Photos (Top to Bottom): The loneliness of the coach...Mariners' Graham Arnold sits alone on the bench before kick-off; Mariners' coach Graham Arnold signs autographs for local youngsters at Aurora Stadium; Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners saying hello to each other; Melbourne Victory's Adrian Leijer tries to get past the Mariners' Matt Simon; Northern Tasmanian Under-20s; Southern Tasmania Under-20s; Referee Patrick Galloway and his assistants; The North warm up in the mist at Aurora Stadium; The ground was enveloped in fog as Mr Galloway prepares to start the match with Southern Tasmania Under-20s to kick off; North in possession on the fog-enshrouded pitch [PlessPix]
A-League pre-season friendly (Aurora Stadium, Launceston)
Melbourne Victory 0-0 Central Coast Mariners
Intrastate Youth Match (Aurora Stadium, Launceston)
North 1 (Hughes) lost to South 6 (Brennan 3, K Engels, A Holmes, own goal)
Highlights of Under 20's match now available on youtube
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlbbcnxGD18
how pathetic a line up is the northern u/20?
ReplyDeleteWas there as big a gulf in class as the score suggests?
ReplyDeleteIs the ignorant pillock who's been negative about young Andy Brennan gonna eat his words and give a very promising 17 year old a fair go? Hmmm...
Less than 5000 on a lovely sunny day in Launceston with two of the best club sides in the country.The Tasmanian A league taskforce must seriously consider how financially viable the bid is given that everyone at the ground under 13 didnt pay.
ReplyDeletethe problem is the game was played in launceston. Who could arsed driving all the way up there. get the game in Hobart and you will get 10k+
ReplyDeleteThe 11.20 Anon comment clearly demonstrates why a Tasmanian A-League franchise just wouldn't be viable..."couldn't be arsed"!! Sad really.
ReplyDeleteI am sure if Hobart had a facility with a surface as good as york park and capable of holding 10,000 it too would still be half empty..Central Coast Mariners played two games in Canberra last season and couldnt get more than 5000 through the gate..Its a sad but undeniable fact the world game doesnt attact bums on seats the same way the AFL and NRL can.
ReplyDeleteLaunceston has AFL at Aurora.
ReplyDeleteThe task force should be looking to have games for the Tassie side in Hobart. Forget the north of the state.To have only 5000 people there should be considered a disappointment.
AFL in the north. A League in the south.
Watched the highlights, geez the Northern U/20 team looked shocking.
ReplyDeleteHello Scott Wade is now on the blog Walter.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Walter.
hi Walter
ReplyDeleteWelcome back I think it might be interesting to see how many turn up Tues night I did travel up to see the game but know lots of fans who did not because of Tues game On another note it was disapionting on Sat with only one senior game in the south FFT could not provide youth cup games with referees whjch then put pressure on coaches and parents to referee some highly contested and enjoyable games From what i saw it did not affect outcomes but I wonder wether their would have been refs forFFT elite teams as at the moment that seems to be all they care about
5000 for a friendly between 2 sides most Tasmanians have no allegiance to is ok. Let's not use the attendance as a stick to beat the Hobart drum with - unless the Tas v Mariners game does better.Our local boys should pull 10000 by anon 11.20's logic? What the U20 game shows is years of poor junior development in the north especially. We don't have the quality to sustain an A-League club. It's chicken and egg though. If we had an A-league side we'd have a pathway, therefore greater motivation and quality. Let's be honest here too, Launceston has the best facility and should therefore host games there
ReplyDeleteConsidering CCM are playing a game in the south tomorrow could have reduced the crowd up north. I for one planned to go Tues night instead of going up on the weekend.
ReplyDeletehobart would have undeniedably gotten much bigger crowds! for the simple fact that there appears to be a stronger following of the world game, hence having more and better young players and simply because it has a larger metro population. Sam Hughs though I'v seen him since he was in state U12 a couple of years ago a very good northern player better than most in the south
ReplyDeleteliam scott is a reasonably good player, but i must say he has the worst style, he tackles well and hits passes, but my god he runs funny and kicks funny. looks very unco, but obviously isn't. fix your style man will make you will look like a better player
ReplyDeleteTypical Hobart person. The North of Tas get nothing from FFT. I heard the clubs up North may be making a break away admin!! Plus to play in the Institute team you have to play and live in Hobart. No wonder we arent moving forward as a State!
ReplyDeleteAnyone else laugh how FFT had to resort to sending out an email to all players about the Central Coast games as they didn't have this blog to do their work for them!
ReplyDeleteThey'll get the crowds they deserve for being such a bunch of amateurs!
Also those thinking an A-league team would a) go ahead, and b) draw crowds are kidding themselves. It would get no more than the one-day domestic cricket games, mark my words!
Pre-season practice game on a cold day. Two interstate teams minus big stars (eg Thomson, Hernandez). Poorly advertised, July 2010.
ReplyDeleteA League roster game Gold Coast vs Victory @ Skilled Stadium on balmy Saturday night, Sept 2009.
Both crowds = approx 5,000.
Give Tassie a license and we'll get 10,000 to Bellerive every home game.
MDP
Why wasn't the Northern U20 team chosen earlier to allow the side to gel before the game?
ReplyDeleteSurely this would have made for a more competitive game.....
Probably less than 1000 tickets were actually bought.... and who's to say there was 5000 anyway, sounds like an overestimate to me, and obviously not an exact figure!
ReplyDeleteWhy was Jacob Huigsloot picked? North were terrible, but still scored a goal because Jacob had poor body position. His Brother Luke is by far a better player, how he wasn't picked i will never know. Lucky North were a weak side, otherwise i fear the scoreline could have been different
ReplyDeleteAnon.....8.17
ReplyDeleteSpot on mate, why weren't they chosen weeks earlier to allow them to gel.
The south have been training together for weeks haven't they?
5:48 PM
ReplyDeleteinstitute players of every state need to relocate to the capital city! grow up its a 2 hour drive from launie and only 3-4 from the north west, players on the mainland etc. have to drive 6+ hours and some players even move over seas. its what a player often has to do if they want to get anywhere in this sport and most sports. its not really a big ask we do speak the same language, use the same currency in the south.
Are you joking? Huigsloot was one of Souths best players. A typical Clarence remark. Huigsloot showed the North player to the corner, it was Voss' error that led to that goal. Such a silly statement. Why do we constantly bag out our promising youngsters? Promote the bloody game.
ReplyDeleteumm 8:39, did you watch the game???? he was bloody brilliant. jacob is one of the southerns best youngsters. pick luke over him at centre back? good 1.
ReplyDeleteLuke H wasn't put forward as one of Clarence's four players. He is a good player but behind McIntyre, Hamlett, Lewis ...
ReplyDeleteSouth team had one training session together. South could have put a different 11 and still won.
No such thing as an U12 State Team. If Sam Hughes was in one 2 years ago he'd be 13 now!!
Beard & Mann by far the standouts for North. They were thrown in with a team of spuds. Beard should be in the squad for Mariners game, Hughes is very overrated. Brennan - absoloute class.
ReplyDeleteGee the South finally win a game v the north and everything up here is crap.
ReplyDeleteI well thats good we wont here any more crap about a state league then, we are not worthy to be in your presence.
Anonymous 4.47 . I to decided to go out tonight rather than view Sundays game .
ReplyDeletea game down south would attract well over 5000 to a game with out a doubt. why couldnt the game be played at bellrieve or even the tca ground? also worth noting that at some a league games last year mostly up in the gold coast that they struggled some weeks to get over 5000 people to the games anyway. i think tonights game will be a good to see how many people come to watch an a league side play some local lads
ReplyDelete