The Mariners bring grassroots football to a rugby heartland
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By Jason Gray, 7 Jul 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
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Gone are the days when the best club football in the country used to attract crowds of a few hundred people.
On a chilly Tuesday night at Mills Park, Asquith, the league winners from both the NSW Super League and A-League competitions went head-to-head in a spectacle of Australia’s grassroots football talent.
The match attracted a 2400-strong crowd.
This may not compare to the deafening choral echoes produced by tens of thousands of fans at European club matches, but for a pre-season match at a suburban football ground on the North Shore of Sydney – traditionally a rugby union heartland – that featured a team from the nation’s third highest league, it is highly impressive and was once unheard of.
This is no longer a game for “sheilas and wogs.”
The sleeping giant of world game has finally awakened in Australian sporting culture, and judging by the droves of families at Mills Park on a weeknight, will push for supremacy in a land of footy and cricket in the decade to come.
On the field, Northern Tigers went down fighting 3-0 against their A-League opponents Central Coast Mariners in the exhibition match which was part of the Mariners’ pre-season build-up.
The Tigers side, coached by former Macarthur Rams head honcho, Hugh McCrory, surprised all the so-called pundits last year, taking out the league before being steamrolled 2-0 in the grand final by former Premier League outfit Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
They have struggled to find form this season; injury, suspension and lean goal scoring figures have them languishing in mid-table and in danger of missing out on the finals in a season where they had plans of promotion to Premier League.
Against the Mariners, they had a chance to lift their intensity and find some form to take back to the Super League. They did so, but still could not find the net.
The Coasties were without half of their regular line-up, including former FC Lyn Oslo striker Dylan Macallister – the top goal scorer in Mariners’ pre-season matches so far – but proved too much for the home side, who were reminded that the Mariners are two divisions ahead.
“It was great for the kids,” Tigers coach, Hugh McCrory, said. “That’s what it’s about. The youngsters got on at half time and it was a good spectacle. We didn’t expect to win here.”
The Northern Tigers under 10 development squad entertained the crowd at the interval, producing some slick ball movement and good vision like their counterparts in the main game.
Tigers reserve goalkeeper, Jonathon Faerber, spoke positively about his side’s performance in between signing autographs for a group of young fans, and echoed McCrory’s sentiment about the occasion.
“Hell of an evening. It was great to be part of it,” the former Wahroonga junior said. “Not quite the result we were after, but it was good for the Mariners to come out here. We’d like to thank them for that.”
Faerber, who had come on as a substitute for the outstanding Stuart Page, is a former Wahroonga junior who plays in the Tigers under 20s reserves side which is on top of the ladder.
It didn’t take long for Lawrie McKinna’s side to open the scoring.
From a well-worked corner manoeuvre, reigning Central Coast medallist and Socceroo Mile Jedinak headed in at the front post.
Jedinak played in the Socceroos’ recent 1-0 loss to China at ANZ Stadium (formerly Stadium Australia, Homebush), his third cap for the national side.
The Mariners were rarely troubled, though the Tigers took strength from the return of Tom Spencer and Stephen Chipps, who bolstered the side and contributed to some of the side’s better moments in attack and defence.
Central Coast defender and Young Socceroo, Brad Porter, was part of a strong defensive unit that largely kept the Tigers at bay, and was satisfied with the Mariners’ showing.
“We’re happy with that, but it’s not about the result for us. It’s pre-season and it was good to get out there in front of the locals. The Tigers were good opposition for us. It was a high intensity game.”
Despite being out of their depth against the Mariners, the Tigers created some of the best chances of the match – including Daniel Nash clattering a shot against the crossbar after some great build-up play – and overall showed better commitment than in their Super League match against the Central Coast Lightning last Sunday.
“Higher intensity than Sunday, that’s for sure,” McCrory said.
The Tigers currently sit seventh in the league and will need to take the positives of the Mariners match and revive some of the attacking flair that took them to the top of the league last season if they are to make the top five finals series.
As the saying goes, it is a brave pundit who writes them off.
As for football on the North Shore, and moreover, in this country, expect more territory to be conquered.
Bring on the Olympics.
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Benny R said | July 7th 2008 @ 8:59am | Report comment
Hi Jason, good piece.
One thing I thought mentioning, Asquith is hardly “traditional rugby union heartland”. There is no senior rugby team based in Asquith, there is a league team though – the Asquith Magpies. From Asquith through to Berowra (who also have senior league teams, the Berowra Wallabies) rugby league would have a bigger presence than rugby union. The closest rugby team, Hornsby is a sub-district club that plays in the subbies 2nd division.
Contrasting to this, soccer has a massive presence in the area with every suburb (excluding Mount Kuring-gai) fielding senior soccer teams. There are not enough ovals in the area to cater for the soccer demand to the extent that Sunday fixtures have to be scheduled.
Jason Gray said | July 7th 2008 @ 10:52am | Report comment
Thanks, Benny.
I probably should have been clearer. Hopefully I will in upcoming posts. The entire North Shore is the traditional rugby heartland I was referring to – and I should have included rugby league.
I write in the Ku-ring-gai Soccer (KDSA) catchment, and that actually covers from North Sydney all the way up to Berowra and most of the local newspapers I have dealt with in that area over the past few years print union and league-related stuff more readily than football, I have found.
Historically, this has always been the case as well, with battles in terms of the availability of grounds at the forefront of local sporting politics and, as you have pointed out, is still the case now – except it is a numbers problem rather than cultural difference.
Football (soccer) does have a massive presence in the area these days and that’s a great thing. KDSA is actually the largest sporting association on the North Shore and the second biggest football association (behind Sutherland) in NSW (and Australia, I believe).
Thanks for the feedback!
Midfielder said | July 7th 2008 @ 11:28am | Report comment
Great article Jason, interestingly the Mariners community approach has poached many in Sydney’s northern boarders from SFC to the Mariners.
Your analysis of there not being enough football fields to cater for the demand is very true. What is also true is that many of the rugby union ovals are in comparison very under used. An example I can offer I back onto a junior union clubs ovals. There are two ovals with about 350 players not to far away is another union club with about 160 players they also have two ovals. Within the same general area there are four football clubs with five ovals, the four football clubs have over 2, 000 players.
Often on weekends the ovals behind my home are not used for weekend sport, and very often the other club’s ovals are not used. All five football ovals are used all weekend. Training / finding space to train again is an issue. In fact the club that has the 160 players actually uses one of the football ovals to train on one night per week something going back over 50 years it just rubs salt into the wounds.
One day this may become a local election issue as the player / oval ratio is so out of wack it’s not funny.
However I have left the main theme of your article, and I have argued for years Northern Sydney is a football area, just no one has the balls to get up and say it yet. There are few league teams, a few old union teams, but nothing new
jimbo said | July 7th 2008 @ 11:35am | Report comment
Excellent story Jason,
I live in the area and made it along to the game with a few local juniors in tow and thought it was a wonderful night and a great promotion for the game and goodwill for the Mariners.
Sydney’s north shore is also served by the eastern regions of the Gladesville Hornsby Football Association (GHFA). I get this sort of entertainment from the local juniors every week at my local football park, which is just a short stroll away.
Like a lot of people in the area, the lack of involvement from Sydney FC at this sort of grass roots level is a frustration that we are losing patience with.
The Mariners continue to show leadership and innovation in involving the local game, local players and increasing the interest in the game and the following of their club.
The management at the Mariners are the best sporting administrators in the country and continue to deliver results on a budget that wouldn’t even buy a pair of Harry Kewell’s boots.
Wake up Sydney FC if you want to see your following increase and not decrease!
On the subject of lack of local grounds, this is one of the main issues that GHFA raise continuously with local councils. However, this is a problem that is only going to get worse as the AFL push very aggressively into the area with strong financial incentives to councils to convert existing football and rugby grounds to AFL parks.
Redb said | July 7th 2008 @ 11:46am | Report comment
Jimbo,
Can you give us some actual examples of these AFL conversions, more than a couple? you make it sound like the AFL has hired one hundred bulldozers armed with ready made oval ground surfacing equipment (Simcity like).
Redb
jimbo said | July 7th 2008 @ 12:21pm | Report comment
Redb,
some of the AFL’s recent acquisitions, just in Sydney’s North Shore alone:
Charles McLaughlin Reserve – Crestwood
Lionel Watts Reserve – Belrose
Goanna Park – Gipps Rd Sporting Complex
Rofe Park – Hornsby Heights
Memorial Oval, Kellyville
Weldon Oval – Harbord
Middle Head Oval – Mosman
ELS Hall Park – North Ryde
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills
North Narrabeen Reserve – Narrabeen
St Ignatius College – Lane Cove
Acron Oval – St Ives
Greenway Park – Cherrybrook
Gore Hill Oval – St Leonards
We have no problem with kids playing AFL as long as the demand is there and they are not being denied their right to have somewhere to play their game, but as Midfielder points out, the ratio of players to ovals for football in the north shore is the worst of any code, while rugby and AFL parks are hardly used on many weekends.
Interest in AFL may be growing in parts of Sydney, but football is growing too and at a much faster rate than AFL, especially for young girls.
The same thing happened at Marrickville council where this has also become a major issue.
Redb said | July 7th 2008 @ 12:35pm | Report comment
Jimbo,
thanks for the list.
I travel considerably up and down the east coast including South Aust on a regualr basis and always have a look around at sports ovals,etc. One thing I notice is that many Cricket/Aussie Rules grounds in the south also have soccer nets out on the wings (play accross the ground). Whilst they may not be World Cup qualifier standard i doubt there is any problem with kids getting access to those grounds to play soccer. In fact soccer is quite fortunate (generally speaking) in that many goal/net frames are mobile and with a smaller playing area can be set up almost anywhere.
The AFL needs a much bigger playing surface and this has always been a hindrance to grass roots development in Sydney’s much tighter landscape (waterways and hills). Some sports historians actually credit the need for large playing areas as one of the reasons Australian football did not take off early in the 20th century in Sydney.
Redb
Westy said | July 7th 2008 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
Jimbo……..what money can do……just having the posts up does not mean there are a lot of teams playing there…….AFL outbid everyone else for Henson Park….a local school Lewisham Christian Brothers wanted to play their league finals at Henson as they have always done ….Marrickville Council under the terms of the lease wanted $1000…..so no one played on it. The AFL is not out to coexist in Sydney which is something League and football have been relatively successful at especially in Western Sydney. One of my sons plays AFL and I have specifically asked his AFL coach and some parents not to keep referring to League’s “Gorillas” because unlike in Melbourne it is a racially motivated term in much of Sydney. Sadly in Sydney’s small AFL community its racial use is quite intentional.
Jason Gray said | July 7th 2008 @ 1:38pm | Report comment
Thanks, Jimbo. Yes, I’ve played in Gladesville-Hornsby for 11 seasons now and the grounds issue is certainly not limited to the Ku-ring-gai catchment. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season pans out with all the rain we’ve been having. The round matches are priority.
I think you’re right, Midfielder. Northern Sydney is a football area, but the old culture and old attitudes are still there in some cases. On the Mariners, they also recently played a few trials in Canberra, I believe.
Guys, I think the AFL/cricket issue is certainly a topical one as well. It’s no fun falling on a cricket pitch that hasn’t been covering up, as one of my teammates found out the hard way.
When you have guys having to take time off work as well as off the field, it needs to be addressed.
Redb said | July 7th 2008 @ 1:46pm | Report comment
Westy,
perhaps you should address John O’Neill – he used the term gorilla to describe AFL. But that’s Ok I suppose.
Redb