It’s a big week for football in Tasmania this week and all the action tomorrow is at Launceston’s UTAS Stadium.
Not only is there a competitive A-League game, there is a top--notch NPL Tasmania game and an important Women’s Super League match.
The A-League game will be a must-see affair as it pits ladder-leader Central Coast Mariners against 8th-placed Western United, who are in Tasmania for a week as part of the Festival of Football.
Western United have sent representatives to Hobart during the week, including their Tasmanian Football Ambassador, David Clarkson, who began his illustrious footballing career in Hobart many moons ago.
Most of the pre-game action has been in Launceston, which is a central point and within easy reach of football fans in Hobart and on the North-West Coast.
As Western United coach, Mark Rudan, said at a media conference earlier this week, the game at UTAS Stadium tomorrow will be a litmus test for Tasmania’s dreams of having a team in the A-League.
I’d love to see 10,000 in attendance. That would send a strong message to the decision makers who decide these things. But, I fear I am far too optimistic, even though Football Tasmania has suspended all football tomorrow so that everyone can wend their way to Launie.
Western United boast a player whom many consider the best in the A-League, Allessandro Diamanti. He’s an Italian international and has also played in the English Premier League. He is tremendously skilful and does everything with a cheeky smile. The chance to see him play is alone worth the admission price,
And then, of course, there is the A-League’s all-time leading scorer, Besart Berisha. He is no stranger to Tasmania, having played her several times in the past.
Western United will be up against it when they take on the league-leaders and, although the Mariners will start as favourites, anything can happen in football.
Tomorrow’s programme begins at 11.45am when Launceston United meet Olympia Warriors in a Women’s Super League clash.
United are the surprise packet in this year’s competition, while Olympia are also rebuilding, so it should be a hotly contested game that could go either way.
At 2.15pm, Devonport City are up against Kingborough Lions United in a NPL Tasmania top-four meeting.
The Lions stumbled last week and if they lose this contest they could be in familiar territory, namely, promising much but failing to deliver.
The football continues at UTAS Stadium next Thursday when Western United are up against Wellington Phoenix, who will be making their first foray in Tasmania.
The curtain-raisers are two women’s representative games. Tasmania’s Under-16s meet Calder United’s Under-16s at 1.45pm, and the Tasmanian State Women’s representative side play Calder United, who are the women’s section of Western United. There is a possibility that the Under-16 game may be switched to Churchill Park at 1.15pm.
Tasmania’s women’s coach, Chris Hey, said preparation time had been limited but he had been delighted with the number of players who attended selection trials.
“We got a pretty good turnout with those who put their hands up for selection in both squads,” Hey said.
“We had 87 or 89 girls for both squads.
“We’ll be strong in attack with player such as Laura Davis, Bonnie Davies, Madi Chambers, Zoe Nichols and Jazmin White, so we’ll be good in the front-third.
“Despite little preparation, we hope to play quality football.”
The Women’s State squad and the Under-16 State squad are
listed below:
|
Senior Tasmanian Women |
Youth Tasmanian Women |
||
|
Player |
Club |
Player |
Club |
|
Bonnie Davies |
Olympia FC Warriors |
Airlee Lawson |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Chelsea Dolbel |
Devonport Strikers |
Aline Kidd |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Danielle Kannegiesser |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
Amy Coward |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Eli Cropp |
Taroona FC |
Amy Ollington |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Emily Nellis |
Ulverstone SC |
Annalee Bidwell |
Devonport Strikers |
|
Inocent Michael |
Olympia FC Warriors |
Bridie Cooling |
South Hobart FC |
|
Isolina Ottavi |
Taroona FC |
Bronte Gadon |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Jazmin White |
Devonport Strikers |
Chelsea Wing |
Riverside Olympic FC |
|
Jess Robinson |
Launceston United SC |
Eloise Paine |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Kate Ollerhead |
Olympia FC Warriors |
Eve Swain |
South Hobart FC |
|
Laura Davis |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
Georgia Anderson |
Devonport Strikers |
|
Leah Gubb |
Olympia FC Warriors |
Gonya Luate |
Launceston United SC |
|
Louisa Marnion |
Clarence Zebras FC |
Holly Bonertz-Benn |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Lucy Reimer |
Ulverstone SC |
Ineeka Link |
Taroona FC |
|
Maddy Obrien |
Clarence Zebras FC |
Jess McCallum Smith |
Launceston United |
|
Madi Chambers |
Olympia FC Warriors |
Jessica Shreeve |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Olivia Gardner |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
Kate Bonertz-Benn |
Kingborough Lions United FC |
|
Pishon Choi |
South Hobart FC |
Maddy Payne |
Devonport Strikers |
|
Zoe Nichols |
Clarence Zebras FC |
Mia Cane |
Olympia FC Warriors |
|
Natalia Leszczynski |
Olympia FC Warriors |
||
13 comments:
I take it that the lions under 16 team must be top of their league to include 9 players from that one club?
Would be very suprised if the the crowd is anywhere near 10k. I dont think this game will improve our chances at all of a A league team either way unfortunatly
Looks like a really good week of football ahead.
If the game was in Hobart, they may have gotten 7 to 8k supporters, but not in Launceston.
Looking at the stats this year if we get 10k to this game we should get a tassie team next year given Western United average a little over 4K at their games and the highest Sydney FC average 7,5K
All for the girls getting their rep games but not sure why Strikers & Lions are playing surely an under 20 or 23 state men’s team versus a vic team would have been worthwhile or even a North Vs South men’s game would have been more interest
Don’t mean to be negative but how many times have we heard an expression
along the lines of ‘ would be nice to get 10000 people and send a message to
the decision makers.’ The decision makers dont care and we are continually
regarded as second class. It happens all the time .
The game should have been played at North Hobart and it would have been a decent crowd.
The sooner FT realise that Hobart is the capital and will get a larger crowd here , the better.
Wake up FT and start making right decisions in respect to developing the sport in this state.
How many of the players officials and supporters of all leagues in Tasmania does FT think will travel north
to watch the game? The majority of players that are now not playing this weekend would be in the south where
the greater population is. It’s not rocket science to hold the game down here rather than expect people to travel rather than
bring the entertainment to where the majority are.
Totally agree with anom at 10:40pm.
You suspended the whole league, well apart from the two games, but that leaves the other men's and women's teams who of the majority are based in Hobart.
The game being played in Hobart at North Hobart was the easiest decision to make.
You are a bit of a muppet. The u16 comp hasn't started yet and even if it had, they nearly all regulars in the the women's state league.
Why travel when I can watch it in the comfort of home? If it was down South I would go.
The match is broadcast on the ABC at 5 pm according to todays Mercury.
So why travel.
The A league has been awful the last 2 years. The top Mainland NPL teams are better quality and get paid just as much. If it wasnt for the imports the A league would be no better
I don't understand why Tasmanians would turn up to support a team that was given a place in the last round of A League expansion when the Tasmanian bid wasn't given any serious consideration, unless it's to protest. It's not as though Western United were even a club with an existing identity, culture or support base, all they had to offer was a commitment to build a stadium (still no action on that front) and theoretical proximity to the urban sprawl of Melbourne to appease Fox Sports (although they play their home games all over the place). Diamanti is a wonderful player though, so at least there's that.
WAtching Dev v Borough.
What a load of rubbish! Neither team able to string 3 or 4 passes.
Shite!
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