Author: Craig MacKenzie

SOCCER THE topsy-turvy relationship between Dave Greening and Somerville Eagles took another twist last week when the club appointed him senior player-coach for 2021. The peninsula goals king with nine league Golden Boot awards to his name was re-appointed last week for his third stint as player-coach. He resigned from the role last June but recent changes at the club played an important role in his return. Close friend Stan Packer stepped down as senior coach earlier this month and took over as director of coaching and he supported Greening’s return as did club president Luke Mulder. “I’m thankful to…

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SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines’ 2021 campaign got back on track with a 4-3 win over Berwick City in their friendly at Monterey Reserve last weekend. The local side had suffered a hiccup back in December when losing to Doveton’s NPL under-21s 3-1. There’s been a fair bit of hype around this Pines’ side and its State 3 title credentials not least because of its four young Fijian internationals so it needed a much more positive display to justify the noise. And it got one here as Pines were in control for long periods against a disappointing State 2 opponent. Pines ran…

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SOCCER FAMILY reasons have forced Stan Packer to step down as head coach of Somerville Eagles while Rosebud is expected to announce Tommy McShane as its new head coach this week. Packer will remain with the Eagles as director of coaching and will serve on the committee. The hunt is now on for his replacement. “We are interviewing for both the senior men’s and senior women’s roles and should have an announcement in coming weeks,” president Luke Mulder said. It’s believed that discussions have taken place with former coach Scott Morrison and former club leading scorer Mark Pagliarulo now with…

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SOCCER MONTEREY Reserve will be the venue for the ninth staging of the Wallace Cup on Saturday 6 February. Somerville Eagles and Mount Eliza make their tournament debuts and will be placed in two groups of five. The other contestants are Langwarrin, Mornington, Peninsula Strikers, Frankston Pines, Skye United, Baxter, Seaford United and Rosebud. The annual charity event kicks off at 12 noon with the top two teams after the round-robin stage qualifying for the semi-finals. The four semi-finalists will be drawn from a hat to determine the matches for the tournament’s penultimate stage and the kick-off for the final…

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SOCCER FIFTEEN years after his last game for Frankston Pines veteran midfielder Scott Webster has returned to Monterey Reserve. He last played in Pines’ 3-3 home draw with Fawkner-Whittlesea in the final round of the 2005 league season. Webster’s impressive CV also includes stints at Eastern Pride, Oakleigh Cannons, Dandenong Thunder, Morwell Pegasus, Casey Comets, Mornington, Doveton and Seaford United. His sole appearance for Seaford came in an FFA Cup tie against Brunswick Zebras last March which saw Seaford win 7-6 on penalties. The 38-year-old adds much needed experience to the Pines’ midfield and looks certain to sit in front…

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