Coaching movements between Tasmania and Queensland continue

Roger Hardwicke has been appointed as Launceston City’s NPL coach for the 2020 season.

He replaces Lino Sciulli, who has called it quits after coaching Northern Rangers and Launceston City in a five-year NPL coaching career.

Sciulli coached Launceston City to seventh place in the 2019 NPL Tasmania competition.

Hardwicke comes from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and has the AFC ‘B’ and “c” coaching licences.

His most recent club was Sunshine Coast Fire.

Meanwhile, Devonport City’s coach in 2019, Rick Coghlan, has returned to Queensland.

He has been appointed coach of Logan Lightning FC, who play in the second-tier Football Queensland Premier League competition.

The club finished third this past season.

Coghlan won the NPL Tasmania title this year with Devonport City.

Devonport lost 3-2 away to Maitland in the NPL Finals series last weekend and that was Coghlan's final match in charge of the North-West Coast outfit.

Devonport must now find a new coach and the favourite must surely be Chris Gallo.

Gallo, who moved to Tasmania from Queensland, coached Devonport in 2017 and 2018 and won an NPL title and Lakoseljac Cup with the club.

He left to coach in Queensland in 2019 but returned mid-year to take up the position of North-West Coast development officer with Football Tasmania.

The vacant Devonport coaching position must surely appeal to him.

Nick Naden wins Michael Furjanic Memorial Award for Glenorchy Knights

Photo:  Nick Naden received his award from Suellen Furjanic in the presence of Robbie and Paul Furjanic and Anita Furjanic [Photo courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

Glenorchy Knights held their awards presentation dinner at Blundstone Arena Last Saturday night.

The club’s best-and-fairest senior men’s award has been renamed the Michael Furjanic Memorial Award and it was presented to the winner, Nick Naden, by Suellen Furjanic and members of her family.

Dmitri Nester was presented with his goalkeeper strip, framed for posterity, in recognition of his retirement from senior football.

A special guest at the function was the independent Federal Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, who spoke of his strong support for football.

Photo:  Nick Naden (left) and coach James Sherman [Photo courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

The team and perpetual trophy winners for Glenorchy Knights in 2019 were:

League 5

Best & Fairest – Thomas Huigsloot

Coach’s Award – Marcus Burn

Top Goal Scorer – Thomas Huigsloot

League 2

Best & Fairest – Will Roberts

Players’ Player – Hugh Graham

Coach’s Award – Jackson Phillips

Women’s Championship 1

Top Goalscorer – Serkalem Mulu

Most Improved – Rachel Hegarty

Players’ Player – Alex Hall

Challenge League

Best & Fairest – Alex Woodham

Players’ Player – Bahar Karia

Coach’s Award – Teddy Kadisha

National Premier League

Players’ Player – Nicholas Naden

Coach’s Award – Nicholas Naden & Thomas Young

Milan Lakoseljac Top Goal Scorer – Nicholas Naden

Stipe Majic Memorial Most Improved – Alex Bellini

Michael Furjanic Memorial Best & Fairest – Nicholas Naden 

Photo:  Ivan Baric presents Ryan Backhouse with his award [Photo courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

Perpetual Awards

Billy Krawczyk Encouragement Award – Ryan Backhouse

Women’s Outstanding Achievement – Chloe Wilton

Peter Huigsloot Most Dedicated Player – Marina Brkic

Vin McKay Best Club Person – Steven Kvarantan

Perpetual awards presented at the recent youth trophy presentation were the Joe Udovicic Youth Encouragement to Govinda Gurung and the Youth Sportsperson Award to Samuel Cox.

Glenorchy Knights will send a team to the National Croatian Soccer Tournament in Dandenong, Victoria, from 3-6 October 2019.

Photo:  The Knights awards dinner was held at Blundstone Arena [Photo courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

Photo:  Dmitri Nester receives his framed shirt [Photo courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

Photo:  Marina Brkic receives her  award from Tommy Huigsloot [Photo courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

Photo:  Steven Kvarantan receives his best clubman award from Knights president Tony Bacic [Photo courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

Photo:  Some of the club supporters at Knights' awards function.  Back (L-R):  Paul Furjanic, Anthony Bonnitcha, Anita Furjanic and Suellen Furjanic.  Front (L-R):  Zac Baltic, Olivia Crvenkovic and Marko Crvenkovic  [Photo courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

Ryu Yonezawa wins the double at Hobart Zebras

Photo:  David Smith and Nikki Long talk to Ryu Yonezawa in Japan [PlessPix]

Ryu Yonezawa won the Hobart Zebras’ best-and-fairest award for 2019.

The Japanese defender made it a double by also winning the club’s Players-Player-of-the-Year Award.

He was unable to attend the awards dinner as he is back in Japan, but the club was able to Skype him at the function and have him address the audience.

It was a wonderful initiative and showed how much Zebras appreciated his contribution during the season.

Yonezawa polled 27 votes in the Best-and-Fairest Award, while Nicky Edwards was second on 19 votes and Riley Dillon third with 18.

Photo:  Peter Cavarretta presents Mathew Sanders with the Golden Boot Award [PlessPix]

Mathew Sanders took out the club’s Golden Boot Award with 29 goals.  He also won the NPL Tasmania Golden Boot Award for 2019.

Alex Smith was named as the Most Promising Youth Player and was presented with his award by sponsor Simon Robustelli.

In the Challenge League, Sam Plunkett-Smith was the Best-and-Fairest Player and also the Players’ Player-of-the-Year.

Photo:  Enzo Botte (left) with James Ackerley [PlessPix]

James Ackerley won the Coach’s [Enzo Botte] and Manager’s [Nikki Long] Award.

The Rosario Pace Award for the Best Club Person was won by senior NPL coach, David Smith.

The George Marino Award for the Member-of-the-Year went to John Venettacci.  It was accepted on his behalf by his son and social league player Adrian Venettacci.

Special awards went to Jess Jarvis for playing 250 games, Jayden Hey (100 games), Jordan Muller (150 games) and Henry Fagg (200 games).

In the Women’s Super League category, Alli Berry won the Robert Corradetti Best-and-Fairest and the Players’ Player awards, as well as the Golden Boot Award.

Photo:  Isobel Ferrier with her award presented by the owner of Legs and Breasts [PlessPix]

The Rising Star was Isobel Ferrier.

In the Women’s Southern Championship side, Brooke Fiemann was the Best-and-Fairest, while Olivia Leon was the Players’ Player.

In the Under-18s, Alex Smith was the Best-and-Fairest and Arthur Wilson won the Coach’s Award.

Matthew Laird was the Best-and-Fairest in the Division 2 social side, while Kosta Grillas was the Players’ Player.

Photo (L-R):  Frank Mainella, Nick Di Giovanni, Frank Perri and David Smith [PlessPix]

Photo:  Adrian Venattacci accepts the award on behalf of his father, John, from Maria Marino [PlessPix]

Photo:  Alli Berry (right) scooped the top women's awards [PlessPix]

Photo:  Arthur Wilson and Simon Robustelli [PlessPix]

Photo:  David Smith and Sergio Pace [PlessPix]

Photo:  Frank Perri receives the Players' Player award on behalf of Ryu Yonezawa from Johnny Genovesi as Zebras president Nick Di Giovanni makes the announcement [PlessPix]

Photo:  Ronnie De Felice and Jess Jarvis [PlessPix]

Photo:  Rod Sanders received a club man award from Nick Di Giovanni  [PlessPix]

Photo:  Kevin Clamp with his club man award [PlessPix]

Photo (L-R):  Johnny Genovesi, David Smith and Aaron Brazendale [PlessPix] 

Photo:  Carolyn Ferrier, manager of the Women's Super League team [PlessPix]

Photo:  David Smith's NPL side support staff (L-R) John Moutsatsos, Garry Pitchford, Frank Mainella and Frank Perri with Golden Boot winner Mathew Sanders [PlessPix]

Photo:  Challenge League coach Enzo Botte (right) with Sam Plunkett-Smith [PlessPix]

Photo:  The Challenge League crew (L-R) Nikki Long, Enzo Botte, Kathy Botte and Jordan Munday [PlessPix]