Next generation of Knights hone their skills in SAP

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights technical director Matthew Rhodes (left), Michael Furjanic (centre, back) and Knights goalkeeper Alex Woodham pose with the latest batch of Glenorchy Knights youngsters [PlessPix]

Glenorchy Knights stalwart Michael Furjanic was on hand at Prince of Wales Bay on Sunday to watch his grandson play in the Skills Acquisition Programme festival.

His daughter, Anita Furjanic, is currently on the Knights committee and was happy to see her father watch her son, Nicholas Bonnitcha, play.

Photo:  Michael Furjanic stands behind his grandson, Nicholas Bonnitcha, and Marina Brkic shown with her sons, Thomas and Mathew [PlessPix]

Joe Brkic, a Croatia Glenorchy player in the 1960s was there with his son, Robin, and daughter-in-law Marina to see his grandsons, Thomas and Mathew, in action.

Tom Huigsloot’s son, Harrison, was also in the thick of the action, so it seems as if a new generation of Knights players is on the rise.

Photo:  Michael Furjanic and daughter Anita Furjanic with Anita's son, Nicholas Bonnitcha [PlessPix]

Photo:  Goalmouth action in the SAP festival [PlessPix]

Photo:  Action from a SAP game on the weekend [PlessPix]

Photo:  A player tackles in a SAP game on Sunday [PlessPix]

Photo:  An attacker breaks clear and heads for goal [PlessPix]

Photo:  An attacker races for goal [PlessPix]

Melbourne Victory press the flesh in Hobart

Photo:  KGV Park was alive with kids and Melbourne Victory players this evening [PlessPix]

Melbourne Victory pressed the flesh in Hobart today following their arrival yesterday for their annual one-week stay.

They began today with a training session at North Hobart Oval and finished with a kids’ clinic at KGV Park, attended by 200 youngsters.

Last night, Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat attended a coaches’ seminar attended by several dozen local coaches.

Photo:  200 youngsters played small-sided games at KGV Park this afternoon [PlessPix]

At lunch-time today, Football Federation Tasmania hosted a lunch for the visiting squad at The Black Buffalo Hotel in North Hobart.

Star striker Besart Berisha, Leigh Broxham and Jason Geria visited the children’s ward at the Royal Hobart Hospital early this afternoon.

Berisha, 29, an Albanian international, transferred from Brisbane Roar to Melbourne Victory this year.

He won two A-League championships with Brisbane Roar and won the A-League Golden Boot award in the 2011-2012 season.

Berisha has played 17 times for Albania, scoring one goal.

Photo:  Besart Berisha at KGV Park this evening [PlessPix]

He has also played for Tennis Borussia Berlin in Germany, AaB and Horsens in Denmark, Hamburger SV in the German Bundesliga, Rosenborg (Norway) and Arminia Bielefeld (Germany) before joining Brisbane Roar in the A-League.

Hamburger SV sold him to Burnley but injury meant he did not play a competitive game for the English club.

Socceroo striker Archie Thompson made an appearance at Specsavers store in the city this afternoon.

Photo:  Mark Milligan signs autographs at KGV Park tonight [PlessPix]

Tomorrow, the team will train at North Hobart Oval from 10am-11am, while at 1pm, Archie Thompson, Mark Milligan, Kosta Barbarousas, Adrian Leijer and Nathan Coe will be in The Mall in the centre of Hobart.

At 2pm, Andrew Nabbout, Leigh Broxham and Gui Finkler will visit Campbell Town Primary School.

Sydney FC arrive in Hobart on Saturday at 3.55pm.

On Sunday, Tasmania will play Melbourne Victory Youth at 12.15pm at North Hobart Oval, while Melbourne Victory take on Sydney FC at 3pm.

Photo:  Melbourne Victory players signing autographs for Tasmanian youngsters today [PlessPix]

Photo:  Archie Thompson signs autographs today [PlessPix]

Third SAP festival held last weekend

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights and Kingborough Lions United kids in action [PlessPix]

The third Skills Acquisition Programme (SAP) State-wide festival was held at Prince of Wales Bay last weekend

All nine SAP licence-holder clubs were represented at the festival.

Eight versus eight games were played on pitches measuring 60 metres by 40 metres.

Results were unimportant and Football Federation Tasmania’s technical director, Spencer Prior, said that it was all about fun and demonstrating football technique.

“This is the third SAP Festival,” Prior said.  “We’ve just completed cycle three, so it was a State-wide SAP festival.

“There are no results, no competition, but just a good day of fun and football to see where they’re at with their skill development.

Photo:  Action from the South Hobart versus Olympia game [PlessPix]

“It’s not for me to say how it’s going.  I think the proof is in the football and in seeing the standards raised, technically, within the kids.

“Yesterday [Saturday] we did under-12s and it blew me away, actually, in terms of the number of talented kids we’ve now got starting coming through and the way that the programme has developed from Cycle 1 to now and to see how the standard is improving is significant.

“We’ve still got another cycle yet to go this year.

“The ball doesn’t get put away.  I really want to see this keep building as a real foundation for youth development within the State.

“The next cycle begins next month.  The kids are now finished and will have a bit of time off for the holidays and then they come back in mid-October and then away we go again and do another eight-week block and another festival in December.”

 Photo:  South Hobart score against Olympia [PlessPix]

Photo:  Devonport City in action at the SAP festival [PlessPix]

Photo:  One of the SAP festival games on Sunday [PlessPix]

 

Tasmanian squad whittled down to 18

Photo:  Tasmania's joint-coach, Glen McNeill [PlessPix]

Nine South Hobart players have been included in the latest Tasmanian squad, cut down from 30 to 18 players, ahead of Sunday’s match against Melbourne Victory Youth at North Hobart Oval at 12.15pm.

The squad will be trimmed to 16 on Friday after another training session tomorrow [Wednesday].

Photo:  Hugh Undy (right) in action against South Melbourne Hellas [PlessPix]

There are three Olympia Warriors players in the latest 18-man squad, and two each from Tilford Zebras, Northern Rangers and Devonport City.

No-one from Kingborough Lions United, Glenorchy Knights and Launceston City was selected.

South Hobart’s loss to South Melbourne Hellas on Saturday in the NPL Series elimination final meant that South Hobart players were available for selection.

The 18-man squad is:  Kane Pierce, Hugh Undy, Connor Kass, Caleb Ludlow, Nick Morton, Liam Scott, Brayden Mann, Andy Brennan, Hugh Ludford (South Hobart), Russell Courtney, Alex Leszczynski (Tilford Zebras), Jake Vandermey, Lachlan Nichols, Dmitri Nester (Olympia Warriors), Shane Brassington, Harry Thannhauser (Northern Rangers), Callum Moore, Michael Holden (Devonport City).

Courtney is the captain and Scott the vice-captain.

Glen McNeill and Tim Lunnon are the joint coaches of the Tasmanian side, while Football Federation Tasmania’s technical director, Spencer Prior, is the head of selection.

Greg Hickey is the manager, Gary Pitchford the trainer and Evan Clayton the physiotherapist.

Photo:  Tasmania's Andy Brennan (left)...can he score goals at the higher level? [PlessPix]

Melbourne Victory arrive in Hobart tomorrow just after 4pm, while Sydney FC fly into Hobart on Saturday around 4pm.

Melbourne Victory will play Sydney FC in an A-League pre-season friendly at North Hobart on Sunday at 3pm.