National Junior Championships - Girls Under 14 and Under 15 - Can We Do More For Our Talented Players?

The following is sourced from the Northern NSW Football Facebook website.

The "Nationals" are over for our ACT representative teams. They did as well as may be expected. But can we do more for our young talented female players?

The Under 14 Girls held their position in Group A for 2012 and the Under 15 Girls finished second in Group B and will remain in Group B for the 2012. Clearly the players and coaches have done well to hold the line, as it were. What will next year hold, given the steady progress in other states?

A question - Can we do better in 2012? And another - Why do we keep asking ourselves this question?

There was disquiet among some parents for the lack of effective preparation prior to (and I don't mean a few short weeks out from the championships) the commencement of the championships in both age groups, as there was concern for a continuing lack of depth in playing strength in the Under 15 age group ( a deficiency identified last year in the Under 14 age group but not remedied) and, the inability to get all the players to training sessions due to competing Club competition, Club tours and development opportunities (leaving aside the ordinary illness and other family matters that always arise).

There are a lot of competing demands on these young players and where does ACT representation sit in that hierarchy of opportunities?  Perhaps the most surprising complaint / concern expressed was the lack of preparation games / fixtures  for the squads prior to the Nationals. If true, it must have placed our representative teams and their coaches in a position of significant disadvantage, given the extensive preparation undertaken by the big junior football performers such as NSW Metro, Victoria and Queensland.

I can recall one notable exception to this pathology in recent times in junior girls football - The ACT Under 13 Girls of 2010, coached by Colin Johnston. Colin has extensive experience in junior player development, he develops good football habits among his young players, he was the coach that made all the difference at Woden Valley SC as "technical director", the very earliest practitioner of small sided games in the ACT that I can recall in community based club football, he trained lots of junior community based coaches in his methods (which were much of what is the national curriculumum is today in these age groups) and set standards that are copied by other Clubs. In this area of football, his knowledge and experience dwarfed anything resident at Capital Football in its time. The results of lengthy and well directed preparation, which included in excess of thirty matches (and they traveled to get them - all supported by parents of the players) resulted in a superb performance at the Nationals last year, high technical points assessment, several players in the All Stars and one of them subsequently selected for the inaugural Australian Under 13 Girls team, while he was awarded the task of coaching the All Stars team in the final fixture (take that to mean a big thumbs up from those that know Football). This was the standard for all our future efforts! Nothing less is required in order to be competitive among the girls and boys age groups at a National competitive level. So it can be done.

However, back to that question(s) - Can we do better in 2012? And another - Why do we keep asking ourselves this question?


The NPL Local will ask these and related questions of the CF Technical Director when he gives his promised second interview. Royston is smart football fellow - he will have answers. What is it we are not seeing or do not know on this subject? If there is a better way ahead, what is the plan and how long before it gets going? We need to know.

Here are the final table results for the Championships:

Final Report - From The Girls Under 14 and Under 15 National Junior Championships

Two parents (Eddie Senatore and Simon Kravis) of players in both teams have kindly forwarded the NPL progress reports from Day 3 of competition.

Day 5  - Competition Summary

Simon Kravis, the NPL roving reporter of previous NJC reports sent this report on both games

• ACT Under 14 Girls - third in Pool A
• ACT Under 15 Girls - second in Pool B

Fri 15 July Report




On the final day of the Championship, the ACT Under 15s met WA in an evenly matched contest that ended a 1-1 draw, placing ACT second in Pool B, behind Victoria. WA opened the scoring after 7 minutes when Leigha Bullock floated a free kick from the side into the top corner of the net. ACT strikers Olivia Gurney worked well together and individually to create chances in the next 5 minutes, but it was Natalie de Marco who levelled the score for the ACT with a well-read run into a defensive gap and a full-stretch tap from close range. Play moved from end to end with neither side containing the other for long. Sophia Stewart delivered a good strike for WA from a very tight position that went just wide and a few minutes later Leanne Pompeani did the same for the ACT.
The ACT opened the second half well, with Olivia Gurney and Thalia Backhouse rattling the WA goalposts from quick counter-attacks and poorly cleared corners, whilst at the other end a cross from Jessica Darmago was sent just wide by Laitysha Wyatt, who a few minutes later drew a good save from ACT keeper Phoebe Worth. WA continued to threaten from set pieces, but as fatigue set in, both sides offered the other long periods of possession, but neither were able to capitalise on the opportunities.

The Under 14s played NSW Country from Pool B as their final match on Friday afternoon, in a game which did not affect the ladder positions of either team. ACT made a tentative start on a damp pitch, and NSW Country were dominant from the kickoff, winning almost all of the contested balls and placing four shots on goal in the first 15 minutes, with the ball seldom in their half. As in the NSW Metropolitan game, ACT seemed most likely to spend the game in pursuit of equalisers, but the situation changed abruptly at 25 minutes when Hayley Armstrong tapped in a cross from Julia de Angelis in the first ACT shot on goal. Five minutes later Julia de Angelis extended the lead to 2-0 after a free kick from Brigette Calabria was poorly cleared, and the ball remained in the NSW Country half until the half-time whistle.
In the second half NSW Country pushed hard on the right and the ACT defence were not able to move the ball foward. Amanda Stevenson was finally successful in driving the ball home for NSW Country from a goalmouth melee after 10 minutes to take the score to 2-1. ACT keeper Georgina Worth saved well over the next 15 minutes as wet and cold conditions reminiscent of the Kanga Cup set in and all but the hardiest spectators retreated to the covered area. NSW Country had two excellent chances when Alexandra Scobie outpaced the ACT defence but she sprayed her shots wide. The game slowed as players tired and came to a scrappy end without a change to the scoreline of 2-1 to the ACT.

Competition Summary

The ACT Under 14 and Under 15 teams performed well overall, with the Under 14s coming third in Pool A, behind winners NSW Metropolitan and Victoria in second place, and the Under 15s coming second in Pool B, behind Victoria. Under 15 Pool A winners were also NSW Metropolitan. The first team in Pool B each year moves up to Pool A and the last team in Pool A moves down to Pool B. As the ACT Under 14s were not last in their pool, they will compete in the Under 15 Pool A against NSW Metropolitan, Victoria, Northern NSW and Queensland. The Under 14 Pool A for next year will most likely comprise NSW Metropolitan, Victoria, South Australia, Northern NSW and Queensland next year, based on the results of the National Youth Championship for Girls Under 13 held in Canberra in April.
In the Under 14 age group, goalkeeper Georgina Worth, striker Caitlin Cantrill and utility player Emma Bestek were selected for the All Stars team. In the Under 15 age group, strikers Thalia Backhouse and Olivia Gurney were selected. The All Stars teams were picked by a technical assessment team led by NSW Institute of Sport coach Alen Stajic. The All Stars teams played the Pool A winners in each age group in a 40 minute exhibition match at the end of the tournament.
Under 14s coach Pat Mills commented: "The team played exceptionally well, with pace and passion. The standout game was against NSW Metropolitan, where we though we might scrape a draw, but we nearly got a win. I'd love to have been able to prepare for the championships for 12 months as they do in NSW." Under 15s coach Michelle Aurousseau said: "We exceeded expectations with the girls we had. They all stepped up to the mark and played really well as a team. Only the game against Victoria didn't go their way."

Competition Overview

The ACT teams’ performance maintained their age group rankings from last year’s tournament and whilst NSW Metropolitan won both age groups, this year’s Under 14 team were narrow winners in a very even competition, with winning margins of a single goal in most games. With draws against the ACT and Pool B winners Queensland, they are no longer as far ahead of their competitors as they once were, although they are very well-endowed with talent, most notably through midfielder Alycia Macqueen, who was named Player of the Tournament. Victoria improved its ranking from fourth to second place and their 5-0 loss to NSW Metropolitan was mainly through a single defensive flaw in the first half. Midfielder Beatrice Goad and striker Marianna Anthony were always threatening. In the second half Victoria did not concede any more goals and were dominant for much of the period. Queensland will be returning to Pool A with two very fast strikers (Talitha Doro and Sunny Franco) and a strong defence. The ACT Under 14 team owes much of its success to the general athleticism of the team, which allowed it to break quickly, exploit defensive errors and disrupt attacks. The Under 14s also had very solid goalkeeping and an industrious midfield. Northern NSW remain the most intimidating team in the age group, through their size and physicality. Their powerful forwards Tulia Palozzi and Kally Ann Lewis can deliver winning strikes from anywhere in the forward third, but they did not always receive the service to make the best of their talents.

In the Under 15 Pool B, the pace of the ACT strikers Thalia Backhouse and Olivia Gurney delivered most of the goals, but often their support was too far behind and whilst generally solid, the defence was vulnerable to set-piece attacks.
The schedule of five 80-minute games over the week for each team gave good value in terms of game time, but took a toll on the players, with most teams looking in need of a rest on Friday. The pitches and facilities were very good, and the officiating was generally firm, with little rough play. The loudest cheer of the competition was for Northern Territory Under 15s when they scored their first goal. The closing ceremony was held in cold and wet conditions, with most of the non-winning teams leaving after their members had received individual recognition. It was also marked by the winning NSW Metropolitan teams helping themselves to the two trophies for photographs rather than waiting to have them presented. This detracted from the atmosphere of the occasion.

Day 4 Update From The Girls Under 14 and Under 15 National Junior Championships

Things are drawing to a close at the NJC for our Under 14 and Under 15 Girls teams. They have both performed well according to reports from up North. More on this with their return to Canberra. Final positioning will be confirmed today and while neither team will win its age group, we all hope that some of the ACT girls makes the "All Stars" teams for the final exhibition game. More to follow as soon as we get it.

Two parents (Eddie Senatore and Simon Kravis) of players in both teams have kindly forwarded the NPL progress reports from Day 3 of competition.

Day 4 Results

• ACT Under 14s - Draw 1-1 (ACT v NSW Metro)
• ACT Under 15 - Win 5-1 (ACT v Tasmania)

Simon Kravis, the NPL roving reporter of previous NJC reports sent this report on both games

Westfield Football Federation Australia National Youth Championship for Girls BCU Stadium, Coffs Harbour

Thu 14 July 2011

The ACT Under 14s drew 1-1 with NSW Metropolitan this morning in a fast, open game with strong competition for every loose ball. The ACT defended resolutely, with midfielder Julia de Angelis providing the defensive linchpin with tireless running and concentration and striker Caitlin Cantrill harrying the NSW defence with her speed and footwork.

The game opened with a period of complete dominance by NSW, who had yet to concede a single goal in ladder games in the Championship. Despite this impressive record, their performance had been inconsistent with the team failing to extend a massive 5-0 first half lead against Victoria in the second half. In the first 10 minutes NSW had four shots on goal, two from free kicks conceded in sometimes desperate defence, with NSW midfielder Alycia Macqueen orchestrating attack after attack. ACT at this stage looked as though they would be chasing the remainder of the game, but an innocuous seeming pass from Ruth Kravis near the half way line initiated a twisting run from Caitlin Cantrill that finished with a narrow-angle shot slipping past the NSW goalkeeper to give the ACT a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. NSW pressed hard in response and sent a shot over tha bar after 30 minutes, but the short-passing ACT game allowed them to retain the initiative.

The second half opened dramatically with a clumsy tackle from the ACT resulting in a penalty after 3 minutes, but ACT keeper Georgina Worth parried the kick from Hayley Evans. ACT striker Caitlin Cantrill collected a yellow card soon afterwards, and NSW drove a free kick into the ACT net but the goal was ruled offside. NSW piled on the pressure with a stab from Ruby Mosca at a well-placed cross just missing the ACT goal, but the ACT defence worked well. A fine high save from Georgina Worth kept NSW from equalising at 15 minutes, but but a few minutes later a short pass found Rhianna Pollicina unmarked in front of the ACT goal and she slammed home an equaliser. The period after this saw both teams and many spectators throw all their efforts into clinching the game, but the 1-1 score remained at the final whistle.

The ACT Under 14s will be placed 3rd or 4th in the Group A ladder, depending on the results of games played on Friday.

The ACT Under 15s faced Tasmania later in the day. The Tasmanian team this year came exclusively from Hobart, with a population of just over 200,000 people.The team had played together in the Southern Premier League in Tasmania this season, and this cohesion helped them to deflect the ACT for the first half, assisted by poor finishing from the ACT strikers, and give them a 1-0 lead at half-time when Bella Young tapped home a well-delivered cross from speedy striker Stacia Hutchinson. The second half saw ACT assert themselves with an equaliser from Eloise O'Brien from a Thalia backhouse cross after 2 minutes. This was followed by a strong solo run and finish from Olivia Gurney to take the score to 2-1, with a further two goals from Thalia Backhouse and another from Olivia Gurney. The ACT defence faced little challenge in the second half, but Emma Kirk and Siena Senatore were effective in stopping Tasmanian attacks and the game closed with a final scoreline of 5-1 to the ACT.

Day 3 Update From The Girls Under 14 and Under 15 National Junior Championships

Two parents (Eddie Senatore and Simon Kravis) of players in both teams have kindly forwarded the NPL progress reports from Day 3 of competition.


Day 3 Results


For the ACT it was all hard work:

ACT Under 14s - Draw 3-3 (ACT v Northern NSW)

ACT Under 15 - Loss 3-1 (ACT v Queensland) - this was a cross over game with a very strong Group A team. ACT reported to have played well.


Simon Kravis, the NPL roving reporter of previous NJC reports sent this report on both games


Westfield Football Federation Australia National Youth Championship for Girls BCU Stadium, Coffs Harbour

Wed 13 July 2011

Both the ACT Under 15 and Under 14 teams played Victoria this morning. The Under 15 game was disappointing for the ACT team. Despite having the better of the play for much of the first half, they were unable to keep possession or mount coherent attacks for the remainder of the match and went down 4-0.

The Under 15 game started on a dew-soaked pitch under cloudy skies, and players from both sides found it hard to keep their footing. ACT started strongly, with Olivia Gurney pressing hard from the outset, with a shot from her going just wide after a few minutes, but it was Victoria who opened the scoring against the run of play after 20 minutes, when Candela Ferrerya Bas struck from a well-delivered corner.ACT responded with long-range shots from Thalia Backhouse and Olivia Gurney, but without any follow-up to collect spills or rebounds. Victoria extended their lead to 2-0 after 30 minutes when a cross found the feet of Claudis Dimosi in front of goal for a simple tap-in that seemed to surprise even her. Just before the break, Thalia Backhouse netted for the ACT from what looked like a goalkeeper spill, but the goal was disallowed.
Victoria asserted themselves more after the break, with Candela Ferrerya Bas directing a header just wide from a free kick, and Natalie Laboska looping a free kick over the defensive wall and past ACT goalkeeper Rebecca Luttrell to take the score to 3-0.ACT pushed forward sporadically but were unable to retain possession against an increasingly confident Victorian midfield, despite a nimble performance from ACT's Monica Cerro. Victoria added a further goal from Elaina Vatcky just before the end to take them to solid 4-0 victory.

The Under 14 game was very close-run, with both teams moving the ball around well, but the Victorian defence proved more solid to give them the game 3-2, with the deciding goal only coming in the last minutes.
ACT found themselves under immediate pressure from the start, with three shots on goal in the first 10 minutes, which were well handled by goalkeeper Jessica Giovinazzo. The ACT then rallied and their tenacious forward line of Maddie Whittall, Samantha Roff and Caitlin Cantrell harried the Victorian defence and netted the ball after 15 minutes, but the goal was narrowly ruled offside. Further chances from Hiwot Johnstone and Caitlin Cantrell followed, and with the ACT defence largely successful in closing down Victorian strikers Marianna Anthony and Beatrice Goad, the ACT seemed well placed to take the lead in the second half.

However, this did not transpire. ACT narrowly escaped conceding two goals in the first 5 minutes through defensive errors and then conceded a penalty after 15 minutes which was calmly converted by Jessica Pitts. ACT equalised a few minutes later when Hayley Armstrong drove home a cross from Bridget Calabria, but almost went behind again when a loose ball trickled outside rather than inside the ACT goal. A poor Victorian goal clearance was pounced on and slotted home by Caitlin Cantrell to give the ACT a 2-1 lead, but ACT were again saved from losing this lead by defender Hollie Massey sweeping the ball off the goal line after the goalkeeper was beaten. The relief for the ACT was short-lived, as Jessica Pitts struck again from a goalmouth melee to bring the score to 2-2 with 7 minutes remaining. With the tension drawing shouts of encouragement and advice from all around the pitch, Victorian substitute Lani Murdoch struck 2 minutes later to give Victoria a 3-2 lead which they maintained despite valiant efforts from the ACT.

Tomorrow, the Under 14s face up to NSW Metropolitan, who currently top the Under 14 Group A ladder, while the Under 15s meet Tasmania.

Day 2 Update From The Girls Under 14 and Under 15 National Junior Championships

Two parents (Eddie Senatore and Simon Kravis) of players in both teams have kindly forwarded the NPL progress reports from Day 1 of competition.

 

 

 

Day 2 Results

 

For the ACT its good news:

• ACT Under 14s - Draw 3-3 (ACT v Northern NSW)
• ACT Under 15 - Loss 3-1 (ACT v Queensland) - this was a cross over game with a very strong Group A team. ACT reported to have played well. 

 

Simon Kravis, the NPL roving reporter of previous NJC reports sent this report on both games:

Westfield Football Federation Australia National Youth Championship for Girls BCU Stadium, Coffs Harbour
Tue 12 July 2011
The second day of the National Youth Championship for Girls saw the ACT Under 14 team play host team Northern NSW in the early afternoon in a gritty game that was more a contest of individual skills than strategic play. The game ended in a 3-3 draw in which the speed and determination of the ACT team matched the greater power and physicality of NNSW, whose players mainly towered over their ACT counterparts. Julia de Angelis and Bridget Calabria were able to maintain the momentum of the ACT team under sometimes daunting pressure.
ACT started strongly and quickly went ahead through Hayley Armstrong striking from the middle of the defensive line. Maddie Whittall followed up with a near-miss after the ball escaped from a crowded midfield, but NNSW responded with a powerful strike from Kally Ann Lewis that was just over the bar. Tulia Palozzi tucked away a rebound a few minutes to equalise, but ACT took the lead again when Hayley Armstrong took a very slim opportunity to slam home a short pass into the bottom corner of the net. ACT had the better of the next period of play, with the threatening NNSW strikers receiving little service from their midfield.A poorly timed ACT tackle in their penalty area escaped penalisation but resulted in a marked increase in the roughness of play. Tulia Palozzi brought the score level again at 2-2 when she netted for NNSW from a penalty area melee and striker Kally Ann Lewis received a yellow card soon afterwards.
This did not prevent her from picking up a loose ball and driving it home to put NNSW into the lead 3-2, and she would have extended their lead further but for an excellent save from ACT keeper Jessica Giovinazzo. ACT substitute Caitlin Cantrell's speed allowed to intercept a poor goal clearance and equalise the score at 3-3. The last 15 minutes saw missed opportunities at both ends, with Jessica Giovinazzo making some dramatic last-ditch saves from the feet of oncoming strikers, but with neither side able to grasp victory.

The ACT Under 15s played Queensland, widely regarded as the powerhouse of women's football in Australia. Queensland prevailed 3-1, with the ACT strugling for cohesion in the later part of the game after a good start, with three shots on goal narrowly missing their mark in the first 20 minutes before Thalia Backhouse slipped the ball over the Queensland goalkeeper to give ACT a 1-0 lead. This advantage slipped away a few minutes later when Queensland's Kate Archibald converted an angled free kick unnecessarily conceded by the ACT on the right wing just outside the penalty area to bring the score to 1-1. The ACT played strongly, with defender Siena Senatore managing to thwart the Queensland attack through the centre and Natalie de Marco sending the ball just wide of the Queensland goal after an excellent build-up just before the break.
However, after the break Queensland asserted themselves more, and only excellent goalkeeping from Phoebe Worth stopped Queensland from going ahead in the first 10 minutes, but Amber Maxwell eventually sent the ball past her to give Queensland a 2-1 lead. A tiring ACT team were not able to maintain pressure when they they were able to get the ball forward, despite having a number of chances, and Lucy Iannou sealed the match for Queensland with 5 minutes to go with a 3-1 final scoreline.
Despite the loss, the ACT Under 15s can take credit for holding a team drawn from a much larger pool of potential players for the majority of the game.



Both the Under 14s and Under 15s take on Victoria tomorrow morning.

Day 1 Update From The Girls Under 14 and Under 15 National Junior Championships

While there is festival of Junior Football in the ACT at the moment with the Kanga Cup, let's not forget that our ACT girls are campaigning at the National Junior Championships being held in Coffs Harbour.

Two parents (Eddie Senatore and Simon Kravis) of players  in both teams have kindly forwarded the NPL progress reports from Day 1 of competition.

Day 1 Results

For the ACT its good news:

• ACT Under 14s - Won 4-2 (ACT v SA)
• ACT Under 15 - Won 14-0 (ACT v NT)

Simon Kravis, the NPL roving reporter of previous NJC reports sent this report on both games:

Westfield Football Federation Australia National Youth Championship for Girls BCU Stadium, Coffs Harbour
Monday 11 July 2011

Both the ACT Under 15 and Under 14 teams made a good start to the championship today. The Under 15s outclassed the Northern Territory to win 14-0 with goals from Talia Backhouse(4), Eloise O'Brien(4), Monica Cerro(2), Olivia Gurney(2) and Leanne Pompeani(2). The NT team laboured under the handicaps of a small and dispersed population base and had only played together as a team for two days prior to the start of the Championship, but despite these difficulties they did not stop trying.
 The Under 14s played South Australia, the most comparable team in terms of population and metropolitan concentration, and won 4-2 in an engrossing game. ACT started strongly, with Hayley Armstrong threatening in front of the SA goal. After 10 minutes she connected with a well-placed chip from Ruth Kravis to open the scoring for the ACT. SA responded quickly to take advantage of a defensive error that left an open goal for Lauren Steer to tap the ball into and even up the score. SA dominated the remainder of the first half, applying sustained pressure to the ACT defence, with a free kick from Roxanne Dodd striking the woodwork, but ACT managed a counter-attack which exposed weakness in the defence, allowing Melissa Leary to take the score to 2-1 at half time.
 SA had another narrow miss from a free kick outside the penalty area after the break, but the speed of the ACT strikers allowed  Samantha Roff to take the score to 3-1, when she latched onto a loose SA goal kick and Caitlin Cantrell extended the lead to 4-1 after dribbling past two defenders and finishing well. SA continued to attack, but less consistently and ACT held their lead through some excellent goal-keeping from Georgia Worth, who tipped two powerful strikes over the bar, and diligent defensive work from Emma Bestek, whose speed managed to contain the dangerous SA attack. SA were finally rewarded with an angled goal from Venetia Rogers to bring the final scoreline to 4-2.
 Both ACT teams face a tough day tomorrow with the Under 14s taking on hosts Northern NSW, and the Under 15s meeting Queensland.
 As well as two teams, the ACT is also supplying two referees for the Championship. Georgia Ghirardello and Mia Southwell are officiating for both age groups.

Good Use of Social Media

Northern NSW Football have a very good Facebook site.  They know how to use social media. Results for the NJC are available online at www.facebook.com/nnswf.


Some Useful Information Provided to the NPL by the FFA Concerning the NJC Under 14 and Under 15 Girls
In response to several parents of players asking the NPL about "technical assessment" and selection of representative teams, the FFA very promptly provided this information:


To answer your questions:

1) There is no additional points allocated at this particular tournament as that trial has occurred and following review not continued.

2) There is a Technical Study Group that will be watching all matches at the Westfield FFA National Youth Championships for Girls 2011 which will be headed by the Westfield Young Matildas Head Coach Alen Stajcic. The TSG will also select an All Star team that will play the National champions in each respective age group on the last day of the tournament.
3) There is no representative team, per se, selected at the end of the tournament, but talented players will be identified for future selection in the Australian U-17 Women’s Football squad when appropriate.

National Junior Championships - ACT Under 14 and Under 15 Girls To Glory!

Sourced from Capital Football website.

The ACT Girls at under-14 and under-15 representative are competing in the  annual FFA National Junior Championships at Coff Harbour next week.

The Coahes are Women’s Premier League coahes, Michelle Aurousseau (Weston Creek) Under 15 Girls and Pat Mills (Belwest Foxes) the Under-14 Girls.
The NJC culminates in the winning team competing against an All Star selection from the remiaing teams. The ACT teams will play to win, but if they don't lets hope we see a few of them in the All Star teams.

ACT Under-15 Girls

Talia Backhouse, Daniella Cecere, Monia Cerro, Alexandra Cook, Natalie De Marco, Olivia Gurney, Kristy Helmers, Lauren Keir, Rebecca Luttrell, Eloise O’Brien, Leanne Pompeani, Lizzie Read, Sienna Senatore, Georgia Stewart, Brianna Warden, Emma Smalley (stand-by player)

FIXTURES

Monday 11th July – v Northern Territory (09:00)

Tuesday 12th July – v Queensland (16:00)

Wednesday 13th July – v Victoria (09:00)

Thursday 14th July – v Tasmania (14:15)

Friday 15th July – v Football West (09:45)



ACT Under-14 Girls

Hayley Armstrong, Freya Bent, Brigette Calabria, Caitlin Cantrill, Julia De Angelis, Jessica Giovinazzo, Hiwot Johnstone, Ruth Kravis, Melissa Leary, Milli Mallinson, Hollie Massey, Clea Porteous-Borthwick, Samantha Roff, Madelyn Whittall, Georgina Worth

FIXTURES

Monday 11th July – v South Australia (10:45)

Tuesday 12th July – v Northern NSW (14:15)

Wednesday 13th July – v Victoria (10:45)

Thursday 14th July – v NSW Metro (12:30)

The 2011 Under 13 Girls FFA National Junior Championships - Don't Miss It!

Competition draw and ACT squad list soucred from the Capital Football website.

The FFA National Junior Championships for Under 13 Girls will be held again in Canberra in the period 18-20 April 2011 (dates inclusive). All games will be held at Hawker Enclosed.

If you can, get to some of these games. The best in Australia at age is on display. They will all play the 1-4-3-3 as required by the National Football Curriculum, and National Development Plan. Its an excellent opportunity, particularly for coaches of junior teams int eh CF competitions, to watch how the various coaches have prepared their teams and how this age group is developing within the current national development regime.

The ACT representative squad is as follows:

1. Jillian Scott (gk – Woden Valley)

2. Gabrielle Risteska (Monaro Panthers)
3. Jamie Berkeley (Woden Valley)
4. Leah Carnegie (Belnorth)
5. Amelia Turner (Woden Valley)
6. Olivia Fogarty (Woden Valley)
7. Nickoletta Flannery (Woden Valley)
8. Lorna Arkell (Radford College)
9. Samantha Roff (Radford College)
10. Sandra Hill (Woden Valley)
11. Grace Maher (Majura JSC)
12. Hayley McLachlan (Woden Valley)
13. Lorena Barbaro (Gungahlin United)
14. Georgia Fogarty (Woden Valley)
15. Iesha De Andrade (Woden Valley)
16. Alexandra Cook (gk – Majura JSC)

COACH: Colin Johnstone
MANAGER: Eddie Senatore
PHYSIOTHERAPIST: Tim McNally

The scedule of fixtures is listed below.

Interview With Australian Coach of Under 13 Girls Team 2010 - Nicola Williams

This program was broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz), Tuesday 22 June 2010 through the Australian Comunity Radio Network.

Nicola Williams is a very contemporary Football Coach and an experienced educator / teacher. Just what you need at the Under 13 age group.

Nicola talks about the recent Under 13 Girls National Junior Championships, technical assessment at the Nationals and the implementation of the 1-4-3-3 system of play. And what about the Football initiative in some high schools in WA?

This is a really good interview!

Download Podcast here:

Coach for Australian Girls Under 13 Team Talks About Selection, What They Are Looking For and How The Technical Assessment Process Worked and the 1-4-3-3 Playing System At The Under 13 Girls National Junior Championships

On Tuesday the NPL will broadcast the first part of an extended interview conducted with Nicola Williams, Coach of the Australian Under 13 Girls team. It's a terrific interview.

They are doing some outstanding things in WA and Football West for Football and Futsal. Recall the interview the NPL did with the Coach of the Football West Under 13 Boys in 2009 (Warren Grieve) - they had it all and a lot of them ended up being selected in the Australian Under 13 Team.

They play it out from the back in WA - they don't hoof it long!

You will quickly understand why Nicola is the Coach of this Australian team. She is very impressive. I'm hard pressed to recall many rep coaches who can speak so confidently and with such clarity about Football. Too many talk in cliches! She gives the best general introduction to the 1-4-3-3 playing system I've heard and I have listened to a few try to talk it through, but none as clear as Nicola Williams.

Nicola has lot to say about the Nationals, standard of play, technical assessment, the value of the All Stars match and what she is looking for when selecting players. Some good advice too for us community  coaches. Nicola followed up the the players final selection process at AIS with detialed instructions to each player by way of preparation before they tour Vietnam. Very organised. Very smart!

Oh yes, Nicola is a teacher in WA at a high school that specialises in delivering Football as the primary co-curricular sports option (one of six!!). I told you they were going ahead in WA. Must be all that distance away from the FFA headquarters!

Next Tuesday the NPL will broadcast Part 1 of the interview, with Part 2 (the 1-4-3-3 playing system) to follow. By popular request, Part 2 will be put up on the blog next Tuesday as well as Part 1. Can't say fairer than that!

ACT Under 13 Player Selected To Represent Australia - An Absolute First!

The ACT has a new Australian Football representative.

Siena Senatore has been selected as a member of the inaugral Australian Under 13 Girls team.

Well its finally happened! It can be done by players in the ACT! You can make it to the top in football. This is fantastic news for Womens Football in the ACT. It stands as an inspiration for all players - you can make the grade from the ACT. But you had best be prepared to work for it!

Siena plays for Woden Valley SC, has been a HPP squad member, Coerver Academy graduate (several times), she toured New Zealand as a 10 year old in an Under 11 Boys team from NSW, was a member of the ACT Under 13 Girls team, has represented ACT Shools at age in Football, is an ACT Futsal representative player, plays Futsal for the Boomerangs FS in the Futsal NSW Super League and is presently at ACTAS. Yes that's a lot of football and futsal - but that's what it takes in anything if you want to be as good as you can be. There are no shortcuts.

The pictures are of Siena in action at the recent Under 13 Girls National Junior Championships (courtesy of Mum), where her consistently sound performances brought her to the notice of the selectors. Siena played the Nationals in the pivotal position(s) of central defender. Siena was initially selected as a member of the Austrlian train on squad which went into camp recently at the AIS. The Australian selectors then ran the microscope over the players and selected the final Australian Under 13 Girls squad to tour overseas to Vietnam later in 2010.

Its hard enough getting selected to play for the ACT, harder again to play well enough to get noticed among the dazzling array of talent on display at the National Junior Championships, then the pressure is really turned on as the Australian train on squad players go into camp and compete for final selection to make the Australian Team. You have to be talented and you have to be willing to persevere.

Job well done Sienna.

Capital Football HPP Under 14 Coach Talks About Preparing A Team For The Nationals

This program was broadcast Tuesday, 25 May 2010 on 2xxfm (93.8mhz) through the Australian Community Radio Network.

The Coach of the Capital Football High Performance Program for the Under 14 Boys, and the Coach of the ACT Under 14 Boys team to participate in the FFA's National Junior Championships in late September 2010 in Coff Harbour.

Zoran has a some good infomation and observations - all from an experienced Coach's viewpoint. He has also just completed the FFA / AFC "C" class licence and has some interesting things to say about the 1-4-3-3 playing system.
Download the Podcast here:

Head Coach Australian Under 13 Boys, Ante Juric, Talks About Selection and Assessment

Ante Juric, head Coach of the Australian Under 13 Boys team makes some very interesting observations about assessment and selection from the recent Under Boys National Junior Championships.

The Under 13 train on squad, comprising 30 players, held a camp at the AIS to finalise the team to participate in the AFC Festival of Football in Malaysia in about a week. They played our CF  HPP Under 14 Boys at the AIS and let me tell you, it was a terrific 90 minutes of football. The HPP Under 14 boys were commented on most favourably by Ante Juric - well done to the Coach, Zoran Glavinic.

Listen for Ante's observation of the playing position most difficult to fill in this group. Interesting!

To download the Podcast go here:

Head Coach Tuggeranong Celebrates A Big Win and Coach of Australian Under 13 Boys team Talks About Selection

This program was broadcast on 2xxfm, 98.3mhz, Tuesday 18 May 2010 at 7:00pm, through the Australian Community Radio Network.

Tonight we speak to Darren Viskovic, Head Coach of Tuggeranong United FC and review their first win of the season against the powerhouse club Belconnen United FC. What a win that was - "ggod as winning a world cup final" says Darren. Whi could argue with that!

Then its on to our first interview with Ante Juric, the Coach of the Australian Under 13 Boys team which leaves next week to campaign in the AFC Festival of Football in Malaysia. Ante is a Canberra FC product, a Socceroo, Olyroo and Young Socceroo, a professional player for 13 years and is now a teacher and Head of Football in the prestigious Sydney private school, Trinity Grammar. How's that for a start on the CV. But its about the recent Under 13 National Junior Championships that we speak to Ante, where he served as a member of the FFA's Techncial Assessment Group. We talk about coaches, the selection of players and the sort of things he is looking for at this age. Good stuff for all junior / youth coaches.

Go here to Download the Podcast

Qantas Australian Under 13 Boys National Team Announced

I got this one off the Football Federation Victoria website. Seems Capital Football didn't think this was worth announcing - why - just because we (ACT) weren't able to get a player into the initial train on squad? The game is bigger than that and people are interested!

While the Australian U13 train on squad was in camp a couple of weeks ago at the AIS, I had a chance to see them trial against our Under 14 Boys squad (which of course did not have the depth of playing strength as their opponents). Since then I have met numerous people who wuld have made the effrot to see them play. People are interested and where they acan they will attend because they know their is a real chance of seeing something a bit special. And so it was! And let  me tell this - our lads did particularly well! They played 3 x 30 minutes of football on a beautiful evening for football at the AIS on grass, against the best in Australia at theU13 age level. Itw as the place to be if you wanted to see good football, good coaching and an exemplar for the 1-4-3-3 system of play. The step up in performance from 2009 among the U13 boys was obvious. It was an evening of some of the best football I have seen for a long while. Our U14 boys seem tobe well on track for a competitive performance at their National Junior Championships.

Qantas Australian Under 13 Boys Football Team

Qantas Australian Under 13 Boys National Team Head Coach, Ante Juric has selected a squad of 22 for the tournament, which will be held in Sabah, Malaysia from the 24th May to 6th June 2010.

ACT Under 13 Boys Nationals Campaign Finished - Where To From Here?

The FFA's Under 13 Boy's Nationals finished on Saturday.

The good news for the ACT team is that most who observed the ACT team this year concluded that by comparison to  last year's efforts by the ACT, there had been substantial improvement. The boys gave their best. It was not an easy tournament.

Here is the final position in Group B (which included the ACT team):

Group B                      P    W   D    L    F    A    GD    BP    Pts

1. NSW Metropolitan   5    5     0     0    14   3     +11   5       20

2. NSW Country          5    3     1     1      9   4      +5    3       13

3. Tasmania                  5    3     0     2    18  11     +7    1       10
4. ACT                        5    2     1     2      5    7      -2    nil       7
5. Victoria Country       5    1     0     4      7    8      -1     nil       3
6. Northern Territory    5    0     0     5      4  24     -20    nil       0

Three ACT boys were selected to play in the All Stars exhibition match against the winner of Group B:

• Nathan Alfernik (gk)
• George Timopheou
• Thomas Milicevic

 It's time to reflect on the way ahead to next year's Nationals!

ACT Under 13 Boys Have a Good Day At The Nationals

The ACT Under 13 Boys, competing in Group B, had a very good day in terms of game results:

• Northern Territory 1 v 3 Australian Capital Territory
• Australian Capital Territory 1 v 0 Victoria Country

This leaves the table in Group B looking like this:

Team         Played   Win  Draw  Loss  GF  GA   GD    Points


1 NSW
 Metro           4          4       0         0       13    3     +10        12

2 NSW
 Country       4           3       1         0        9     3      +6         10

3 ACT         4           2       1        1         4     3      +1           7

4 Tasmania   4          2       0         2       14   10      +4          6

5 Victoria
Country       4           0       0        4         3     8       -5           0

6 Northern
Territory       4         0       0         4        4    20     -16           0

 
At the beginning of the day the ACT team was not placed in the first three for Technical Points. Today's performance may have improved this important aspect of assessment.
 
The final day of the Nationals see the ACT play Tasmania at 1045 hours. The table above indicates that Tasmania has scored more goals than any team in Group B, so it will not be easy. The ACT has not been good at scoring goals. Should be an interesting game.
 
There is one game that is likely to be all class. Its the Group A clash between NSW Metro 1 and Victoria Metro at 1030 hours. Both teams are at the top of their game and this game might well decide the Championships. Another reason to watch this game - this is the standard of play that we in the ACT should aspire to - we are a long way off at the moment.

ACT Under 13 Boys Commence their Nationals Campaign

Following the very commendable performance by the ACT Under 13 Girls, the ACt Under 13 Boys now get their chance to be as good as they can be.

Make no mistake, this is a very tough competition. Two games a day really takes it out of the boys. There is a lot of pressure at Nationals.

The ACT Team is placed in Group B which includes:

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales Country
• New South Wales Metro 2
• Northern Territory
• Tasmania
• Victoria Country

 The draw for the ACT team is follows:

ACT Under 13 Girls Finish A Terrific Nationals Campaign

The ACT Under 13 Girls Team had a terrific 2010 National Junior Championship campaign.

ACT Girls under-13 FFA National Championships Squad:
Hayley Armstrong, Emma Bestek, Freya Brent, Brigette Calabria, Caitlin Cantrill, Julia De Angelis, Jessica Giovinazzo, Mikaela Goldstein, Hiwot Johnstone, Ruth Kravis, Melissa Leary, Edwina Nelson, Siena Senatore, Madelyn Whittall, Phoebe Worth, Georgina Worth, Clea Porteous Borthwick, Hollie Massey (standby)



The team at the Burthurst Tournament prior to the Nationals - important preparation for the Nationals!

The ACT Team at the 2010 Nationals

They were placed in the much fancied Group A part of the Championship playing schedule. Every game was a hard game and presented new challenges to the girls. They played in good style and as a result produced very praiseworthy results - one win, three draws and one loss. Better still, they were judged (along with their Coach - Colin Jonstone) to have achieved second place in the much prized Technical Assessment score at the end of the competition in Group A.

Five ACT players were selected to play in the final game for the Group A AllStars. The ACT Coach was given the task of Coaching the Group A AllStars.

As they say "Mission Accomplished'!!!

ACT Under 13 Girls On Track At The Nationals!

After a terrific first day at the National Junior Championships, the ACT Under 13 Girls faced at fomidable opponent this morning - South Australia.

South Australia's form at the end of day one was very impressive.

The game against SA this morning was  on a ground covered by heavy dew - heavy conditions. This meant that passing required some adjustment, as sprays of water came off the ball on the ground and slowed the speed of the ball. Both teams were challenged by this change in playing conditions.

The first half was all ACT. Itw as easily their best technical performance of the competition thus far. They dominated possession, played an impressive passing / possession game, but just could not put away any of several chances. The SA defence coped - just!

Then came the half time break.

The game turned around completely. The SA team consciously pressed their defence well forward and held the ACT in it's defencive third for more time than was good them. SA dominated possession and the ACT turned out "all hands on deck" to repell the SA team. Fortunately for the ACT, the SA team could do no better at scoring a winning goal than the ACT.

When the full time whistle went, it ended 0:0. A fair result.

So there we have it for the ACT midway through Day 2 - one win (against Queensland), and two draws (NSW Metro and SA) and probably the best of the opposition in their group seen off without loss. However, as each day passes the teams are playing better football. It can only get a bit harder for all concerned.

For example - the game that followed the ACT game this morning was between NSW Metro and Queensland. It was easily the highest quality game I have seen in Group A. Very impressive and to a standard that was a little excess of our ACT performances (based on a whole match performance).

The ACT players must be very pleased with themselves. They are playing as they trained and for much of the time, it looks real good. What a pleasure to watch. Great campaign!

Now on to Northern NSW this afternoon and Victoria metro tomorrow morning.

For all the results so far go to this location:
http://www.capitalfootball.com.au/site/njc_girls_2010.php