Our youth system is not working

So, the news coming out of Lakeside is that experienced VPL goalkeeper Peter Gavalas - most recently of Bentleigh Greens - is training and has probably signed with us for 2012. That he has been training with us is true, as I've seen him at one such session at Lakeside. It does raise issues from this correspondent's end, however.

Peter Gavalas would not move across to South, or any other VPL club for that matter, if he didn't think he was a shoe in for the first choice keeper's position. And that would entirely be his right, seeing as he has done the hard yards and built himself a solid reputation.

But where does that leave Zaim Zeneli, last year's eventual first choice goalkeeper? After winning the three way battle between himself, Stefaan Sardelic and Abdelhadi Deroune last year, including his double penalty save heroics against Heidelberg, the Sydney native looked to be a good thing to keep his place, with an opportunity for long time under 21s goalkeeper George Malliaras to get one step closer to fulfilling his dream of playing for the blue and white.

But this no longer appears to be the case. And logically then, one of Zeneli's and Malliaras' tenure must be close to an end. It brings into question the problems of bringing in players from interstate, but also of the fate of promising or what one may call 'project players' from the youth system. One could rattle off the names of several young players who, for whatever reason have departed the club in recent times.

In some cases it may be out down to impatience, lack of skill or family connections at other clubs. But for the sake of topicality, let's name two recent apparent departures: Jake Vandermey and Josh Colosimo. Unlike several of their under 21s teammates, they did not move on in mid last year, but rather spent a large portion of it playing with Hobart Olympia. They started every week, and were credited by  several southern Tasmanian observers with being integral to Olympia's turnaround in form.

As part of the deal for playing for Olympia, Vandermey and Colosimo would have been promised and expected to have been given a genuine shot at senior football in 2012. Now of course it's a coach's prerogative to select and seek to recruit players of his choosing, within the budget allocated to them by the football committee. But at the same time, let's not pretend that the football sub-committee does not have any influence in the general direction the club's recruiting may head.

After all, it's quite well known now that the football sub-committee ignored the preference of new senior coach Peter Tsolakis in the hiring of the new under 21s coach. Added to this, despite the shambles at the end of last year after the external academy affiliated personnel in our system upped and left, we're now involved with a partnership with another academy in our junior system, with a group and individual whose reputation at best could be described as controversial.

The football sub-committee, in its various forms, is also responsible for the selection of our senior coach. The previous two choices have been, well, catastrophic. Firstly in the way that they have destabilised and worn down the morale of the senior squad, and secondly with their ethos of playing favourites and ignoring other players, whomever they may be.

If one was to point to an on field ethic or raison d'etre at South, historically it would have been, ignore our own youth system, purchase quality veteran and/or up and coming players from other clubs, and play some decent football. It was arrogant, short term thinking, but it was at least consistent. Almost no player or coach was safe from being sacked, and while that created a lot of bitterness in the ranks of our ex-players - put Paul Wade's departure right at the top of that list - it was no secret how the club operated.

Now there's no longer any sense of a coherent on field direction. In contrast to the off field direction, which has been mostly people pulling in the same direction, and seemingly getting real close to securing the future of the club in a prosperous, self-sufficient state, on field it's a mess. And now that there's a bit more money floating around, the club can afford to splash out on some of the more 'professional' players running around the league.

Of course, like most players in this league, they do enjoy playing the game, but they seem to enjoy it more when and where they get more money for doing so. Most clubs with ambitions of success would rather deal with this sort of 'proven' talent then take even a reasonable risk on players they have in their own backyard, and have seen (if the coaching staff is even interested in watching the reserves, but that's another story) for a number of years.

This is not of course a problem that only South faces - Green Gully and Oakleigh are just two of the other VPL clubs that routinely cop a beating on the forums for the lack of players they source from their own ranks. But if young players are coming and then staying at South with the expectation or promise - sometimes explicit, sometimes not - that they are a genuine and realistic chance at being considered for senior football, and then continually find themselves on the scrapheap, then perhaps the club should be more honest about its senior football recruiting ethos, and make it so obvious that no one can be in any doubt as to what it is.

Of course, there are a legion of parents out there who think little Johnny is the next big thing. Sometimes it's the clubs that foster this belief, other times the parents are deluding themselves. And admittedly, the VPL's under 21s is not the greatest standard of competition. Neither is Tasmania's Southern Premier League. But in the case of our 21s competition, it is the most likely place a half-talented player of that age will get noticed by A-League scouts.

Certain people will tell you that it is better as an 18 year old, to ditch the VPL under 21s competition and play regular senior football - if they're good enough, they'll be back soon enough. And if they're not, well, it just goes to show that they weren't really all that good in the first place. It's a valid position to take, but it's not one that will work for all players. Danny Radojicic, often acknowledged as a promising midfielder with a powerful long range shot, dropped out to play for lower league teams, and has been through half the clubs in the state league system. A good striker or promising young defender saddled with a sub-par midfield can cause myriad issues.

While initially being in agreement with the concept of an under 21s competition for the VPL, I've since come around to the position that in the long run, this does not help young players. They would benefit more from playing in a high standard competition with older players, who know more tricks of the trade. In addition, there are only so many places on a senior list - how many players does one expect to graduate from a sub-par competition like the VPL under 21s? At best you may have one or two genuine prospects in a given year - the problem for South is, do we even see those one or two come through?

One wonders what the future is for young striker Nicky Jacobs. He is still training with the club, and may very well have to fight for his place in the pre-season February and March schedule - but reports are also that Gianni De Nittis has found his way back into the Lakeside fold. And what of all the other promising young players in our system? Is it worthwhile playing beyond a certain age in the South Melbourne youth system?

Kiss of Death, Round 13, 2011

We are just over the half way mark of the season this week. We hit Round 13, which leaves us 9 rounds to the season proper. A total of 27 points up for grabs for all teams (plus the VTC matches, ed). 

It’s been a mixed season so far, with the FFV docking points, coaches being thrown out of the dugouts, controversial red cards being handed out and I’d say that crowd numbers have been higher than last year.

Scotch Watch
South lost again last week, but Bentleigh could only manage a draw to the lowly Springvale White Eagles.

• South Melbourne, 6th place, 21 points, goal difference -3
• Bentleigh Greens, 8th place, 17 points, goal difference +0

Bentleigh Greens vs Heidelberg United
7th v 2nd. Friday night down at Bentleigh will be bloody freezing, but I’ll be there to keep tabs on my little side wager I have going. Bentleigh was held at 1-1 at Springvale last week while the Bergers were convincing 3-1 winners over Richmond. Bentleigh has lost Tom Matthews to South Melbourne in the midweek transfer window, which will leave them exposed defensively. The Bergers have recruited the Sadik brothers from some state league club. This will be an exciting game with both coaches going for the win. The Anastasiadis v Katsakis battle will carry over from Johnny A’s coaching days at South. I’ve got this one down for a draw. Bentleigh Greens 2 – Heidelberg 2.

Richmond vs Hume City
9th v 3rd. A Saturday afternoon clash which sees Hume City travel to boring Kevin Bartlett Reserve. Hume will be too good for them unfortunately. Hume had a 4-1 home win against St. Albans last week and I see them continuing this four game lossless streak against a pretty bad Richmond. Richmond 1 – Hume City 3.

Green Gully Cavaliers vs Oakleigh Cannons
7th v 1st. How lucky was Gully last week against Deroune of South Melbourne? Seriously, any other keeper and South would’ve come out of there with a 0-2 victory. Oakleigh pays them a visit this week after their 3-4 come from behind victory at Northcote City. Green Gully didn’t impress me at all last week with their sloppy play. Yeah, yeah, they got a win, but South played without a keeper. Oakleigh hasn’t impressed me either but they are on top I suppose. Green Gully 1 – Oakleigh Cannons 2.

Melbourne Knights vs Northcote City
10th v 5th. The Knights have drawn three games in a row, not including the game they have in hand after the lights went out (again) at Dandenong Thunder last weekend. Northcote are still licking their wounds after Oakleigh stole three points from them last week. The Knights have lost a few players in the transfer window which will hurt them. However, I believe the Knights will step up to the plate and start moving away from the relegation zone with a win over Northcote. If there was a time to start winning, with nine games to go, this is when they need to do it the most. Northcote is Northcote. We know their game, and we know how they constantly full press their opposition. It won’t be good enough, with the Knights coming up eventual winners. Melbourne Knights 2 – Northcote City 1.

St Albans Saints vs Dandenong Thunder
13th v 4th. The Saints are the only winless team of the VPL. Dandenong are still waiting on the outcome of their appeal at the tribunal hearing, at the time of print. St Albans have been woeful. Their poor recruiting at the start of the season, and their lack of teamwork and guidance from the bench has put them in this position. There are still 27 points up for grabs and if they can get 15 of those then I reckon they’ll live to fight another day. If they can’t, then it’s back to State 1. Dandenong is coming off a “lights off” match last week. The lights went out again! The FFV needs to do something about this, because it’s getting a bit ridiculous. Make them play day games. Who can be necked travelling all the way out there for a night game anyway. St. Albans will get their first win of the season this weekend and will have everyone saying, “that KOD person knows his shit”. St.Albans 2 – Dandenong Thunder 0.

South Melbourne vs Springvale White Eagles
6th v 11th. Possibly the shittiest game of the round. South Melbourne has been losing the plot lately, and Springvale are just the shittiest of the shit. Last week I was disappointed to see a one Abdelhadi Deroune in goals for South. Am I angry about this? Yep. He is a muppet. This keeper couldn’t catch a cold, in winter! He cost us five goals at Northcote, and three goals at Gully. How the coaching staff didn’t drop him after the Northcote game is something I cannot answer, but I shit you not, if he hasn’t been shown the door after last week, then the coaching staff will have a lot to answer for. I don’t want to see him on the bench, hell I don’t even want to see him at the ground. He is persona non grata at South as far as I’m concerned. I expected better from Eddie and Joe to see that this keeper is not one for South. Only Stefaan and Zaim are entitled to battle it out for the no.1 spot, and not some clown with nothing to offer us.

The wheels have fallen off over the last month. Granted we have had our injuries and red cards, but for fuck's sake, we are South Melbourne, pull your socks up, your fingers out and fucking play. If we lose to Springvale this week then we should just shut the doors and close the club. A win and nothing but a win. I don’t care if it's two goals or twenty, but three points is a must. South Melbourne 12 – Springvale White Eagles 0.

Shenanigans - Green Gully 3 South Melbourne 2

It was the closest to a full strength side we'd seen for some weeks - hell, we even  managed to play well, though good chances for either side were few. And yet somehow we come out of this fixture again without a win, and on this occasion without even a point which is the least we deserved.

Of the returning players, Jesse seemed to make the bigger difference, as Gully marked him tightly, which might be why there was more room for some of the play on the wing. All in all, I can't really fault anyone out there today, except for our  goalkeeper Abdel Deroune who had an absolute shocker.

It's quite possible to pin all three goals we conceded on him. Green Gully had few other clearcut chances to score, yet anytime they crossed the ball into the box I felt more and more nervous as Deroune was all over the shop from the beginning. Even regulation low powered shots and crosses where he was under no pressure were slipping out of his grasp.

Foul Throws
At this level I might get to see a foul throw called once a season. Today there were about four or five of them, all called against us, and at least two of those called on Ljubo 'Keeping It Real' Milicevic. And those I was able to see on the side nearest to me certainly looked dodgy, so good on the ref for calling them.

New Umbrella
With the weather turning this way and that, it was time to find a new umbrella. So I went down to Altona Gate Shopping Centre, saw some guy who looked like Kyle Joryeff, but didn't find anything that satisfied me in the way of an umbrella. Thankfully a random trip to Footscray Market was more worthwhile, and I allegedly got a $5 discount from the Vietnamese lady. Well, kudos to you shopkeep, as at least it managed to last longer in battle that the previous umbrella that I had.

Next Game
Next Sunday at Northcote against Springvale White Eagles. Surely we will win this game. Surely Zaim Zeneli will have to come back in for this match. Otherwise I'm calling shenanigans.

Final Thought
Who would have thought that in a game where we restricted the opposition of next to nothing of value going forward, won ourselves and scored two legitimate penalties at that ground, hit the crossbar denying us 3-2 lead, we would still find a way to lose.

Kiss of Death, Round 12, 2011

Scotch Watch 
Both teams stuttering of late. Bentleigh however somehow managed to eek out a draw against Gully, while South's goal difference has gone down the toilet.

• South Melbourne, 5th place, 21 points, goal difference -2
• Bentleigh Greens, 7th place, 16 points, goal difference +0

Northcote City vs Oakleigh Cannons
4th v 1st. Greek Derby. Northcote is on the up after a 5-0 demolition of an understaffed South last week, while the Cannons are coming off a 3-1 away loss at Dandenong. This game will be exciting, and Oakleigh will twice come from behind to grind out a 2-2 draw.

Dandenong Thunder vs Melbourne Knights
3rd v 10th. Dandenong had a big win at home against Oakleigh, while the Melbourne Knights got a great 1-1 result at Hume. The Knights will struggle big time at George Andrews this weekend. Dandenong will cut loose on them with five to take back to Sunshine. Dandenong Thunder 5 – Melbourne Knights 0.

Heidelberg United vs Richmond
2nd v 9th. Well looky here, the Bergers are sitting 2nd. Out of nowhere with 14 goals scored in their last two games. A 9-0 home thrashing of Springvale, and a 5-0 midweek romping over the VTC. Richmond on the other hand are a topsy turvy team. The Bergers are doing well, and better than expected. Heidelberg 3 – Richmond 1.

Hume City vs St Albans Saints
6th v 13th. St. Albans are finished. They will be dropping back down to State 1. Hume is pushing to secure a spot in the top 5. A game of two tales. Hume City 4 – St. Albans 0.

Springvale White Eagles vs Bentleigh Greens
12th v 7th. Do I even need to bother writing about this one? Springvale White Eagles 0 – Bentleigh Greens 2.

Green Gully Cavaliers vs South Melbourne
8th v 5th. I will restrict this piece to only South Melbourne. Green Gully does not interest me in the slightest. South has only managed one point out of a possible nine in the last three games. OK, so we lost 5-0 to Hume after having two men sent off in the first 25 minutes, that one I can excuse you for. We drew 0-0 to Dandenong at home with five first team regulars missing. Then we cop five from Northcote, with virtually the same team that faced Dandenong the week before. Don’t tell me that Northcote are a better team than Dandenong, because they are not. We are slowly going backwards. The rotation of the goalkeepers is sorry to say, turning into a merry go round shambolic act, which would even make the Americans blush. First we start with Sardelic, then we give Zeneli a go, then we put in ‘The Cat’. Sardelic was dropped after being injured at Bergers; he is yet to appear since then. Zeneli has been good between the sticks, but he hasn’t made a senior appearance since copping five at Hume. Now we have given Deroune a go. By the way, which fucken dickhead named him ‘The Cat’? He is probably one of the worst keepers I have seen at South since our return to the VPL. He is non-commanding of his area, slow to recover, and overall probably cost us three of the five goals at Northcote. His reflexes are not bad, but other than that give me Sardelic or Zanelli any day. People put this game down as a loss or draw, because we haven’t won at Gully for who knows how long. This is the game where we need to send a message to the rest of the VPL. Green Gully Cavaliers 0 – South Melbourne 3.