SOCCER
THERE is nothing daunting about Charlie Platt’s first senior coaching assignment. Self-belief is the buffer for any possible doubts about his ability to cope with the role Mount Martha announced last weekend when he was officially unveiled as the local club’s new gaffer. “I’ll be honest with you, I am always confident in my ability,” he said.
“I don’t mean to come across as big-headed or anything like that but I’m confident in getting players to play the way I want them to.”
Platt aims to produce a senior squad that isn’t just capable of being ultra competitive but capable of taking an important step towards promotion. And that should excite Mount Martha fans as the Mariners prepare to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
Platt turns 55 later this month and his football CV is impressive. It starts with Cranbourne (Casey Comets) not long after he arrived from the UK with his family as an eight-year-old. During his time at Cranbourne he was selected in a junior peninsula representative squad which included Doug Hodgson and Robert Runje. His other junior club was Frankston Pines before progressing to the reserves then the seniors under coach Danny McMinimee. He then switched to Seaford United for four seasons before returning to England for four years principally to visit with his extended family but while there he played at a semi-professional level.
Platt returned to Melbourne in the late 1990s and started working at Peninsula Grammar. Two teachers there were involved with Mornington and provided a conduit for Platt’s 20-year relationship with the Seagulls. He was a player, coach and administrator during this time and his ability and contribution were recognised when he was named in the squad for Mornington’s Team of the Half Century. He also is a life member of Mornington but when his son Jacob switched to Mount Martha to get more senior game time his dad was in tow.
That was three years ago and after assisting Andrew Hall this year Charlie Platt finds himself at the helm of a senior squad that has only played three full seasons in State 5 South and has never finished in the top half of the league.
He is the club’s fourth senior coach following in the footsteps of Chris Sanderson, Mark Larner and Hall. “From the team we had at the start of this season there were only two or three who got picked consistently the year before,” Platt said. “So for us it was always going to be difficult. “We basically had a team that was playing at reserves level last year and I think they did an amazing job. “Results often did not reflect how well this team played but results in the second half of the season are a reflection of how much work the players, Andrew and myself put in to get to the competitive level we reached. “Some of these boys are now first team players rather than reserves trying to do their best.”
Platt is preparing for a big year in 2025 both on and off the pitch. He thinks “probably four or five” quality signings will speed up the squad’s progression while the opening of new clubrooms and the prospect of all the pitches being floodlit will help “sell” the club to prospective players.
“I’ve already spoken to players some who are at other clubs and some who might be heading back from overseas,” Platt said. “I’d love to have the problem of who to pick rather than everyone knowing who our starting 11 would be. “I want to have 18 players that I can trust to put into the starting 11 or who can do amazing things coming off the bench.”
In coming weeks Platt expects the club to announce a senior assistant and a specialist goalkeeping coach.
The Mariners already have hired Serhat Ozenir as technical director and he will focus on “how we want to play from our juniors through to our seniors” says Platt.
If Platt’s prognosis is on point then Mount Martha won’t be marooned in State 5 for many more years. “In the conversations I’ve had with the president (Rhys Piper) and other stakeholders it’s clear that they want to see Mount Martha progress. “I think opening the clubrooms and the impact that can have on revenue feeds into the progress of the senior men’s and women’s teams. “I’m really excited at where this club’s at not just on the field but off.”
In State 2 news Scott Morrison has been re-appointed head coach of Peninsula Strikers after guiding the Centenary Park outfit to a third-placed finish this year. Morrison met with the committee last week and it didn’t take long to sign off on another promotion campaign.
Paul Nott has been re-appointed as reserves coach, Kosta Drakoulakos retains his strength and conditioning role and Steve Kenya continues as goalkeeper coach. “I’m ecstatic to be re-appointed,” Morrison said. “I love being at Strikers and working with Adrian (Scialpi) and the rest of the committee. “It’s a dream job from a coach’s point of view because they give me their full backing. “The club is in a really good spot right now and it’s a great place to be with what we are building. “We have a special group of players and falling just short this year has made us so much hungrier to succeed next year and go one better.”
Strikers haven’t wasted time in targeting new signings albeit that Morrison is keen to retain the majority of his squad.
It’s believed that one of the newcomers has agreed terms already and another is due to meet with the club this week but Strikers won’t release their names until after this weekend’s presentation night. “We’ve lost ‘Macca’ (Andy McIntyre) through retirement but I want to keep the majority of the squad and that’s what I expect to happen,” Morrison added. “We built the team we wanted last season and the boys are going to be much better off for the year they’ve had. “Consistency is the key for me heading into this pre-season. “The boys know how we go about it, how we want to play our football and what’s expected from them and that is really important as we aren’t starting from scratch like a lot of other teams. “We also want to promote from within and we have proven that we will give youth a go. “Take young Billy Rae for example who started every game this year at 18 years old and there are other youngsters here who have shown that they are good enough.”
In State 5 news Rosebud will fly the flag for peninsula football when contesting Saturday’s Grand Final against Heidelberg Stars. The game kicks off at noon at the Home of the Matildas and the winner will claim the title of Victoria’s best State 5 team. The State 5 South champion reached the grand final by defeating State 5 East champion Mount Waverley City 3-2 last weekend at IYU Reserve in Pakenham.
All the goals came in a frenetic first half with legendary scorer Dave Greening nabbing a brace. Greening was adamant that he should have been credited with a hat-trick after getting on the end of a goal-bound cross which was eventually bundled over the line by a Mount Waverley defender and given as an own goal. Rosebud’s best were Jack Wyer, Caleb Davies, Louie Bisogni and Greening. Head coach Stuart Johnson was absent due to a family commitment so Stan Packer and Jason Symonds took charge for the day.
Symonds is well aware of the challenge facing Rosebud this weekend. “There’s a recent Heidelberg game on Football Chaos and they do look a handful,” he said. “They move the ball well and quickly. “It will be tough and the game is up at Bundoora so it’s virtually on their doorstep.”
Meanwhile Aspendale’s senior women’s team came within a whisker of completing the perfect season after going down 6-5 on penalties in Sunday’s State 3 grand final against Melbourne University. It won the previous week’s semi-final 4-0 against Collingwood City with goals from Lily Smith (2), Chloe Lewis and ex-Southern United midfielder Sage Kirby. Aspendale claimed the State 3 South title with 16 wins from 16 games and an imposing +55 goal difference. Scoring sensation Smith won the league Golden Boot award by hitting the target 29 times, 18 goals ahead of the chasing pack.
First published in the Frankston Times – 17 September 2024
