SOCCER FIVE Fijian internationals could be joining Frankston Pines next season. Pines recently announced a partnership with the Victorian Multicultural Sports Association, a Fijian community group, and VMSA president Victor Kumar was quoted in a recent Fiji Times story announcing that the five players would be heading to Monterey Reserve. Kumar was elected vice-president of Pines at the club’s recent week’s AGM. The players are Ba midfielder Kishan Sami, Nasinu goalkeeper Alzaar Alam, Nasinu midfielder Savenaca Baledrokadroka, Lautoka central defender Muni Shivam Naidu and Nadi striker Tito Vodowaqa. They have all represented Fiji at under-19 and under-23 levels and the…
Author: Craig MacKenzie
SOCCER NEWLY promoted Somerville Eagles has been rocked by the resignations of senior coach Scott Morrison, assistant Stan Packer and goalkeeping coach Stuart Mitchell. All three resigned last week due to a difference of opinion with director of football Zach Peddersen over Somerville’s refusal to participate in the 2020 Steve Wallace Memorial Cup. The tournament commemorates the late Langwarrin president who was an icon of the sport in the local area. Peddersen claimed that his club had previously been snubbed by Wallace Cup organisers. “We have never been invited in years and the committee has never received any information or…
SOCCER THANK goodness Lisa Jones likes soccer. Her husband has been immersed in the sport since childhood, their two sons are following in their father’s footsteps, their oldest daughter already has played for Victoria and the matriarch of the family is a team manager at one of this state’s elite women’s clubs. Then there is Mia, the youngest Jones sibling. She doesn’t play soccer. Writing and acting are her passions and like her brothers and sister she is talented in her chosen pursuits. It should come as no surprise that the soccer-playing Jones’ children excel at sport. They were genetically…
SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines is on the verge of the biggest off-field restructure in the club’s history as it closes in on a partnership agreement with the Victorian Multicultural Sports Association. The VMSA is a Fijian community group and hopes to base itself at Monterey Reserve and hold tournaments and functions there on a regular basis. Last week members of the VMSA executive met with Nick Hatzoglou, Football Victoria’s Head of Community Projects and the state federation has given the green light for the partnership to go ahead. “The CEO of Football Victoria (Peter Filopoulos) is aware of our plans and…
SOCCER ANDY Stubley, Keegan Guy and Matt Harrington are wanted men and Mornington is leading the chase to sign them. Stubley and Guy meet with Mornington boss Adam Jamieson this week and are part of an ambitious plan which the progressive State 1 club hopes will take it into the NPL. “Andy is a flying machine who works really hard at both ends of the ground and can go past players like they’re not there so I think he’ll complement us in the way I want us to set up but obviously I need to sign him first,” Jamieson said.…
SOCCER MORNINGTON has joined the chase to sign gun forward Dejan Radojicic from Casey Comets. He has been targeted by Mornington head coach Adam Jamieson who sees Radojicic as the man who could become part of the most lethal strike force in State 1 next season. Radojicic was Comets’ leading scorer last season and rumours of turmoil at Comets Stadium are circulating freely along with suggestions of a high player turnover. English striker Josh Hine recently agreed terms for a second season at Dallas Brooks Park while Scottish striker Liam Baxter agreed terms last week despite being linked with newly…
SOCCER LOYALTY is a word that Skye United gaffer Phil McGuinness uses often when discussing his newly promoted senior squad. “To be honest the main reason we’ve come so far is not down to the committee, not down to me and Stephen (Duffy, assistant coach), it’s down to the players and their loyalty,” McGuinness said. “This group is really, really close knit and anything you put in front of them they grab with both hands. “A lot of our success simply comes down to them. “These guys could all get a lot more to play at other clubs but their…
SOCCER KEVIN “Squizzy” Taylor and Doug Hodgson are locked in a battle to win the services of well-respected technical director Stephen Fisher. They were joined in the contest to lure Fisher by Bentleigh Greens but this was always going to be between Pines and the Doves. Fisher’s son Dylan, a promising teenage player, is at the centre of a tug of war between Taylor and Hodgson who reasoned that the winner would also secure the services of his father, who recently stepped down as Langwarrin TD. Taylor is senior coach at Frankston Pines and Hodgson is the new under-18s coach…
SOCCER DAVID Stirton has left Langwarrin while Josh Hine has agreed terms for a second season at Mornington. Stirton contacted head coach Scott Miller and club president Tanya Wallace last week to inform them of his decision. The 28-year-old was one of the more experienced NPL players on the club’s books having had stints with South Melbourne, Bentleigh Greens, Dandenong City and Port Melbourne and is regarded as one of the best set piece specialists in the competition. “It’s just about game time,” Stirton said, a reference to the number of matches last season in which he failed to make…
SOCCER PENINSULA Strikers announced the lowest junior fees in NPL Victoria history last week and threw down the gauntlet to local rivals Langwarrin and Mornington. Strikers and Mornington recently were granted NPL junior licences and had to stump up $20,000 each for the privilege. Most NPL clubs charge the maximum junior player fee of $2200 for a season. That is the case with Langwarrin while Mornington has set its player fee at $1800. But Strikers have outdone their rivals by charging junior players $1090 to play for the club in the under-13, under-14, under-15 and under-16 elite NPL competition next…
SOCCER SOUTHERN United’s remarkable youngsters stunned odds-on favourite and league champion South Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday to claim a place in this weekend’s under-16 NPLW Grand Final. Southern finished the league season 27 points behind South Melbourne who had a superior goal difference of 57. But this Southern group has been one of the NPLW’s success stories having won the title and the Grand Final in 2017 at under-13 level and doubling up on championship success last year but losing 2-1 to Calder United in the under-14 showpiece event. On Saturday South Melbourne went ahead in the 55th…
SOCCER WEE Mikey Turner claimed the goal that sent Skye United into State 2 with a nerve-jangling 1-0 win over Monash Uni at Skye Recreation Reserve on Saturday. Knowing that a win would secure promotion Skye made hard work of it against an opponent that had come to play and make life as difficult as possible for the home side. There have been many times this season that Skye gaffer Phil McGuinness has made effective substitutions and introducing Daniel Attard, Turner then Maxim Avram into the fray in the second half proved effective once more. Attard had an immediate impact…
SOCCER SOMERVILLE Eagles are the toast of local soccer after clinching the State 5 South championship last Saturday. And the side jointly led by coach Scott Morrison and player-coach Dave Greening did it in style with a gutsy away win against Bunyip District Strikers. Somerville was forced to play most of the contest with 10 men after Matt Swanson reacted to a bad challenge by throwing the ball at his opponent and being sent off in the 22nd minute. The champion elect had taken the lead in the 9th minute when a Luke Hodge flick-on was clinically finished by Greening.…
SOCCER FOOTBALL Victoria dealt local women’s soccer a bodyblow by revoking Southern United’s senior NPLW licence last week. Southern told FV of its plans for 2020 as player-coach Melissa Maizels had been negotiating with a number of players with a view to strengthening the senior squad but FV wouldn’t budge. The findings of a six-month review of the women’s game in Victoria were delivered to the FV board some months ago and many believe that the federation waited till near season’s end before swinging the axe. FV also dumped Geelong Galaxy United and with the two clubs that boast the…
SOCCER SOMERVILLE should clinch the State 5 South title by defeating third-bottom Bunyip District on Saturday. The local outfit enjoyed an 11-goal romp against bottom side Hampton Park United last weekend while Old Mentonians continued to drop the baton in the championship chase by drawing 2-2 with Rosebud at Olympic Village. Old Mentonians got off to a dream start when Chris Gibson put them in front after three minutes but goals to Cory Osorio and Chris Hatzikonstantinos had the home side ahead at half-time. Old Mentonians’ leading scorer Rannesh Krishnan had started on the bench but he came on early…
SOCCER THE State 5 South championship and automatic promotion are within touching distance for Somerville Eagles after Saturday’s 3-1 derby success against Rosebud. Nearest challengers Old Mentonians continued to stumble after a second successive draw and even if the grammarians win their catch-up game this week against bottom team Hampton Park United they will be four points behind Somerville with three matches remaining. Somerville has an inviting run home coming up against three of the bottom four sides and the biggest challenge facing co-coaches Scott Morrison and Dave Greening is to ward off complacency among their players. Veteran striker Mark…
SOCCER PENINSULA Strikers midfielder Jordan “Kaka” Avraham is on the verge of making his international debut for the Fijian Olympic team. The 22-year-old has been playing in annual Fijian club tournaments for the past few years and competed in the Pacific Cup last November against teams from Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and the US. “Kaka” played for Western Sydney in that tournament and the coach of Western Sydney arranged for him to try out with the Fijian Olympic squad. The Fijian connection is through his father, Israel, and the young midfielder attended a two-week training camp earlier this season. He…
SOCCER A SIZZLING injury-time winner from import John Baird gave Langwarrin its best win of the season against visitor Werribee City at Lawton Park on Saturday. The former Scottish professional let fly with a first-time left-foot volley from the left of the area that Werribee keeper Nikola Kostadinoski couldn’t stop from rocketing into the far corner of goal. Werribee came to the peninsula in third spot in NPL2 West just two points behind leader St Albans Saints but its promotion chances were dealt a bodyblow by Baird’s late winner. Langwarrin had lined up in a pink strip as part of…
SOCCER MILLA Jowett of Southern United flew out of Melbourne on Friday to start a two-year scholarship at Sussex County Community College in New Jersey. The US college announced recently that it had signed the 19-year-old defender who is expected to make an immediate impact in the starting 11 for Sussex Skylanders. Coaches Frank Vernacchio and Michael Rath have been touting Jowett as one of a number of key recruits who they hope can propel the college’s women’s soccer program all the way to the NJCAA National Championship Tournament. Jowett is a former Peninsula Strikers player who has been coaching…
SOCCER A STUNNING performance from Seaford striker Dylan Waugh highlighted last weekend’s round of matches. The gun forward scored all of Seaford’s goals in a 5-1 trouncing of FC Noble Hurricanes at North Seaford Reserve on Saturday. Harry McCartney reports that the Waugh onslaught started after just five minutes when he won a 50/50 challenge with the last Hurricanes defender then easily sidefooted the ball home. Seaford dominated the first half but had to wait until the 39th minute to gain reward for its efforts when Waugh pounced on a bouncing ball and delicately tapped it over the head of…
SOCCER RECORD-breaking Somerville Eagles player-coach David Greening reached a remarkable landmark last weekend when he passed the 1000-goal career milestone. His first goal in senior competition was for Isle of Wight club Brading Town as a 15-year-old in September 1996 and he’s been scoring for fun ever since. He arrived in Melbourne in February 2010 and has been the main man up front for Latrobe University, Seaford United, Casey Comets, Rosebud Heart and now Somerville and his scoring feats in senior Victorian ranks are legendary. He returned from suspension on Saturday and started on the bench in Somerville’s 4-1 home…
SOCCER JOSH Hine’s four-goal haul underpinned a whitewash at Comets Stadium on Saturday as Mornington hammered the home side 6-0. English striker Hine was unstoppable. His first goal came in the 13th minute from the penalty spot after he was brought down inside the area. Hine’s second in the 33rd minute was from a back post header following great work out wide and an excellent cross from Sammy Orritt. Hine completed his hat-trick in the 68th minute after a superb move started by Mornington keeper Taylor Davidson and ending when Kane Bentley set up Hine for a tap in. His…
SOCCER SOUTHERN United just beat last week’s transfer deadline to register two clutch signings in US attacking midfielder Jennifer Lum and teenage holding midfielder Niamh McLure. The transfer window closed at 10am on Thursday and Southern player-coach Melissa Maizels was racing the clock for the club to register her two signings while waiting on news from another two targets. “I spoke to around eight players and was hoping to bring in four but I’m happy with the business we’ve done,” Maizels said. “This is a statement of intent from Southern and it lets people know that this club has big…
SOCCER SKYE United hammered Whitehorse United 5-0 away from home last weekend and leapfrogged its opponent into second spot in State 3 South-East. Skye midfielder Mark O’Connor was suspended and recent recruit Alex Rojas made his first start for the club. Skye’s bench was boosted by the returns of Jack Gallagher from overseas and Maxim Avram from injury. The visitors controlled the opening exchanges but chances went begging for Mitch Blake and Daniel Attard. This nearly proved costly but Skye had Jonathan Crook to thank as he kept the hosts at bay for the remainder of the half and on…
SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines recorded its biggest win of the season when it gave Middle Park a 6-1 hiding at Monterey Reserve on Friday night. Pines had just three players over the age of 21 in the starting line-up but got off to a flyer in this State 3 South contest. Not even a minute had been played when Travis Ernsdoerfer surged clear and hammered a low shot past Middle Park keeper Fadi Qunqar. In the fourth minute teenager Meron Negassi was brought down inside the box and Ernsdoerfer converted from the spot after initially striking a post. Eight minutes into…
SOCCER SOMERVILLE Eagles took a firm grip of second place in State 5 South after Saturday’s 4-2 away win over local rival Rosebud. The result leaves Somerville five points clear of third-placed Tullamarine but this definitely wasn’t one for the purists as both sides seemed hellbent on giving the ball away as often as possible. However some comical Somerville defending and the aerial frailty of Rosebud keeper James Cinar brought some uncertainty to the outcome and Rosebud deserves credit for its competitiveness against its much vaunted opponent. Rosebud coach Pat Sabatino had a simple and effective plan of attacking the…
SOCCER LANGWARRIN agreed terms with Lucas Portelli and Max Etheridge last weekend and they are expected to make their debuts against Brunswick City on Saturday. Portelli is an 18-year-old central defender signed from Melbourne City and Langy tried to sign him before the start of the season. Etheridge, 28, is a former Morwell Pegasus, Bentleigh Greens and Mornington striker and has recently finished a second stint at Kingston City. Winger Brandon Jansz, 19, agreed terms with Langy last week. He is a former Melbourne Victory, South Melbourne, Mornington and Peninsula Strikers player and was signed from Springvale White Eagles. The…
SOCCER LOCAL derbies take centre stage this week as Frankston Pines, Skye United, Baxter and Seaford United prepare for battle. The first of two huge derby showdowns takes place on Friday night under the Monterey Reserve lights when Frankston Pines hosts neighbouring Skye United. These State 3 opponents still harbour hopes of mounting a promotion push especially fourth-placed Skye which goes into this clash on the back of a five-match winning streak. Skye prides itself on its fitness and organisation and once it wins possession it can go forward quickly with pace on both flanks. The set piece skills of…
SOCCER LANGWARRIN defender Luke Burgess snatched a point for the local outfit with an injury-time equaliser against Moreland City at Campbell Reserve last Saturday. Moreland took the lead in this NPL2 clash in the 5th minute after a quick break down the right and a cutback was met first time at the near post by striker Apai Ukono whose shot was turned in almost on the line by Burgess for an own goal. Three minutes later Moreland fans were incensed when referee Perry Mur turned down penalty appeals after Alex Van Heerwarden poleaxed an opponent inside the penalty box. It…
SOCCER MELISSA Maizels is the new senior coach of Southern United. A fortnight after joining the struggling NPLW club the former Melbourne Victory, Perth Glory and Canberra United goalkeeper replaced Washington Castillo late last week. “I didn’t come here with the intention for this to happen but when this opportunity came I had to take it because it gives me the chance to effect as much change as possible and hopefully be part of the resurgence of Southern on the peninsula,” Maizels said. “I think Southern has suffered enough.” Administrative, coaching and player upheaval have plagued the club for the…