Photo: Coach David Smith and central-defender Tom Young at today's media conference [PlessPix]
The Tasmanian squad of 22 players to face
A-League side Central Coast Mariners at 2.30pm at South Hobart Oval on Sunday has
been announced.
Devonport central defender Kieran Mulraney has
been named captain.
The Mariners arrived on Saturday and will
also play South Hobart at Lightwood Park on Tuesday night at 6.30pm before departing the
State on Wednesday.
Tickets for both games range in price from $7 to $15.
Tickets for both games range in price from $7 to $15.
The Tasmanian squad is:
Miles Barnard (Devonport Strikers), Edward Bidwell (Devonport
Strikers), Keenan Douce (Kingborough Lions), Charlie Dyer (Launceston City), Adam
Gorrie (South Hobart), Benjamin Hamlett (South Hobart), Tobias Herweynen (South
Hobart), Jayden Hey (Hobart Zebras), Jarrod Hill (Riverside Olympic), Todd
Hingston (Devonport Strikers), Kobe Kemp (South Hobart), Thomas Little (Hobart
Zebras), Nicholas Mearns (Olympia FC Warriors), Noah Mies (Launceston City), Jordan
Muller (Hobart Zebras), Kieran Mulraney (Devonport Strikers), Joffrey Nkoso (Olympia
FC Warriors), Matthew Pace (Hobart Zebras), Connor Parke (Devonport Strikers), Nathan
Pitchford (Devonport Strikers), Joel Stone (Devonport Strikers), Thomas Young
(Glenorchy Knights).
The Central Coast Mariners squad, coached by
former Matildas supremo Alen Stajcic, is:
Matt Simon, Michael McGlinchey, Eun-Sun Kim,
Jordan Murray, Jacob Melling, Jack Clisby, Ziggy Gordon, Milan Djuric, Mark Birighitti,
Adam Pearce, Giancarlo Gallifuoco, Dylan Fox, Tommy Oar, Ruon Tongyik, Mario
Shabow, Abraqham Majok, Josh Nisbet, Lewis Miller, Matt Hatch.
The Mariners will also have three trialists
in their squad.
Photo: Thomas Young is the only representative from Glenorchy Knights [PlessPix]
“It was a surprise, but it’s a great opportunity,”
said Tom Young, the only player selected from Glenorchy Knights.
“Hopefully, we can all go out there and out
on a show and upset them, maybe.
“I’ve never played at that level so to have
the opportunity to step up and play against the best in the country is great.
“We expect then to come out with all guns
blazing and, hopefully, we can match them, but I reckon they’ll be at the next
level and we’ll have to wait and see how we go.”
Young said it was up to the coaches to
decide his best position, but he felt comfortable at centre-back or
centre-midfield.
“Wherever they want to out me, I hope to do
the job,” Young said. “I expect to play
at centre-back, though.”
Faced with the prospect of coming up against
a striker of the calibre of Matt Simon, Young was not fazed.
“He’s certainly a big boy, but I’ll get
stuck in and try and upset his rhythm and see how we go,” he said.
When asked whether the Saturday night
Football Tasmania awards presentation dinner could affect the Tasmania players,
Young responded diplomatically.
“We’ll see whether the boys behave
themselves, but you’d hope they’d see this as a good opportunity to show what
they can do and so, hopefully, keep the drinks to a minimum and get to bed
early,” he said.
Photo: David Smith is one of four coaches who will have input into the Saturday game against the Mariners [PlessPix]
Coach David Smith said he was happy with the
selection and said the parameters for selection had been set and the squad was
chosen on that basis.
“Because we’ve got the games on Saturday, we’ll
play two different sides in each half,” Smith said.
“We’ve lost a couple through injury, but it
is an opportunity for 22 players to have a run.
“Mariners have a very strong squad and there’ll
be some well-known players up against us.
“For the first half, it’ll b e a lot of
Devonport-based players, and for the second, more of a mixture from South
Hobart and Zebras.
“We haven’t been able to train, so we’re
going to try and keep the players who know each other together.
“We’re not going to sit back and we’ll try and
entertain a bit. We’ve got some very
good players down here and we’re going to give them the opportunity to show
what they can do.
“We’ll try and put a bit of pressure on them
and see what happens, and see how they can play.
“It’s up to our guys to back themselves rather
than to sit back.
“People underestimate the quality of some of
the players down here.
“If someone does the right thing and outs on
a show, they’ll be noticed and could get a chance.”
Smith said Alen Stajcic was a world-class
coach and he was bringing three trialists down with his squad and so there was
no reason he wouldn’t be able to identify
a promising Tasmanian player.
“That’s the carrot we’ve got to drop before these
sorts of people,” Smith said.
“Stajcic watches NPL and games outside his
area and so he’s on the look-out for talent.”
Smith said he was hoping good crowds would
be in attendance for the Mariners’ two games here.
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