SOCCER ICON, pioneer, legend, stalwart – choose any one or choose all four for they apply in equal measure to 81-year-old Tony Hall. Once viewed by the sport’s establishment as a pariah for masterminding the birth of a breakaway football association Hall is now the most decorated football personality on the peninsula. He is a life member of Peninsula Strikers and the Bayside Football Association, recipient in 1985 of a Victoria 150th anniversary medal, holder of a certificate from FIFA issued in 2001 honouring his contribution to the sport and in 2010 was declared a Sporting Legend of the municipality…
Author: Craig MacKenzie
SOCCER ANDREW Hall will be in charge of Mount Martha’s senior side next season. The local State 5 South club announced Hall’s appointment last week just before pre-season training started at the club’s Civic Reserve headquarters. Hall, 53, replaced Mark Larner who resigned in October and was appointed senior coach of Somerville Eagles shortly after. Born in Falkirk Hall was brought up in Yorkshire and arrived in Melbourne with his wife and two children in 2009. “As a kid (in England) I played for Barnsley schools which is like the equivalent of county sides through to 15 then I started…
SOCCER BILLY Painting joined Rosebud last week hellbent on being part of the Olympic Park club’s title tilt next year. “I’m not just here to make up the numbers – I’m here to win the league,” Painting said. “And from what I hear that seems to be the mentality of everyone down there.” Painting’s switch ended a seven-year stint at Skye United and the 28-year-old central defender is hoping the move reignites his passion for football. “I really needed a new challenge because I’d fallen out of love with the game,” he said. “I don’t really know why. “I just…
SOCCER KEEGAN Myatt would like nothing better than to strike fear into the heart of opposition defenders next season. Baxter’s 20-year-old left winger has held his own debrief of season 2023 and is his biggest critic. “I didn’t have a great season,” he said. “I didn’t do terrible but I didn’t have as good a season as I wanted because I aimed to score at least 18 goals and maybe get 15 assists but only scored 12 and assisted a few but not enough. “When I was younger football was my life but now I’m getting lazy, getting distracted and…
SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines’ immediate future is on the line with the local club scrambling to avoid being booted out of State League by Football Victoria. That’s the bleak prospect facing the men from Monterey if they can’t pay a large percentage of a five-figure debt owed to FV by the end of this month. Last week the state federation announced that many clubs “failed to meet their financial obligations in 2023, resulting in a historic level of debt … nearing $2 million.” It then delivered the bombshell news that “clubs unable or unwilling to meet their financial obligations will be…