Kingborough Lions United FC
Coach: Steve Adkins
Home ground: Lightwood Park, Kingston
Captain: Marcello Marchioli
What does being in the Victory League mean to your club?
It's another stepping-stone in our players developmental pathways and the opportunity to compete at the highest level.
What are your thoughts on your first three rounds of fixtures?
Opportunity to assess where the squad is at following pre-season and to consolidate.
What are your hopes for the season ahead?
Realistically a top four finish is achievable.
Who are your key signings?
The club recruited reasonably heavily in 2012 by signing Nick Cuthbertson and Nick Di Falco (both ex-South Hobart) together with Danny Cowen and Wade Hawkins (both ex-Metro) and Tom Bilson (ex-University). We see 2013 as a time to consolidate, hence our current signings have been Nick Hill (UK) and Cormac Collins (ex-Newtown Eagles).
Any major losses from last year?
Marc Iseli (work commitments) and Ryan Bevan (travelling overseas)
Young players to watch from your club? Martin Farquhar and Danny Cowen
Previous State League experience and history?
The club in recent times has competed as KLUSC and previously as Caledonians (West Hobart Lions) 1999 finished 6th, 1998 finished 9th, 1997 finished 7th, 1996 finished 8th, 1995 finished 6th, 1994 finished 5th, 1993 finished 5th, 1992 finished 3rd, 1991 finished 6th, 1990 finished 7th, 1989 finished 7th, 1988 finished 10th, 1981 finished 1st, 1980 finished 3rd, 1979 finished 2nd, 1978 finished 7th.
Unique club information?
We are a community-based club that provides the opportunity for players from under 6 to over 35 to play at their level of competency. Playing numbers have in some years exceeded 550, which certainly taxes the clubs infrastructure which during the season includes access to four pitches and two clubrooms.
Squad: Thomas Bilson, Cormac Collins, David Cooper, Danny Cowen, Nicholas Cuthbertson, Joe Davis, William Davis, Nicholas Di Falco, Andrew Duncan, Martin Farquhar, Wade Hawkins, Nicholas Hill, Adam Hinkley, David Leamey, Marcello Marchioli, Thomas McDonald, Michaek Palmer, Trent Pearce, Damian Pearce, Joel Schuth.
South Hobart FC
Coach: Ken Morton
Home ground: Darcy Street, South Hobart
Captain: South Hobart FC will again have State team Captain Hugh Ludford leading us on the field this year. His deputy will be last years Vic Tuting winner Shae Hickey.
What does being in the Victory League mean to your club?
Being in the Victory League gives us the opportunity to play at the highest level in Tasmania. If successful it would give us the opportunity to play other State League teams, so it means that we need to be very professional both on and off the field. We must be prepared to work very hard to give ourselves the best possible chance of succeeding.
What are your thoughts on your first three rounds of fixtures?
The first three games are very interesting. We have a home game to start, which is a nice change for South Hobart FC. After that its two very tough away games, Zebras and Northern Rangers. The Zebras game will be on the new pitch at KGV so tha'tll be very exciting. I think the first three games will give us a good indication of our playing strength.
What are your hopes for the season ahead?
Our hope for the season would to be very competitive and to enjoy the professionalism that the Victory League brings.
Who are your key signings?
The key signings for South Hobart FC are Kostas Kanakaris from Greece, Mark Ambrose and Chris Hunt from Northern Rangers, Matty Lewis and Joseph Stevens from Clarence and we are also delighted to have secured Mizael Linhares Caires from Brazil as a long term Sports Visa player.
Any major losses from last year?
This year we have lost the service of Hugo Bladel who has gone to Melbourne for university study, Bobby Eaves to Devonport and of course, we have lost our top striker Andy Brennan to Bentleigh Greens.
Young players to watch from your club?
At South Hobart we have a very good development program that sees our keen young players training four days per week. We are now consistently seeing these young players breaking into our first team. We are expecting Nick Morton and Cam Rogers to play a significant part in our Victory League squad. We also expect former NTC player Lucas Hill to establish himself as a leading Victory League star.
Previous State League experience and history?
South Hobart is fortunate to have the services of Ken Morton who has had previous success in the State League with Rapid Wrestpoint and Hobart Zebras to name but two. His many years of experience have proven invaluable to South Hobart FC with our club winning five consecutive Southern Premier League titles.
Unique club information?
South Hobart FC celebrated its Centenary in 2010 and is a club with a long proud history. In our Centenary year under the guidance of coach Ken Morton we won every trophy on offer.
Our development programs are reaping the rewards of hard work and training. The biggest growth area for our club is in the junior ranks. We expect to field 15 Junior teams this year.
We have also placed a strong emphasis on coach education. We currently have 4 C-Licence coaches and of course, our coach Ken Morton holds an FFA A-Licence.
We are currently working very closely with the Hobart City Council who are administering a Federal Government Grant for $1.32 million dollars which was negotiated by our local member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie for state-of-the-art training and playing facilities at Wellesley Park. This will be the Hobart City Councils only all weather pitch.
Squad: Mark Ambrose, Max Clarke, Matthew Ferguson, Joshua Fielding, Shae Hickey, Lucas Hill, Christopher Hunt, Kostas Kanakaris, Matt Lewis, Mizael Linhares Caires, Hugh Ludford, Uros Merkuzic, Mark Moncur, Nicholas Morton, Cameron Rogers, Joseph Stevens, Harrison Thomas, Colin Wain, Cameron Williams, Hye Min Yun.
Olympia FC Warriors
Coach: Glen McNeill
Home ground: Warrior Park, Warrane
Captain: Janko Begovic.
What does being in the Victory League mean to your club? It means our playing group get to play at the highest level of football within Tasmania. This also means that our players will get exposure hopefully to scouts from the mainland, which will lead to bigger and better things for them.
What are your thoughts on your first three rounds of fixtures?
No comment - all games will be hard in 2013.
Hopes for the season ahead?
We are simply playing to win everything on offer for 2013.
Who are your key signings?
There are no key signings. Olympia values all players within the club.
Any major losses from last year? No. Players come and go every year from one club to another. Young player to watch from your club?
Nicholas Mearns and Hugh Undy.
Unique club information?
We are the only club formed by Greek migrants in Tasmania. We are over 50 years old.
We are the only Victory League club based on the Eastern Shore. We have spent over $500,000 developing the first artificial playing pitch in Tasmania.
Squad: Janko Begovic, Eduardo Garza Cabello, Juan Cale Toro, Alex Holmes, Seung Yong Jin, Jeong Bin Kim, Dipendra Kumar, Lee Mason, Nicholas Mearns, Nicholas Meredith, Youssef Mohamad, Dimitri Nester, Lachlan Nichols, Benjamin Phillips, Emmanuel Tsakiris, Hugh Undy, Jason Voss, Warren Wadawu, Luke Wilcock, Harry Woolley.
Glenorchy Knights
Coach: Chris Hey
Captain: Jayden Hey
What does being in the Victory League mean to your club?
For Glenorchy Knights participating in the Victory League is extremely important as it will enable us as a club to provide a definite pathway to the highest level for all our players. It will also enable us to be part of lifting the profile of Soccer in Tasmania and particularly through the Glenorchy area.
What are your thoughts on your first three rounds of fixtures?
In the first three rounds Knights play South Hobart, Northern Rangers and then Kingborough Lions. South Hobart and Northern Rangers will be particularly tough but we are aiming for at least four points from our first three games.
Hopes for the season ahead?
Glenorchy Knights has a very young inexperienced squad which we believe will be very competitive. Our expectations for the first season are to finish at minimum mid- table. We realise with such a young team that our performances over the season will be variable with good weeks and others where we do not perform as well. As a club being competitive this year is our aim with a longer term goal of being at the top of the table in three years time.
Who are your key signings? Declan and Hugh Foley and Jal David
Any major losses from last year?
Jacob Huigsloot who has moved interstate. Alex Holmes and Matthew Nowicki.
Young Players to watch from your Club? George Kamano and Alessandro Bellini
Unique club information?
Glenorchy Knights has been part of previous state-wide competitions and has performed very well at this level. Our record at state level is excellent as shown by the number of times we have won the Lakoseljac Cup.
Squad: Phineas Aldridge, Alex Bellini, Harry Booth, Sam Cornish, Jal David, Declan Foley, Hugh Foley, Callen Griffen, Jayden Hey, Brodie Holmes, Sam Johnson, George Kamano, Mynonge Kamba, Justin Letiko, Aaron Marney, Jeremy Marshall, Michael McKenna, Andrew Robb, Will Roberts, Benjamin Robinson.
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