Lions just get home against Clarence Zebras in pre-season friendly

Photo:  Bradley Lakoseljac (right) scored for the Lions. [PlessPix]

Kingborough Lions United beat Clarence Zebras 1-0 at KGV Park on Saturday night in a preseason friendly.

Bradley Lakoseljac, who joined the Lions from South Hobart in the of-season, netted the goal.

I know its early days, but that result seems a positive sign for Clarence Zebras, which struggled in the Tasmanian NPL last season.

The NPL will be expanded to a 10-team competition this 2026 season. South East United and Ulverstone are the newcomers to the league.

At the end of the season, the bottom two teams will be relegated and the NPL will revert of 8 teams.

There has been much grumbling about the increase to 10 teams claiming that it will dilute the standard of the competition.

I think the most positive aspect of the move is that no club will be able to complain about being relegated.

They won’t be able to say they haven’t been warned.

Previously, there was no down-side to finishing last.

This time, all the clubs know what is at stake and they will know they will have to perform if they are to avoid finishing in the bottom two places.

That’s a huge incentive to get your act together and a club will have only itself to blame if it is relegated.

That’s a huge positive for the move.

*****

Photo:  The late Rudi Hancl. [PlessPix]

Glenorchy Knights and Devonport City observed a minute’s silence before their friendly at KGV Park on Saturday in memory of the late Rudi Hancl, a founding member and one of the original players of Croatia (now the Glenorchy Knights) in the late 1950s.

Rudi was a skilled woodworker and made many of the trophies that the club awarded to players at the end of each season.

He was 89 and his funeral was held last Friday.

His son Gary delivered that eulogy and Davor Perovic delivered a tribute on behalf of the Croatian community.

Rudi was a cousin of mine and I attended his wedding as a young kid, as well as his funeral on Friday.

*****

Photo:  Alfred Hess crosses against Devonport. [PlessPix]

Alfred Hess is an excellent acquisition for Glenorchy Knights for the 2026 season.

He was in fine form against Devonport City and his experience and skills will be invaluable for the Knights.

Photo:  Jordan Payne scored for Devonport against Knights. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights' Mathew Brkic defends against a Devonport attacker. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Mathew Brkic faces a Devonport striker. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights' Thomas Walpole (left) under pressure. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights' Thomas Walpole in possession against Devonport. [PlessPix]

Knights and South Hobart win pre-season friendlies

Photo:  Jordan Payne pulls a goal back for Devonport City. [PlessPix] 

Pre-season friendlies

(KGV Park) 

Glenorchy Knights 3 (Riley Dillon, Federico Ambrosino, Anthony Mamic) beat Devonport City 2 (Jordan Payne, Courage Layweh (pen) )

Photo: Courage Layweh (No. 13) scored a penalty for Devonport City. [PlessPix]

(South Hobart Oval) 

South Hobart 1 (Nick Morton (pen)0 beat Launceston City 0 

South Hobart earn first point of tournament, and against the top team

Photo:  South Hobart’s Kobe Kemp heads for goal against Heidelberg today. [PlessPix]

 Australian National Championship (Group B)

(South Hobart Oval, Sunday, 16 November 2025)

South Hobart 2 (Rex Maddock 29’, Nick Morton 65’) drew with Heidelberg Alexander 2 (Johnny Apostolopous 51’, Chok Dau 54’)

Photo: Heidelberg take the lead against South Hobart. [PlessPix]

Photo: South Hobart’s Reilly Morton tries to cut out a Heidelberg cross. [PlessPix]

Photo: South Hobart’s Sam Berezansky gets in a cross. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Heidelberg's Angus Taylor pursued by South Hobart's Tobias Herweynen. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Heidelberg's Angus Taylor controls the ball. [PlessPix]

Photo:  South Hobart's Tobias Herweynen on the attack. [PlessPix]

Marconi beat South Hobart - 9 November 2025

Photo:  Anton Mlinaric opens the scoring for Marconi against South Hobart. [PlessPix] 

Australian Championship (South Hobart Oval, Sunday 9 November 2025)

South Hobart 0 lost to Marconi Stallions 2 (Anton Mlinaric 10', Matej Busek 73')

Photo:  South Hobart's Nick Morton slides in but can't score against Marconi's keeper James Hilton. [PlessPix]

 

Photo:  Marconi have a shot against South Hobart. {PlessPix]

Photo:  Marconi's Tyren Burnie tries to get past South Hobart's Tobian Herweynen. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  Tasmanian referees in charge of today's game. [PlessPix]

 

There is a clear thirst for competitive games against interstate opponents

Photo:  South Hobart's Nick Morton gets in a shot against the Wolves. [PlessPix]

It was exciting on Sunday to watch a professional football team from interstate, Wollongong Wolves, visiting Tasmania and taking on our NPL champions, South Hobart.

It was a competitive match in the new Australian National Championship.

It was a good change from friendlies against interstate opponents because there was something riding on the result.  Points were at stake.

An interesting footnote was the fact that former South Hobart coach, Ken Morton, coached Wollongong in the National Soccer League in 1981 after he left Rapid.

Photo:  Wollongong players check out the pitch. [PlessPix]

Wollongong looked professional when they arrived at South Hobart Oval for the game.  Their players all wore identical grey suits, white shirts and red ties.

They looked as if they meant business.

I wonder what they thought when they were shown their antiquated dressing room?

Photo:  Alex Masciovecchio does a somersault to celebrate the Wolves' opening goal; [PlessPix]

 

Photo:  Wollongong players celebrate their opening goal. [PlessPix]

South Hobart did well to contain the visitors for the first half an hour.

That’s when Wollongong opened the scoring.

A fast an aggressive run down the left, followed by a low cross to the far post and there was Alex Masciovecchio in the middle to fire home past a static South Hobart defence.

To South Hobart’s credit, they didn’t drop their bundle but fought back and equalised just before half-time through a good left-footed strike through a crowded goalmouth by Austin Yost.

Photo:  A clearing header by Wollongong's Banri Kanaizumi. [PlessPix]

Level at 1-1 at the break, South Hobart had cause for optimism.

Wollongong upped the tempo after the resumption.  They had survived a couple of close calls, but they took the lead just past the hour mark through a magnificent piece of opportunism by their Japanese J-League player Kazuya Yamamura.  He gained possession just inside his own half and advanced a few metres with the ball.  Looking up, he noticed South Hobart goalkeeper Nick O’Connell off his line and deliberately hit a long high ball at goal.

O’Connell back-pedalled frantically but was unable to stop the ball from dipping just under the crossbar and giving Wollongong a 2-1 lead.

I wasn’t a fluke but a clever piece of opportunism involving great skill.

Photo:  Nick Morton can't get to a wayward pass inside the Wolves box. [PlessPix]

The third goal came in the third minute of stoppage time when

Wollongong carved open the South Hobart defence and Thomas James picked his spot and placed the ball just inside the right-hand post to seal the match.

Wollongong’s passing was more accurate than South’s and they were physically more ruthless than the home side.

Photo:  A corner by the Wolves and the slope of the ground is evident. [PlessPix]

South Hobart have a lot to do in preparation for the return leg.

Before that, however, they visit Sydney next weekend to take on Marconi Stallions.

Photo:  The pitch was in very good condition. [PlessPix]

The attendance was excellent.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen South Hobart Oval just about packed out.

It just goes to show there is a thirst for competitive games involving interstate opposition.

Photo:  Austin Yost celebrates his goal with his South Hobart team-mates. [PlessPix]

 

Photo:  A South Hobart corner.  The packed stand can be seen. [PlessPix]

Photo:  South Hobart's Patrick Ayoul runs into the 'brick wall' that was the Wolves' defence. [PlessPix]