Photo: (Top) South Hobart's Hugh Ludford is suspended for the match against Eagles; (Bottom) Kostas Kanakaris...moved from Hobart Olympic to South Hobart
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GLENORCHY KNIGHTS V HOBART OLYMPIC
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KGV Park, Friday, 17 April 2009, 8pm
Hobart Olympic did not want to play this game at this time because it is Good Friday on the Greek Orthodox calendar. May of their supporters will be in church rather than at the game.
But, Glenorchy Knights refused to re-schedule the match and so it will go ahead.
Knights, who are fourth on the ladder, should be at full strength and coach Eamonn Kelly has a few hard selection decisions to make.
Defender Jayden Wiggins is available again and his inclusion or not is one of the first decisions Kelly will have to make.
Kelly has a wealth of players available and, with such a strong bench at his disposal, he can afford to make changes during the match if things are not working out.
Mynonge Kamba and Cosmos Paite did well when they came on last weekend, while Tom Sherman was also introduced from the bench.
Olympic, in second-last place on the ladder, have injury concerns surrounding strikers Michael Bulis and Matthew Hedge and both must pass fitness tests before being considered.
Dipendra Kunwar may get a start at long last and, if he does, his pace will cause some problems for an ageing Knights central defence.
Midfielder Kostas Kanakaris has left Olympic and signed for league champions South Hobart.
This is a significant loss for Olympic, but Carl Larzabal, who has trained with Tilford Zebras, will be staying at Olympic.
“After a good win last week, it’s unfortunate that the two leading marksmen, Michael Bulis and Matthew Hedge, have to undergo fitness tests before the game,” said Olympic coach, Farrell Shaw.
“Michael Bulis is struggling with a groin injury and so is Matthew Hedge.
“There’s an opportunity there for a young Dipendra to get his first start for the year.
“He thoroughly deserves it from his cameo appearances, so we’ll go with that.
“That’s likely regardless of whether Michael Bulis pulls up all right.
“I think Michael’s injury is worse than he’s letting on so we’ll see what our medical staff have to say.
“I’m more than confident that Dipendra will start.
“Kanakaris has made his decision to go to South Hobart to further his playing career, hoping maybe to head for the Mainland next year.
“Larzabal said he went to Zebras a couple of times just to have a look and to get his fitness up.
“As far as I know, he’s definitely staying with us.”
Shaw said everyone else was fit and looking forward to the challenge against the Knights.
“We hope to build on last week’s win against a team that we’ve always challenged very well against.
“There’s a little bit of an added incentive, too. I think most of the lads will be fired up any how as they always like to play against the Knights.
“It’s always a tough and really hard game.”
Prediction: Glenorchy Knights
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UNIVERSITY V TILFORD ZEBRAS
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Olinda Grove, Saturday, 18 April 2009, 2.30pm
This is a vital game for both sides, but for different reasons.
University are bottom of the ladder and they must try and turn their season around with a win.
Tilford Zebras are third on goal-difference to leaders South Hobart and second-placed Clarence United and so a win is essential if they are to stay equal top.
University beat Division One side Christian United 7-3 in a Milan Lakoseljac Memorial Trophy match last Monday, but that victory is illusory.
It was against a lowly opponent, and University will have a different line-up for this league match.
That second factor should assist the Students, though, as they should be much stronger.
Bryn Griffiths, Nigel Blundell, Oliver Venettacci, Richard Delara and Aaron Hindmarsh will all be back, but Damien Bones is still out because of injury.
Tilford Zebras are in good form at the moment, however, they and should brush aside any challenge the Students pose.
Zebras will miss the suspended Josh Thorpe, but they have plenty of capable players on the bench to take his place.
Goalkeeper Troy Kaden was injured against South Hobart and replaced by Frank Mainella for the second half.
It will be interesting to see if Kaden has recovered or whether the experienced, veteran keeper gets a run.
Zebras have a wealth of young talent waiting for their senior chance.
Jayden Welch has started to put in a strong claim for a senior berth and has done well in his past two games.
Braden Pace is also fitting in well, while Matt Hall and Kurt Engels are useful whenever they have been called upon.
Prediction: Tilford Zebras
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SOUTH HOBART V NEW TOWN EAGLES
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South Hobart, Saturday, 18 April 2009, 2.30pm
Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League leaders South Hobart will have Hobart Olympic midfielder Kostas Kanakaris for the game against sixth-placed New Town Eagles.
Kanakaris has been training with South Hobart and coach Ken Morton will include him in the side against Eagles, particularly because key players are still out injured through suspension or injury.
South’s resources are starting to look thin with captain Bart Beecroft still out of action and Gary Upton and Hugh Ludford suspended.
Beecroft has started running laps and will look into the possibility of wearing a face mask to protect him.
Morton is not keen to rush him, though, as he is looking at the long term.
South Hobart have signed former University player Gerard O’Brien and he may feature at some stage of the match, although he will start in the reserves.
Last week’s 2-0 loss to Zebras was South’s first in the league. It was the first goals that keeper Sam Kruijver has conceded.
But, South are still top of the ladder and will be keen to stay there.
New Town Eagles have won three of their past four games and coach George Krambousanos is full of confidence for this match.
“There’s a real buzz around the club,” said Krambousanos. “I think we can give South a good game and show them how far we’ve come since the Summer Cup, when they beat us 6-0.
“They’ve got injuries and suspensions, but I really do wish we could meet them when they’re at full strength. That would be the true test.
“Ken Morton is a great coach and he’s got a good side, so I hope we’re not too confident.”
Prediction: South Hobart
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KINGBOROUGH LIONS UNITED V CLARENCE UNITED
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Lightwood Park, Sunday, 19 April 2009, 2.30pm
Second-placed Clarence United visit Lightwood Park on Sunday to take on fifth-placed Kingborough Lions United having suffered a shock 2-1 loss to New Town Eagles last weekend.
Had Clarence won that match, they would have been clear ladder leaders.
Clarence hope to have goalkeeper Michael Moschogianis back from Queensland after the Easter break, but several other players are carrying knocks from the weekend.
Reserve players Joseph Steven, Nick Mayne and Matthew Chapman trained well and could be drafted in as replacements if needed.
Kingborough keeper Jason Voss must pass a fitness test before being considered ahead of David Leamey.
The fact that this game is on Sunday gives him an extra day to prove his fitness.
Striker Greg Freeman is carrying an injury and is unlikely to play.
“We’ll give Jason Voss until Sunday to come right,” said Kingborough coach, Geoff Freeman. “He trained tonight [Thursday], but not flat out.
“Being a Sunday game, we’ve got the extra day to recover and we’ll give him every chance to play.
“Greg Freeman picked up a knock up at Riverside and, at best, will be on the bench. He most likely won’t play. We won’t risk him.
“Charlie White has recovered. He was ill on Monday and didn’t play.
“Marcello Marchioli is back in after serving his suspension on Monday.
“Brett Andrews will get a start, too.”
Prediction: Draw
35 comments:
Olympic may steal this one with knights hot one week and cold the next , i think a draw is more likely.
zebras will win with the only interest being in the amount of goals the stripy ones can score in90mins.
Could South stumble for a second week? It is possible , again i think a draw is more likely.
After last weeks lack lustre performance Clarence should be a very dangerous prospect and would fancy their chances against a weak defence , while the lions could find the clarence defence hard to crack.Clarence to win.
Good luck to all and may the game be the winner !!
so kanakaris. good player?
as usual south being the chelsea of tassie football. something doesnt work poach some more players...
mr player,it is impossible to poach players that have a sense of loyalty.
very interesting comment Jerrie!
South's excellent youth policy strikes again!!!
The Morton soccer school really is doing wonders....
if i was 16 and a promising young player i would be getting a tad frustrated at my coach continuously looking elsewhere to solve his problems.
eaves, upton, heerey, ladic, hickey, m brown, igor, white, obrien, kanakaris...when will it end. lets hope they dont drop points this week, they will be chasing corey next!
pennicott and bladel and co deserve a go. for once kenny could take a leaf out of brownies book, looking inside the club instead of out.
tips
olympic
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ginger,the way the leagues are cobbled together around the boardroom table we discourage club loyalty anyway.people tell me bluntly that if a promising youngster from a lower division club wants to play a higher standard he must leave his club and join a premier league club because his own club will not be allowed to get promotion no matter how great their deeds are on the pitch.anyway that is my bugbear.it is also true that if a player cant give a 100% commitment you are better off without him.
your talking nonsense. fact is south cant produce players...they just take them once another club discovers and nurtures them!
player who is talking the nonsense? is kenny abducting players at gunpoint in the middle of the night??
I think it's a bit harsh attacking South's recruiting policy. For years South was always producing excellent youngsters, the current situation is mostly that, current.
It may be as a result of Morton or others actively seeking players out, or it may be players being attracted to a current top level club - and that club signs them regardless of whether they need them. They can't beat you if they play for you.
There's also a good chance that people are heading there because they want to be coached by Morton, he is after all one of the best coaches we've ever had in the state.
not according to mr player tommy.kenny is running abduction squads nightly thru tasmania,armed with machineguns to poach players
ok jerrie and tommy, point taken.
i'll retreat to my corner in the shade.
i would still like to see youngsters like bladel and pennicott rewarded though with game time.
Whether we all like it or not Kenny has recruited/attracted players for a long time. I guess my worry, and so should be yours Jerrie, is what happens when mr morton finds greener pastures (as he will). do these attracted players move on (history would say yes), begging the question are the youngsters still there to fill their boots??
above is a story that has been told post kenny eras at a few clubs around the place. hopefully i'm wrong!
please ginger dont retreat.mate,. players in the end decide their own destiny.if you are happy at a certain club and you expierience the highs and lows of that club you will stay there regardless of who the coach is.that is what loyalty is all about.we dont want to breed a generation of mercenaries who desert as soon as things get a bit tough,every player current or past has had his great wins and has to eat humble pie at times.i know what it is like to fish the ball out off the net when it has gone past you 16 times lol
Kenny is a poacher...case closed... question? who next? surely a striker
Fantastic to see kenny bashers i'm all there.. Yes young players are attracted to Kenny because of the wonderful feets he has achieved!!!, Ken has never done well with an average team, he does not build players, he relies on his experienced boys to teach the young ones. Will he stick around? I think he may now health may dictate that, and I think he has finally established a relationship with his family(I hope so)I'm the first to say I've followed him in the past.. He can coach but there are better in Hbt in my opinion, unfortuantely with Kenny their will always be an underlying financial incentive.. Heerey(created at Zebras/Melbourne, Ladic same) He needs a striker and a leader no boss on the park at the mo and not many around that he could poach "Charlie White" had a phone call lately?????
Good luck this week everybody
Andrew Brown (famed on this blog for his youth policy)has tried to poach me twice. I'd argue almost every coach does it, it's just the succesful ones that get a bad rep.
Soccerates, i could say someone tried to poach me too.Without your real name your comments are baseless.Despite all the talent at south it didn't help them last week did it !!!!!
anyone for poached eggs?
has anyone every notice when someone starts and argument and realises they're wrong they usually spin of random comments that don#t make sense in a hope that ppl will forget and the conversation or stop talking to that person because they are talkin like a weirdo?
e.g. abducting players at gunpoint in the middle of the night,kenny is running abduction squads nightly thru tasmania,armed with machineguns to poach players and anyone for poached eggs. anyone can reel of a stupid comment like "if you put kittens in the oven does it make them biscuits?" but who can back up an argument?
yes player,like people getting poached against their will?????????????
well done on your comments once again jerry!
any club can ask any player to come and play for them.if that player is loyal to the club he is with he says no.if he is not he says yes.it is the players decision.it does not make the person that asked a criminal
you are right boof.the responsiblity of any coach is to put his strongest side on the park.however it is still the players choice to decide to leave or stay
boof since the players are not under contract,they are free to go as they please.it comes a bit under the heading of ethics and that is hard to regulate as we all have different ethics.
Does anyone actually know who approached who?
its a joke that any player can change clubs at anytime, we have to bring in a transfer window
Stick - no, no phone call, in saying that I would never expect it from Kenny, you can say what you want about players going to him, maybe he tells them what they want to hear? That really does not worry me, it should worry the clubs that these players leave from, that to me is the problem, those clubs have the problem. I have played for the Lions for 14 odd years and have played against Kenny at 3 different clubs, I think Kenny respects loyalty probably more than anyone realises. South may have a problem in the future, but perhaps they will enjoy success for the next 10 years-who knows? If the club culture is right then success will breed, the coach has only limited ability to change that, Uni are perfect example of that.
Boof (or anyone else who might know or have a view) - This is a question that I do not know the answer to, but who are the players in div 1 who would regularly and realistically get a game in the premier leagueevery week, for that matter as well, are there really too many from reserves or u19 who should be getting games in seniors? there are some good players but would they take many other players spots at other clubs? interested on people's views there...
charlie,would any of the premierleague reserve sides provide astronger div one competition?
Jerry, that does not really make any sense, the reserves is a stronger and closer competition than div 1, so the only way that it could possibly make it better would be if taroona and metro played in the reserves competition, but we all know that that is not the model that FFT want to provide to ensure promotion and relegation.
charlie,what iam trying to get at is this.i believe that in fact we do have the talent availlable to create a very strong premier league and division one.the problem lies in the uneven distribution of the talent there is.a lot of good players are really wasted in being forced to play reserves,while some clubs are topheavy with talent and are only keeping them occupied in the reserves they should be used to lift the standards in the lower divisions.with a small population like we have we should use every resource to the max
you touched on another sore point there boof.fft and the clubs should be obliged to provide any person who pays his fees with at least one game every week,weather it is in the premier league or a social league
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