SOCCER ADAM Jamieson (Mornington), Gus Macleod (Chelsea), Mark Larner (Somerville) and Gerry McDonagh (Mount Eliza) are among a host of local coaches expected to stay put for season 2025. As we went to press Langwarrin (Jamie Skelly), Peninsula Strikers (Scott Morrison) and Mount Martha (Charlie Platt) are the only local clubs to have officially announced their head coaching appointments.Mount Martha and Mentone are certain to line up next season with new head coaches with Platt already filling the vacancy left at Civic Reserve by Andrew Hall. Mentone is yet to announce a replacement for Jason Grieve who left at the…
Author: Craig MacKenzie
SOCCER WHEN Wayne “Buzzer” Gordon runs out in the colours of Peninsula Strikers next year he’ll be playing his 26th straight season of first team football. He’s won championships, promotions and individual honours and earned the respect of teammates and opponents alike at both professional and semi-professional levels.“Buzzer” is an iconic figure in peninsula sport and the 40-year-old now has teammates who used to line the fence and cheer him on during their childhood years. His story starts in western Germany. His father was in the British army and was based in the city of Münster when Wayne Malcolm Gordon…
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…
SOCCER RELEGATION, retirements and a remarkable comeback made for a roller-coaster final round of the 2024 State League season. There also was a significant personal milestone in the much-lauded career of Dave Greening when the doyen of goalscorers won his 10th league Golden Boot award. Add to that a change of coach at a local State 5 club and there was no shortage of news to emerge from the season’s swansong.Frankston Pines succumbed to a first-half goal from Oscar Mariner-Stone losing 1-0 away to Elwood City on Saturday and losing their State 3 South-East status in the process. Pines have…
SOCCER ROSEBUD won the State 5 South championship last weekend while Frankston Pines took a giant step towards avoiding relegation from State 3 South-East. It’s Rosebud’s first senior men’s title under the state federation banner and it was achieved with a 4-1 away win over Pakenham United in difficult conditions on Saturday. Rosebud led after 12 minutes when Jacob Bigg bent the ball perfectly into the path of top scorer Dave Greening and he had little trouble in beating advancing Pakenham keeper Christopher Van Dam. Three minutes later it was 2-0 when Barney Johnson set up Andy Jerez who finished…