Only 13 years ago, all three Tasmanian regional sides were in action

Photos (Top to Bottom): Dave Evans, who was with Sarawak for eight years, and Billy Bone; Alistair Edwards, NSL player who was with Sarawak; Alan Vest and Alistair Edwards at KGV Park; The late Frank Campbell and Alistair Edwards. Vest had brought Campbell to Newcastle in the NSL in 1977 and frequently called him to Sarawak to assist (a very young Corey Smith is obscured to the right of the photo; Sarawak's assistant coach, Lucas Kallang (left) with Alan Vest, Alistair Edwards and a very young Corey Smith; Tasmania's coach, Les Bee

Malaysian side Sarawak toured Tasmania in 1997 and played four matches here - two in Hobart, one in Launceston and one in Devonport.

In the first game of the four-match tour, played at KGV park on 14 March 1997, Southern Tasmania beat Sarawak 2-1 after trailing 1-0 at the interval.

An own-goal by McNeill in the 33^rd minute gave the visitors the lead, the ball leaving goalkeeper Matthew Rhodes helpless after the defender found the net while trying to clear a corner.

Rhodes was injured early in the second half and was replaced by Neil Connell.

Colin Shepherd, who was at the peak of his powers that year, equalised for Tasmania in the 58^th minute after a fine build-up by Adrian Mann, Craig Nichols and Andrew Leszczynski.

Leszczynski hit the winner for Southern Tasmania three minutes from the end.

Two days later, the sides met again at KGV Park and this time Sarawak won 3-2 after leading 1-0 at half-time.

This was a fine Southern Tasmanian outfit with players such as David Stoddart, Brett Pullen, Shepherd, the Leszczynski brothers, Adrian Mann, Mark Falzon, Craig Pitt and Nick Anis.

Sarawak led 3-0 with 10 minutes remaining, but two goals in three minutes by Shepherd made the final score-line quite respectable.

Shepherd’s first came in the 82^nd minute from a deft touch after Anis’s cross, while his second, in the 85^th minute, was a header from Stoddart’s free-kick.

Northern Tasmania drew 1-1 with Sarawak in Launceston, David Hill putting the Tasmanians ahead on the half-hour from a pass by Roger Mies, and Alistair Edwards equalising 20 minutes from the end.

Sarawak beat North-West Tasmania 4-1 in Devonport in the final tour match.

John Compagne netted for North-West Tasmania after a corner, while Alistair Edwards hit a hat-trick for the Malaysian side, whose other goal came from Shamsurin Abdul Rahman.

Les Bee, who was back in Hobart last weekend conducting coaching courses, was the coach of the Tasmanian sides, while Alan Vest, one of the big names in Australian and South-East Asian coaching circles, was in charge of Sarawak.

Vest was with Sarawak from 1990 to 1998.

Sarawak had been relegated in 1989 but Vest took them to promotion in his first year.

They won the Malaysian FA Cup in his second year and were in the top two or three teams during the rest of Vest’s tenure.

Sarawak were the Malaysian league champions when they toured here, so Vest’s tenure was a hugely successful period in the club’s history.

Vest, who now lives in Perth, goes back to Sarawak three times a year conducting coaching courses and working with the under-21s for the Ministry of Sport.

I spoke to Vest today and he said that Sarawak used to regularly draw crowds of 40,000 and more, but they finished second-last in the second division last year and crowds are down to the hundreds.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Tasmania’s three regions played against top touring sides nowadays.