2015 Mariners Pre-Season Games

[JoyfulPenguin]

My point about DMac, was a "either/or" sarcastic crack. As in which would you rather have, EITHER a 4yr discarded Ex A-League'r (who's still cutting it in the NPL) OR a 24yo neville nobody from x2 division's DOWN within the same state ???

In fact there'd be 10-15 others in front of DMac I'd rather have from the NPL than this kid Lee'Joner'Jones from frickn NorthbridgeFC.

Blake Powell ex SYDFC was top of my list from Apia Leichhardt. Tooooo late! Ernie Merrick snapped him up. Keep your eye on him this season and hope we all don't rue what could've been.

The fact is ANY player in the NPL would 'cream themselve's to sign a minimum-wage of $55k to either get back in the A-League or better yet, have their first shot at it! & I haven't a clue at what talent is available in the NPL's of Qld, Vic or SA. ???

Google "ECU Joondalup" over in WA to check out the talent they pump out DIRECTLY to overseas clubs, another Goalie just this week to Charlton Athletic
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/charlton-athletic-snap-aussie-teenager

Every Golden Boot winner of each of the State NPL's! that's who we should be trialling. HELL even the top 3-4 goal scorer's if your a fair'dinkum coach about 'unearthing quality' looking for a bargain.

Because lets face it, Charlesworth doesn't wanna spend the $$$'s. Thats OK, I dont mind taking a 'diamond'n'rough' from the 'bargain-bin' of the NPL's, BUT do we really need to be 'dumpster diving' in the 3rd division's of State League's.

If we do, then it gives a whole new meaning to the 'corporate boxes' @ The BlueTongue.
View attachment 394

While I agree with most of this sentiment there are outliers. Our very own Fabio Ferreira was playing in State League 1 in South Australia when he was signed by Adelaide and look at him now! I'm sure Tony Walmsley has his reasons for trialling him and we haven't even signed him! Players can have quality no matter what league they play in.

 

[dibo]

I think it was Super League/NPL2 here that Ferreira was playing (for Dulwich Hill), and even then he was a known player, ex-Chelsea, etc.

I watched him tear Sydney Uni a new one on one cold night at Arlington that year.

 

[Rowdy]

Keep in mind he signed Ibini, Amini, Ryan, Sainsbury, Duke and Caceres long before they showed the world what they could do.

BERNIE IBINI:
Youth career: Blacktown City (NSW NPL)
@ 17yo signs on with 2009 Central Coast Mariners NYL
Won the Golden Boot in NYL ??? then given senior contract in the A-League w/ CCMariners.

MUSTAFA AMINI:
Youth Career; Blacktown City (NSW NPL)
@ 15yo goes to AIS in Canberra on scholarship. @ 17yo in 2010 signed by CCMariners.

MATY RYAN:
Youth Career;
@ 10yo 2002–2008 Marconi Stallions (NSW NPL)
@ 16yo 2008–2009Blacktown City (NSW NPL)
@ 18yo sign with CCMariners in 2009.

TRENT SAINSBURY:
Youth Career;
Armadale SC (WA NPL) Then moved on to the WA National Training Centre (like NSWIS)
@ 16yo signed with Perth Glory NYL 2008
@ 17yo AIS in Canberra on scholarship 2009.
@ 18yo signed with CCMariners in 2010.

MITCHELL DUKE:
Youth Career;
Parramatta Eagles (FC) (NSW NPL)
@ 18 yo signed with CCMariners 2009 NYL. Winer of NYL Golden Boot ???

ANTHONY CACERES:
Youth Career;
@ 14yo 2006 Marconi Stallions (NSW NPL)
@19yo 2011 signs with CCMariners

Don't know how much credit should go to Tony Walmsley in the recruitment. All of the Blacktown City boys were always being watched by Lawrie McKinna as its his former club & to this day still has strong ties there.

John 'JC' Crawley headhunted Maty Ryan from BCD, again Lawries old club. Graham Arnold was instrumental in Amini's signing with his links to the AIS as the Socceroo's Assist Coach prior to it & U23's/Olyroo's Coach, Sainsbury may also be possibly included there. Happy to be corrected.

Ferreira as mentioned, @ 13yo entered the youth sytem at Portugal club Sporting Lisbon, within 2 years was illegally poached by Chelsea into theirs at 15yo. Within another 2 years (2007) was playing in Chelsea Reserves as a 17yo scoring 8 goals in 12 games. Chelsea let him go in 2009. Fastforward to 2012 Fabio came to Aust to visit relatives in Sydney and had all but 'given-up' on a professional career. Dulwich Hill was 'Sunday-Park' football for fun, Adelaide reignited that pro career.

So its a really looooooong bow to stretch and call him a 'lower-league' find.

Not a single one of the other above players came from anything less than an NPL Club. All had 'made it' to an A-League club by the time they were 18yo.

A 24yo Weshman languishing in a 3rd Division State League team.................

 

[dibo]

Blacktown City was run under the iron fist of Ken Schembri. Where's he these days?

 

[rbakersmith]

A 24yo Weshman languishing in a 3rd Division State League team.................

There's daylight between NSM and the rest of MSL1 - they took out the premiership and the Club Championship (both by a substantial margin) with 2-3 rounds to spare.

Would you be making the same argument if they were in NPL2 (which they will be next year, along with CCFC) instead of MSL1?

 

[Luca Brasi]

Neither are satisfactory really, you are just hoping to find a diamond in the rough, Lawrie found Matt Simon playing local premier league, that is probably 5-6th tier level.

 

[sydmariner]

Mat simon is the greatest striker we've ever had or will ever have

 

[dibo]

2015: Association Leagues -> State League 2 -> State League 1 -> NPL2 -> NPL1 -> A-League

Northbridge are in State League 1 this year, but based on where the AL academies have been placed in NPL Vic and NPL NSW, NYL sits on a par with NPL2.

2016: Association Leagues -> State League -> NPL3 -> NPL2 -> NPL1 -> A-League

Northbridge / North Shore Mariners have just been promoted to NPL2 for 2016.

Make of that what you will.

 

[VicMariner]

And guys like this are running around the NPL:

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/best-aussie-based-striker-not-playing-league

Maybe he needs to drop down a few tiers to get an A-League gig.

 

[Rowdy]

Lawrie found Matt Simon playing local premier league, that is probably 5-6th tier level.

NOT TRUE.
Matt Simon had plyed for 'The Coasties' which were the CCSA's (Central Coast Soccer Association) representative side in the NSW Premier League. Jim Foley may have been his coach at the time (iirc). Was told by someone that Simon trained with Foley every day at one stage. Eventually chucked in rep football & went back to East Gosford to play with his mates. (Edit; Matty actually did go back to rep football. CC United went bankrupt & because they won the spoon were relegated the NSW Super League [Div. Below NSWPL] Matty played for CC Lightning coached by John McLafferty in the year prior to being signed by the Mariners. Sorry Luca faded memories slowly coming back )

'The Coastie's' were forced by Football NSW to merge with the 'Mingara Lakers' (the other representative club on the coast) citing the CCoast was only big enough for one club in the NSWPL.

'Central Coast United FC' was born.

John McLaferty (former CCM NYL Coach) coached in the early years (Simon may have even played for him I'm not sure). JMcL left disillusioned & owed about $10k in unpaid wages & warned me off joining the club with my kid (our kids played together @Wyoming).

I was asked to take on the Team Managers role for CCUFC Premier League side working with newly appointed Coach former Socceroo, Grant Lee (current Syd Olmpic coach) & his dickhead sidekick Tony Pezzano (former NSL Syd City Goalkeeper). Begged Lee to take a look at Simon who was playing for East Gosford, wasn't interested!

Lee coached them to the wooden spoon that year, Unbelievably 9 players from the squad went on to play in the A-League. Matt Bingley, Nigel Boogard, Peter Haynes, Matthew Trott, Josh Mitchell, Joel Thiessen+ others cant remember, as well as ex-NSL legends Troy Halpin & Scottie Thomas. Just remembered... Ian 'show us ya golf swing' Ferguson - SPL Rangers Legend & CCM's inaugural Asst. Coach to Lawrie


2-3? years later Matt Simon was in the A-League. Go figure

Edit: I honestly believe if Grant Lee had just taken the time to look at Matty he would of taken him on & Lawrie would've seen him earlier, possibly have signed him 1st year even.

Lawrie signed Ian McAndrew instead, look how that turned out.

 

[Gratis]

gee he looks worth a trial surely

 

[kevrenor]

From Facebook:

"FULL TIME: The Central Coast Mariners have defeated a gallant Gungahlin United Football Club3-1 in Canberra tonight! Congratulations to Roy O'Donovan who opened his account for the Mariners with a brace in the nation's capital along with a classy goal to Josh Bingham!"

 

[Luca Brasi]

Eventually chucked in rep football & went back to East Gosford to play with his mates.

2-3? years later Matt Simon was in the A-League. Go figure

Not untrue either, however I stand corrected.
In that case Jones has played for Wrexham and Wales at youth level before making the career move to Northbridge

 

[Gratis]

Central Coast Mariners complete Canberra double with 3-1 win against Gungahlin United
The Central Coast Mariners completed a winning double in Canberra with a 3-1 victory against Gungahlin United at Gungahlin Enclosed on Thursday night.
Irish recruit Roy O'Donovan was the star for the Mariners, bagging a brace in the opening six minutes of the game.
Gungahlin hit back through Daniel Barac before Josh Bingham rounded out a solid performance for the visitors with a classy finish in the 71st minute.
The Mariners fielded a completely different side to the one which narrowly defeated Canberra Olympic 3-2 on Tuesday night.
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O'Donovan showed why the Mariners were keen to sign the 30-year-old former Sunderland striker on a two-year deal, chipping over the head of Gungahlin 'keeper Jason Denham to open the scoring after just two minutes.
His second was a bit more fortunate, using his chest to tap the ball over the line after his original shot cannoned into the goal-post.
O'Donovan was keen to make amends after he missed a penalty for the Mariners in their 1-0 loss in the FFA Cup to the Wellington Phoenix.
A cricket score was on the cards early, but Nathan Tidmarsh channelled former Stoke City midfielder Rory Delap to kickstart Gungahlin into action.
Tidmarsh's long throw caught the Mariners' defence napping and allowed Barac to finish one on one with 'keeper Liam Reddy.
Gungahlin striker Stephen Domenici should have put the hosts on level terms, but missed an unmarked tap-in on the far post.
Despite that miss, Gungahlin would have been encouraged to be within striking distance of the Mariners at halftime, trailing 2-1.
Mariners midfielder Anthony Caceres generated plenty of power from a long-range strike, which sailed to the left of the posts in the 58th minute.
O'Donovan and veteran defender Josh Rose were replaced in the 69th minute after impressive stints.
The Mariners finally had their third when Bingham dodged a couple of Gungahlin defenders before finishing in style.
A couple of Canberra youngsters, Nikolas Popovic and Josh Gulevski, gained valuable experience as trial players for the Mariners.

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY: Central Coast Mariners 3 (Roy O'Donovan 2' 6', Josh Bingham 71') bt Gungahlin United 1 (Daniel Barac 16') at Gungahlin Enclosed on Thursday night.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/central-coast-mariners/central-coast-mariners-v-gungahlin-united-20150820-gj4382.html#ixzz3jMDl0uJ3

 

[rbakersmith]

The next pre-season game is against the Jets (again) at Wade Park, Orange on Sunday 20/9:
http://www.ccmariners.com.au/articl...n-f3derby-in-orange/s1poofo938ru1wbdv7nc9os0u

There's also going to be a game against the Western Mariners Academy side.

 

[Rowdy]

Blacktown City was run under the iron fist of Ken Schembri. Where's he these days?

As far as I know he's working for Central Coast Footbal as their 'Football Manager' under CCF's General Manager Darren Sprod.

Shcembri left Blacktown City Demons at the end of last year after being at the club for 30 years to take up the position with CCF, Lawrie probably gave the Coast a glowing reference & played some part in steerig him up here.

 

[Big Al]

Letting to many goals in to these type of sides. Sure it's preseason and lots of chopping and changing but defence was poor last year. Need to change the habits.

Also what's with Roy and hitting the woodwork all the time. Some one check the size of the goals in oz or send him to specsavers.

 

[Rowdy]

Letting to many goals in to these type of sides. Sure it's preseason and lots of chopping and changing but defence was poor last year. Need to change the habits.

What I also find concerning is that we score 2 quick goals in the first 5 mins against Canberra Olympic & 3 quick goals against Gungahlin in 15mins both times I attribute this happening due to the 'fear-factor' of these lower league teams facing A-League competition.

Agree, we shouldn't be shipping goals to these teams. Graham Arnold, who's focus was on 'defence-first' before anything (which won us a championship) would be lets say..................a 'little cranky'

 

[Gratis]

Did we know about this? can't remember...

http://mysunshinecoast.com.au/news/news-display/roar-v-mariners-at-sunshine-coast-stadium,39760

Friendly against the roar 26 Sept on Sunshine coast, likely to be the last before season starts

 

[Rowdy]

Brisbane have announced a pre-season game:
Saturday, 26 September, versus Central Coast Mariners
at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Kawana. Kick-off: 7pm