Interesting from the Mariners, can post the link later, but a link always slows down the post going live sometimes for hours,

I am unaware of anyone else doing this, maybe AA can offer more here.

Central Coast Mariners appoint Reggie Davani, a prominent figure in Pacific football, as head of international football development to foster talent in the region. With Davani’s extensive experience and deep understanding of the Pacific sporting landscape, the Mariners aim to create opportunities for Pacific players in the Australian A-League.

In an ambitious stride toward fostering football talent in the Pacific region, the Central Coast Mariners have announced the appointment of Reggie Davani, a prominent figure in Pacific football, as their new head of international football development. This move underscores the Mariners’ commitment to carving a substantial presence in the Pacific, leveraging Davani’s extensive experience and celebrated career. As a former Papua New Guinea international player and the country’s all-time top goal scorer, Davani brings to the table not just his football acumen but a deep understanding of the region’s sporting landscape.

Pioneering Pacific Partnerships
The addition of Reggie Davani as the Technical Director of the Central Coast Mariners’ academy teams marks a significant chapter in the club’s history. With players like Brian Kaltak, the captain of Vanuatu, and Dan Hall, a potential Fiji international, bolstering the Mariners’ defense, the club’s roster already reflects a strong Pacific influence. However, Davani’s appointment aims to go beyond mere representation on the field. By targeting the development of young talent from the Pacific, the Mariners are not just scouting for future stars; they are investing in the growth of football in a region ripe with potential. Davani’s role will extend to coaching at the Central Coast Sports College, a crucial institution for the Mariners’ academy players, ensuring a holistic approach to nurturing talent.

Building Bridges through Football
The Central Coast Mariners’ strategy is clear: to become the Australian A-League’s hub for Pacific talent. This vision is already coming to fruition with the club’s current lineup, but with Davani at the helm of its international development, the Mariners are poised to deepen their ties with the Pacific. The appointment is not just about finding the next big player; it’s about creating a pathway for Pacific players to shine on the international stage. Davani’s dual role as Technical Director and coach at Central Coast Sports College is a testament to the Mariners’ integrated approach to development, emphasizing the importance of not only identifying but also cultivating talent.

A Future Forged Together
The Mariners’ commitment to the Pacific region represents a broader ambition within the world of football: to make the sport truly global by tapping into underrepresented areas. With Reggie Davani leading the charge, the Central Coast Mariners are not just scouting for talent; they are crafting a narrative of hope, opportunity, and mutual growth. The initiative to integrate Pacific talent into the Australian A-League, spearheaded by a figure as influential as Davani, sets a precedent for how clubs can play a pivotal role in the global development of football. It’s a story of ambition, strategy, and the unifying power of sport.

In conclusion, the Central Coast Mariners’ appointment of Reggie Davani as head of international football development is more than a strategic move; it’s a statement of intent. Through Davani’s leadership, the Mariners aim to not only enrich their team with Pacific talent but also contribute to the sport’s growth in the region. This initiative highlights the club’s commitment to fostering talent and underscores the potential of football to bridge cultures and communities. As the Mariners forge ahead with their vision, the Pacific region watches with anticipation, hopeful for the opportunities and pathways that this partnership will bring to its aspiring footballers.

Stew

Consider this, from our starting team, wonder how many other know this… The core of the Mariners success is the academy and it has now become a destination academy for many of the best juniors in the country.

Keeper, Danny V, returning academy player
Left back, JF, academy player
Centre Back, Hall, academy player
Midfield 6, M Balard
Midfield 8, Nizzy, academy player
Striker, Koul, returning academy player
Striker, Reece, returning academy player
Striker / Mid 10, Di Pizio, academy player

Main Subs
Steel, academy player
Trapp, academy player
Brandtman, academy player

Centre, BK, first 1 Division professional contract
Right Back, Storm, first professional contract and with us for years

Nizzy is the fans fav, has won the fans fav vote for the last couple of years…. whenever he wins a header he always get a huge cheer at home…. always wondered how he would do in a Socceroo shirt…..

Agree AA

as is David W… he is super sub

Grem

The owners also live in hope of the sleeping giant waking up….

If and its a huge if Football can ever unite and develop a common purpose and most importantly understand the answer lies in creatively engaging the player base then Football will expand.

Both the AFL & RL, are essentially representing areas or towns …. this is something most professional Football clubs, have never done… South Melbourne were the Greek club before the South Melbourne club, as an example.

My hope for the second tier is they respect their past but represent there districts more, and that many A-L clubs become more community / area clubs than brand franchises..

The above does not apply to all A-L and ST clubs, but it does apply to, and to many more than it should.

Grem

Partly right, major issue with Rugby is its structure, that SR competition is and has been killing rugby for decades.. If rugby had a similar structure to the A-L they could find owners…

ABC sport is controlled out of Melbourne… its AFL, AFLW, Cricket, Netball….at a distance RL… at a greater distance Football, ….. Rugby… others

thats good, maybe 7 since the WWC and they want the M’s

That seems a tad unfair…. dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t…

Question for the forum.

The Nux look like winning the premiership…. if so can they compete in Asia or does their spot go to the team that comes second.

Thanks in advance to the poster that knows the answer.

Slightly off topic.

News limited & Fairfax give Football and Basketball little to no coverage, 7 & 9 do some but very little, watched an ABC news hour show on the weekend, in the sport part, they spoke a lot about women’s cricket roughly 65%, another about 25% on AFL teams in training, then some car racing, Football got maybe 3% as did Basketball…

Nice summary C

AA

You sound bitter / sweet that he is at PG and not AU.

IMO Sage got the raw end of the pineapple as no one wanted Nick Tana to leave especially in the manner he did…

Good to see a couple of decent crowds on the weekend

Hope PG return to there former self, was sad the way FFA in those early years treated them..

ON MV they should have won, but can’t buy a goal.

Rudan comments hurt the league should have been a much bigger suspension.

Sheek

Good to hear from you, long time since we exchanged thoughts.

SR, has or is killing Australian professional rugby, how anyone believed a competition designed by a US media company, and funded by rating in South Africa, and managed by a rugby obsessed NZers , would work for Australia beggars disbelief.

Start up new again is the way forward.

I have been saying for as long as I can remember that SR would kill rugby in Australia.

Warning signs have been there for over 20 years, for years RA relied on Sth AF ratings to boost revenue, further allowed NZ to make most big calls.

The time is right now for a rebel competition to start

Grem

My belief is we should put in place a plan to lift average crowds to 15K, per season games.

SFC, MV, WSW 25K, teams like the Mariners around 11 to 12K.

My biggest wish is to have a Football day, say Saturday with all games starting at 7:30, plus one Friday night match for TV.

Given we are mostly a streaming service, individual ratings are not as important as subscriptions. Saturday nights are the best for crowds.

Waz

Just on the fans, I posted this below as well, take away the Cows & WU, the average is a tad over 8.8 and without finals and some blockbusters rounds coming up, crowds for the ten clubs are 80 to 84% of pre covid.

My guess by seasons end that will lift to near 90%…. MV have had the biggest fall, in % terms arguably Newcastle…

If we keep up the standard, crowds may come back…

Waz, any updates on a new stadium at Logan or it will never happen.

Gotta say, P+, do an excellent job in broadcasting live if on a PC, and then if you cast to a screen again no issues, given this is how I watch P+, and sometimes on my phone I don’t seem to have any issues with the broadcast.

But what a weekend, that goal scored by WSW from the edge of the box, from the cut back pass was my goal of the weekend.

Annoying from the Mariners match was every time we got a free kick, a SFC player kicked the ball away, my only real issue with the ref, in most games it brings a yellow.

WSW don’t seem to be able to take a trick, Rudan was very careful after the match….

The table is very close, its the NUX to loose from here.

Just as an aside, if we take the 10 teams, prior to WU & Cows, those 10 teams crowds are just over 8.8k, or around 80 to 84% of pre covid times. Not great but equally not the doom and gloom ….

AA

Why Mauk is comes across as a bit of a stirer and his interview after the Mariners he threw his teams mates under the bus.

Was at the Mariners game, no excuses SFC came out on fire, the speed they played with was amazing.

Great results for the league, and if by some chance as is rumoured in some circles and laughed at in others but if APL can get Canberra signed, and sell Perth & Newcastle [as is rumoured] within the next 8 weeks then just maybe errrroooorrrr just maybe there is hope.

Thanks for the article informative read

OK TWAS its a failure you must be right, as you have always been right in the past. Rugby has boomed over the 18 to 20 years going from strength to strength with as you often point out the correct management decisions being made.

For me in Football the trend lines are heading north, the damage done in the civil war is slowly being fixed.

But, in my totally uneducated opinion, Footballs issues have been and are mostly poor management, internal fighting, lack of unity among key stakeholder groups. However none of the issues and problems is due to having a national domestic competition, in fact its the NDC thats keeps pumping in the money.

Rocky and Big Dave

Out of left field, around the late 90’s early 000’s, the MLS in the States was six months from folding.

They needed to change, they appointed an up and commer from the NFL [gridiron] who held a sports masters degree from Harvard…. the rest is history today the MLS is the fastest growing sport in the US.

Should RA look to an AFL up and commer, no ties to any state or team, understands crowds.

Just an idea to throw in the pile of ideas.