Author: Craig MacKenzie

SOCCER MORNINGTON gaffer Adam Jamieson has taken responsibility for missing out on NPL promotion and has vowed that he won’t make the same mistake again. “We had a squad to do a lot better but you’re probably looking at complacency being an issue,” said Jamieson. His side finished runner-up to Langwarrin by a solitary point in the race for the State 1 South-East title and while Lawton Park fans were celebrating there was a lot of soul-searching done at Dallas Brooks Park. “You get ‘Patch’ (Ryan Paczkowski) back, then Scotty Millar then you get Josh Valadon and Aaron Root in…

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SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines’ jack-of-all-trades CJ Hodgson has declared his allegiance to the Monterey Reserve club. “I’ll be there as long as my parents are involved so I think I’ll be playing at Pines for the rest of my career,” the 24-year-old said. He’s had more seasons at Pines than any other senior player and he’s also the club’s most versatile performer having played at right back, wide midfield, centre midfield, striker and he’s even worn the goalkeeper’s gloves. His career kicked off at under-6 level at Langwarrin and he made his reserves debut under then-coach Jamie Skelly as a 15-year-old…

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SOCCER LOCAL soccer will never quite be the same after Peninsula Strikers announced last week that it had appointed a human tsunami called Andy O’Dell as senior coach. There has been much speculation as to the fall-out from Strikers’ relegation from State 2 South-East this year but re-elected president Trevor Johnston and his committee, which includes former coach Craig Lewis, have made a clear and unambiguous statement of intent. Ex-English pro O’Dell is renowned for his forthright views and scant regard of political correctness and he didn’t waste time in offering a blunt assessment of what needs to be done…

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SOCCER THE greatest goalscorer in Victorian senior ranks and a founder member of Rosebud Heart may be on the move. English ace David Greening won his eighth straight Golden Boot award this year, a record that may never be matched, but the goals king may have worn Heart’s colours for the last time. “It’s all up in the air really,” said Greening. Heart has to find a replacement for senior coach Scott Morrison who stood down at season’s end and it also has to find a new home ground. “I don’t think they quite realise just how big a loss…

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SOCCER SOUTHERN United’s all-conquering under-13s capped a stellar season with a 2-0 Grand Final victory over Calder United at ABD Stadium in Meadow Heights on Sunday. Southern had clinched the NPLW championship some weeks earlier but had lost the qualifying final 1-0 to Calder. “We told the girls if we didn’t match them physically especially in the first five minutes that they would own us so we told them to go shoulder to shoulder and be very physical but don’t foul,” said Southern head coach Emma Bracken. “We wanted to show them that we weren’t going to get pushed off…

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