David Beckham or not, this season could be the one where Central Coast Mariners go all the way and break their hoodoo.
The A-League’s smallest operation currently sit first on the table, one point ahead of Adelaide. The Mariners have lost just one game this season and have a roster stacked full of talent, youth, experience and depth.
The Gosford-based outfit have been a constant feature at the top end of the ladder since the competition kicked off in 2005 and have won the minor premiership twice, made four grand finals and finished in second place once. They have made the finals five times out of seven seasons.
It appears 2012/2013 is going to plan, and they don’t seem to have missed a beat from last season despite losing key players like ex-captain Alex Wilkinson as well as Rostyn Griffiths, Mustafa Amini and Matt Simon.
So how do the marquee-less Mariners do it? How do they remain so consistent each year and manage to have a
continued production line of great talent?
Not only are the A-League’s smallest club, they are probably the poorest as well. They have a small profile and don’t have a flash city like Sydney FC or Melbourne Victory to trade off and sell to potential players. So how do they keep punching above their weight and setting the competition’s standard?
Tony Walmsley, now head of recruitment for Sheffield United’s Academy in the UK, spent almost five years at the club and knows the Mariners better the most.
He believes it is because of a number of factors – quality coaching from Graham Arnold, a great culture and fantastic physical preparation from Andrew Clark.
But smart recruitment and effective youth development has also played a big role.
You only need to look at the players the Mariners have produced in recent years – Musti Amini, Matt Ryan, Tom Rogic, Bernie Ibini, Trent Sainsbury, Danny Vukovic, to name just a few.
Walmsley has played his part in nurturing and maximizing this impressive talent factory. From 2008 until two months ago he was in charge of the Mariners National Youth League (NYL) team and served as an assistant coach to the senior side.
The Central Coast youth side enjoyed a lot of success in that time, winning the premiership twice and becoming runners-up once. At the moment they are on top of the NYL table, three points ahead of Melbourne Victory.
“It’s as much about recruitment as it is about coaching,” Walmsley says. “If you get the right players in then it’s about guidance and encouragement and so forth.”
During his time at the club Walmsley set up deal with Westfields Sports High, one of the main development pools of talent in Western Sydney.
The amount of Socceroos that have come out of Westfields, from Harry Kewell to Jason Culina, is immense. Ryan, Amini and Ibini are some the school’s more recent graduates.
“It amazed me that it hadn’t been tied up before one of the other A-League clubs,” he says. “It certainly worked for us.”
The Mariners youth side has not only developed good players for its own senior sides but for other clubs as well. Mitch Mallia and Nathan Sherlock have ended up at Sydney FC while Nick Fitzgerald moved to the Brisbane Roar.
Marc Warren is another who graduated from the Mariners youth ranks, has appeared for the Young Socceroos, and is now playing in Scotland.
Walmsley, a former senior coach at Football Queensland and Football NSW, admits that at times the hand of the head coach is forced somewhat at the Mariners, as the club doesn’t have the budget to go out and recruit expensive players, hence youngsters receive their shot.
“Once Arnie thinks a player is ready he will give him a chance and keep giving him a chance. For a youth coach its fantastic.”
It’s a positive that has paid off, and the Mariners fabulous production line is showing no signs of stopping. James Oates and Mitchell Duke have been added to the senior side this season, along with Anthony Caceres.
Supporters should also keep an eye out for Young Socceroo Hayden Morton and defender Michael Neill in the future.
“Caceres is an outstanding footballer, he’s got Montgomery and Hutchinson ahead of him, also Pelligrino, Bozanic, and that’s going to keep him back for a little while,” Walmsley says.
“But he will grace a professional football field in the near future. He’s got a lot of humility, he works hard and he can play, he understands time and space and all that.
“There’s a number of talented youth players coming through there – Hayden Morton too, he can’t be too far away and Mickey Neill. He’s the bolter for me.”
With Caceres, Morton, Neill and others, the future of the Mariners is bright. Beckham would certainly bring a massive boost but the main thing is the foundation of the club is solid. Its roots and structures are sound.
Throwing in of the biggest names and profiles in world football into the Mariners tight-knit playing group would surely throw in some negatives along with the positives.
The fact is the Central Coast doesn’t need a one-off stunt to continue to be successful. Surely it would attract more crowds and sponsors, but from a football point of view the Mariners are already purring along nicely.
The likes of the Glory and the Heart need Brand Beckham more than the boys from Bluetongue.
Premierships have been won, the Asian Champions League experienced and consecutive seasons have been successful, but victory in a grand final has been elusive for the Mariners. Three times they have reach the decider and three times they have been denied.
Walmsley says it would be “a nice thing” for the club to experience a grand final win, but he believes claiming the premiership is the ultimate goal, as it is in other football leagues around the world.
“The key is week in week out proving that you’re the best,” he says.
The Mariners have given themselves the best chance to break their grand final duck this season. If they do, it will be much deserved. If they don’t, they can console themselves that they are set to be contenders again for years to come.
Follow John on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
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