the coaches they’ve got there now had the reserves last season so as far as I’m concerned it’s just bullshit. “I didn’t even respond to the email. I just got on with it.” On 9 October Aspendale announced that its senior…
SOCCER PENINSULA Strikers, Somerville Eagles, Rosebud and Aspendale Stingrays will all feature new head coaches for the 2022 season. Donn Delaney has replaced Paul Williams at Strikers, Lee Barber is the new head coach at Somerville, Pat Sabatino is back in charge at Rosebud while Gregor Macnab fills the vacancy at Aspendale left by Barber’s switch. Delaney has been at Strikers for most of his coaching career having spent 10 years with the club’s juniors before NPL junior stints at Springvale White Eagles and Langwarrin. He has coached Strikers reserves and takes over from Williams who may have a year…
SOCCER PENINSULA Strikers told Football Victoria last week that they would not compete in the elite junior boys’ NPL competition next year. This leaves the local area with just two junior NPL licence holders, Langwarrin and Mornington. Strikers have contemplated this move for some time as senior vice-president and NPL coordinator Steve Schreck explained. “Probably when our under-16 team left and we had to withdraw from that age group,” he said. “We had the minimum squad number but six players decided they wanted to play elsewhere and that left us with 10 players and you can’t run a team with…
SOCCER THE strong bond among Seaford United players has underpinned the club’s promotion push this year. That’s the view of club captain Jeremy Schwellinger. “We’ve got good tactics, we’ve got a good coach but I think what really helps us is the camaraderie amongst the playing group,” he said. “Everyone is friends with everyone so we’re going to play for each other. “There’s no bad blood in this team.” Seaford is very much a Schwellinger family affair with dad Peter head coach and younger brother Mathias joining Jeremy in the senior squad. Although the season is in limbo Seaford United’s…
SOCCER HE’S played football in more countries than perhaps any other player on the peninsula and he has a close connection with the Smashing Pumpkins. His career has seen him parade his skills on pitches in England, Scotland, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and he’s spent much of 2021 showing what he’s capable off with a team that calls Lawton Park home. Life for Sammy Orritt started in Doncaster in Yorkshire 28 years ago. Life for Orritt the footballer started in California at the age of three and the Smashing Pumpkins introduced him to the game and provided…
SOCCER MORNINGTON and Frankston Pines are on the verge of securing promotion. In the worst case scenario that Football Victoria calls off the remainder of the 2021 season due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions then both local clubs will be playing in a higher league next season. Last week FV announced an NPL competitions restructure for 2022 increasing NPL2 from 12 to 14 teams which will see Langwarrin contesting a 26-game season. A strong rumour is that A-League clubs will be placed in NPL2 along with promoted clubs from NPL3. It’s unclear what impact this will have throughout lower leagues especially…
SOCCER ETHAN Sanderson has come a long way in the last six years. The distance between Morpeth in England’s northeast and Mount Martha is almost 16,895 kilometres. In 2015 he made that journey as the Sanderson family settled in the Mornington Peninsula and it didn’t take long for the youngster to start playing the sport he’d grown up with. “Before we came here I played for my local club back home mainly as a defensive midfielder,” Sanderson said. “Initially I trained with Mornington then we met someone here on the Mount Martha committee who knew friends of ours back home…
SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines has been involved in a major squad overhaul as it zeroes in on its first championship success in seven years. Simon Webster and twin brother Scott are believed to have accepted offers from State 3 rival Rowville Eagles while first-choice keeper Aeseli Batikasa expects to be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The knee injury the big Fijian keeper suffered against Brighton has not responded to treatment and he will have an MRI this week. But the news is not all bad for the State 3 leader as head coach Kevin “Squizzy” Taylor has brought in…
SOCCER ALEX Whyte is confident that Peninsula Strikers can finish the season in style. The 22-year-old is back at the club where his career kicked off and can’t wait for a season reboot. “I think we’ve been unlucky in the majority of our games this year,” Whyte said. “We’re just missing that one element that could turn our losses and draws into wins but I’m confident it’ll be coming soon. “We’ve got a lot of quality players and if we ever get back out there we can really finish the season strongly.” The fuse that could ignite the side and…
SOCCER FOOTBALL Victoria is holding its nerve and continues to look positively towards the completion of the 2021 season. FV CEO Kimon Taliadoros this week expressed confidence in the stewardship of the state government and Sport and Recreation Victoria despite the sport facing its second shutdown this season. “I’m comfortable that we’re in good hands,” Taliadoros said. “I feel that the state government and in particular sport and rec are now so well drilled that we can get the most out of this season that we possibly can. “After working so closely with government and the local councils last year…
SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines midfielder Jordan “Caka” Avraham has been outed for seven matches as the result of a social media exchange involving a rival club supporter. The exchange took place on facebook after Pines lost 2-1 to Hampton East Brighton in their round 7 clash at Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve in May. FV emailed the club asking for a “please explain” from the player and both Pines and Avraham responded with an explanation of the circumstances of the exchange. Pines claimed that Avraham and other Pines’ players were abused during the match but on 29 June FV emailed the club…
SOCCER MORNINGTON stayed in the hunt for a berth in next season’s prestigious NPL competition after Saturday’s 2-0 away win over Casey Comets. The Seagulls proved too strong with a goal in each half. A Milos Lujic header in the 34th minute put the visitors ahead and the second goal came from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute after Kane Bentley was fouled. Josh Hine had no problem converting. Many pundits believe that Mornington hasn’t played to its potential this year despite continuing its title tilt. After the match head coach Adam Jamieson acknowledged that the ladder leader had…
SOCCER ROSEBUD player-coach Mark Pagliarulo was over-the-moon when he clinched the signing of Ash Scholes last week. “Pags” had been chasing the 27-year-old’s signature for some time and was close to signing him a few months ago. “I tried to get him at the beginning of the season but he wanted to stay loyal to Somerville but recently we spoke and he wasn’t enjoying it there so decided to come down,” Pagliarulo said on Friday. “He’s a massive signing for the club, a local lad and a top defender. “He’s a big boy, strong, good in the air and a…
SOCCER BEN Doree has been forced to quit Peninsula Strikers and has signed with Richmond. The leading scorer in State 2 South-East has had a change to his work circumstances and found it too difficult to continue to travel back and forward from his Altona residence. Doree’s goalscoring has been a pivotal part of Strikers’ league campaign so head coach Paul Williams is tasked with covering for his prolific striker’s absence. Last weekend Williams paired youngster Jai Power with Riley Anderton up front but neither had a major impact on what proved to be a dismal day for the local…
SOCCER FOOTBALL Victoria aims to restart the 2021 league season this weekend. The state body emailed clubs on Friday with a return to competition update, a link to its updated return to training and playing conditions, information on the competitions calendar, postponed fixtures and a link to its COVID-19 Football Portal providing information on the biosecurity requirements clubs must enforce. FV also urged clubs to register their matches with the state government’s public event framework to ensure COVID-19 safety for attendees, staff and organisers. FV’s email acknowledged the current circumstances faced by clubs coming out of lockdown as well as…