Kasper Hallam to face his former club tomorrow in pre-season friendly

Photo:  Ken Morton will give some of his youngsters a wun against the Thunder. [PlessPix] 

South Hobart will host Victorian side Dandenong Thunder at 2pm at South Hobart tomorrow.

Dandenong finished 8^th in the 14-team Victorian NPL last season.

Former ace Tasmanian striker Brayden Mann plays for them, but he is currently injured and won’t face his former side tomorrow.

One former South Hobart player who will face his former club is winger Kasper Hallam.

Photo:  Kasper Hallam (left) in action for South Hobart against Olympia Warriors. [PlessPix] 

Hallam left South Hobart at the beginning of last season to join A-League club Melbourne Victory, but has now signed for Dandenong Thunder for the 2023 NPL Victoria season.

South Hobart have signed former keeper Nick O’Connell after he competed a season with A-League outfit Brisbane Roar.

He will vie for the number one goalkeeping berth with last year’s senior keeper Jake Hayers.

Centre-back Luke Bighin has left South Hobart and signed for Brunswick Juventus in Melbourne.  They are in NPL Victoria 2.

Photo:  Luke Bighin shoots for goal against Glenorchy Knights. [PlessPix] 

His fellow centre-back Loic Feral will not play as he is due to return to France on holiday for a period.

South Hobart will also be without precocious striker Josh Divin, who has joined A-League club Western United’s under-23s.

Utility player Jayden Hey will be another absentee as he is in Europe on a delayed honeymoon.

South Hobart were beaten 2-1 a couple of weeks agon by Glenorchy Knights in a pre-season friendly and tomorrow’s game will be tougher, especially in the expected high temperatures.

“We’ve got some players away but I’m happy where we are at this stage of pre-season,” said South Hobart coach, Ken Morton.

“We’re probably not as advanced as in other years because we started a little bit later.

“This will be our first practice game in a while against interstate teams because of COVID.”

Morton said he would be looking to give his more experienced players plenty of game time and he would also play some youngsters to give them experience.

“If I get an hour in with the top players, then I’ll be quite happy,” Morton said.

The curtain-raiser at 11.45am will be between South Hobart’s Under-21s and Riverside Olympic’s Under-21s.

In other pre-season friendlies, Launceston City will travel to Sorell to meet New Town White Eagles at 2pm and South East United at noon.