IC- South Hobart FC

South Hobart v Devonport Strikers, Sat 16 April, 2.00pm, Darcy St,

In the game of the round Brayden Mann returns to his home of the past two seasons to face a red hot South Hobart side who are a perfect four from four to start the season. Mann might have plundered some 60 goals in 42 league games for them but his absence has not blunted the South Hobart attack as they have now scored some 32 goals in the opening month of the season. Averaging a goal less than every 12 minutes of play is staggering and means that Devonport will certainly have their work cut out trying to take anything away from this most difficult of road trips.

The South Hobart front three of Albert Lesczynski, Darcy Hall and Alfred Hess have been superb and accounted for half of the team’s goals but the added threat from midfield offered by Nick Morton and Jack Turner with six goals each makes them even more difficult to stop. This is what has made South Hobart so potent this year, there are just so many goal scoring threats in the side that opponents have to have to worry about and they don’t favour a particular side of the pitch, they can score from anywhere.

If any defence can find a way to slow down South it might just be Devonport, the Gratton/Zupo partnership in the heart of defence has been arguably the best in the league so far and both have the size and strength to match it with the dominant Lesczynski. They were caused troubles by the pace of the Zebras attackers last week though and will likely need to sit deep to avoid a similar scenario up against the pacey options that South possess here. The likes of Syson and Stone in midfield will need to get stuck in and disrupt South Hobart’s short passing game through the middle. James Sherman was incredibly influential last week and Kobe Kemp plays a similar role for South Hobart, so curtailing his influence will be important. The youngster has continued to improve and must be considered amongst the very best midfielders in the league now.

Devonport can at least draw confidence from last year when they last clashed at Darcy St and caused a major upset when they rolled South Hobart 4-2 but it will be a tough ask here up against the form side of the competition on their home turf.

What the Coaches Said

Ken Morton

“Last week was good performance, we controlled the ball, got on top early and played with good rhythm and good intensity. It was a very well earned three points.”

“We have been working well our injury situation is improving. Alex Walter will miss this week’s game. Oscar Thomas is back in full training with the squad.”

“Our next step is against Devonport a very tough opponent. We also know their attackers can cause many teams problems. Good teams have a solid defensive structure and with Zupo and Gratton, both big imposing centre backs, Devonport have that in place. The midfield is talented and they support the front strikers.”

“We must have 100% focus this week. It is all about attitude and repositioning as quickly as possible and closing the space down between the lines. We always need to keep improving, defending well and score goals to win matches.”

Nick Owen

“The first half of last week was really disappointing. There are a few things we still haven’t gotten right yet and the Zebras were the first team to punish us for these mistakes. We improved in the second half but Zebras played intelligently with their 3 goal lead and held us at bay.”

“The squad depth might be tested this week. Both Beau Blizzard and Nathan Gratton are 50/50 at this stage and a couple of players have had the flu. We have Brad Chilcott, Jake Gleeson, Jack Dance or Luke Nicholas to call on if they are unavailable.”

“South have been the best team for the last three years and this year is shaping up to be no different. We have a healthy respect for all their players, but Nick Morton has been a stand out for mine, he’s the Patrick Vieira of Tasmanian football.”

“It will be a good test to see if our lads can learn from last week’s mistakes. If they do then we are a good chance of taking a result away from the game. If not, we’ll see another result like last week.”

“Turning the ball over in the middle third was costly last week so that will be one of our focuses. Defending set pieces is another.”

“We have a really resilient bunch of players. Regardless of the score we endeavour to play at our best and at training they are always looking to improve their game.”

 

Northern Rangers v Olympia FC Warriors, Sat 16 April, 2.30pm, NTCA Ground

Top flight football makes its return to the NTCA ground for the first time in 2016 as the defending champions Olympia come to town to play Northern Rangers, who are off the mark having picked up their first point of the season last week on the road at Kingborough. Now they welcome an Olympia side that is filled with quality but have not lived up to the lofty expectations that were predicted for them in 2016, struggling for structure and consistency.

It has been a testing season so far for the hosts; they have had to endure a horror run of injuries and suspensions that have rocked a squad that was already a little shallow having lost numerous players from their 2015 side. This was a side that finished in fourth place for the second consecutive season in 2015 so it has been quite the drop off, though they will be hoping that last week can represent a turning point for their disappointing season.

They would do well to try and emulate Clarence’s approach from a week ago, when they played a narrow, defensive formation that stifled the Warrior’s key attackers. This is made more difficult with Aiden Rigby leaving, meaning Luke Tuma will have big shoes to fill at the heart of defence. They also need a lift out of key midfielder Harry Thannhauser who is yet to hit his straps and match the lofty standards he set in 2015.

The Olympia defence could be unsettled and provide openings for the likes of Wani and Vandervelde, with Jacob Collard and Aidan Farquahar both trialling with Melbourne City this week but they will be bolstered by the return of Captain Jake Vandermey. Goal scoring has been another issue and they will be hoping Warren Wadawu can help ignite things as he makes his return from a concussion, to join the talented trio of Hoy, Bellini and Sam in attack.

What the Coaches Said

Dane Hudson

“Last week we worked hard across the 90 minutes against a team that were comfortable in possession. We had some completions on our possession which was great so It gives us some confidence when we have the ball.”

“Aidan Rigby has left the club due to work commitments so again the water is a little muddy, but we have a great group at the club and we will rally around.

“Olympia will be a formidable opponent and all their players offer something different.”

“Another big task for us, every game is. We are putting things into place because we recognize we will spend some time without the ball. It’s not a matter of losing by less goals for us, we remain focused on this competition and strive to be successful.”

Glenn McNeill

“At times in the first half we were very good but they were very hard to break down, they obviously went in with a plan to drop back in numbers which they did very well. Our structure went missing in the second half so that needs to be worked on. Again we couldn’t convert possession into goals. This has been a frustration this year and it is something we continue to work at. It’s all about being clinical in front of goals, we’re focused on the bigger picture, we still have a lot of work to do.”

“There are no injury concerns. Aidan Farquahar and Jacob Collard have both been trialling with Melbourne City this week. Aidan won’t be back for the game against Rangers and Jacob is doubtful as we are yet to find out in what capacity Melbourne City may need him. This creates an opportunity for Jake Vandermey to come back into the starting line-up after having a niggling injury the last couple of weeks.”

“We haven’t seen much of Rangers this year but I anticipate that they will prove a sterner test at home than away. Recent history between our two clubs has seen tight contests. Nothing can be taken for granted with Rangers and we will be putting out our best possible team.

 

Launceston City v Clarence United, Sat 16 April, 4.30pm, Mitsubishi Park

Launceston City will be looking to get their season back on track when they host Clarence United at Mitsubishi Park on Saturday. The home side started the season well with a victory over Kingborough and a strong performance against Hobart Zebras but two heavy defeats in the past fortnight have stalled their early momentum. Clarence have performed above expectations so far and put in a brave effort against Olympia in the Eastern Shore Derby which should give them some belief that their first road trip in the top flight could be a successful one against a potentially vulnerable Launceston City side.

The absence of Carlo Coppari and Dom Rossi has hurt Launceston in an attacking sense but they will be glad to welcome the talented Hyato Agussu back into the fold this week. How much of a part he plays remains to be seen but the likes of Isaac Degetto, Aaron Campbell and Nathan Bartlett are all talented attackers who should provide a relatively inexperienced Clarence back four with problems.

The big question for the reds is whether Jablonski keeps his star man Nicholas Naden at centre back with George Hallard available again for selection. Clarence will also have a new but familiar face in the squad with Paul Bremner set to make his first appearance of the season for the Reds and should help provide them with an extra attacking threat. He could play anywhere across the front line and his aggressive style could disrupt a Launceston defence that is reeling after being torn apart by South Hobart last week.

Launceston will fancy themselves on their home turf and having played a couple of the strongest sides in the league over the past two weeks, this represents a much better chance for three points against a Clarence side who are still finding their feet at this level.

What the Coaches Said

Lino Sciulli

“Last week was not acceptable and the guys are well aware of that. South were exceptionally good in all areas and we were down and that’s what will happen.”

“We are looking ok for this week and could even get a couple back, Dom Rossi should be ok for selection, Carl Degroot may still be one or two away but all else should be available.”

“It will be our first time against the Clarence boys but if results are any indicator then we should be in for a tough one and after last week it won’t do us any harm.”

“It should be a good old fashioned tough game, maybe a battle of the midfields. Clarence have some good players who are not intimidated so our young guys will have to be prepared for that.”

“When you come off a flogging you can go a couple of ways, they can accept it but if I know the people I have then won’t, they will have a red hot dip. I’m disappointed with the fact we have not played a full 90 minutes so far this year.”

Alan Jablonski

“The squad gets bolstered this week with the inclusion of George Hallard and Paul Bremner. Lochie Hardwick is still out with a knee and will be looking to get back into the squad as soon as possible.”

“Last weeks effort was good and it is difficult to bring players in when everyone played well but Hallard and Billy are quality players who both played well in their last games so it will come down to training and preparation as to who will start.”

This is our first time to Mitsubishi Park and our first game against Launceston City so I’m hoping we settle quickly into the game and play well for the 90 minutes.”

“From what I’ve seen, City like to attack with pace and they have some very good players particularly through the middle of the park so shutting them down quickly will be paramount.”

“Both of us are on the rebound from losses so a win is a must for both teams which should make for a willing encounter.”

“We definitely need to improve on creating chances and with the two lads coming in this week we should see this happen.  I’ve said all along I will judge the team on continual improvement and if we are better than last week.”

 

Hobart JEEP Zebras v Kingborough Lions, Sunday 17 April, 2.00pm, KGV

Hobart Zebras entertain Kingborough Lions at KGV as they look to continue their perfect start to the season, backing up from a huge victory over Devonport at Valley Road last weekend. The Lions are finally off the mark in 2016, having taken their first point of the season against Northern Rangers last Sunday.

Against Rangers they enjoyed a larger share of the ball in midfield which allowed the likes of Kieron Dale and Chris Downes to showcase their play making abilities. This week, up against a Zebras midfield that is unlikely to allow them as much time on the ball as Rangers did, they will need to be decisive with their passing. With James Sherman, who has been dominant in the middle, taking over games and dictating the play along with the reliable Jordan Muller, the Zebras will feel this is an area they can gain the ascendancy.

The hard work of rugged front man Shane Cartwright in holding the ball up will also be crucial. His duel with the defensive pairing of Henry Moody and Henry Fagg, will be a tough battle and he’ll need to be at his sharpest with chances likely to be at a premium. Despite the absence of Kurt Engels and Jayden Hey, the new found depth in the Zebras squad is coming to the fore, with Sam Conway looking a star at full back which has allowed a shift of Dwayne Walsh to an attacking role. Walsh has made a major impact here, keeping Canadian Michael Maiorano out of the starting line-up and giving Coach Chris Hey a valuable weapon off the bench.

Up top the likes of Luke Huigsloot and Adam McKeown are starting to gel and will make life tough for Lions captain and star defender Nicholas Cuthbertson. The ‘big stork’ will likely have to pay close attention to the towering striker as he is the best physical match up they have for him. His partner in defence, Will Stalker will have to be on his game to watch the runs of McKeown who seems to be relishing the presence of Huigsloot, meaning he is no longer the focal point of the attack and can stick to what he does best, getting in behind the lines and scoring goals.

What the Coaches Said

Chris Hey

“I was pleased in the way we started last week, not just with the fact we scored our goals in the first half, but the manner in which we controlled the game early and were willing to hold possession. Devonport are a high quality side, and there won’t be many teams taking points from Port at home, so a good result.”

“Graham Wright was in goals and just that experience and his communication to the outfielders, along with that of Henry Moody, really assists the players. It was a physical scrap last week and we have Callen Griffin out with a broken ankle, which will see him sidelined until he heads overseas in a couple of weeks. We have a couple of others who we will assess throughout the week before Sundays game but we have depth to fill the injuries if needed. Kurt Engels and Jayden Hey won’t be that far away from resuming, so we will progress through the training week and decide our squad closer the game day.”

“Kingborough have shown this season already, what they are capable of, so the players are expecting nothing less than a hard game. When you look at them on paper, they have quality players all over the park. We won’t be letting our guard down and the 3 points is what we want from this, whether 1 goal or more, it doesn’t matter.”

“I am confident we can take the points, provided we focus on what we need to do as a group and not get carried away with the results to date. Start strong maintain that momentum and don’t take the foot off the pedal.”

“We need to be more efficient in the front third and being comfortable in maintaining possession under pressure. Keeping the game simple and being supportive of one another but not accepting mediocrity.”

“The depth of the squad is improving weekly. It is a headache but also a nice predicament to have in selecting who plays and who benches. The players have reacted to this situation well to date but it will not be a simple task as the season progresses and in circumstances where you have a full list to select from. We haven’t seen many of our younger brigade of Mark Gadd, Matt Pace, Nick Drew, Wilson Brooks or Jai Hennecke take the park, as we have good depth, so the importance in this scenario is player management through the entire season, something I have not experience in my senior coaching years, so this is a huge test for all our senior coaching staff.”

 David Cooper

Last week was a fantastic performance, the way in which we looked to control possession exceeded our own expectations. We looked rushed in the front third still and need to improve our transitional play to ensure our structure is sound.

“This week there are no injury concerns as we expect to get Tom Mcdonald back from an ankle knock, he’ll be starting in the challenge league to get some match fitness as he hasn’t been able to train for a couple of weeks.”

“We are coming up against a strong outfit and we’ll need to keep improving from our performance last week to ensure we build on our meaningful possession. They have a dangerous forward line and the addition of Sam Conway only strengthens them. If our defensive structure remains tight and we take our chances, I have no doubt we’ll take it right up to them.”

“Mark has taken the squad for 5 sessions now and even after that short time we are seeing a great improvement in our build up play and the boys are using that to gain confidence in each other. We’ll obviously need to start scoring from open play, this will come the more confident the boys get at keeping the ball and waiting for options to open up rather than trying to force it.”

“In some ways our season has just started again, so its hard to answer. I’m really please with the way the team has stuck together, with heavy losses you always run the risk of the players losing interest but the way they have responded to the challenge by having excellent training attendance and even organising extra sessions is fantastic.”