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27.11.2024
SEASON OVER FOR FORMER GLORY STAR
Former Perth Glory player Hana Lowry was on a high last week after the Sydney FC midfielder was selected for the first time in the Matildas squad for the four international friendlies against Brazil and Chinese Taipei. But her dreams have been shattered after the 21-year-old suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in Sydney’s 1-1 draw with Melbourne City in the Unite Round on Sunday afternoon. Lowry joined Sydney FC on a two-season contract in August after playing 72 games for her home club, scoring 11 goals, and winning the club’s Most Glorious Player award last season.
The midfielder has thanked everyone for their support, and said she can’t wait to get back playing for the Sky Blues. “This isn’t how I wanted my season to go, but I’m taking it as a challenge to grow both mentally and physically,” Lowry explained. “The support from my teammates, coaches, and the whole Sydney FC family has been overwhelming, and it’s already keeping me focused on what’s ahead. I’ve really loved every minute of playing for Sydney FC, even though it has only been for a few games, and I can’t wait to get back.”
Lowry said she has had conversations with two team mates, skipper Natalie Tobin and Kirsty Fenton, who have both suffered ACL tears in recent years, and that has been pivotal in the days following her season-ending injury. Defender Tobin has returned to action at the club this year, while fellow defender Fenton is continuing her own recovery and is expected to return to Ninja A-League action this season. “Nat has been incredible, both as a leader and someone who understands exactly what I’m going through,” Lowry said. “She’s shown me what’s possible with hard work and resilience. Kirsty, too, has been a great support, and I know we’ll be leaning on each other during our rehabs.”
Sydney head coach Ante Juric, like all her teammates and friends, threw his full support behind the young midfielder. “We’re all absolutely devastated for Hana,” Juric said. “She’s been incredible for us this season and was just starting to show her full potential. Being selected for the Matildas recently was a testament to her hard work and talent. To see her season cut short like this is truly heartbreaking but Hana is strong, and we’ll do everything in our power to support her recovery. This team is like a family, and Hana is such an integral part of that, everyone, from the players to the staff, is behind her 100% to ensure she is going to come back stronger.”
27.11.2024
HOPKINSON TAKES THE REINS AT WOTTON RESERVE
Morley Windmills will be pushing for promotion back to the State League in 2025 under the tutelage of John O’Reilly and Dan Evans, but they will be working under a new President after Garth Hopkinson replaced John Castrilli at the clubs recent Annual General Meeting. This was one of many changes at the club for the new season, as they looking for promotion. Cate Bailey-Sarre is the new secretary for 2025 and James Hodnett the treasurer, replacing Rob Cornel who has stepped down but is still on the committee. Other Committee members staying on are, John Bryant (Vice President), Bob Hodnett (Ground Allocations), Jack Styles (Registrar), Rob Cornel and Ralph Geronzi.
Hopkinson has been player at the club since he was a young 7/8-year-old and then representing the Senior side for four years when he turned 18. He then took on other opportunities in the WA Football Community before deciding to come back in 2011 to join the socials team, where he played for 14-years, until last year where he played in the first season of the club’s title winning Over 35s, and to lead the club back to the state league is top of his agender.
“I am truly honoured and grateful to stand before you all today as the new club president of the Morley Windmills Soccer Club. I would like to extend thanks to each one of you for your words of support and encouragement in my decision and the trust and confidence you have shown in me,” Hopkinson said at the AGM. “I’d like to thank the committee of 2024 and John Castrilli for his work as club president. I know there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to put each season together and none more so than the previous.
“To our young families at the club with a child in the junior program in 2024 who tirelessly taxied your children from game to game and volunteered your time on a Sunday at matches and throughout the weeks at training. Thank you for choosing Morley Windmills as your home club and the support you’ve shown to the club throughout the year. We value the youth and future development of the club and I look forward to seeing as many of you around with us for many seasons to come. As I step into this role I am inspired by the families, players, coaches and members that have rallied behind this club and are invested in its success.
“My goal is to build upon what we have around us, to strengthen our bonds as a community and create new opportunities for each member to grow, learn and contribute to our collective success. I believe the success of our club lies in the collective efforts of all of us. There is a depth of talent, ideas and perspectives within the club and together we can achieve great things. Over the coming months I hope to create an environment where every voice is heard and valued, where we can collaborate on exciting initiatives and where we support one another in both our individual and collective goals.”
27.11.2024
BELT-UP AMATEUR LEAGUES SET FOR EXCITING 2025
The Belt Up Amateur Leagues are going from strength to strength, and the last two Premier Division seasons have been the tightest for a long time. With the promotion of East Perth and Wembley Downs in those seasons to the State League, it shows the standard of football is getting better each season. We are expecting another exciting season in 2025, especially with newly promoted Hamersley United and Olympic Kingsway looking to make an impact.
The Premier Division, Division One, Two and three are locked in for the new season, but there are six vacancies remaining in Division Four. Football West are inviting clubs to apply for the places, and applications are open to clubs who would like to enter a new team to fill one of the spots. Clubs do not need to complete the application form for existing teams. Applications close on Friday 10 January 2025. Any queries, please email clubsupport@footballwest.com.au
Premier Division Clubs: Emerald FC, Jaguar FC, Kelmscott Roos, Kingsley Westside, Maccabi SC, Morley Windmills, North Beach, North Perth United, Peel United, South Perth United, Hamersley United, Olympic Kingsway - Division One Clubs: Alkimos FC, Ballajura AFC, Canning City, Cracovia SC, Ellenbrook United, Joondalup United, Kwinana United, Perth AFC, Port Kennedy, Quinns FC, Southern Spirit, Stirling Panthers
Division Two Clubs: Baldivis SC, Bassendean Caledonians, Bayswater City, Belmont Villa, Curtin University, Forrestfield United, Fremantle City, Joondanna Blues, Queens Park, Mandurah City, Northern City, Westnam United – Division Three Clubs: East Perth, La Fiamma, Mindarie FC, MUMFC, Perth Royals, Spearwood Dalmatinac, Subiaco AFC, Swan Valley, Wanneroo City, Wembley Downs, Woodvale FC, UWA Nedlands – Division Four Clubs: Curtin University, Chipolopolo FC, Kalamunda City, MUMFC, Perth Saints, Sporting Warriors plus the six vacancies.
27.11.2024
OXTOBY SAYS NORTHERN IRELAND ALLOWS ME 'TO BE A MUM AND A COACH'
Northern Ireland coach Tanya Oxtoby has revealed her switch from club to international football was driven by family commitments. The 42-year old former Perth Glory Women captain recently guided Northern Ireland to a spot the final play-off stage of Euro 2025 qualifying.
Before taking on the head role with Northern Ireland, Oxtoby spent two seasons coaching alongside Emma Hayes at Chelsea and, prior to that, was in charge of Bristol City for three seasons. She has now explained how motherhood played a key role in her decision to leave club football behind.
"It was a decision that I knew I had to make," Oxtoby said. "I love club football. But you know for my son to not be present and I just felt like club football was getting to that point where I was finding it really difficult to be good at being a mum and whole heartedly be a coach as well."
"I had to make a choice. It was definitely time for me to step away from that because I just felt I didn't have anything left to give. I needed an environment that would allow me to be me, which is a mum and a coach, and it is a marriage made in heaven at this point."
Whilst she can be found juggling the responsibility of parenting her son, Albie, as well as trying to lead Northern Ireland's charge to the country's second successive Euros, Oxtoby shed some light on how she believes her coaching style has adapted since undertaking the new role in 2023.
"It's taken 12 months for the players to realise that actually, whilst I really want perfection and I want more and more and more, I'm quite relaxed most of the time if things are done to the to the highest standard," she said. "At the start it was very much like, oh, I think she's a bit full on all the time. Whereas I think now they see the lighter side of me a little bit."
Football is all about working with people, a sentiment that Oxtoby echoed when reflecting on her personal values as a manager. "You can chase perfection, you can really drive standards, but you don't need to be unapproachable by doing that," she said. "You don't need to be cold, you can still be authentic to yourself. That's probably the balance I like to try and get."
24.11.2024
DALTON GOAL NOT ENOUGH AS GLORY HELD BY CANBERRA
Perth Glory have secured their first point away from home in the Ninja A-League this season, after a 1-1 draw against traditional rivals Canberra United in Sunday’s Unite Round clash at Netstrata Stadium. Skipper Izzy Dalton’s deflected shot gave Stephen Peters side the lead at the break, and they were well worth it. They had chance to increase their lead after half time, but it was United who levelled through a stunner from Mary Stanic-Floody, denying new signing Casey Dumont a clean sheet on her debut for the club.
The Head Coach was delighted for the skipper to get her first goal for the club, and said it feels like two points lost at the end of the day. “I thought Izzy was great today, her work rate for the season has been really high, but the end product has missing from her game, so to score today is the monkey off the back for her,” Peters said post-match.
“It was a great game for us in the first half, but losing Zogg early in the second half, the adjustment was a struggle for us and we gave up territory, and Canberra are a team who are comfortable in that situation. But in the first half I thought we were the better team and deserved the lead, and if we had got that second goal it would’ve been a different game for us. It was a much better performance from us today, we had more possession and chances than the opposition, so to concede late, it feels like two points dropped.”
Peters made three changes to the side that lost against Brisbane Roar last week with Dumont making her debut for the club, replacing Miranda Templeman between the sticks, while Welsh international Megan Wynne came in for the injured Kelli Brown and Onyinyechi Zogg replaced Miku Sunaga, who dropped to the bench. Games between these two sides have produced drama and goals over the years, but it was a quiet start to the game with clear cut chances few and far between.
The hosts were first to go close, a ball over the top by Stanic-Floody sent Matildas striker Michelle Heyman racing clear, she beat Dumont to the ball but Grace Johnston got back to clear the danger. Glory went close themselves on 14 minutes, Dalton’s effort from the edge of the box flew over the top, and moments later they went closer. Former Glory keeper Sally James failed to hold on to a corner, and in the goalmouth scramble Naomi Chinnama and Gabby Hollar both failed to stab the ball home.
James then came to the rescue of the hosts on 26 minutes, Sarah O’Donoghue cut in from the right, and raced into the box, her shot was well saved by the Canberra custodian’s outstretched leg, the ball crashing off the post. But four minutes before the break Glory found the opener, a long clearance down the left channel wasn’t dealt with and a poor pass by Sofia Christopherson was picked off by Hollar and she picked out Dalton whose deflected shot beat a stranded James. They went close to a second in stoppage time, the lively O’Donoghue saw her shot hit the post again, but at the break Glory held a narrow lead.
Glory lost defender Zogg early in the second half, and she was replaced by Ella Abdul Massih, and despite that blow, a few moments later they went close to a second. Johnston sending half time substitute Morgan Roberts behind the Canberra defence, but her shot from the angle was saved by James. Glory was knocking on the door, and they should have doubled their lead on 66 minutes, Abdul Massih finding space down the right, before crossing to Tijan McKenna, but her goalbound shot hit her teammate Miku Sunaga, before hitting the rebound wide of the target.
But three minutes later it was Canberra who levelled, Heyman found Stanic-Floody just outside the penalty area, and her shot flew past Dumont. It set up a frantic last twenty minutes, with both sides pushing for the winner, but both sides held firm. The hot conditions took its toll on both sides and there were to be no further chances of note at either end, and both teams shared the spoils.
Canberra United: GK Sally JAMES, 2 Alex MCKENZIE, 3 Elizabeth ANTON, 10 Mary STANIC-FLOODY (7 Jynaya DOS SANTOS 74'), 11 Emma ROBERS (4 Holly MURRAY 85'), 12 Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, 13 Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON (28 Tegan BERTOLISSIO 83'), 17 Maja MARKOVSKI, 20 Lillian SKELLY (21 Aideen KEANE 46'), 23 Michelle HEYMAN, 25 Darcey MALONE - Subs not used: RGK Coco MAJSTOROVIC
Perth Glory: GK Casey DUMONT, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 7 Megan WYNNE (17 Morgan ROBERTS 46'), 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR (14 Miku SUNAGA 57'), 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE (2 Mischa ANDERSON 90'), 23 Izzy DALTON, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG (20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH 57') - Subs not used: RGK Miranda TEMPLEMAN - Referee: Beth Rattray
25.11.2024
A-LEAGUE COMEBACK ON THE HORIZON FOR SAINSBURY
Central Coast Mainers' Trent Sainsbury is adamant he has plenty to achieve as he zeroes in on an A-League return following injury. The 61-time Socceroo watched from the sidelines as Central Coast chalked up their first win of the new campaign on Friday night, a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over rivals Newcastle Jets.
Sainsbury says he is "absolutely flying" in his recovery from the pectoral injury that has delayed his return to Central Coast, the club where he made his professional debut as a teenager in 2010. The 32-year old defender has not set a date for his first A-League appearance since 2014, but feels confident it is fast approaching.
"I'm absolutely flying," Sainsbury commented. "The injury, I'm taking it one day at a time, I'm healing well, healing fast so I'm on track to come back soon. The confidence is always going to be high no matter what, even if I'm injured. I could strap myself up and go out there with one arm. I believe in my ability, so coming back I don't think is going to be an issue."
Sainsbury worked across the world during his decade out of the A-League, notably becoming only the ninth Australian to play in Italy's Serie A while on loan to Inter Milan from Jiangsu Suning in 2017. During his time with the Netherlands-based PEC Zwolle, he won the Dutch Cup and the Dutch Super Cup, and later played club football in Qatar, Israel and Belgium.
A return to Australia had always been on Sainsbury's mind. "I didn't want to come back as the old basket case, I wanted to come back with fight in the belly," said Sainsbury, in the first season of a three-year deal. "The body's in good shape, obviously with the injury to the pec it's going to take a little bit longer but I've come back with a lot still to achieve in the A-League."
24.11.2024
LOWRY INJURY CAPS HORROR WEEKEND FOR MATILDAS HOPEFULS
A knee injury to Hana Lowry has capped a horror weekend for would-be Matildas debutants. The Sydney FC midfielder exited this afternoon's 1-1 draw with Melbourne City midway through the second half. It came in the same 24-hour period that fellow Matilda's hopefuls Isabel Gomez and Natasha Prior also succumbed to injury.
Lowry went down after colliding with Taylor Otto and was attended to by teammates before a member of Sydney's medical staff arrived. The 21-year old was able to walk slowly from the field and was replaced by Shay Hollman in the 72nd minute, with team officials later revealing the midfielder would undergo scans on her knee.
Lowry, Gomez and were three of five players called up to the Matildas for the first time as part of Tom Sermanni's 36-player squad for upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Taiwan. The first of four matches in the international window will be played against Brazil this Thursday night, with the last scheduled for Saturday 7th December.
22.11.2024
MAYNARD-BREWER BACK IN THE FRAME WITH CHARLTON
Ashley Maynard-Brewer is back in goal for Charlton Athletic but without the protective mask he's worn for close to twelve months. The West Australian goalkeeper’s only action had been limited to EFL Trophy appearances this season before a thigh strain to first choice Will Mannion brought him into the side for the 1-0 League One defeat to Exeter City earlier this month.
Maynard-Brewer had been wearing a mask since January 2023 after breaking his nose twice in quick succession. "I was told by the surgeon that it was probably wise to wear it for between six to 12 months," the 25-year old told 'the South London Press'. "When it was broken it was really affecting my sleep and recovery, so I played it safe over a period of time."
"It definitely didn't affect my vision but it was a target for away fans, which was pretty funny. It was the predictable stuff - Zorro or Batman comments. Or at least those were definitely the lighter things that were said. I came into this season feeling fit and healthy and probably thought about the perception of wearing it ... I wanted this season to be a clean slate.
"I broke my jaw at the end of last season and the mask didn't protect that - so the issue is probably I should stay away from diving at people’s feet! I was tuned in and focused during one of the training games, I saw an opportunity to block a ball - threw my face in the way - and copped a backheel. I thought about this season, in training, being a bit more controlled - try not to get in the way of too many with my head.”
Maynard-Brewer's outing at Exeter was his first league appearance under Charlton manager Nathan Jones, who was appointed at the start of February. Jones made it clear in the summer he wanted to bring in two new goalkeepers and was prepared for Harry Isted and Maynard-Brewer to move on. Charlton ended up bringing in only Mannion on a free transfer, Isted moved to Burton Albion but Maynard-Brewer stayed.
"It was communicated pretty early doors that the gaffer was looking at bringing in an experienced number one and Will," recalled Maynard-Brewer. "I'm pretty sure he (Jones) said he wasn't going to stand in my way if there were any opportunities that did come up. But nothing eventuated (and) from the conversations we had, he said he was happy I stayed."
"He told me to get my head down and keep working hard. The feedback I got from (goalkeeping coach) Stephen Henderson was the same. Day to day I was in training and I’d get my work done. I was a Charlton player and I never wanted to leave. I have loved being a part of it the last few years. I was more than happy when the transfer window shut and it was just me and Will."
It's unclear how long Mannion will be sidelined for and, consequently, how long Maynard-Brewer will be part of the starting eleven. "As a goalkeeper I want to be playing every game possible," he said. "I'm just going to do my best in however many games with Will being out and then whatever happens, happens. If I come out of the team again then I'll continue to work just as hard and make sure I put myself in a good place."
22.11.2024
GLORY FAIL TO RE-UNITE
Perth Glory have continued their disappointing start to the Isuzu Ute A-League, after going down 3-1 to Western United in ‘Unite Round’ at the Allianz Stadium on Friday afternoon, a result which puts pressure on new coach David Zdrilic. After a first half, where United dominated but couldn’t convert their chances, Glory found the opener early in the second half with Trent Ostler on target, but United, who were also looking for their first win of the new season hit back, with Dylan Leonard levelling soon after, before Glory nemesis Hiroshi Ibusuki added a brace, making it seven goals in seven games against the Glory since his arrival in the competition.
Zdrilic said the club were in a transitional phase both on and off-field and there was a lot of work in the background fans did not say he was certain would pay dividends. “I was very positive and then the sequence of events that have happened in three of those (last) four games were similar, that goal becomes two and then three very quickly,” Zdrilic said post-game. “We keep conceding and its silly goals very quickly in succession and not staying in the game and having another go.
“We’re trying to fix things. I think this team is going to end up a lot different to where it is now, but at this moment, it’s got to be patience. In the future it’s going to keep changing and evolving. In the background, the owners and the club are doing a lot of things that the fans don’t see. A lot of those changes cause a little bit of instability in terms of getting a good structure on-field and off-field, unfortunately you look at the results but there’s a lot more to it.”
The coach made five changes, to the side that were thrashed by Melbourne City prior to the international break, keeper Cameron Cook coming in for Oli Sail, while Josh Risdon returned from injury for his first start after returning to the club this season. Anas Hamzaoui came in for Zach Lisolajski, Hiroaki Aoyama for Abdul Faisal, while Jarrad Carluccio was dropped from the squad and replaced by youngster Khoa Ngo.
It was the opening game in the 2024 ‘Unite Round’ and it was a Glory home game, with a small pocket of supporters cheering their side on. It was United who started the game well, and they went close to the opener on eight minutes, Noah Botic’s effort was palmed onto the bar by Cook, and his follow up header also crashed off the bar, a lucky escape. Glory settled and started to get a grip of the game, and Nicholas Pennington’s shot from distance flashed wide of the post, before Aoyama’s header was straight at United keeper Matthew Sutton.
Cook came to the rescue again 27 minutes, Glory gave the ball away in the middle of the park, with Ben Garuccio sending Botic into the box, his curling effort was heading for the bottom corner, but the Glory custodian produced a fingertip save to deny him. United continued to dictate terms with Tate Russell shot fizzing over the top, before Leonard’s teasing cross from the left found Ibusuki, who couldn’t guide his header home, and at the break it was all-square.
Glory started brightly after the break, Adam Taggart fired over the top, and moments later they found the opener. A quick break from Ngo sent Taggart racing down the left channel, his low ball across the penalty area found Ostler, whose shot was blocked by Sutton, but the assistant’s flag was up to say the ball had crossed the line, much to the delight of the Glory faithful in the sparse crowd. It was a third Glory goal for the midfielder, and was this the platform they needed to seal a first win of the season.
It turned out not be, and eight minutes later United levelled. Garuccio’s corner wasn’t cleared, and teenage defender Leonard rifled home past Cook. That goal lifted United and they were ahead just after the hour mark, a long ball wasn’t dealt with by Luis Canga and Botic got in behind the Glory defender, and cut the ball back to an unmarked Ibusuki who finished neatly past Cook. Glory looked hit back and Taggart dragged a shot wide of the target moments later, but 15 minutes from time United sealed the points.
It a goal similar to the second, Botic again made space down the right, picking out Ibusuki, who neat touch left three Glory defenders in his wake, before finishing clinically past Cook. Glory huffed and puffed but were unable to get back into this one, while United finished the game with ten men after Leonard pulled back Glory substitute Cristian Caicedo and was sent off by referee Alireza Faghani. It continues Glory’s poor form, and It has now been more than nine months since Glory’s last victory, a run of 15 league games, and they have conceded 49 goals in their last 12 competitive matches, something has to change.
Perth Glory: GK Cameron COOK, 3 Anas HAMZAOUI (15 Zach LISOLAJSKI 87'), 5 Lachlan BARR, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 11 Hiroaki AOYAMA (16 Adam BUGARIJA 46'), 12 Taras GOMULKA (6 Brandon O’NEILL 84'), 19 Josh RISDON (23 Cristian CAICEDO 84'), 20 Trent OSTLER, 22 Adam TAGGART, 26 Khoa NGO (21 Abdul FAISAL 63'), 33 Luis CANGA - Subs not used: RGK Oli SAIL, 9 David WILLIAMS
Western United: GK Matthew SUTTON, 9 Hiroshi IBUSUKI, 10 Matthew GRIMALDI (20 Abel WALATEE 77'), 13 Tate RUSSELL (29 Charbel SHAMOON 77'), 17 Ben GARUCCIO, 19 Noah BOTIC (14 Jake NAJDOVSKI 82'), 21 Sebastian PASQUALI (23 Rhys BOZINOVSKI 43'), 22 Kane VIDMAR, 30 Dylan LEONARD, 32 Angus THURGATE, 77 Riku DANZAKI (7 Ramy NAJJARINE, 82') - Subs not used: RGK Thomas HEWARD-BELLEE, 24 Michael RUHS - Red Cards: Leonard 90+1’ – Referee: Alireza Faghani
21.11.2024
ROCKINGHAM TURN TO RHODES IN 2024
After relegation last season to Division Two, Rockingham City have turned to Jordan Rhodes to turn their fortunes around, the 39-year-old becoming head coach of the Lark Hill Sportsplex club on a two-year contract. The former Charlton Athletic trainee, who also played for Mandurah City, Subiaco and Stirling Lions in WA, said he can’t wait to get started. “I believe this region has a great baseline of young local talent, 20–24-year-olds, and we will be looking to develop and grow with these boys and supplement where we need too with players that fit the culture we are looking to establish,” he explained.
“I am supported by a President, Vice president and committee who are all very focused on Rockingham being a centre of excellence and community for local football talent. We certainly won't lack ambition in doing this, our aim is to win games of football, but that will be the primary focus. I have a C-licence, which I worked on about seven years ago, and did coach at under 18 level. I have always wanted to challenge myself further but family life has been busy and now a great opportunity presents itself and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
New Rockingham President Fraser Marr emphasised the significance of this appointment. “Since the new committee started, our goal was to ensure that RCFC is being pushed forward by good football people in every department, and Jordan certainly fits the bill for our Saturday set-up,” he said. “From a football pedigree perspective, you will struggle to find many better in the area, so I’m over the moon he has agreed to two years where we can ensure our state league squad goes from strength to strength.”
Rhodes will take over from Rob Crerar, who has moved into an off-field role at the club, and the Vice President echoed Fraser’s sentiments. “I’m excited to have Jordan as head coach. He is local to the region, which was key for us. He has high standards on and off the pitch and, most importantly, we believe he will further develop the playing group. We’re confident his expertise and dedication will have a lasting impact on our team and community as we look forward to a successful and bright future together.”
Rhodes remembers fondly his time at Charlton in the UK as a youngster, and has a great deal of memories, and some of the characters he has met along the way. “I had some special moments and memories playing EPL Youth with Charlton Athletic and playing at venue like Stamford Bridge (Chelsea) and White Hart Lane (Tottenham Hotspur), is was a special time in my development as a kid,” he explained. “The other highlight for me came in 2000, when we beat Manchester City in the Milk Cup Final in Northen Ireland, a great memory at a special club.
“I’ve also had some great times in WA football, but to be honest, as you get older what you really remember is less the individual stuff and more the characters and the people you meet along the journey. I have been lucky enough to have some local success in some really great changerooms at Stirling, Mandurah and Subiaco. This is what you remember now and no better feeling winning something with a bunch of guys you respect and have worked hard with.”
The talented striker re-found his passion for the game last season, after joined Peel United late in the Amateur Premier Division and helped keep them clear of the relegation zone, but he said his playing days are behind him, and he will be doing all he can to gain promotion back to Division One. “Peel asked me down for the last three games of the season, and I enjoyed it,” Rhodes explained. “The club is local to me and I really like their story and the people, they certainly punch above their weight and so was happy to help out at a time of need. But my time is past now, it is over to this next generation to write their own story, and I will be guiding that on track and touchline.”
21.11.2024
KNIGHT AIMING HIGH IN HIS NEW ROLE IN FOOTBALL
It was a disappointing 2024 for Joondalup United, stepping away from State League football and their amateur side were relegated from the Premier Division. But they are hoping that all changers in 2025, and the first part of their revival came after appointing Gavin Knight as their Head Coach for the new season. For Knight, who played for Morley Windmills last season, it’s a first senior coaching role, and it’s something he can’t wait to get started.
“It’s a new challenge for me, but I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Knight said. “It is something I have wanting to do in the last few seasons, and yes, it’s a little bit of pressure but I can handle it. I’ve spoken to a few players to come down next season and hopefully they commit. Also looking forward to meeting new faces on the first couple of pre-season training sessions in December. I’ve worked under a number of experience coaches, and learnt a great deal from them. It is my first senior coaching job, but I’ve coached a couple of NPL junior teams a few years ago, and I have my C licence at moment.”
Knight, who came over from the UK to play for Joondalup, also played for Bayswater City, Sorrento, Gwelup Croatia, Swan United, Balcatta Etna, Stirling Macedonia, Fremantle City, Subiaco AFC and Morley Windmills. The striker has had so many highlights on the pitch in his career in WA football, and will cherish all of them, but when asked if he will continue playing next season, as Joondalup look to get back into the Premier Division, he was quick to answer. “I will be doing a player/coach role this season, but will only play when needed, then I will see at the end of the season if I’ll continue, we’ll have to wait and see,” Knight said.
“For me playing football was a passion, and when Rudy Proctor asked me to come over to WA to join Joondalup, I jumped at the chance, and the rest as they say is history, I have so many highlights. Winning leagues, cups, representing states and country and winning the gold medal. But one that will always stick out is scoring the winning goal against Western Knights when I was at Stirling. We were pushing for promotion from Division One, and we were 2-1 down with seven minutes left, and Fergie (Stirling coach Ian Ferguson), brought me on, and I ended up getting two goal to seal a 3-2 win, that put Stirling one step closer to being promoted to the NPL.”
He has another good reason to move away from Saturday football, with his two sons Alfie and Henri following in his dad’s footsteps, both being a part of the Perth Glory academy, and Knight said it will be great to go and cheers them on. “Yes, I’m super proud of my boys, so giving up Saturday football to watch them play for Glory in NPL is worth it,” he explained. “To be fair, they both are a better talent that I was at their age (15&17), so it will be good to watch them again in the Glory U23 and first team next season.” The clubs pre-season starts next month, get along and meet the new coach - Tuesday 10th of December - 6pm registration with a 6:30pm start at Forrest Park Padbury - Any queries email: Admin@jufc.com.au or text or mobile 0451 800 872.
21.11.2024
GLORY HOPING TO UNITE IN SYDNEY
We head into the second year of the ‘Unite Round’ this weekend in Sydney, with every Isuzu Ute A-League round five games to be played in harbour city. Perth Glory will be looking to unite, and bounce back from their heavy defeat against Melbourne City last week, when they take on Western United on Friday afternoon at Allianz Stadium (kick-off at 2:30pm WST). It is a Glory home game in fixtures, and Head Coach David Zdrilic is confident his side will ready for a tough game, and he said the international break has given them time to regroup, after their worse performance of the season against City.
The coach believes his side is ready for a big game, against a United side, who are also searching for their first win of the season, and said the break came at the right time for them. “It’s been a good international break to get a lot of good training in,” he said. “After the first four games, it was a big reset. There were two results there that were not acceptable for us and the group knows that. The reaction from the guys after that loss to City was very positive and it doesn’t always go that way. The training week has been excellent, everyone is putting their hand up to go again and fight again, so that’s very positive. We need that positive week in training to become a positive performance.
The injuries that have hampered the club this season, are slowly clearing up, and Josh Risdon will come into contention to face his former club after several weeks on the sidelines. Zdrilic said they now need to find the right balance. “We’ve pretty much got the whole group back, except for [Mustafa] Amini and [Nikola] Mileusnic and everyone is back at a reasonable level where they can be selected for the squad,” he explained. “The group is now getting to the level where everyone can compete the way we should. We’re still adapting and changing things and that was a good break for us in which to try and find the right mix. We’re still trying to find that right balance and we have options there now.”
The last Unite Round game for Glory ended in a thrilling 3-4 defeat against Wellington Phoenix, and the last time we played Western United also ended in a 3-4 defeat in round 25 at HBF Park. Matthew Grimaldi gave United the lead early, but Adam Taggart levelled, and the Socceroos striker gave them the lead early in the second half. Japanese midfielder Riku Danzaki restored parity for the visitors, and Adel Walatee had them ahead with 16 minutes remaining. Oliver Lavale added a fourth for United in the second minute of stoppage time, and despite David Williams pulling one back the visitors took home the points.
United sit one point and one place ahead of Glory on the ladder, and while not underestimating them, Zdrilic said that he would love to give Glory’s travelling and NSW-based Members and fans something to celebrate at the final whistle. “Our fans have been fantastic, they travel very well, and there are fans who go everywhere and they’ll be there for Unite Round,” Zdrilic said. “It’s such a loyal fanbase and we really want to reward them. Western United have got a very solid base, and they’ve been playing a similar way for multiple years now and have had a similar line-up, so they know the mechanisms and they’re very comfortable in their structure. They’re a very good team that also needs a win, so it’s going to be a tough challenge.
Perth Glory squad: GK Oli SAIL, GK Cameron COOK, 3 Anas HAMZAOUI, 5 Lachlan BARR, 6 Brandon O’NEILL, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 9 David WILLIAMS, 12 Taras GOMULKA, 14 Nathanael BLAIR, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 16 Adam BUGARIJA, 17 Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 19 Josh RISDON, 20 Trent OSTLER, 21 Abdul FAISAL, 22 Adam TAGGART, 23 Cristian CAICEDO, 24 Andriano LEBIB, 26 Khoa NGO, 33 Luis CANGA - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: HAMZAOUI, WILLIAMS, AOYAMA, RISDON - Unavailable: 8 Mustafa AMINI (injured), 10 Nikola MILEUSNIC (injured)
Western United squad: GK Tom HEWARD-BELLE, GK Matthew SUTTON, 5 Oliver LAVALE, 7 Ramy NAJJARINE, 9 Hiroshi IBUSUKI, 10 Matthew GRIMALDI, 13 Tate RUSSELL, 14 Jake NAJDOVSKI, 17 Ben GARUCCIO, 19 Noah BOTIC, 20 Abel WALATEE, 21 Sebastian PASQUALI, 22 Kane VIDMAR, 23 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 24 Michael RUHS, 29 Charbel SHAMOON, 30 Dylan LEONARD, 32 Angus THURGATE, 34 James YORK, 77 Riku DANZAKI - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: 7 Ramy NAJJARINE (returns from injury), 24 Michael RUHS (promoted) - Unavailable: 4 James DONACHIE (injured), 43 Khoder KADDOUR (injured)
21.11.2024
GLORY WOMEN READY FOR CANBERRA CHALLENGE
Perth Glory hit the road this weekend, when they travel to Sydney to take on Canberra United in the Ninja A-League ‘Unite Round’ at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Sunday afternoon, a game you can watch live and free on 10Play. (kick-off at 10:30am WST. The round four clash sees Stephen Peters side take on their old rivals, with the pair playing some thrilling games over the years, and they will be searching for there first points on the road this season, after defeats against Melbourne City and last week against Brisban Roar.
Peters said his side were second-best in the 0-3 loss at Perry Park, but he feels they have plenty of room for improvement, but he held his hand up and said they were beaten by a better side. “Sometimes you’ve just got to acknowledge when a team is better on the night and Brisbane were certainly that,” he said. “It was a hard one to take, but a valuable lesson for us. We need to be more confident and control the ball a little more. Friday’s game was the highest percentage of possession that we’ve had out of the three games so far, so that is a positive. We’ve just got to keep building those combinations with the players.”
The coach is hoping for some good news on the injury front heading into Sunday’s game, but he does have a few concerns. “We’re getting more and more players available,” Peters said, “although there is an injury cloud over Kelli [Brown] with her ankle from the Jets game. She played through that on Friday; she was quite a warrior there. We’ll do what’s best for her and the team this Sunday. Megan [Wynne] trained today and is in good spirits and we’re looking forward to welcoming her back. Casey Dumont will be here this week, so that’s a massive plus for us. Whether she’s in the position to play the match and start the match I’m not sure, obviously Casey and I will discuss that, and we’ll go from there.”
The last ‘Unite Round’ saw Glory draw 1-1 with Melbourne Victory, an own goal from Jamilla Rankin on the hour giving Glory a share of the spoils at Leichhardt Oval. The last time Glory played Canberra on the road they came home with a 3-2 win in round three last season. Skipper Natasha Rigby gave Glory lead on 12 minutes, but American defender Barrie Clough levelled four minutes later. Kiwi striker Grace Jale regained the lead for Glory five minutes before the break, but United restored parity in first half stoppage time, Vesna Milivojevic converting from the spot. But it was Glory who sealed the points early in the second half with Sofia Sakalis also scoring from the spot.
The last five games between the teams have been goal fests, an aggregate of 24 goals, so there should be plenty of goals in this one. United sit fifth, three points ahead of Peters’ side, but are coming off a big loss against Melbourne Victory last week. They will be led from the front by the league’s all-time leading goalscorer, Michelle Heyman and Peters is aware of the quality the 36-year-old Matildas striker brings.
“Michelle is a massive name in the league and a huge threat for them, so obviously we need to be mindful of that,” he said. “They’re very unified as a team They’ve defended as a unit for the three games that they’ve played and had back-to-back wins to start the season. I think they probably wouldn’t have liked their performance last week, so we need to be wary of what Canberra we’re coming up against on Sunday.”
Canberra United squad: GK Sally JAMES, 2 Alex MCKENZIE, 3 Elizabeth ANTON, 4 Holly MURRAY, 7 Jynaya DOS SANTOS, 9 Ruby NATHAN, 10 Mary STANIC-FLOODY, 11 Emma ROBERS, 12 Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, 13 Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON, 17 Maja MARKOVSKI, 18 Coco MAJSTORIVIC, 19 Jaya BOWMAN, 20 Lillian SKELLY, 23 Michelle HEYMAN, 25 Darcey MALONE, 28 Tegan BERTOLISSIO - *One to be omitted* - Unavailable: 32 Bethany GORDON (injured)
Perth Glory squad: GK Miranda TEMPLEMAN, GK Jessica SKINNER, 2 Mischa ANDERSON, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 7 Megan WYNNE, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 14 Miku SUNAGA, 17 Morgan ROBERTS, 18 Isabella FOLETTA, 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE, 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH, 23 Izzy DALTON, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG, 44 Kelli BROWN - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: ANDERSON, WYNNE, FOLETTA - Unavailable: GK Casey DUMONT (not yet available), 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM (injured), 16 Bella WALLHEAD (injured)
19.11.2024
ZDRILIC NOT FEELING PRESSURED
David Zdrlic feels and acknowledges the pressure but says he does not feel it overbearing as Perth Glory hunt their first win of the season. After a week off due to the international break, the Glory coach says his squad are in a good space as they prepare to face a similarly winless Western United in Sydney for the A-League’s Unite Round.
But another Glory defeat, coupled with an uncompetitive performance, would make it one the club’s worst starts in history and pile more pressure on Zdrilic in his first stint as a head coach. “The pressure has always been there in any role that I’ve had, it’s just that I’m standing here talking about it,” he said. “But behind the scenes, everybody is feeling the same. I’m obviously very aware of our situation and we’ve spoken at length about how we’ve got here.”
Zdrilic says the 12-day break brought has proved valuable. “For us, it’s been a good international break to get a lot of quality training in there. We’ve pretty much got the whole group back, except for Mustafa Amini (knee) and Nikola Mileusnic (hamstring),” he said. “Everyone’s back at a reasonable level that they can now be selected for the squad. That was a great moment for us to really train hard.
“After the first four games, for us, it was a big reset and there were two results there that are definitely not acceptable for us. The group know that we’re still adapting things, changing things, and that was a great international break for us to keep trying to find the right mix. The group in general is now getting to the level where everybody can compete the way we should.”
Former World Cup Socceroo Josh Risdon, who hurt his knee on the eve of the season, is pushing for his first game in his second stint with is hometown club. “He was one of the guys that played every game and did every training session, pretty much in the whole pre-season, and then before the first game, a couple of days before, he got injured,” Zdrilic said. “It’s great to have him back and available for selection and we’ve got another couple days, so we’ll see how it goes.”
18.11.2024
YENGI AT THE DOUBLE TO EARN SOCCEROOS A POINT
Kusini Yengi scored a stoppage time equaliser to rescue a point for the Socceroos against Bahrain in Riffa on Wednesday morning. The Portsmouth striker had given Australia the lead in the first minutes of the game, but defence errors allowed the host to hit the front with 13 minutes remaining, with substitute Mahdi Abduljabbar bagging a brace. It looked like the points would be lost, but Yengi rifled home in the sixth minute of stoppage time, to earn Tony Popovic’s side a valuable point, which keeps them in second place in Group C, this after Indonesia upset Saudi Arabia. The Socceroos were once again wasteful in front of goal, with Yengi in particular guilty of a number of missed chances, that eventually came back to bite them.
But the striker made emends late, and Popovic said it was an important point. “There were a couple of really good of chances to make it 2-0 in the second half that we didn't capitalise on," Tony Popovic said post-match. "I would have liked [Yengi] to have scored that one at 1-0 when the ball was cut back because I think that would have been game over. We gave away a couple of goals quickly and then showed great character to get back It's an important point, keeps us in second place and we move forward to the next window."
The coach made six changes to the team that drew with Saudi Arabia, with only Cameron Burgess, Harry Souttar, Riley McGree, Jackson Irvine and Lewis Miller starting again. Skipper Maty Ryan returned in goal, with Sydney defender Hayden Matthews earning his debut for the Socceroos and Aziz Behich returning to the team. Anthony Caceres also picked up his first start for his country, with Kusini Yengi and Craig Goodwin introduced to the team.
The Socceroos have been guilty of slow starts in games recently, but not in this one, ahead after only 38 seconds. Matthews long-ball wasn’t dealt with by Sayed Baqer, his back pass was short, leaving Bahrain keeper Ebrahim Lutfalla stranded, and Yengi raced onto the ball rounded the keeper and slotted the ball home to silence the big crowd. It was a perfect start, but the hosts hit back, and pressed for a quick response, but the Socceroos held firm.
Australia went close again on 24 minutes, a crunching tackle in the middle of the park by Caceres won possession, the ball falling to Goodwin, who sent McGree down the left, he squared the ball to Yengi, but Lutfalla was out smartly to deny the big striker. Bahrain was struggling in the final third, while the Socceroos continued to create the better chances, and Goodwin’s shot flashed the wrong side of the upright, but at the break the hosts had it all to do.
The home side were out of the blocks fast after half time, but the Socceroos weathered the early spell, and went close to a second on the hour. McGree was the supplier, the Middlesbrough midfielder teasing cross from the left was met by Yengi, who lost his marker and he chested it towards goal, beating Lutfalla, but the crossbar came to the rescue of the Bahrain custodian. Bahrain lifted and Ibrahim Al-Khatal saw his goalbound shot well blocked by Burgess moments later.
But on 75 minutes the hosts levelled. A long clearance looked comfortable for Burgess, but a poor first touch saw the ball go straight to Abduljabbar, who spotted Ryan off his line and lobbed the keeper from distance. It got worse for Australia, and two minutes later the hosts hit the front. Mahdi Al-Humaidan’s cross from the left flicked off the head of Matthews, the ball beating Ryan and crashing off the post, but Abduljabbar was quickest to the rebound to fire home much to the delight of the home faithful. It was a bitter blow for Australia, and it looked like the three points slipping away, but with time running out they levelled.
Substitute Brendan Borrello won a huge tackle in the middle of the park, and fellow substitute Ajdin Hrustic’s ball ended up with O’Neill on the left. His cross to the back post was headed into a Bahrain defender by Borrello, the ball falling for Yengi, who swept the ball home. The drama wasn’t over there, as VAR checked for a hand ball on Borrello, but after a lengthy wait the goal stood, which didn’t go down well with Bahrain coach Dragan Talajic who shown a yellow card for his troubles. The result keeps the Socceroos second in Group C behind runaway leaders Japan, and they will host Indonesia next time in March 2025.
Bahrain: GK Ebrahim Lutfalla, 2 Amine Benaddi, 5 Hamad Al-Shamsan, 4 Sayed Saeed, 8 Mohamed Marhoon (3 Waleed Al Emmanuel 90+1’), 14 Al Abdulla Haram (20 Mahdi Al-Humaidan 45’), 23 Abdulla El Khalassy, 16 Sayed Baqer (6 Ahmed Nabeel 90+1’), 19 Kamil Al-Aswad, 11 Ibrahim Al-Khatal (12 Mahdi Abduljabba 66’), 7 Ali Madan (16 Ahmed Al Sherooqi 66’) – Subs not used: RGK Ammar Ahmed, RGK Sayed Jaafar, 17 Hazaa Ali, 15 Abbas Fadhel, 13 Moses Jona, 9 Husain Abdulaziz, 10 Sayed Ahmed
Australia GK Maty Ryan, 3 Lewis Miller (8 Jason Geria 63’), 17 Hayden Matthews, 19 Harry Souttar, 21 Cameron Burgess, 16 Aziz Behich (5 Jordan Bos 68’), 7 Anthony Caceres, 22 Jackson Irvine (13 Aiden O’Neil 63’), 23 Craig Goodwin (10 Ajdin Hrustic 68’), 14 Riley McGree (11 Brandon Borrello 81’), 9 Kusini Yengi – Subs not used: RGK Joe Gauci, RGK Paul Izzo, 2 Milos Degenek, 4 Rhyan Grant, 20 Max Balard, 6 Martin Boyle, 15 Mitch Duke
16.11.2024
WA AMATEURS EDGED OUT BY PDRM FC
It was another gutsy performance from the Gold Fields WA Men's State Amateur, playing two days after their loss to Selangor, they were edged out 2-1 by another Malaysian Super League side in PDRMFC at the MP Selayang Stadium on Friday evening. Nigerian striker Ifedayo Olusegun and midfielder Amirul Hakimi were on target for the hosts, while Jonah Froman scored for WA, but Head Coach Ein Eric said it was another quality performance from the WA side. “We’ve played two professional Malaysian Super League sides in two days and showed against Selangor and PDRMFC the character we have in the squad,” he said. “Overall, the team fought very hard against a strong opponent and did us proud with their spirit and commitment.”
On a hot and humid Malaysian evening, it was a tight opening, with WA holding their own against a strong PDRMFC side. The side showed incredible resilience and organization, with Morley Windmills Ollie Naughton and Emerald’s Steve Kinsella anchoring the backline, while Jaguar goalkeeper Michael Dudek made several key saves to keep them in the game. WA best chance of the half fell to Kelmscott Roo’s Issac Koomson was denied by the home keeper. But in the final minute it was the hosts who found the opener with Olusegun on target, after a long-range shot had cannoned back off the post, and at the break the hosts led by the only goal.
The home side doubled their lead early in the second half, with Hakimi beating Dudek after the ball was squared to him on the edge of the box. Dudek was having an outstanding game, and he continued to deny the hosts, while WA hit back with Koomson and Maccabi’s Jonah Froman a constant threat. WA continued to press and were rewarded 15 minutes from time. A throw in found North Perth United’s Zak Thomas, who found his club team mate Eamonn Kelly, he flicked the ball onto Froman, who beat his marker superbly and finished clinically into the corner of the net. It was game on and WA were now in the ascendency, creating a number of chances.
First the dangerous Froman raced down the left, before cutting the ball back to Morley Windmills Oliver Simpson, but his shot was well blocked by the PDRMFC keeper. Then late Simpson had another opportunity to equalise, getting on the end of an Emerald’s Jamie McLaughlin corner, but his effort flashed wide. “It was a tough game against PDRM, who are in the middle of their season, and the weather certainly didn’t make things easier. However, the boys were more acclimatized after having played Selangor recently,” Dean Gordon said. “In the first half, we created more chances and looked the better side overall. Despite their peak fitness, we went toe-to-toe with them, and all the players gave a tremendous effort. The game ended 2-1, but it definitely doesn’t reflect our performance, and we had far more chances, and we didn’t really get the rub of the green.”
Jaguar custodian Michael Dudek was in sparkling form on the night, but he said they really took the game to their hosts, and were unlucky not to come away with a draw. “Very proud of the effort from us WA boys, and to go toe-to-toe with full-time professionals for 90 minutes, and control the game for large parts, is a testament to the quality we have in the Sunday League back home,” Dudek explained. “After the game against Selangor on Wednesday, the coach made some tactical changes to account for the heat and humidity in Malaysia. And the discipline from the team to stick to the game plan throughout almost paid off. With us pushing very hard for an equaliser at the end, I think PDRM FC were probably relieved to hear the final whistle.”
The Gold Fields WA Men's State Amateur Squad: GK Gerard Crehan (Emerald FC), GK Michael Dudek (Jaguar FC), Jonah Froman (Maccabi SC), Dean Gordon (Maccabi SC), Shane Hickey (Emerald FC), Eamonn Kelly (North Perth United), Stephen Kinsella (Emerald FC), Isaac Koomson (Kelmscott Roos), Joshua Marocchi (North Beach SC), Jamie McLaughlin (Emerald FC), Ryan Morris (Wembley Downs), Oliver Naughton (Morley Windmills), Ngunar Ngunar (Jaguar FC), Samuel Richardson (North Beach SC), Oliver Simpson (Morley Windmills), Zak Thomas (North Perth United)
15.11.2024
ROAR TOO STRONG FOR GLORY
Perth Glory hopes of building on last week’s win against Newcastle Jets came unstuck, when they were well beaten by Brisbane Roar in Friday’s Ninja A-League Round three clash at Perry Park. The Glory, who were coming off a first win of the season last week, came up against the form team of the competition at the moment, with Matildas midfielder Tameka Yallop scoring two of the home side’s goals. The first a superb solo effort, before tucking away a second half penalty either side of a long-range lob from Tamar Nevin.
The result leaves Stephen Peters’ side three points from three games, two of which have been on the road, ahead of next week’s Unite Round meeting with Canberra United in Sydney. The Roar, who were coming off a 1-0 win against Sydney FC last week, were on the front foot early, and Glory keeper Miranda Templeman got down well to thwart Tamar Levin after only four minutes. But there was little the Glory custodian could do three minutes later when the Roar found the opener.
Yallop, who was named in the Matildas squad for the upcoming games against Brazil and Chinese Taipei, took possession on the left, before cutting inside his marker and picking out the top corner. The hosts doubled their lead on 13 minutes, Nevin turned her marker in the middle of the park, and spotted Templeman off her line, and she superbly lobbed the ball home. Glory looked for a response and skipper Izzy Dalton saw her low shot flash wide, while the Roar started to dominate possession and Naomi Chinnama almost handed them a third six minutes before the break. The defender’s header was going in, but Templeman got back in the nick of time, to spare her blushes, but Glory needed a lift in the second half.
Peters made a change at the break, with Onyinyechi Zogg coming on for Miku Sunaga, and they made a better start, with Kelli Brown firing wide in a goalmouth scramble. But on 57 minutes the Roar added to their lead, Sharn Freier was caught by Templeman, and the referee pointed straight to the spot and booked the Glory keeper, before Yallop kept her nerve and converted from the resulting penalty. Templeman then saved well from Alica Woods, as the Roar looked for a fourth, but the referee was busy in an ill-tempered game, booking six players. Glory looked for a consolation goal late, but they struggled to breakdown a well-organised Roar outfit, who ran out convincing 3-0 winners.
Brisbane Roar: GK Olivia SEKANY, 2 Leia VARLEY, 3 Deborah-Anne DE LA HARPE 6 Holly MCQUEEN, 7 Momo HAYASHI (14 Zara KRUGER 81'), 12 Tamar LEVIN (8 Mariel HECHER 59'), 13 Tameka YALLOP, 16 Chelsea BLISSETT, 17 Evdokia POPADINOVA (10 Grace KUILAMU 77'), 18 Emily PRINGLE (11 Sharn FREIER 46'), 32 Alicia WOODS - Subs not used: RGK Keeley RICHARDS
Perth Glory: GK Miranda TEMPLEMAN, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR (17 Morgan ROBERTS 70'), 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 14 Miku SUNAGA (29 Onyinyechi ZOGG 46'), 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE (20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH 80'), 23 Izzy DALTON, 44 Kelli BROWN - Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER - Referee: Georgia Ghirardello
15.11.2024
LOWRY AND AQUINO NAMED IN MATILDAS SQUAD
Hana Lowry and Morgan Aquino could become the first West Australians to debut for the Matildas since Samantha Kerr 15 years ago. The local pair were today named in interim coach Tom Sermanni’s extended, 36-woman squad for a upcoming four-game series against Brazil and Chinese Taipei.
Kerr and now-retired goalkeeper Lydia Williams have flown the flag for WA in the Matildas set-up for the past decade and a half, however, no Sandgroper has debuted since the former made her international bow under Sermanni in his first stint in charge.
Both Lowry and Aquino departed Perth Glory in the off-season after enjoying final seasons with their hometown club. Lowry won the club’s Most Glorious Player award before signing for Sydney FC, while Aquino earned a well-deserved move to DC Power in the new USL Super League in the United States.
Australia's squad to play Brazil and Chinese Taipei is Morgan Aquino, Mackenzie Arnold, Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley, Alex Chidiac, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Leah Davidson, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Sharn Freier, Daniela Galic, Emily Gielnik, Isabel Gomez, Katrina Gorr, Charlotte Grant, Winonah Heatley, Bryleeh Henry, Michelle Heyman, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Chloe Lincoln, Chloe Logarzo, Hana Lowry, Matilda McNamara, Teagan Micah, Jessika Nash, Courtney Nevin, Clare Polkinghorne, Natasha Prior, Hayley Raso, Jamilla Rankin, Karly Roestbakken, Remy Siemsen, Emily Van Egmond , Clare Wheeler and Tameka Yallop.
15.11.2024
KERR STILL A WAY OFF SAYS SERMANNI
Matildas coach Tom Sermanni says Samantha Kerr is unlikely to return to action this year after he named an expanded Australian squad for four home friendly matches starting later this month. The Chelsea striker injured her knee in January and there were faint hopes her return was imminent but, as expected, she wasn’t one of the 36 players named by Sermanni.
“Her rehab is going really, really, really well,” Sermanni said. “Things are getting a little bit better in rehab, but in reality it’s still probably a 12-month injury, and Sam’s taking that time to come back to ensure that hopefully, when she comes back, she’s going to be completely fit and healthy.”
14.11.2024
MISSED CHANCES COST SOCCEROOS IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
The Socceroos have been left to rue missed chances after being held to a scoreless draw by Saudi Arabia at AAMI Park, which has their FIFA World Cup qualification chances hanging in the balance. But it could have been worse after the visitors had a goal disallowed on 93 minutes, Sultan Al-Ghannam’s shot was deemed offside by VAR. “It was a really difficult game; a tough match,” Socceroos Head Coach Tony Popovic said post-match. “They brought a lot of energy in the first half. I don’t think we coped with that very well. We weren’t very good with the ball and we looked a little bit heavy and lethargic in the first half.
“We’ve played against a very deep block against China. We’ve had to defend deep against Japan – and now tonight, almost a man-against-man kind of style game from the Saudis. We’re facing a totally different ways of football, but we’re still sticking to what we’re trying to do, and we’re finding solutions – good enough solutions that probably should have won us the game. There are a lot of positives to take. But it doesn’t take away from feeling that we should have won it.”
Tony Popovic made just one change to the line-up from last month's draw with Japan, with Aiden O’Neill replacing Luke Brattan in midfield, while Joe Gauci kept his place in goal ahead of captain Mat Ryan, with Jackson Irvine wearing the armband. It was the visitors who controlled possession early on, but it was the Socceroos Australia who were creating the better chances. A handball outside the box gave Ajdin Hrustic a free kick, but his strike hit the wall, then they were awarded a penalty after Saudi keeper Ahmed Al-Kassar brought challenge on Mitch Duke was overturned after a VAR review, and a yellow card was issued to the keeper.
The Socceroos were guilty of turning the ball over on a number of occasions, much to the frustration of Popovic and the majority of the 27,491 crowd, but they continued to have chances. First Ajdin Hrustic's free-kick lead to a scramble in the box, but Harry Souttar's half-volley soared over the bar. Then just before half-time, Irvine’s counter-attack saw him shoot over the bar from close range, a missed chance that left the teams level at the break.
Popovic made a change at the break with Nishan Velupillay coming on for Hrustic at half-time and had an immediate impact, setting up Riley McGree for a shot that was blocked. Velupillay was later substituted after an ankle injury, with Brandon Borrello and 32-year-old debutant Anthony Caceres replacing him and Mitch Duke. Caceres became cap #647 in what was a proud moment for the Sydney FC midfielder. Veteran left-back Aziz Behich also came on late for Jordy Bos in a straight swap. As the clock wound down, Australia searched for that elusive goal.
Borrello had a golden opportunity when he found himself one-on-one with the Saudi goalkeeper. He could have shot himself, but instead opted to draw the keeper in and pass to McGree. However, just as McGree was about to finish, a last-ditch challenge from the Saudi defender slid in and cleared the ball away. It was a good chance for the Socceroos, but credit must go to the Saudi defending. Kusini Yengi then came on for the last five minutes, replacing Aiden O’Neill. Despite Australia’s numerous chances, it looked as though Saudi Arabia had stolen the win late in the game. A shot from Al Ghannam had rocketed in off the left post after a free kick was headed out, sending the large Saudi contingent into wild celebration.
However, the linesman immediately raised his flag, signalling for offside or possible interference. The drama wasn’t over yet, as VAR was called into action to review the decision. After a tense few moments, it was confirmed that the trailing foot of a Saudi player was offside, denying them what would have been a late match-winning goal. It was a massive moment in this game and could have huge implications for the group. But the action wasn’t over with the last kick of the game McGree came close to snatching a dramatic goal, launching himself at a bicycle kick, but the ball flew just wide of the post, both sides were forced to settle for a point, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw.
“Obviously we had a lot of chances, myself included in the first half, I had to score. We had a number of chances,” Socceroos defender Harry Souttar said post-match. “We worked on it and we know they like to play and take some risks. And then obviously a couple of chances in the second half. The last 5-10 minutes was a bit manic with the offside goal and the overhead kick. I saw it and I thought it was going in. Just one of frustration and another one to build on. Another point on the board I guess.”
The Socceroos attention now turns to Wednesday in Bahrain. The 0-0 draw puts pressure on Australia to snare a result against in Riffa on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning AEDT). The top two teams in group C secure direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup while third and fourth place go into the next round of qualifying. The Socceroos currently sit second in group C, on six points behind leaders Japan (10 points), and ahead of the Saudis on goal difference, while Bahrain (five points) play China (three) later on Thursday. Japan play Indonesia (three points) on Friday.
Australia: GK Joe Gauci, 3 Lewis Miller, 8 Jason Geria, 19 Harry Souttar, 21 Cameron Burgess, 5 Jordy Bos (16 Aziz Behich 82'), 13 Aiden O’Neill (9 Kusini Yengi 91'), 22 Jackson Irvine, 10 Ajdin Hrustic (7 Nishan Velupillay 46') (6 Anthony Caceres 74'), 14 Riley McGree, 15 Mitch Duke (11 Brandon Borrello 74') – Subs not used: RGK Mat Ryan, RGK Paul Izzo, 2 Milos Degenek, 4 Kye Rowles, 17 Patrick Yazbeck, 20 Max Balard, 23 Ryan Grant
Saudi Arabia line-up: GK Ahmed Al-Kassar, 12 Saud Abdulhamid, 17 Hassan Al-Tambakti, 5 Ali Al-Bulahi, 13 Yasser Al-Shahrani, 6 Nasser Al-Dawsari, 10 Musab Al-Juwayr (15 Abdullah Al-Khaibari 57'), 16 Faisal Al Ghamdi (2 Sultan Al Ghannam 88'), 8 Marwan Al-Sahafi (3 Awn Al-Saluli 88'), 9 Firas Al-Buraikan (20 Abdullah Radif 97'), 11 Saleh Al-Shehri (14 Abdullah Al-Hamdan 57’) – Subs not used: RGK Hamed Al-Shanqiti, RGK Mohammed Al Yami, 4 Ali Lajami, 18 Saad Fahad Al Nasser, 19 Mohammed Al-Qahtani, 23 Ayman Fallatah
14.11.2024
WA AMATEUR BEATEN IN OPENER
The WA Gold Fields State Amateur side have put up a gallant fight before going down 1-5 against a full-strength Malaysian Super League side Selangor FC, who are currently competing in the Asian Champions League and sit second in the Malaysian Super League. The hosts, who are preparing for their crucial ACL Group H game against Thailand club Muangthong, proved too strong, but despite the scoreline Head Coach Ein Eric said it was a great experience for the players.
“Our lads rose to the challenge, showing moments of tactical parity despite the intense humidity and expansive pitch, which tested our endurance, and credit to Selangor for fielding a top squad in this friendly,” he said. “The facilities were truly world-class, boasting two outdoor pitches, an impressive undercover training pitch, and a 5,000-seat stand. Our players thoroughly enjoyed the whole football experience, making the most of this opportunity. A sincere thank you to Selangor FC for their warm hospitality and for hosting us in such a memorable setting.”
The host, who were coming off a narrow 0-1 defeat against K-League side Jeonbuk Motors in week four of the ACL, were in the ascendency from the start, and WA had to work extremely hard to keep them at bay, but their pressure finally told, and they lead 4-0. But on 65 minutes WA pulled one back. Jaguars John Nugunar made a crucial interception, stopping a Selangor player who was through on goal with a perfectly timed sliding tackle.
Quickly transitioning, Nugunar found Maccabi’s Dean Gordon who won possession down the right, raced forward before a precise cross found Kelmscott’s Isaac Koomson who finished clinically. (Kelmscott), who finished confidently. They had the ball in the net again later, Emerald’s Shane Hickey’s cross from the right was met by Maccabi’s Jonah Froman, his header was saved and North Beach’s Samuel Richardson swept the ball home, but the referee had spotted a foul on the keeper and the goal was disallowed. The hosts added a fifth late to seal the result, but it was a great performance from the WA Amateur side.
14.11.2024
PETERS LOOKING TO BUILD ON FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON
Perth Glory coach Stephen Peters says his side must improve on Friday when they take on Brisbane Roar in week three of the Ninja A-League at Perry Park. (kick-off at 4pm, watch live and FREE on 10Play). Peters admitted he was pleased to get off the mark, his first win in the top flight as the Glory held off Newcastle Jets 3-2 at HBF Park on Sunday, despite the Jets setting up an interesting finish with a late goal.
“Monkey off the back, so that’s nice. I can’t fault the effort, but we’ve got to tidy up certain aspects,” he said. “Defensively, making sure we’ve always got pressure on the ball. When we put pressure on the ball, we force the opposition into mistakes and we create opportunities off the back of that. We’re very kamikaze on the back foot, so we need to be better at that. Yes, the weekend was pleasing, it was nice to see the game out. There were a few things we weren’t happy about, but we’re not going to put holes in a three-point performance yet.
“I think we’re growing as a group, particularly defensively. We’ve still got to improve in terms of how much higher up the field we defend. That’s some stuff that we’ve got to continuously work on and obviously we would love to have a bit more possession and that’s also something that we’re working on. But the most important thing for us is that we seem quite unified and on the same page and those are the kind of performances that we want to be putting in to build that base, it’s been really good so far.”
Friday’s opponents are coming off a 1-0 win against Sydney FC last week, with Chelsea Blissett on target, and they have a strong squad, including Matildas representatives Tameka Yallop and Sharn Freier, but Peters is looking for another solid performance, especially after the quick turnaround. “They have some really experienced players and I think Tameka is going to be a very difficult proposition, Sharn as well,” he said.
“But although it’s a bit of a cliche, we’re concentrating on ourselves and trying to generate a higher level of performance each week. It’s a short turnaround, but we’re looking to generate some more momentum this week. The results will look after themselves if we’re putting in the type of performance that we want to be putting in.” The last time Glory headed to the Queensland capital they were beaten 2-0 at the same venue. The Roar found the opener just after the half hour with Kijah Stephenson on target, and they sealed the points in the shadows of half time with Freier scoring.
In team news for Friday, Peters has hinted that co-captain Onyinyechi Zogg could make her first start of the season after coming off the bench in the win over the Jets, and Sarah O’Donoghue is also pushing for a spot in the starting line-up, but Megan Wynne, Izzy Foletta, Susan Phonsongkham and Bella Wallhead all remain sidelined by injury. “When you’ve got someone of the calibre of Onyi on the bench, you want to try get her in there and she was probably only ready for 20 minutes but I decided to play her for 45, so I’ll probably get a slap on the wrist from the medical team,” he said.
“Sarah’s been training really well. The things you saw there, where she won the tackle for the goal and her finish, we know she’s got it in her locker. We know she’s probably not a 90-minute player yet, so that’s her development point.” Peters said there was a lot of experience to come back into the side. “That’s what we want: 22 players fighting for 11 spots,” he said. “That’s every coach’s dream. Once we get to a full bill of health, we’ll be a tough nut to crack for most teams.”
Brisbane Roar squad: GK Olivia SEKANY, GK Keeley RICHARDS, 2 Leia VARLEY, 3 Deborah-Anne DE LA HARPE 6 Holly MCQUEEN, 7 Momo HAYASHI, 8 Mariel HECHER, 10 Grace KUILAMU, 11 Sharn FREIER, 12 Tamar LEVIN, 13 Tameka YALLOP, 14 Zara KRUGER, 16 Chelsea BLISSETT, 17 Evdokia POPADINOVA, 18 Emily PRINGLE, 20 Tanaye MORRIS, 23 Isabela HOYOS, 32 Alicia WOODS - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: RICHARDS, FREIER, MORRIS - Outs: 99 Emma GIBBON - Unavailable: 4 Kijah STEPHENSON (ACL), 9 Danelle TAN (knee), 19 Laini FREIER (leg), 22 Ruby CUTHBERT (leg)
Perth Glory squad: GK Miranda TEMPLEMAN, GK Jessica SKINNER, 2 Mischa ANDERSON, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 14 Miku SUNAGA, 17 Morgan ROBERTS, 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE, 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH, 23 Izzy DALTON, 26 Tanika LALA, 27 Charli WAINWRIGHT, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG, 44 Kelli BROWN - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: ROBERTS, WAINWRIGHT - Unavailable: GK Casey DUMONT (not yet available), 7 Megan WYNNE (injured), 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM (injured), 16 Bella WALLHEAD (injured), 18 Izzy FOLETTA (injured)
13.11.2024
BURGESS' BIG WIN AFTER EPL PROMOTION
Mere days after helping Ipswich Town bring Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur undone, Cameron Burgess is ready to stand up when the Socceroos need him. Towering central defender Burgess, 29, is the only member of the current Socceroos squad playing regularly in the Premier League.
After being overlooked early in the season at Ipswich, who he helped secure promotion to the top flight last year, Burgess has started the Tractor Boys' past four games. That included playing the whole game in Sunday's 2-1 comeback win over Tottenham which delivered Ipswich's first win in England's top flight since April 2002.
"These are the little things you dream of when you're a kid, to want to play in the Premier League, and then to win your first game in it," Burgess said. "It's pretty special and maybe a moment for reflection at some point down the line. It's special for the club, special for the fans, and you can really see the difference it makes in people's lives in the Ipswich area. It's special to be able to do that."
While the result piled pressure on Postecoglou's Spurs, the former Socceroos boss caught up with Burgess. "He would've been disappointed with the result from his perspective, but I got the chance to speak to him a little bit after the game," Burgess said. "He just obviously had a message of congratulations and to keep working hard, just a nice message. So it was good to come across him."
A confident Burgess has his sights set on shutting out Saudi Arabia tonight and putting direct World Cup qualification firmly within Australia's reach. The towering centre-back is relishing playing a crucial role at club level, and in Tony Popovic's back three. "That's football. You have to deal with peaks and troughs at times," he said. "To be able to play games at this level, both at club and for the national team, is special and I don't take it for granted."
13.11.2024
MATILDAS LIKELY TO RETURN TO PERTH IN THE WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP
Football Australia have confirmed Optus Stadium and Perth Oval as venues for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Perth will be one of three host cities for the event, alongside Sydney and the Gold Coast, which could see them host a Matildas game after missing out during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Subject to ratification from the AFC Executive Committee, the Women’s Asian Cup will take place from March 1-21 and Perth’s two stadiums will get a significant slice of the action. The city’s two biggest venues will be known as Perth Stadium (Optus) and Perth Rectangular Stadium (Perth Oval) for the duration of the tournament.
Perth Stadium is the second-biggest venue in the 12-team tournament, behind Stadium Australia in Sydney, putting Perth in line to potentially host several major games including the knockout stages. The 2022 iteration of the Women’s Asian Cup featured three groups of four, meaning each team played three games in the opening phase.
11.11.2024
WA AMATEURS HEAD TO MALAYSIA
The WA Amateur State Team will head to Malaysia today, for the first time since 2019, and will play three games. First up on Wednesday they play Selangor FC, who sit second in the Malaysian Super League, before other games against PDRM FC and the KL Amateur All Stars. The squad will be led by coach Ein Eric, who has had the tough task of selecting the 16-player squad from a competition which has been so competitive over the last two seasons, but he said the players are really looking forward to the trip.
“The squad is genuinely excited for this journey. They’re coming together well, with a natural chemistry and supportive attitude toward each other. Each player brings their own strengths, and together, they really complement one another,’ the coach explained. “The competition has indeed been very strong, and I’ve seen a lot of talented players emerge. Since my appointment, I’ve been attending games, and it’s been a privilege to watch so many determined players and dedicated coaches, with fans who are incredibly passionate. Having played in the Amateur leagues back in the 2000s, it’s also been a pleasure to revisit those grounds.”
It’s a return to Malaysia for Eric, who started playing there as a youth player, before moving to Perth to study at UWA, where he played as a goalkeeper for Subiaco in the early 2000s, but injury curtailed his playing career. “Unfortunately, a knee injury cut my playing career short at 23, but I was fortunate to begin coaching at Western Knights in 2007, covering all age groups, including the Juniors, Women’s and Reserve Men’s teams, until 2016,” he explained. “Then I headed to Victoria, where I coached NPL U23s with Port Melbourne, Box Hill, and Manningham Blues before returning to the Knights in 2023 as Technical Director and U20s head coach in 2024. I recently completed my A Diploma with Football Australia in 2023, and I credit the Knights for helping me grow as a coach and refine my approach, both mentally and technically.”
Eric is also delighted to have two experience football people with him on the trip, with Jerome Wilson as an assistant and Alex Novatsis as the team manager, both who have great knowledge and well respected in the game in WA. “Delighted to have the pair alongside my for the trip,” Eric said. “I’ve known Jerome for a long time, and his experience is a great asset to me as a head coach. Alex is a real pleasure to work with; he’s one of the highest respected people in the game in WA he gives me the tools and trust I need. We have open discussions, which are essential for me as a coach.”
Novatsis said it was exciting to be returning to Malaysia. “It is great for the Amateur players to represent the state once more following Covid,” said the Football West Football Projects Manager. “We have always been well received on our trips to Malaysia, but we are under no illusions about how strong the opposition will be. The trip is in line with Football West’s Asian Engagement Strategy, which is supported by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and we thank the DLGSC for its support. We would like to thank the State Team name sponsor Gold Fields Australia.”
The Gold Fields WA Men's State Amateur Team – GK Gerard Crehan (Emerald FC), GK Michael Dudek (Jaguar FC), Jonah Froman (Maccabi SC), Dean Gordon (Maccabi SC), Shane Hickey (Emerald FC), Eamonn Kelly (North Perth United), Stephen Kinsella (Emerald FC), Isaac Koomson (Kelmscott Roos), Joshua Marocchi (North Beach SC), Jamie McLaughlin (Emerald FC), Ryan Morris (Wembley Downs), Oliver Naughton (Morley Windmills), Ngunar Ngunar (Jaguar FC), Samuel Richardson (North Beach SC), Oliver Simpson (Morley Windmills), Zak Thomas (North Perth United)
11.11.2024
PETERS HAPPY WITH FIRST WIN
Perth Glory coach Stephen Peters says his side must improve but admitted he was pleased to get off the mark for the A-League Women’s season. Peters celebrated his first win in the top flight as Glory held off a ten-woman Newcastle Jets 3-2 at Perth Oval yesterday, despite the visitors setting up an interesting finish with a late goal.
“Monkey off the back, so that’s nice. I can’t fault the effort, but we’ve got to tidy up certain aspects,” he said. “Defensively, making sure we’ve always got pressure on the ball. When we put pressure on the ball, we force the opposition into mistakes and we create opportunities off the back of that. We’re very kamikaze on the back foot, so we need to be better at that.”
After Josie Allan had cancelled out Georgia Cassidy’s opening minute opener, Peters brought on Nigerian defender Onyinyechi Zogg and midfielder Sarah O’Donoghue at half-time. While Zogg shored up the defence, O’Donoghue’s energy proved pivotal as she put Glory ahead shortly after her arrival, and her pressing led to Kelli Brown’s long-range strike to make it 3-1.
“The balance wasn’t quite there in the first half,” Peters said. “When you’ve got someone of the calibre of Onyi on the bench, you want to try get her in there and she was probably only ready for 20 minutes but I decided to play her for 45, so I’ll probably get a slap on the wrist from the medical team,” he said.
“Sarah’s been training really well. The things you saw there, where she won the tackle for the goal and her finish, we know she’s got it in her locker. We know she’s probably not a 90 minute player yet, so that’s her development point.”
11.11.2024
GLORY CREATE UNWANTED HISTORY AFTER HORROR LOSS
Embattled Perth Glory coach David Zdrilic says the looming international break will be crucial to get underdone players up to full speed after yet another horror defeat. It comes as Zdrilic, in his first head coaching job, watched on as Glory created a piece of unwanted history in their 5-0 home thrashing from Melbourne City.
While Glory are not the first team in the A-League Men era to not win one of their opening four games, no other team in the history of the competition have conceded 13 goals in their first four matches. Glory have not won an A-League Men’s match since February 17 - ironically, the first game watched by chairman Ross Pelligra after his takeover of the club - which stretches across 14 games.
In Glory’s past 11 competitive games dating back to last season and including their Australia Cup run, they have conceded an astounding 46 goals. With Glory torn through by a rampant City side, Zdrilic once again blamed the scoreline blowing out on players suffering injuries in pre-season, affecting their fitness over the past month.
“We’re in a position where the main group is not fit enough, and I have to try and get them fit during games,” he said. “The first thing for us is we’ve got to get the whole group fit. Now we’ve got an international break, so we have to come out of that and make sure that whoever plays is is fit enough to compete at the minimum and then we go from there.”
Entering the season, much was made of Zdrilic’s tactical pressing philosohpy, but Glory have almost completely abandoned it early in the season, which the coach again blamed on the fitness. “We will be pressing, but it wasn’t sustainable. The players that we have at the moment, are not fit enough to sustain it,” he said.
Zdrilic labelled their defensive effort as “terrible” as Perth found themselves 2-0 down at half time and then a further goal down within 20 seconds of the restart thanks to an Oli Sail error. “The first one went in and the second one went in and then obviously coming out of the break and conceding a goal like that, just so early and so easily,” he said.
“But from then, you’ve still got to manage the game and not let it get away from you. You’ve seen it many times in the A-League, that it can be very transitional and obviously for us trying to go forward and score a goal when we’re 3-0 down, we obviously left the door open, and a team like that, they don’t take many chances to score. It’s not good enough.”
10.11.2024
GLORY GIVEN FIVE OF THE BEST BY CITY
Perth Glory have slumped to an embarrassing 0-5 defeat against Melbourne City in week four of the Isuzu Ute A-League on Sunday afternoon. Fresh off picking up their first points of the season against the Mariners last week, optimism was high going into this one, but first half goals from Steven Ugarkovic, and goals after the break from Andreas Kuen, Yonatan Cohen and Medin Memeti sealed a comprehensive win for Aurelio Vidmar’s side. “Very disappointed, and after last week when we took a massive step forward, we were hoping to continued it at home, and I thought we started well, but when we got the ball, we just gave it away and then we’re chasing the game,” Glory Head Coach David Zdrilic said post-match.
“Their first goal was good, but the second was just terrible defending, and they were winning the 50/50 balls and dominated possession, which is their strengthen. We had a chat at the break and made a couple of changers, but conceded straight away, but then the lads had a go and we had a few chances, but they are not falling our way at the moment. Our squad is thin at the moment, and we have a number of senior players who are not available, and players coming in who are not match fit, and Nikola Mileusnic came on again and left the field injured, so it’s a difficult one to manage.”
Zdrilic made three changers to the side from the draw on the Central Coast, with Nicholas Pennington coming in for his first start for the club, also Cristian Caicedo and Trent Ostler. In a surprise move, Brandon O’Neill dropped to the bench, with David Williams and Hiroaki Aoyama not selected in the squad, while there was a return for Mileusnic on the bench. The hosts opened brightly and Ostler’s ball found Caicedo, but he couldn’t find the target.
City settled and Oil Sail produced a smart save to deny Ugarkovic moments later, and the Glory custodian denied the same player on 11 minutes, getting down well to save his glancing header. City were dominating possession, which was helped by Glory turning the ball over too much. City looked dangerous, and Kuen should have done better on 33 minutes, scooping the ball over from close-range, but six minutes later their dominance was rewarded with the opener, a stunning strike from the edge of the box by Ugarkovic. They doubled their lead five minutes later, when the Glory defence was opened up, with Ugarkovic waltzing through a static backline to finish low past Sail.
Glory made a double change at the break with O’Neill replacing Ostler, while Mileusnic came on for Abdul Faisal. The hosts needed a good start after the break to get back into the game, but moments after the restart City added a third. Sail raced out to clear a ball, and it fell straight to Kuen, who fired home from distance, despite an attempted clearance from Luis Canga. It looked like being a long night for the Glory faithful, but Adam Taggart went close to reducing the arrears just after the hour mark, his shot flashing wide of the target.
City continued to dictate terms, and Harry Politidis shot whistled just wide of the post, but with Glory chasing the game, holes began to appear at the back again, and City was ruthless. They added a fourth seven minutes from time, Cohen was given far too much space down the right and cut inside his marker before curling home superbly. They completed the rout five minutes later, a cross from the left to the unmarked Memeti who made no mistake. It’s been a horror start to the season, but it does go back a while, and Glory’s last win came in February, they have now gone 14 matches without a victory and have scored just once and conceded 13 goals in their first four matches, something that needs to change, sooner rather than later.
Perth Glory: GK Oli SAIL, 5 Lachlan BARR, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 12 Taras GOMULKA, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 17 Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 20 Trent OSTLER (6 Brandon O’NEILL 46'), 21 Abdul FAISAL (10 Nikola MILEUSNIC 46') (14 Nathanael BLAIR 61'), 22 Adam TAGGART, 23 Cristian CAICEDO (26 Khoa NGO 79'), 33 Luis CANGA - Subs not used: RGK Cameron COOK, 16 Adam BUGARIJA, 24 Andriano LEBIB
Melbourne City: GK Patrick BEACH, 2 Callum TALBOT, 6 Steven UGARKOVIC, 10 Yonatan COHEN, 13 Nathaniel ATKINSON, 19 Zane SCHREIBER (42 Ben DUNBAR 79'), 26 Samuel SOUPRAYEN (22 Germán FERREYRA 87'), 27 Kai TREWIN, 30 Andreas KUEN (7 Mathew LECKIE 72'), 35 Medin MEMETI, 38 Harry POLITIDIS (47 Kavian RAHMANI 87') - Subs not used: RGK Jamie YOUNG, 8 James JEGGO, 46 Ben MAZZEO - Referee: Daniel Cook - Attendance: 7,338
10.11.2024
GLORY KICK START THEIR SEASON BY BRINGING DOWN THE JETS
Perth Glory have won their first game in the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season, downing the Newcastle Jets 3-2 at HBF Park on Sunday afternoon. Georgia Cassidy gave the hosts a perfect start in the opening minute, her first goal for the club, before Josie Allan levelled for the visitors. Sarah O’Donoghue regained the lead early in the second half, also her first goal in purple, before Kelli Brown added a third just after the hour. The Jets were reduced to ten when keeper Danielle Krzyzaniak was shown a red card, and despite Sheridan Gallagher’s long-range strike late, Glory held firm to seal the three points.
Glory Head Coach Stephen Peters made the one change from the side that were beating by Melbourne City in week one, with Ella Abdul Massih coming into the side for her debut, replacing former NTC striker Tanika Lala, who dropped to the bench. His side made the best possible start, and were ahead in the first sixty seconds. Jets keeper Krzyzaniak poor pass to Libby Copus-Brown was nicked by Cassidy, and the midfielder fired home, with many supporters still finding their seats.
Brown went close again nine minutes later, but the New Zealand striker couldn’t keep her effort down. But the Jets, who were coming off a 2-2 draw against Western Sydney Wanderers hit back, and levelled 12 minutes later. Allan picked the ball up just inside her half, and ran at the Glory defence, before unleashing a rocket from distance that gave Glory keeper Miranda Templeman no chance. Glory lifted and created a number of chances, but found Krzyzaniak in top form, after here mistake, making three good saves, the best a strong hand to tip Gabby Hollar’s header over the top on 25 minutes.
The hosts made a double change at half time, with O’Donoghue and new Nigerian defender Onyinyechi Zogg coming on for Naomi Chinnama and Abdul Massih. Glory made another good start after the break, Johnston and Hollar were denied by Krzyzaniak, but five minutes in they regained the lead. Brown and skipper Izzy Dalton combined on the edge of the box, the ball falling to O’Donoghue, who fired home, much to the delight of the Shed and active area.
It was 3-1 on 65 minutes, with O’Donoghue in the thick of the action again. The former Brisbane Roar midfielder won a 50/50 tackle in the middle of the park, and chased down the rebound, her challenge on Krzyzaniak saw the ball fall to Brown, who made no mistake into an empty net. The Jets were down to ten, three minutes later, a long ball sent Brown clear, and keeper Krzyzaniak raced well outside her area, and Brown’s lob was handled by the keeper, and referee Isabella Mossin had no hesitation in sending her off.
Deven Jackson was the unlucky one to come off for the visitors for substitute keeper Tiahna Robertson, as the Glory looked to finish off the game. They thought they had a fourth three minutes from time, but whistle had already gone for a foul in the lead up and Brown’s celebrations were cut short, before Robertson then produced a finger-tip save to deny Brown in the final minute. The Jets weren’t finished and pulled one back in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Cassidy Davis finding substitute Gallagher, whose long-range shot dipped over Templeman, but it was too little too late.
Perth Glory: GK Miranda TEMPLEMAN, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR (2 Mischa ANDERSON 71'), 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA (29 Onyinyechi ZOGG 46'), 14 Miku SUNAGA (26 Tanika LALA 88'), 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH (19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE 46'), 23 Izzy DALTON, 44 Kelli BROWN - Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER
Newcastle Jets: GK Danielle KRZYZANIAK, 2 Josie WILSON (8 Emma DUNDAS 82'), 3 Claudia CICCO, 6 Cassidy DAVIS, 10 Libby COPUS-BROWN, 11 Deven JACKSON (30 Tiahna ROBERTSON 70'), 13 Lauren ALLAN (7 India BREIER 82'), 18 Sophie HOBAN, 22 Lorena BAUMANN, 26 Josie ALLAN (25 Lara GOOCH 60'), 39 Alexis COLLINS (17 Sheridan GALLAGHER 60') - Subs not used: None - Red Cards: Krzyzaniak 68’ - Referee: Isabella Mossin - Attendance: 1,873
9.11.2024
GLORY FULL-BACK JOHNSTON NOT RESTING ON LAURELS
Emerging defender Grace Johnston says she is not taking her place in Perth Glory's starting eleven for granted as she enters her sophomore season in the A-League Women. The 19 year old played 15 games in her debut campaign and caught the eye as an attacking left-back - a role she reprised against Melbourne City in Glory’s opening game of the new season.
But as Glory prepare for their home opener against Newcastle Jets on Sunday, Johnston said she was not getting too complacent in her second season. “I would say I’m a bit more comfortable, a bit more settled in, but obviously, I can’t take my foot off the gas,” she said. “That’s a big thing for myself and a lot of the young girls; you can’t stand still for any point in time because someone’s going to take your position and you always want to improve.”
With a swell of experience gone from last season in the form of Tash Rigby, Hana Lowry, Morgan Aquino, Millie Farrow and Jessika Cowart, Johnston said this season had been an adjustment for the entire group. “It definitely is a bit of a different team from last season. We’ve got a whole new look to the squad,” she said. “You can’t come into a team and expect everyone knows what everyone does, but we’re learning each other on the pitch as well as off the pitch, and that’s best way to do it.”
Johnston credited new co-captains Isobel Dalton and Onyinyechi Zogg for helping smooth the transition process, but said some of the young players also had shown leadership potential. “Dalts obviously stepped up and is one of our captains, she’s a great role model for us young players and the team in general,” she said.
“We’ve also got Zoggy in there, who’s new to the team and new to the country, but she’s another great role model. You’ve got some of the youthful players as well, who can be those leaders to speak out on the pitch and offer their opinion, but with those older players, all we can do is learn from them and just continue to grow.”
Glory find themselves at the bottom of the ladder after their 5-2 loss to Melbourne City, but Johnston said the message from coach Stephen Peters had been to move on quickly. “We learn from that, and we take points from that, but we don’t let that game define us and we look ahead to the next game,” she said. “We can’t live in the past, and we take what we can, but we just look to how we can improve from that loss.”
8.11.2024
ZDRILIC WANTS TO GET CAPTAIN TAGGART INVOLVED MORE
Perth Glory coach David Zdrilic has accepted his side needs to get captain Adam Taggart more involved, but is not worried about the star striker’s form. After netting 20 goals in 25 games for last season’s wooden spoon-winners, Taggart is yet to find the net in his first three A-League Men games this season ahead of a meeting with Melbourne City at Perth Oval on Sunday.
But goal-scoring has been an issue for the entire side, with just one goal scored this season and Zdrilic said it was a team issue rather than a lack of form for the fringe Socceroos forward. Taggart has taken 10 shots this season with only three finding the target, and he has registered just 0.37 expected goals (a stat which measures the quality of a goalscoring chance).
Taggart, who was not named in Tony Popovic’s national team squad for the second successive international camp, cut a frustrated figure in the Glory’s 0-0 draw away to Central Coast last weekend as his teammates struggled to find him in the final third. Zdrilic said he was more than satisfied Taggart’s overall play outside of finishing, and pointed out he had two goals narrowly ruled out for offside against Macarthur.
“In general, Tags for me has been outstanding. Take away the fact that he hasn’t scored, even though, in that first game, he finished a couple of excellent goals and he’s had chances in every game,” Zdrilic said. “The moments where he’s on and the ball hasn’t got to him for whatever reason, that’s obviously something why we’re changing it around, we’re trying to find the right structure around him.”
Zdrilic said that as players returned to fitness from pre-season injuries, he was confident they would start to connect better with Taggart. “We’ve progressed in terms of the structure of the team,” he said. “That’s something we need to be better at. Tags is there, he’s always available, we need to find him, so it’s another constant little battle that we’ve got at the moment to find the right mix.”
Taggart may have some reinforcements in the final third this weekend, as Zdrilic said off-season signings Nikola Mileusnic and Cristian Caicedo were in the mix to play some part against City. While City stars Andrew Nabbout (ACL) and Marco Tilio (hamstring) suffered injuries in their 1-0 win against Western United this weekend, Zdrilic said the approach would not change from Glory.
“They’re big players to be missing, but they’ve got quality everywhere. That’s a squad that’s not going to change much just because they’ve got a couple guys out,” he said. “They’ve got a strong squad, good mentality, a winning mentality, so I don’t think that’s going to affect anything. Our approach for the game doesn’t change if they were in or they weren’t in; they’re the same team, they play the same way.”
8.11.2024
GLORY LOOKING TO BUILD ON LAST WEEK AGAINST CITY
Perth Glory Head Coach David Zdrilic is looking for his chargers to build on last week’s first point of the Isuzu-Ute A-League season against Central Coast Mariners, and he is backing his side to take the game to Melbourne City when the two sides meet at HBF Park in Sunday’s ALW/ALM double-header (kick-off at 5:45pm) His side had to dig deep to secure a point against the reigning champions in Gosford, but Zdrilic is confident they can secure their first win of the season, in front of their supporters. “I think the progression from week to week has been really good, especially after the first game,” he said in his pre-game press conference.
“We’re starting to get to a point where I can draw on nearly all the players, not so much starting, but at least having some involvement in the game. I think that’s really important for us, as is taking the positives out of the point that we picked up against Central Coast. The younger guys are growing in each game and getting hard tests very quickly in the A-League, but I think they’ve learned their lessons and hopefully we’ll see another big step of progression in this game against City. We’ve got the foundation to really have a good go at home.”
City arrive in the west with several of their big names out injured, but Zdrilic will certainly not be underestimating the threat posed by Aurelio Vidmar’s side, who will be missing the likes of Andrew Nabbout and Marco Tilio, along with suspended Socceroos defender Aziz Behich. “They (Melbourne City) have a fantastic squad, they’ve got quality everywhere,” he said.
“They have a strong mentality, a winning mentality. Our approach to the game doesn’t change if they [Nabbout, Tilio and Behich] were in or weren’t in. They play the same way and it was exactly the same situation in the [Australia] Cup. All the good players were there, but we didn’t care. We went and played our game and it’ll be the same at the weekend.”
Glory midfielder Taras Gomulka will come up against his former club on Sunday, after playing 34 games for City, but he said the players are looking forward to playing in front of their own fans again, and he will be doing all he can to give them three points. “It’s a very important game for us, as a club, as the start of the season hasn’t been what had wished for but it’s been a big improvement in the last couple of weeks, including a clean sheet against Central Coast Mariners, in a game that could’ve had both ways,” he explained.
“But everyone in the changing room is buzzing for Sunday and we can’t wait to get out there. Like I said we’ve made good steps in the last two games, and it’s all about putting it into action on Sunday in front of our home fans. Playing against your former team, you want to go out there and do well and beat them and get one on them, but I’ll be doing all I can to send our fans home happy on Sunday evening with three points.”
The last time Glory met City in WA it was the hosts who took the points after a 4-2 win at HBF Park in front of 5,494 fans. German midfielder Tolgay Arslan gave City a 1-0 lead, but Mustafa Amini levelled from the spot in first half stoppage time. Arslan regained the lead for the visitors on the hour, but an own goal from WA-born Scott Galloway and another from Adam Taggart had Glory in front. Then in stoppage time youngster Joel Anasmo scored his first goal A-League goal for the club, to seal the 4-2 win.
Zdrilic had some good news on the injury front for a change, with Nikola Mileusnic and Cristian Caicedo will both be available for selection, but Josh Risdon is not quite fit enough to return. The visitors arrive having won both of their away games so far this season, downing the Jets 1-0 in Round One and repeating that scoreline against Western United last weekend, so it should be a great game, so get along and support the lads!
Perth Glory squad: GK Oli SAIL, GK Cameron COOK, 5 Lachlan BARR, 6 Brandon O’NEILL, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 9 David WILLIAMS, 10 Nikola MILEUSNIC, 11 Hiroaki AOYAMA, 12 Taras GOMULKA, 14 Nathanael BLAIR, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 16 Adam BUGARIJA, 17 Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 20 Trent OSTLER, 21 Abdul FAISAL, 22 Adam TAGGART, 23 Cristian CAICEDO, 24 Andriano LEBIB, 26 Khoa NGO, 33 Luis CANGA Two to be omitted - Ins: MILEUSNIC, CAICEDO - Unavailable: 8 Mustafa AMINI (injured), 19 Josh RISDON (injured),
Melbourne City squad: GK Patrick BEACH, GK Jamie YOUNG, 2 Callum TALBOT, 6 Steven UGARKOVIC, 7 Mathew LECKIE, 8 James JEGGO, 10 Yonatan COHEN, 13 Nathaniel ATKINSON, 19 Zane SCHREIBER, 22 Germán FERREYRA, 26 Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 27 Kai TREWIN, 30 Andreas KUEN, 35 Medin MEMETI, 38 Harry POLITIDIS, 40 James NIEUWENHUIZEN, 41 Lawrence WONG, 42 Ben DUNBAR, 46 Ben MAZZEO, 47 Kavian RAHMANI - Two to be omitted - Ins: JEGGO (returns from suspension), NIEUWENHUIZEN, WONG, MAZZEO (all promoted) - Unavailable: 15 Andrew NABBOUT (knee), 16 Aziz BEHICH (suspension), 17 Max CAPUTO (leg), 20 Arion SULEMANI (calf), 21 Alessandro LOPANE (knee), 23 Marco TILIO (hamstring), 34 Jayden NECOVSKI (knee), 36 Harry SHILLINGTON (ankle), 37 Peter ANTONIOU (ankle), 39 Emin DURAKOVIC (hamstring)
8.11.2024
PETERS HOPES LESSONS HAVE BEEN LEARNT AHEAD OF JETS CHALLENGE
Perth Glory will play their first home game in the Ninja A-League for the season, when they welcome Newcastle Jets to HBF Park on Sunday afternoon, in the first part of the double header on the day. (Kick off 3.00pm) Glory are coming off a first up defeat against reigning champions Melbourne City last week, this after taking a two-goal lead early in the second half, but Head Coach Stephen Peters is keen for his chargers to learn lessons from the defeat, and he knows the Jets, who drew their opening game against Western Sydney Wanderers last week, will provide a very different challenge to that posed by City last week.
“I think Newcastle are an interesting team, they’re very robust and very direct,’ Peters said. “I know the manager [Ryan Campbell] pretty well and he’s a very jovial character who’ll have them fit and primed for it, for sure. I think he’s looking to get more bodies forward in order to cause some unrest and confusion for the opposition and if you watch their game on the weekend, it did cause Wanderers some problems and we’re going to have to be aware of that.
“It’s a completely different task to the Melbourne City task. If we’re brave enough, I think there’ll be opportunities for us definitely on the counter-attack and in the spaces they leave vacant. We had 55 very good minutes and 35 not-so-good minutes. However, given that it was our first hit-out against A-League opposition, I thought there were some really good positives for us.
“I don’t think anyone would have expected us to be 2-0 up at any stage of the game, so to be there was good. But in terms of the fallout from the rest of the game, there’s a lot to dissect and learn from. When there was an opportunity for us to sit in a low block and absorb pressure, I think that’s probably where we failed ourselves and something we need to improve on.”
The last time Glory hosted the Jets was in round two last season, when they ran out 1-0 winners, with Susan Phonsongkham grabbing the winning five minutes into the season half, unfortunately the exciting winger will miss Sunday’s game due to injury. The game forms part of an A-League double-header, with the men taking on Melbourne City later, and Peters is really looking forward to a bumper day of football.
“I think it’s super-exciting for us,” he said. “Double-headers are a great opportunity for the club to represent itself as a whole and we’re looking forward to that. The pitch is in good condition, so we’re looking forward to playing on that and hopefully seeing a good crowd out there.”
Kelli Brown and Miku Sunaga both scored on their Glory debuts against City, and they will look for more of the same in their home debuts. In good news, they did not sustain any further injuries during the loss, but Sunday’s game may still come too soon for co-captain Onyinyechi Zogg to make her debut, while Izzy Foletta, Bella Wallhead and Megan Wynne are also yet to return to full fitness and Phonsongkham remains a long-term absentee, while former Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Ella Abdul Massih is in line for a first start for the club after being named in the squad, along with former Perth SC striker Ella Lincoln.
Perth Glory squad: GK Miranda TEMPLEMAN, GK Jessica SKINNER, 2 Mischa ANDERSON, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 14 Miku SUNAGA, 17 Morgan ROBERTS, 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE, 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH, 22 Ischia BROOKING, 23 Izzy DALTON, 25 Ella LINCOLN, 26 Tanika LALA, 44 Kelli BROWN - Two to be omitted - Ins: ABDUL MASSIH, LINCOLN - Unavailable: GK Casey DUMONT (not yet available), 7 Megan WYNNE (injured), 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM (injured), 16 Bella WALLHEAD (injured), 18 Izzy FOLETTA (injured), 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG (injured)
Newcastle Jets squad: GK Danielle KRZYZANIAK, GK Tiahna ROBERTSON, 2 Josie WILSON, 3 Claudia CICCO, 6 Cassidy DAVIS, 7 India BREIER, 8 Emma DUNDAS, 10 Libby COPUS-BROWN, 11 Deven JACKSON, 13 Lauren ALLAN, 17 Sheridan GALLAGHER, 18 Sophie HOBAN, 22 Lorena BAUMANN, 23 Gia VICARI, 25 Lara GOOCH, 26 Josie ALLAN, 32 Claire ADAMS, 39 Alexis COLLINS - Two to be omitted - Outs: 4 Natasha PRIOR, 19 Ava PIAZZA, 27 Chloe WALANDOUW - Unavailable: 9 Bel ROLLEY, 24 Milan HAMMOND
6.11.2024
HOCKING IMPRESSES IN UK TRIALS
Armadale SC keeper Sam Hocking has impressed in the UK, after trials at Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Wigan, Fleetwood, Preston and Stockport. The 17-year-old enjoyed his time in England, and was pleased with how he went. “The trials went incredibly well. Over six weeks, I trained nearly every day, often twice daily, with additional gym and strength conditioning sessions afterward,” the keeper explained. “We'd arrive in the morning and usually wouldn't leave until around 5pm. We were fed like kings, with nutritionists ensuring we received everything needed to perform at our best. If you haven’t experienced football in England, you’re missing out, the facilities, staff, and communication are top-notch.
“I started with Middlesbrough in the first week, then moved on to Blackpool FC, Wigan, Fleetwood, Preston, and Stockport, before heading back to Middlesbrough. Since the season had already begun, I wasn't able to play in league games, but I did get plenty of inter-squad matches, giving scouts and high-profile coaches a chance to evaluate me. Every game and training session was filmed and analyzed afterward, which was incredibly beneficial.”
Hocking said working with some of the best keeper coaching in UK football was a huge experience, and he had some good feedback from all the clubs. “The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and standing at just over 6'2", I can cover the goal with pace and accuracy, and my hand-eye coordination helps me stand out, thanks to years of playing handling games,” he said. “I also got to train with top-tier goalkeepers like Sam Tickle (first team GK at Wigan), Jay Lynch (Fleetwood), and Andy Lonergan (retired Liverpool GK and current GK coach at Wigan) just to name a few. These experiences have taught me so much, and I hope to bring this knowledge back to WA. Plus, I’ve now connected with many high-profile individuals in the football community.”
The talented keeper said his football journey has been vital in his devolvement, and said each club have played their part. “I started at Joondalup City, where I realized I wanted to pursue football seriously. By age 10, I joined the Perth Glory Academy, where I developed my skills in a professional setting,” Hocking explained. “At 14, I moved to Perth SC, where I played under-18 games in my first year and was a regular starter in my second year, occasionally playing under-20s games. On my 16th birthday (29 July), I made my first team debut for Perth SC, keeping a clean sheet and helping us win 1-0 against Floreat Athena under Danny Hay, the former New Zealand head coach. From there, I moved to Armadale SC, where I secured regular first-team starts during the 2024 season.”
Hocking is enjoying the ride at the moment, on and off the pitch, but he thanks Armadale for their trust in him last season. “Last season was something special, and I’m even more motivated for next season. Joel (Driscoll) and I shared the net, and he’s been a fantastic mentor, guiding me and helping me improve,” he said. “The healthy competition between us has driven my performance every week. Coach Alun Vernals took a chance on me, and I’m grateful for the doors he’s opened. I know he and the club committee have big plans, and I’m excited to see what’s next.
“Personally, I have ambitious goals that extend beyond just being a professional footballer, and I’m committed to reaching them through hard work and dedication. I’ll apply the experience I’ve gained here both on and off the pitch. My approach is to take one step at a time, grab every opportunity with both hands, and never let go. Big thanks to Lee Bamber and Armadale SC for their support along the way—it’s been invaluable in helping me reach this level.”
6.11.2024
JONES RETURNS FOR BOLTON RESERVES
Gethin Jones continued his recovery from injury when Bolton Wanderers’ B team were beaten by Huddersfield Town in the Central League Cup. The Socceroos defender played the opening 45 minutes at Lostock as he steps up his return from a knee injury suffered at the start of pre-season. Unfortunately, Bolton were beaten 5-2 defeat despite goals from Ajay Weston and Ben Andreucci during the second half.
Coach Andy Taylor confirmed after the final whistle that the plan for Jones was always to come off after 45 minutes. “Early on they put one in behind and he had a good 30, 40 yard sprint to test himself,” Taylor explained. “That is good and because it was a decent level game, it is better for him.”
“It would have been no good for him to play in a game at a friendly pace, it was a high tempo and great to see him back after a while. He has come through it unscathed which is the main thing and hopefully that puts him in good stead to start threatening the first team squad sooner rather than later.”
5.11.2024
GLORY ADD NEW SPONSOR AND NEW SIGNING
Perth Glory’s Ninja A-League season has only just started, but the club have already dipped into the transfer market bringing in winger Morgan Roberts from NSW Spirit, as an injury-replacement, after the news of Susan Phonsongkham long-term injury. The 29-year-old was a key member of the NWS Spirit side which secured a top-six finish in last season’s NSW NPLW competition. The Speedy winger, who came off the bench in the opening defeat against Melbourne City, made more than 150 appearances during her time with Spirit, topping their goalscoring chart in 2023 and played alongside fellow-Glory new recruit Ella Abdul Massih last term.
Glory Head Coach Stephen Peters believes that the club’s latest signing is more than capable of making the step up. “Morgan’s pace makes her a real threat in wide areas,” he said, “and she also has a keen eye for goal. “She has been one of the most effective forwards in the NSW NPLW for some time and has definitely earned this opportunity to take her game to the next level. We look forward to seeing her make an impact for us in the coming weeks.”
Meanwhile the club announced a new major sponsor for its Women’s team and coaching staff for the 2024/25 season, with Boom Logistics coming on board. Operating from 17 depots around the country, six of which are located in Western Australia, Boom Logistics provides lifting solutions as part of a complete project service which includes cranes, travel towers, access equipment, heavy haulage and engineering services. Glory CEO Anthony Radich believes that the partnership is a perfect fit for both parties.
“Boom Logistics are a highly-successful and progressive organisation who are also passionate about supporting women’s sport and it is great to have them joining the Glory family this season,” he said. “As a club, we share their values of teamwork, developing people and working together to achieve our best. We would like to sincerely thank them for their support which will have a meaningful and valuable impact upon our Women’s program. “We look forward to working with the team from Boom and building this partnership for this season and beyond.”
5.11.2024
NTC UNDER 13’S TAKE OUT THE BORNEO 14’S CUP IN MALAYSIA
Teams from Malaysia, Australia, Philippines and Indonesia took part in the inaugural 2024 Malaysia Borneo under 14’s Girls Cup, and it was the Salv Todaro’s WA Hyundai NTC U13’s coming out on top in the eight-team competition. It was a successful trip all round for the WA sides with the Football West Gold Fields Regional State U14’s Black and Gold playing out in the third and fourth playoff.
In round one in Group A the NTC secured a 6-0 win against JJFC Tenom, the FW Black team also won by the same scoreline against Miruru FC, while the FW Gold were narrowly beaten 2-1 by SSM Sabah in Group B. In round two, the NTC were far too strong for Miruru FC, racing to a 11-0 win in Group A, and the FW Black also continued their winning start, beating JJFC Tenom 3-0, while the FW Gold picked up their first win in Group B, beating MMT Junior 4-1.
In round three the two WA sides met in Group A, with the NTC running out 8-2 winners against FW Black, while FW Gold picked up their second win, downing Mirriam College 3-1. In the Semi-Finals the NTC beat FW Gold 6-1, to take their place in the final, while FW Black were beaten 3-1 by SSM Sabah, which meant they would play FW Gold in the third and fourth playoff.
So, on the final day, JJFC Tenom beat Miruru FC 3-0 in the playoff for seventh and eighth, Mirriam College beat MMT Junior 3-1 in the fifth and sixth playoff, while in the all, Football West third and fourth playoff, FW Black and FW Gold. FW Black raced into a 3-0 half-time lead and despite a second-half rally from FW ‘Gold’, it was FW ‘Black’ who ran out 3-2 winners. That set up the Final, between the NTC and SSM Sabah, and it was a tight game, but late goals from Savanna Glavovic and Ciara Upton gave the WA girls a 2-0 win.
Salv Todaro’s side went through the tournament unbeaten, winning their group and semi-final before defeating Malaysian side SSM Sabah in the decider, and the coach was delighted the way his side performance in the tournament. “What an experience the girls had both on and off the pitch,” he said. “Playing two games a day for the first two days in hot, humid conditions really challenged the team. Also taking into account that my squad plays in the U12’s Mini-Roos boy’s blue division on a modified pitch, they were being challenged on a number of fronts, and they took this in their stride and dealt with it in a wonderful manner.
“Our games progressively became more competitive as we went deeper into the tournament, and the other Football West teams, black and gold, really pushed us hard and gave us the opportunity to work on our structure and the way we wanted to play. The final was a fantastic game, Sabbah playing on their home soil and conditions that suited them more than us, really pushed us hard, and supported by their home supporters pushed and pushed. All credit to my team, after a drinks break allowed us to have a little chat, refocus on the tasks that we had spoken about.
“We settled down and we got into our rhythm and started to play our style of football moving the ball around and started to create some good opportunities. Their keeper was outstanding and made a couple of excellent saves and interventions, but we were knocking on the door and late in the half we scored a well-deserved goal and icing on the cake was a penalty in the last minute of the game. We just got stronger as the game went on and put them under lots of pressure. The girls were tested and full credit to them to find the solutions they needed to overcome them and play an entertaining brand of football, and they were deserved winners.” The Malaysia Borneo Cup trip aligns with the Football West Asian Engagement Strategy.
Football West NTC squad - Evelyn Bullock, Lily Jujnovich, Maddie Cooke, Angie Mofflin, Olivia King, Emily Guerds, Ellashaye Adamos, Ciara Upton, Ella Lange, Gracie Kendrick, Maddison Navias, Lily Sunderland, Savanna Glavovic, Halle Snowden, Mackenzie Decent, Miah Adams, Milla Tangey, Mia Davies – Coach Salv Todaro, Assistant Coach Kirsty Fraser
Football West Gold Fields Regional State U14s Black - Ebony Bu, Hayley Griffiths, Klaire Wohling, Jessica Baines, Jorja Best, Georgia Whitelaw, Sophie Meerman, Ziva Casey, Ellessia Newland, Zoe Mitchell, Addison Brickwood, Dianna Vavianos, Savannah Nicholson, Georgia Willock, Rhian Patel, Katie Bebbington, Holly Rowland
Football West Gold Fields Regional State U14s Gold - Rose Viskovich, Zara Blagaich, Flo Fulton, Laycie Wiggers, Stella Cuthbert, Paige Roffey, Siofra Lynch, Georgia Monson, Ruby Willsher, Arabella Azhar, Ariah Bartlett, Lily Ridout, Fern Woods, Jessica Glennon, Bronte Lathwell, Chloe Willsher, Ammerah Tullock
5.11.2024
BURGESS FOCUSES ON POSITIVES FROM LEICESTER DRAW
Ipswich Town defender Cameron Burgess is keen to look at the positives from his side’s 1-1 draw against Leicester City, but admitted that the result is a painful one given the circumstances. The Blues were 1-0 up and clearly the better team going into the latter stages of the match when a dubious penalty call changed the momentum and allowed the Foxes to equalise.
“It was harsh, but that’s football, I suppose,” Burgess said after the match. “I guess the positive side of that is that we put in a good performance, but it does feel like a loss when you end up with a draw there. We’ll take the positives and move on. It’s one to build on.”
Asked whether Town were frustrated by what happened, Burgess replied: “I guess so, but that’s football. I get too caught up in playing the game to see what happens. Sometimes that’s how it goes. I’ll have to watch it back. I’ll get a chance to do that and see what went on. It’s a bit of a disappointing one when things don’t go your way.”
“It’s not for me to make decisions, but you can feel that way a little bit. It’s tough, but it’s something we have to look at and go away from. My take is that it’s nothing to do with me, I’ve got to do my job. I’ve got too much to focus on to worry about that sort of stuff.”
“I don’t see everything how it plays out, I’m focused on what I have to do. It’s something I can maybe look at when I get home. I’ve had a few games with the national team that have VAR. I’m well used to it and I think we’re used to it as a group now. It’s part of football. We just have to deal with it and look at what we can control. Every team does.”
Most fans thought that Burgess’ heroics were enough to seal a first English Premier League victory, with the 29-year old making a block on the line to deny Leicester right at the end. The wait for that maiden victory continues as a result, but Burgess believes that his side have shown enough games in the first 10 games of the season to be confident. “It’s not for the want of doing the right things, for the most part,” he reasoned.
“I think we’ve been in a lot of games. It’s a difficult league – we knew that coming in. We’ve put in a good number of performances now, so there’s positives to take and we have to build on that. We know the job at hand, which is to put points on the board, so hopefully when we can get that first win, it’ll just be the start.”
The national narrative is that Ipswich are destined for relegation, even if that’s an extreme conclusion to reach in November. “My view is that football, it’s tough to get results, especially at this level when we’ve just come up. I think it’s a case of controlling what we can control and building on what we’ve built so far,” Burgess said.
“Urgency is probably the wrong word. We’re desperate for the first win, but not for the wrong reasons. It’s not that we’re in a desperate state, but we’re still learning the league and still in a process of developing and improving. I think that’s what we have to look at and keep on with that at this moment in time. It’ll stand us in good stead.”
Its been a tough few weeks for Ipswich, who went down to West Ham United, Everton and Brentford. And while a draw against Leicester stops the rot, it leaves Town in the relegation zone heading into games against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and in-form Nottingham Forest.
“They’re all tough, every single game has different its challenges,” Burgess said. “You can only have 20 teams in the Premier League and that’s where everyone wants to get to. Every challenge is just as hard as each other for different reasons. Every game is exciting, every game is a challenge and every game has something you have to overcome.”
4.11.2024
NEW GLORY RECRUIT LOVING WA
It’s not been the start new Welsh striker Megan Wynee would have liked, since joining Perth Glory from English Championship club Southampton, the striker missing the opener against Melbourne City last week with injury. But the 31-year-old is loving life in WA, and hopes to be back soon to help her new teammates out, as they look to improve on last season. “Obviously things like the weather here are far better than in England, but the lifestyle is a little hectic,” the winger told Y Clwb Pêl-droed website. “At Southampton, it was a busy schedule, so speaking to some of the girls here, there is a better work-life balance, so overall, I’m in a really good place.”
Wynne has spent the last two seasons at Southampton, and it’s been a rollercoaster journey for the Saints, who have become a settled Championship side since they were promoted in 2022. While for many it’s been a happy period at St. Mary’s, for Wynne, the latter part of her stint there posed plenty of questions. “It was mixed emotions for me at the end of the season,” she said. “I really enjoyed my time at Southampton, but with the formation that we played, it didn’t particular suit my style and as a result, I didn’t play as much as I wanted to and didn’t make the impact that I wanted too either. I was ready for something new at the end of the season and wanted a new challenge after spending so much time in the Championship.”
After the Saints finished fourth, Wynne was ready to seek a new challenge, and she had plenty of offers to ponder over, but a move to Australia was one that really appealed. “I had a couple of offers to stay in England, but I was at a point in my career where I had been in the Championship for so long and been around football in the UK for a long time,” she explained. “Mentally and physically, I needed to do something a little different. When the offer came in to go to Australia, I jumped on it straight away.”
The 31-year-old had a long checklist that her next club needed to match, and it’s fair to say the Western Australia based side was the ideal landing spot. “I know a couple of girls who have moved over to Australia, and they had enjoyed the lifestyle and the competitiveness of the league. The Championship is competitive, but in the WSL, there is that gap between teams,” Wynne said. “The A-League last season, however, was very competitive, and that was something that appealed to me. Perth is also a team with a lot of young players, so I also wanted to move somewhere where I would be one of the more experienced players where I could bring all the things I’ve learned in my career into and help the younger ones push on.
“We’ve had a lot of new signings and a new manager too, so there’s been a lot of gelling together during preseason. With where we are in Australia, it’s been hard to get competitive friendlies. We’ve played a couple of games against the state team, but the system is different over here. Things do take a while when a lot of new people come in, but the manager’s system does suit my style being an aggressive, high-pressing winger. I’ve been really impressed with the girls so far and there’s a lot of young talent coming through.”
While a lot of Welsh players are getting to grasp with new languages with their different clubs, Wynne doesn’t have that issue and doesn’t have to battle with Duo-lingo on a daily basis. However, Australia does bring about its challenges on and off the pitch. An eight-hour time difference makes communication with those in the UK harder, while training on Christmas Day and being away from family will be tough. Yet, Wynne has been made to feel right at home in Perth and is enjoying getting to know the squad day by day, and is determined to help the club to finals this season. “We want to take it game by game this season. Last season the team missed out on the end of season finals, but we are a team that want to push and get back there,” Wynne explained. “Maybe last season was a bit of a disappointment, but we want to put things right this campaign.”
While the former Watford, Millwall, Tottenham, Charlton and Saints winger is rediscovering her joy for football in Australia, her heart is still very much set on Wales. The winger has 24 caps to her name and was last involved with the squad in last year’s Nations League game against Germany. She has not been selected for a squad in the Rhian Wilkinson era but was on standby for the games against Slovakia. The national coach has been in close contact with Wynne, and the forward is delighted that the manager still has her in her thoughts.
“I’ve been in good contact with Rhian. She reaches out every now and then, and we have a good chat and keep in touch. I’m really hoping I can get back involved with the team,” she explained. “I am missing being around the girls, but hopefully with game time and regular minutes, I can get myself back in there. It’s massive to know I have Rhian’s support and to know that she’s keeping an eye on what I’m doing. It’s really nice to know I haven’t been completely cut-out of the national team frame. I know what I need to be doing to get back in there, and it’s nice to have that belief from someone like her.”
All footballers, however, want to play for their country, and Wynne admitted it has been difficult watching the team from afar, but hopes to don the Welsh shirt again sooner rather than later. Yet, she is proud of what they’re achieving and believes this tournament could be the one for Wales. “It’s tough watching on, but I am so proud of all the girls for what they’re doing. When you miss out, it is disappointing, especially because I’ve been involved for a long time, but what this time has done is given me the extra motivation to want to stay involved with Wales,” she said. “The main thing for me is that I want to bring that enjoyment back into my football. I feel very lucky to be in Perth and to be with this group of players; this is an experience not many people in their careers will get to have. I want to play my best football and bring everything I’ve learned in my career to this team.”
4.11.2024
GLORY TRIO SELECTED IN YOUNG SOCCEROOS
Perth Glory trio Adam Bugarija, Abdul Faisal and Jaylan Pearman, and former Glory winger Daniel Bennie have all been named in the Young Socceroos squad for the Panda Cup International Tournament 2024 which will be played during this month’s FIFA international window in the Chinese city of Chengdu. Both midfielder Bugarija and attacker Faisal have both made their A-League debuts for Glory this season, with the former opening his goalscoring account against Macarthur FC in Round One, while Pearman was a standout performer in the Glory NPLWA team last season, and is expected to continue to press his claim for A-League minutes as the season progresses.
Bennie moved to English Championship side Queens Park Rangers from Glory at the end of last season, and he is one of eight overseas players in the squad, joined by Sebastian Esposito (US Lecce), Paul Okon-Englstler (S.L. Benfica), Musa Toure (Clermont Foot 63), Dimitri Valkanis (AEK Athens), Marcus Younis (PSV Eindhoven), Liam Bonetig (Celtic FC) and Steven Hall (Brighton & Hove Albion FC). The squad will assemble in Chengdu from November 10, with the young Aussies set to face U19 sides from China PR, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia in a round-robin format.
The tournament will act as preparation for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China PR 2025, which in turn serves as qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025 – to be played from 12 February to 1 March. Head Coach Trevor Morgan believes that the Panda Cup experience will prove invaluable for his young charges. “The ability to familiarise ourselves with conditions in the host nation of the Asian Cup and play competitive games in a tournament format will be extremely beneficial for the players and staff,” he said. “While it’s an opportunity to take some great learnings for our ongoing planning for next February, we’re also continuing to broaden the depth of players available for selection in the way we’ve structured this squad – creating competitive pressure for places is key to our success in the Asian Cup.
“Given this tournament falls within a FIFA Window, we’ve been able to bring in European-based players who have missed recent camps due to clashes with their club schedule. We feel it’s important we keep them connected with our pathway and give them every chance to stake their claim for Asian Cup selection. We’ve also provided opportunities to several players from the A-League Men competition – with some joining the program for the first time – and we’re looking forward to welcoming them into the environment.” Match Details: Game One v Kyrgyzstan - Wednesday 13 November - Chengdu Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium, Chengdu - Kick-off: 3.30pm local / 3.30pm WST. Game Two v China PR - Saturday 16 November - Chengdu Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium, Chengdu - Kick-off: 7.35pm local / 7.35pm WST. Game Three v Mongolia - Tuesday 19 November 2024 - Chengdu Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium, Chengdu - Kick-off: 2.00pm local / 2.00pm AEDT
Young Socceroos Squad: GK Steven HALL (Brighton, UK), GK Gus HOEFSLOOT (Sydney FC), GK Alexander ROBINSON (Macarthur FC), Nathan AMANATIDIS (Sydney FC), Daniel BENNIE (Queens Park Rangers, UK), Liam BONETIG (Celtic FC, Scotland), Dean BOSNJAK (Macarthur FC), Adam BUGARJIA (Perth Glory FC), Jesse CAMERON (Western Sydney Wanderers FC), Sebastian ESPOSITO (US Lecce, Italy), Abdul FAISAL (Perth Glory FC), Jesse HOEY (Melbourne Victory FC), Bailey O’NEIL (Adelaide United FC), Paul OKON-ENGSTLER (S.L. Benfica, Portugal), Jaylan PEARMAN (Perth Glory FC), Tiago QUINTAL (Sydney FC), Kayne RAZMOVSKI (Melbourne Victory FC), Fabian TALLADIRA (Adelaide United FC), Musa TOURE (Clermont Foot 63, France), Dimitri VALKANIS (AEK Athens, Greece), Ryan WHITE (Adelaide United FC), Tyler WILLIAMS (Sydney FC), Marcus YOUNIS (PSV Eindhoven, Holland)
4.11.2024
LOCALS BENNIE AND PEARMAN CALLED UP FOR AUSTRALIA
Queens Park Rangers attacker Daniel Bennie and Perth Glory midfielder Jaylan Pearman have been called up by Australia for this month's China Panda Cup International Tournament. Young Socceroos coach Trevor Morgan named the local due in his squad for the tournament in which Australia will meet Kyrgyzstan (13 November), China (16 November) and Mongolia (19 November).
Bennie and Pearman, who both played juniors with Sorrento, will go into camp with the Young Socceroos next weekend in Chengdu, China. Also in the squad are Pearman’s Glory teammates Adam Bugarija and Abdul Faisal. The upcoming tournament will serve as preparation for Australia’s campaign win lift the Under-20 Asian Cup, which is being hosted by Chile in February next year.
The Australia Under-20 squad for the Panda Cup is Nathan Amanatidis, Daniel Bennie, Liam Bonetig, Dean Bosnjak, Adam Bugarija, Jesse Cameron, Sebastian Esposito, Abdul Faisal, Steven Hall, Gus Hoefsloot, Jesse Hoey, Bailey O’Neil, Paul Okon-Engstler, Jaylan Pearman, Tiago Quintal, Kayne Razmovski, Alexander Robinson, Fabian Talladira, Musa Toure, Dimitri Valkanis, Ryan White, Tyler Williams and Marcus Younis.
3.11.2024
ZDRILIC PUT HIGH-PRESSING APPROACH ON HOLD
Coach David Zdrilic has conceded Perth Glory need to be more restrained when pressing. Glory were rewarded for sitting deeper in Saturday's clash at Central Coast Mariners with their first point of the A-League Men season by holding the back-to-back champions to a scoreless draw.
Zdrilic arrived at the club with a reputation of being the mastermind of Sydney FC’s high-pressing game last season, and Glory’s Australia Cup games showed how effective the press can be when it is firing. But after conceding eight goals in his first two games in charge, Zdrilic said their press had become less effective the fitter their opponents were.
“In the cup games early on, we were really high pressing, but I just think our level was in front of the teams that we were playing at the time,” Zdrilic said. “The bulk of our players have not completed the whole preseason. You can see with some of the changes, the legs are not there just to take that next step and not get away from someone and then push away.”
“Obviously, we want to start playing that style of football where we’re much more aggressive, much more on the front foot. At the same time, if we need to have the balance, we can do both. You can see a clear difference between the pre-season to when the A-League starts; it’s a big jump in the physicality and something that we’re now getting to a good point.”
“Our football is going to evolve into something very different, but to be able to manage a situation like that, which we haven’t really done in the first two games, I thought that (the performance against Central Coast) was a big step for us and coming here is not easy... They’re very fluid, very confident at home. They’ve got a winning culture here.”
3.11.2024
GLORY LET THE LEAD SLIP IN SEASON OPENER
Perth Glory have let a two-goal lead slip to lose 5-2 to reigning champions Melbourne City in their opening Ninja A-League game of the season. It started so well for Stephen Peters side with Kelli Brown scoring a contender for goal of the season early, and they doubled their lead early in the second half through Miku Sunaga. But the hosts hit back with Rhianna Pollicina scoring moments later, and they never looked back from there, with Kathryn Harvey bagging a brace, with Pollicina adding another, before Laura Hughes rounded out the scoring late.
It was the hosts who had the first opportunity on six minutes, Leah Davidson’s snap shot over the top after a poor clearance from Miranda Templeman. But sixty seconds later it was Glory who found the opener, a quick break saw Grace Johnston race clear, before finding Brown, and the Kiwi striker looked up and saw Malena Mieres off her line and her long-range shot beat the back-pedalling City custodian, for one of the goals of the season. Brown went close to a second nine minutes later, her shot on the run was saved by Mieres.
City lifted and Leticia McKenna went close, the former Glory midfielder cut in from the left, her low shot was saved at her near post by Templeman. McKenna went close again soon after, indecision by the Glory defence saw the ball fall to the midfielder, but she skied her shot when well placed. The visitors were defending well and closing down the space, making it difficult for the home side. But City did go close five minutes before the break, a short corner caught Glory napping, but Pollicina’s effort flashed wide. Brown almost napped a second in stoppage time, but her lob went just wide.
Peters made a change at the break with youngster Tanika Lala replaced by new signing Morgan Roberts, but it was City fast out of the blocks and Templeton saved low to deny Hughes early. But five minutes in Glory doubled their advantage. A poor pass across the edge of the box by Karly Roestbakken, the ball falling to Sunaga, whose first time chip beat Mieres, much to the delight of the Glory supporters behind the goal. But City reduced the margin three minutes later, McKenna’s shot was parried by Templeton, and Pollicina was quickest to the rebound to fire home the loose ball.
It was game on, and ten minutes later City were level. A corner was turned home at the back post by Harvey, after her first effort was blocked on the line by Naomi Chinnama. The host’s comeback was completed six minutes later, Pollicina was given far too much room and she curled home into the top corner from just outside the box. It was 4-2 on 72 minutes, great work down the left by Lourdes Bosch, saw her skip past two Glory defenders before finding Harvey, whose shot on the turn beat Templeton. The scoring was completed in stoppage time, neat lead up play ended with Pollicina on the right her low cross was turned home neatly by Hughes. Glory are back in action next Sunday, when they host Newcastle Jets at HBF Park (3.00pm).
Melbourne City: GK Malena MIERES, 5 Taylor OTTO, 6 Leticia McKENNA (7 Kathryn HARVEY 61'), 8 Alexia APOSTOLAKIS, 10 Rhianna POLLICINA, 14 Laura HUGHES, 16 Karly ROESTBAKKEN, 17 Mariana SPECKMAIER (27 Tyla-Jay VLAJNIC 62'), 18 Leah DAVIDSON, 19 Lourdes BOSCH, 22 Bryleeh HENRY (15 Kiera MEYERS 90+4') – Subs not used: RGK Melissa BARBIERI, 21 Isabella ACCARDO
Perth Glory: GK Miranda TEMPLEMAN, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY (22 Ischia BROOKING 85'), 9 Gabby HOLLAR, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA (2 Mischa ANDERSON 74'), 14 Miku SUNAGA (19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE 70'), 23 Izzy DALTON, 26 Tanika LALA (17 Morgan ROBERTS 46'), 44 Kelli BROWN – Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER - Referee: Rebecca Durcau - Attendance: 582
2.11.2024
BATTLING GLORY HOLD FIRM TO TAKE A POINT AT GOSFORD
Perth Glory have secured their first points of the Isuzu Ute A-League season, after a battling 0-0 draw against reigning champions Central Coast Mariners at the Industree Group Stadium in Gosford. After a disappointing start to the new campaign, David Zdrilic’s side will take a great deal from their performance, and look forward to next week’s home game against Melbourne City.
“I was very pleased with the reaction from the first two games, also in this game, you could see in the first five minutes some of the guys were nervous. We’ve got a blend of youth and experience, but we managed to get back into the game, and take the sting out of it, and it was a big step moving forward for us,” Glory coach David Zdrilic said post-match. “Coming here is never easy, they have a winning culture here and you can feel it, I was pleased we took the sting out of it and created some good chances of our own, so I’m happy with the point. We have made good improvement, but we want to take the next step and play our style of football, but today happy to leave with a point, against a good Mariners side.”
Glory was under the pump from the kick off and almost conceded on three minutes, Alfie McMalmont eased past his marker on the left, and squared the ball to Sasha Kuzevski whose late run caught Glory napping, but his shot was somehow blocked by a combination of Lachlan Barr and Oli Sail. It was a huge let off, but Glory hit back and went close themselves seven minutes later, Taras Gomulka sent David Williams down the right and his first time ball sent Adam Taggart in on goal, but Dylan Peraic-Cullen was out quickly to deny the Glory skipper.
Moments later Glory almost gave away the lead, Zach Lisolajski was almost caught in possession on the edge of the box, and his back pass beat Sail, but luckily for the young defender it rolled inches wide of the post. The visitors were having the better of the game now, and after a poor clearance from Peraic-Cullen went to Hiroaki Aoyama, the ball then broke for Brandon O’Neill, but he couldn’t find the target. They went close again soon after, Jarrad Carluccio and O’Neill combined to send Abdul Faisal down the left, the speedy winger cut inside his marker and his shot on the run was tipped over the top by the Mariners custodian.
Then from the resulting corner Taggart headed over, but after a difficult start to the season, it was good to see Glory taking the game to the hosts. Faisal was in again on the half hour, again he cut inside his marker, but his shot whistled wide. The Mariners settled and almost took the lead into the break, when Alou Kuel flicked on a corner and found defender Nathan Paul, who arrived late at the back post, but he couldn’t turn the ball home so at the break it was all to play for.
Glory made a change at the break with Adam Bugarija replacing Aoyama, but it was the Mariners on the front foot, dominating possession but they struggled to breakdown a well marshalled Glory defence, well led by Luis Canga and Lachlan Barr. They did create half chances, Kuzevski’s low cross was inches away from Kuol in the box, before Canga did well to bloke Mikael Doka’s goalbound shot. David Zdrilic went to his bench again just after the hour, with Nathanael Blair and Khoa Ngo replacing Williams and Faisal.
The visitors were struggling in the final third, Taggart a lonely figure up top, starved of opportunities, but he did have a glimpse on 72 minutes. The Socceroos striker was sent clear down the right, he did have Taras Gomulka to his left, but he went for goal, but failed to find the target. Then four minutes later the Mariners were awarded a penalty, referee Nathan Shakespear pointing to the spot after a handball by Canga. The Ecuadorian defender was convinced Doka’s cross hit his shoulder, and after being told by VAR to check the monitor, the decision was overturned.
The decision didn’t go down well with the home supporters, but the small Glory contingent, including Big Red were happy with it. The points were still up for grabs going into stoppage time, and both sides had chances to take them. First on 91 minutes, Ngo found Taggart in space, and the skipper played in Blair, but his shot was saved low by Peraic-Cullen. The Mariners had the final chance to win it moments later, Lukas Mauragis’ long-range shot was saved low by Sail. Glory held firm to take their first point of the season, and next meet Melbourne City at HBF Park next Sunday.
Central Coast Mariners: GK Dylan PERAIC-CULLEN, 3 Brian KALTAK, 8. Alfie MCCALMONT, 9 Alou KUOL (99 Ryan EDMONDSON 57’), 10 Mikael DOKA, 12 Lucas MAURAGIS, 16 Harry STEELE (36 Haine EAMES 82’), 26 Brad TAPP, 27 Sasha KUZEVSKI (17 Sabit NGOR 82’), 33 Nathan PAULL, 37 Bailey BRANDTMAN (11 Vitor FEIJAO 57’) – Subs not used: RGK Adam PAVLESIC, 15 Storm ROUX, 24 Diesel HERRINGTON
Perth Glory: Oli SAIL, 5 Lachlan BARR, 6 Brandon O’NEILL (7 Nicholas PENNINGTON 70’), 9 David WILLIAMS (14 Nathanael BLAIR 66’), 11 Hiroaki AOYAMA (16 Adam BUGARIJA 46’), 12 Taras GOMULKA, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 17 Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 21 Abdel FAISAL (28 Khoa NGO 66’), 22 Adam TAGGART, 33 Luis CANGA – Subs not used: RGK Cameron COOK, 10 Trent OSTLER, 24 Andriano LEBIB – Referee: Nathan Shakespear – Attendance: 7,718
2.11.2024
DALTON CONFIDENT OF GLORY WOMEN REVIVAL, DESPITE LOSS OF LOWRY
Izzy Dalton understands why homegrown talent Hana Lowry left the club but the Perth Glory co-captain is confident her team will prove they are headed in the right direction. Lowry, who won the club’s Most Glorious Player award last season, left the Glory in the off-season after 72 games and 11 goals at her hometown club.
Lowry switched to Sydney FC in the off-season, saying the move east was spurred by a desire to win trophies and push for Matildas selection. But ahead of Glory’s season-opening clash away to Melbourne City tomorrow, Dalton said there was no ill-will towards her former midfield running mate for leaving.
“At the end of the day, any team and any club in this league can win a trophy,” Dalton said. “I don’t blame Hana for leaving. She’s young in her career, and there’s exciting opportunities for her to be in Sydney. But I think at the same time, we can do the exact same here at this club, if we’ve got the right mentality and we get off to a good start.”
Lowry was not the only key figure to leave, with Millie Farrow, captain Tash Rigby, Morgan Aquino and centre-back pair Jessika Cowart and Liz Anton the main departures. Dalton, who will lead the side alongside new defender Onyinyechi Zogg, said creating a positive culture would be at the forefront of their plans.
“It’s obviously been tough having an overhaul of the squad, there’s a lot of young players that have come through,” Dalton said. “But for the few of us that stuck around from last year, it’s about taking what what we know about the club and what we want the culture to look like, and addressing that with the players and creating something special at the club.”
Born in England and raised in Queensland, Dalton started her career with Brisbane Roar and turned out for Bristol City (England), Napoli (Italy) and Lewes (England) before arriving at Glory last season. With 19 appearances under her belt on purple, the 27-year old midfielder says Perth already feels like home.
“I felt a lot more comfortable coming in this year, knowing the place, the people, the stuff that were involved,” she said. “I love Perth. It’s the first club that I’ve been at my career where I feel like it’s home for me. I’m happy to be here, and I love representing Glory. It’s a club I feel special to be a part.”
Dalton is looking forward to what Glory can achieve under new coach Stephen Peters. “There’s obviously new approaches to the way that he wants us to play. Naturally, we’ve had to take new things on board and adapt to the way that he wants us to play,” she said. “You’ll definitely see a lot of changes across the board, in defence and in possession as to how we want to play.”
1.11.2024
WEST AUSTRALIAN PREMIERS TO COMPETE IN NATIONAL SECOND TIER
Australian football is moving a step closer to a fully-fledged national second tier after a start date and competition format was finally released. Football Australia have confirmed that the long-awaited tournament will feature 16 clubs from each state as well as the Australian Capital Territory.
The national second tier will kick-off in October 2025 in a structure similar to the Champions League, with teams split across four groups of four and playing home-and-away group fixtures. The top two sides will advance to a knockout stage that culminates in a final in early December.
Eight clubs from New South Wales and Victoria will be recognised as foundation members. They will be joined by the National Premier League winners from New South Wales, Northern NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and Queensland.
The competition's name and trophy will be unveiled in the run-up to the start date. Football Australia maintains the long-term aim is for the second tier to move away from the Champions League style structure and into a proper home-and-away season. It remains unclear how, when or if promotion to the A-League may be introduced.
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