Mariners Squad - HAL 12 - 2016 - 2017

[Rowdy]

It's not yet confirmed Ante Covic is leaving Perth especially now considering Perth's goal keeping target Brad Jones is being targeted by Ajax.

They may not get Jones, but they'll have to get somebody else because Covic wants OUT.

Perth havent officially announced that Covic is 'released', because they're trying to find a replacement for him because he's had enough of being without his family back in Sydney.

"Glory are also intensifying their efforts to secure another goalkeeper for the 2016-17 season. Ante Covic will almost certainly leave Perth due to family commitments."
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/31479195/glory-prepare-for-castro-exit/

He's spent the entire season over there in Perth without his wife & kid's, seeing them only a handful of times, preferring not to move them yet again for just a another football contract.

"He wasn't ready to give the game away, however, and his search for a new club ended with the offer of a one-year contract from Glory.

His children had been uprooted before due to moves Covic made with his football, but with them now in their early years at school, he didn't consider that as an option this time."
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2015/11/04/family-man-covic-making-glory-situation-work

Click on the above ⬆ link & read that article and then tell me that Ante Covic wasnt absolutely ripe for an offer to be tabled to him from CCM to continue to play right on the doorstep of Sydney where his kids live with their mother.

That offer from CCM could have been a considerable lower $$ amount than what he was on at Perth for 1 or 2 yr contract, BUT with a guarantee of a Coaching gig at the end of his playing career as the compensation for a lower wage.

Put in a clause of either him or the club having the right to make the decision when to pull the pin on playing, whatevers in the Club's best interest.

Massive FAIL choosing Necesvki over Ante, oh almost forgot .......
an AFC 'Player of the Tournament' in the Wanderer's Championship winning campaign.

If there was ANYONE that could have brought some stability & leadership to a back 4 that was fcuking smashed last season to a competition record setting low! as well as some mentoring to younger players IT WAS HIM.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Before we all get too upset. Remember this is just a rumour.

How reliable is the source or is it just someone making a good guess.

There is no confirmation here from people with good sources nor is there a mention of it on SFCU.

It could be true, it may not be, we may still get Covic or someone else or no one, I will wait.

 

[Big Al]

Mariners go to Sydney to die so will coming from Sydney to the Mariners bring back life? Hope so.

Don't see him being any better than Bray but maybe he won't get hurt every time there is an opportunity to play.

Even though it might be the end of Izzo as No1 it is not as good a feeling as would have thought.

 

[MagpieMariner]

F*** THAT! I'd rather Izzo - and that's saying something... In fact, I think I'd prefer Izzo in goals and Pazzo as backup, over Velaphi going anywhere NEAR our goals.

Absolutely! Some of the performances I've seen from Velaphi, he plays nearer our goal than his own!

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Ok, disagreeing somewhat on this one.

I've seen Ivan play some quality and also mostly very solid games. So have SFC fans which is why I expect they weren't simply saying good riddance - and they're a malicious bunch.

I would have liked a higher calibre too ideally. Rowdys right he's not as good as Covic (but isn't Covic supposed to be a total pain in the ass as well? Last thing we need.)

Ivan is better than Izzo is presently and not very far off the leagues quality keepers from what I've seen. So I don't see this as being a bad pickup. Maybe not the best. But he's solid. We can do better... but we can do a lot worse than solid also.

 

[pjennings]

From Kalik's wiki page

Hajduk Split
On 1 February 2016 the Mariners announced that Kalik had been loaned to Hajduk Split until at least June 2016.[6] He was recommended to the club by fellow Australian and former Hajduk player Josip Skoko.[7] He made his first team debut for the club in the controversial 2–1 away loss to NK Lokomotiva, coming in at half-time for Manuel Arteaga.[8] He managed to get 11 caps for Hajduk that season and make it into the first lineup as well.

On 28 May 2016, Hajduk Split bought him for 32,000 euros. For Hajduk, it was the first time since 2012 that they paid a transfer fee for a player.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Kalik

 

[Wombat]

Necevski is not much chop. He would be a poor signing.

 

[midfielder]

Just dreaming ... assume nothing stops this when we understand it will or could today never happen ... but just for a second consider these players were in our starting 11 ... interestingly Arnold had all these players and the year we won most of them

Goals Matty Ryan

Centre Backs ... Wilko & Sainsbury

Def Mid ... Jedi

Centre mids ... Musty 8 Rogic 10..

Wide mids ... Olly on the left and Bernie on the right ...

 

[dibo]

Arnold never had Jedi. Jedi left in January 09.

 

[pjennings]

Arnie had Jedi lite aka Rostyn Griffiths

 

[yorkshireman]

Wimbledon have just released Akinfenwa. Check out his stats about 1/4 way down page lol
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36413941

 

[rbakersmith]

From FourFourTwo:

Young Socceroos midfielder Anthony Kalik has signed a four-year permanent deal with Croatian powerhouse Hajduk Split.

Parent club Central Coast will earn AU$50,000 from the deal after the 18-year-old had joined Hajduk on a six-month loan in February.

 

[Rowdy]

Captain still has plenty in the tank:

Central Coast captain Nick Montgomery has flown to the United Kingdom to obtain his UEFA A Licence coaching badge and recently started a new business but insists he's got no retirement plans yet.

Montgomery, who turns 35 in October, won the Mariners’ Official Supporters’ Group Player of the Year award this season in a tough campaign for the club.

The Scottish veteran has recently set up a business selling and distributing the Open Goaaal football net for children learning the game in Australia and New Zealand.

He also flew to the United Kingdom last week to gain his A Licence coaching badge, having obtained his B Licence last year.

Despite that, Montgomery, who has one more season remaining on his Central Coast contract, believes he’s got a few more years of football left.

“I’ve always wanted to get my badges done before I finish playing,” Montgomery told FourFourTwo.

“Hopefully there are a few more years left playing. I’m settled here on the coast and not looking to move.

“I thought I had a good season personally. I picked up quite a few awards which was nice, even in a difficult season it’s nice to get recognized for your hard work.

“I want to concentrate on next season, forget about the season gone and look to be competitive next year and be up there challenging for a minimum top six spot.”

Montgomery was enthused the club had added some experience in defence in the form of ex-Sydney FC duo Mickael Tavares and Jacques Faty.

He said it was no secret they had an imbalance of youth and experience last season with spending cut and wanted the Mariners to become “hard to beat”.

“We weren’t competitive enough this season,” he said.

“We played some great stuff in some games, but the way the A-League is, with no relegation or stress for losing games, we played an all-out attack at times which sounded good, but the reality was we were throwing bodies forward against good teams who soaked it up and caught us on the counter attack.

“We have to look at that and become hard to beat.”

It was quite the fall for Montgomery who had enjoyed plenty of success in Gosford since his move from Sheffield United, including winning the A-League championship in 2012-13.

“I’ve had some great times here in the first few seasons I was here,” he said.

“Being one of the smallest clubs in the A-League, we sold a lot of our good young player and we’ve had people retire like Hutch (John Hutchinson), Patrick (Zwaanswijk) and Mile Sterjovski.

“People forget the transition that the club has gone through in terms of players. The Mariners have always played a lot of youth.”

He added that he was excited about new business venture, with ex-Socceroo Brett Emerton already enquiring about purchasing one for his kids.

“It’s an amazing product in the backyard which provides a real tool for kids to practice on their own,” Montgomery said.

“Unless you’re in the main cities, kids struggle to get the qualified coaching they need so the only way they’ll improve is the way I did, along with many players who’ve had good careers, and that’s practice at home on your own.”

 

[FFC Mariner]

Scottish Veteran?

More quality reporting

 

[dibo]

Eligible for Scotland and played in Scottish youth teams.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Things you learn eh?

 

[Wombat]

Born and Bred Yorkshireman.
Leeds fan (who isn't).
Montgomery is a Scottish name so either dad or Grandad is a jock.
Calling him Scottish is weird though. Otherwise Kewell and Cahill should be listed as English?

 

[dibo]

No, because they play for Australia. Hutcho is Maltese though.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I love how Dibo and Wombat still both work Hutch back into barbs at each other. It's a goodly old bone that one

 

[sydmariner]

Kewell and Cahill should be listed as English?

KING Cahill is actually Samoan he represented them 2 times at under 20 level