tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290088887405022587.post4953283393352094107..comments2024-03-28T22:25:47.660+11:00Comments on Walter Pless on Association Football: Hobart Olympic down University in fine semi-finalWalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11493237569003662448noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290088887405022587.post-14953091796408606882009-07-31T12:45:36.470+10:002009-07-31T12:45:36.470+10:00As Coach of the North, I was dissapointed that the...As Coach of the North, I was dissapointed that the southern team played the Institute girls rather than Premier league players.<br /> Apart from fresh legs,I thought this great occasion should have been for the players who do the hard yards week in week out in the premier league.<br /> Players like Lauren Barnes,Vanessa Johnson who has been and probally still is a great representative for the womens game were denied a game in front of a large crowd on a great playing surface at the expense of the "Chosen" few,who as Decentric states been given opportunities that others haven't (and might never)<br /> I contacted FFT when I found out the South were going to use the TIS girls, and was informed they were eligable to play because they play in the local Comp, I know this is not the case.<br /> All the Northern girls played games on the Sat as did most of the Southern girls, but I know the TIS girls didn't, all I wanted was the game to be played on equal terms.<br /> I hope FFT re assess for the second game, although some great premier players might never get the chance to play in a game as the Aurora one.<br /> On the game it was great to watch and the Sarah Fitzgerald goal was as good as you will find in any level of the game.<br /> I have had said to me,why whinge let's give the youngsters a go ,well I did I had a15yo,16yo and 2 17yos&2 18yo in the Northern team.Sentinelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17399023835648202788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290088887405022587.post-1698409158772195542009-07-31T00:32:11.989+10:002009-07-31T00:32:11.989+10:00Lauren Barnes may have been the best defender in t...Lauren Barnes may have been the best defender in the league to date. She will be missed by Olympic when she goes to America. She also displays leadership qualities, which would have been an asset to Mel Minstrel, last Sunday.<br /><br />Perplexingly, she failed to win selection for the Southern team against the North last weekend. By her standards she had a poor match against Uni. Nevertheless, she looked more composed in defence than Hannah Emmanuela, Harkana Dixon and Ashley Tolman did for the southern team against the north. The southern defence was held together by the steadiness of Mel Minstrel.<br /><br />Hannah has been overwhelmed by the Olympic offence this season in club matches.<br />Harkana was a striker and midfielder in state and academy teams in previous seasons. She is a good reader of the game, but a cogent case a can be presented that Vicky Linton has stifled her natural instincts as an attacking player at right back. She appeared diffident going forward, as though Linton has encouraged robotic tendencies. A shame to see a good player make poor decisions. <br /><br />Ashley Tolman also looked shaky at left back. She used to play as a midfielder, quite successfully too. Is this another Linton failure as a converted defender? Linton has seemed reluctant to select defenders for the TIS programme. In her infinite wisdom she seems to prefer to convert players, often reluctant, from other positions. There are better premier league players, like South Hobart's Clare Farquhar, Olympic's Des Jarvis and the aforementioned Barnes, in the defensive positions than the TIS converts. The Uni defence as a cohesive unit, has also been miserly in the women's premier league competition, but these players were also missing from the line up.<br /><br />It seems a shame that Tassie institute players, who have had a privileged rep season at taxpayers' expense, including a trip to China and a guaranteed place in a state team for the national championships, regardless of the opinion of the incumbent state coaches, take the places of rank and file premier league players in rep matches. This is particularly in light of the fact they performed worse in their assigned positions than regular premier league players.Decentrichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09360660516905467584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290088887405022587.post-89484658593306305992009-07-30T23:10:53.821+10:002009-07-30T23:10:53.821+10:00It was an interesting match. Uni have been the mos...It was an interesting match. Uni have been the most effective team at closing down Olympic's passing game in the matches this season, and stifling their passing sequences.<br /><br />Olympic have frequently been able to string together sequences of 6 to 14 passes consecutive passes. A phenomenon not often observable in the men's premier league.Decentrichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09360660516905467584noreply@blogger.com