The World Game with Stefan MaukFrom the A-Leagues to the EPL, Adelaide United star Stefan Mauk brings you the latest results, news and analysis from the World Game.
This is the World Game with Stefan Moore thanks to Football Essay bringing South Australian communities together.
Yes, good evening, Welcome to another edition of the World Game. So much to get into tonight. We always love your company on Thursday evening, as we check in with our superstar here on five Double A. He knows everything about the world of football, Stephan Mark and Stephan as we get started. A bit of a somber evening for you, because it was a weekend to forget. Unfortunately for our reads, the season is now over. We lost the elimination final to Western United and I'm sorry made my heart's broken for you that the season's come to an end.
Yeah, it's I guess literally the last game of the season. And obviously there's time to reflect now, which is important obviously to understand what went wrong. Obviously there was a lot of things that went well, but you know, you start out the season wanting to win everything.
There's thirteen teams and there can only be one winner, so.
There's twelve very disappointed club and we are one of those right now. We're hurting obviously because we you know, we felt like because we'd made the finals, we you know, our best was good enough, but I think the inconsistencies throughout the season, you know, really showed up in this game. And we started well, then dropped off and then finished okay, and Western United with the deserving winners of the game. There's nothing that we can really say, you know, obviously there's there's different games where you think, how did we lose that? But you know, they were they were the better team for the majority of the game. They were very well organized with the ball without the ball, and I think the you know, the one positive thing I guess I can say is we didn't give up. You know, from the first minute till the last minute. Everybody worked hard.
We ran hard.
We you know, we tried obviously. You know it's announced now Hovey and Issa are retiring, which we kind of knew was going to happen, so we tried. You know, we wanted to play for them. We wanted to play extra games for Colvid as well. We wanted to go as far as what we could and for the fans and obviously individually, but you know, sometimes that that will and that design there is not enough, and you know, we need to go away as a club and really just yeah, figure out what we need to improve on. Obviously they've got a new this new coach coming in, so they've got to make that decision.
Has reported everywhere.
The front runner is Airton Andreoli from the youth team. He's I guess been doing his apprenticeship for a long time and there's question marks people are saying, you know, does he have the I guess the capabilities to be with men. He's obviously been with youth news teams a lot, but I think, you know, if you don't give someone a chance, how are you ever going to find out? And obviously he's helped massively develop a lot of the young boys coming through the same way that Cole did. And look how amazing Cole was for us for five seasons. So if they go down that path, I think it's, you know, a well deserved job and someone that's worked very hard to kind of get this chance. So and if they go somewhere else, I'm sure you know he'll be involved still.
So it's a decision that's above above my head.
But I think think as a player and everyone involved in the club, it's great if they can kind of announce that as quick as possible, so you really can start to plan for next year.
You can sign players, you can keep players.
I guess the other thing that we're about to talk about is who do we think is going to stay, who's going to go? We had our awards night last night, so still a lot to talk about with the Reds. But yeah, the most disappointing thing is that we don't get to talk about who we're playing this week.
Yeah, and that is unfortunate.
And might I add as well, the women knocked out two in their semi final series against Victory, so they and what was a pretty amazing run this.
Year, finished their best finish ever. They got their first ever.
Finals win and then to make it through the semis and fight valiantly was great to see. So congrats to the ladies. They've finished with their best ever Women's A League season. But you referenced the awards night last night for the club chance to celebrate and acknowledge a lot of the great individual performances. And I would only assume that Carlvitt got a chance to speak to the playing group one last time.
Yeah, he did, and it was it was a very emotional speech, to be honest, I think he just spoke about his love for the club and the desire and the want to win has never been stronger. And that was always there. And you know, he he grew up wanting to be a professional player. He represented his country. You know, he was representing this club when it was first formed. He was there from the first kick. And now he's, as he said, he's finding it or was finding it really difficult last night to say goodbye because this club has been such a big part of his life as a player, then as a coach, and he said he didn't want to say goodbye because you know, he wants the door to always be open for him to be welcome back at this club. And I think I was speaking actually with my wife on the way here about him and about USA and Huve, And it's so difficult because you know, you finished playing or you finished coaching, and all of a sudden, you know, you lose a part of you.
You lose a family that you would going to every day.
Like we spend more time with each other than what we do with our own families, and for a long period of time, you become so close with people and that becomes your your day to day and what you base everything around your identity somewhat as well, So you know, I hope the club will.
I know, for me, if I was making a decision, it.
Would be the door is always open for Cole to come there and sit in the stands and watch as a as a fan, as supporter of the club, and he's always welcome because he's someone that I think the club wants South Australians to be involved. They want people to bleed you know, red, blue and yellow for the club and he is someone that does that and he showed his passion throughout the five years to do is a coach and even as a player. So you know, we need to recognize these guys and we need to keep them part of the family because you know, you just never know when a door may be open. Maybe it's not as a coach, maybe it's something to do with the club in the future.
But you know, he's been a.
Great ambassador for the club and you know, I think all the players will miss him. It's just the harsh reality of sport that you know, you can't stay somewhere forever. So it was great to hear from him one last time and then moving on to the winners on a brighter note it was great to see. For the for the women's team, you had Ella Tonkin who got the Players Player of the Year, who.
Had an amazing season.
And then the the alleg Vidmar Award for the women's side went to Aaron Healey, the American. We had her on the show a few weeks back and I said, actually to my wife, just as there about I said, Aaron Healey's won this. I don't know if you can bet on it, but not that I was probably allowed to, but if you could have, I should have.
Put money on it.
I think she was one of the great stars of that she was she was I think whenever you watched her, she was the difference maker for that team.
And hopefully she sticks around for another season and can build on that.
And then on the boys' side, Panakis won the Players Player, which is I think an unbelievable achievement, you know, for a young player that's you know, played his.
First proper season last year.
He played a little bit towards the end, but he had an amazing season. He won the Asian Couple the under twenty Australia team will go away with that team and I'm not sure if we're going to be able to hold on to him because he's had such.
A good year.
And then the winner of the alleg Vidmar Award was Allig. So there was a few allegations in the house last night. Richie is dad as well in dialogic, who's obviously, you know, a very very famous name for the women's side. And I think he's just gone from you know, one one place to the next in terms of how he's developed his game, and he's he's a great kid, and I think, you know, to be honest, that's if I was his dad, I'd be so proud of yes, winning this award, but I'd be proud of the person that he is. And I think that's that's a testament to his family of how they've raised him. And I'm sure he'll probably be another one, maybe re lose.
A great legacy in the state though, so he wouldn't want to lose him.
So, speaking of losing.
Players and retaining players, a player movement, it's the off season, We're expecting it.
It's what happens in this game.
So who are the sort of the prospects and what are the prospects looking like for us in this offseason?
Yeah, well, the rumors are that Craig Goodwin's coming back. I don't know if that's been confirmed yet.
That is a very strong room, by the way, Yeah, it's I.
Think it's been flirting about for a while and I think it's it was kind of pretty obvious.
I think it just makes sense.
Yeah, he loves Adelaide. He's been amazing for the club. He's gone away for a couple of seasons and cashed in and he only wants to come back to one place. So you assume the deal will get done and I think he'll be a great signing for us to show. You know, yes, we were lacking, probably weren't lacking goals this year, but you get someone like him. He's going to add even more quality and attacking third.
But I think you know you lose is certain.
Howvey too experienced players, so you need to you need to replace that with players that you know, Yes they're going to be good on the field on matchday, but just in the training ground, you know players that come in they do the right things. That for me is just as important, and that's what you get with Craig. You get someone that's played at a very high level involved with the soccer ruse and if he does come back to us, you know, it's also kind of sending a message out to any other players that the club's talking to about trying to sign here and bring to us, well, we mean business. We want to sign players that are going to make us stronger. So fingers crossed they can announce that one soon because I think that with the head coach will be a really positive thing to kind of go into the off season and then players leaving. Obviously, I said, I istern how you're retiring. I'm not sure what's going with the other boys off contract. I think you've got Elsie, Ryan Tunnercliffe, Josh Cavallo, Bailey O'Neil are the only ones off contract. So it's actually going to be probably a small turnover in terms of that, which is great players that are on contract.
Obviously everything has a number.
Yes, we want to keep a lot of players, but at the end of the day, you know, a club needs to be fine, actually viable, and transfers are a big thing that this club's done really well. I think Cole said he's brought in not him personally, but you know, on his watch, ten million dollars through the doors from transfers, which is remarkable.
It's a record, yeah, it's It's.
Something that I think the club needs to focus on because at the end of the day, we don't have a TV right steal and sponsorship like AFL or rugby league or cricket, so we need to actually do it in other ways, and transfers is a massive one.
You know, you can sell for me.
If I'm looking at panikichianas as a million euros you're getting for him, which is close to two million in Australian allegance, is probably not far behind that. You've got actually Goodwin that's probably the same, if not a bit more, Johnny ew and Luca who obviously won with the under twenty Australia team. Those two players, you know, I think they've maybe got one more year on their contract. So if you don't sell them now you have to re sign them or you maybe lose them for free. So all these decisions come into it. You don't want to lose too many players. But at the same time, you know, if offers come in, you have to kind of be like well, as an individual player, you've got ambitions to get better, to improve your game, to go to that next level, and the club also wants to kind of respect that and kind of give the pathway. And then we've got the next ones coming through. You know, Harry Crawford and Ryan White who won the Young or the Youth Players of the season.
You've got plenty more in the youth team. Joey Garuccio is coming through.
I'm lanning tattoo Faso Kasumovich that there's a lot of good players.
An incredible blessing though to have good depth, because it's all good and well to say you've got a bit of depth and there's some good youngsters around.
But when you've actually got.
Quality depth, quality youth, then you're able to make those decisions a bit more freely.
And I think we need to get even even though we've been unbelievable, I think we need to get even better. And that's the relationship with Football South Australia and Adelaide United.
At the moment, we take the players from Football South Australia, but we don't really have a lot of us say in their development.
They're doing an amazing job, so we probably don't need to worry because you know, rich Alliagicch is involved there and Mike Cooper and some great people there. But I think it would make a lot more sense if we could connect the two, allow them to have better coaches as well more coaches, and if we can connect them earlier Adelaide United Football so Australia, we're the only professional club here. It just makes a lot of sense. And then we can actually kind of get them even better. We can maybe send them on tours. They can understand how we want to play, what the standard's like. So for fourteen year old's coming through and he turns fifteen and you're like, you know, this kid's good enough. He comes and trains with the first thing because you've seen him and he knows he's doing the same training drules with the under sixteens or the eighteens or the reserves, he can.
Come straight to us.
I think having that clear pathway is an important thing and that's something that they're working on. We need all parties to kind of come to the table with that one. But we are very fortunate and I think a lot of other clubs around the country have looked at us and where we're probably the benchmark with that doesn't mean that we can't get better there, right.
No, absolutely not.
And the ruthlessness for excellence is what I absolutely love in that sort of mission statement you've put forward there for the club. So it's a look an exciting off season for what it's worth. There's lots to sort of build up for for next season, but unfortunately it's the end of the road for season twenty four to twenty five.
Just before we do.
Go to a quick break, I want to mention the A League Means semi finals that are coming up, so Melbourne victory in Auckland will go here to hit for a shot at the Grand Final, as were Western United and Melbourne City. I want to get your thoughts around what's left in that side of the season.
Are you even watching it?
Are you have you got any interest in it? Because I can only I fully understand if you just wanted to switch the Telly off and just not care blackout from the rest of the season.
No, I still do like watching it, to be honest, I am.
I am hurt.
Obviously, it's not the same feeling like I watched Western Sydney against Victory on Saturday night and if we had won and we knew that that could have been one of the teams we played in the final. Potentially you're watching it in a completely different manner.
But I'm still a football fan.
I still want the game to grow and I think, you know what, it's an extra viewership on this, so it's good for the ratings.
One extra rate thing is going.
To be the difference between that new TV there will being a billion dollars or one hundred million maybe, But no, I do enjoy I love I love the league. I love watching the games. I know a lot of the players that are still in there, so you have that attachment to it. But it is harder, I'm not going to lie, it is harder to watch it, and probably the final is the hardest to watch because that's when there's actually silverware on the line and you're like, could have been us, but it's not.
And I'm sitting here with my feet up on.
The couch like every other punter. But now, yeah, yeah it does. We've you can wind out, Yeah we can, we can and maybe a nice, a nice steak in a red wine while watching the games makes up for makes up for not being out there. But Western United against Melbourne City, I think Melbourne City Bengrouche, my best mate will not be happy with me saying that, But I think Melbourne City will win. I think they're defensively too solid. They've conceded twenty five goals only this year, the lowest in the league.
Wow.
I just I think it will both.
Let will be.
It could be a zero zero the first game, in a one nil in the second one. I just think Melbourne City maybe have that little bit of quality with your Cohen, your Quaine, your Tillio, You're Lecky, who's coming back. I just you know, no A Bostic scored a hat trick against us last week, so it's not saying that they don't have quality, you know.
But I just think in this game it's going to be such small.
Margins and I feel like Melbourne City maybe have a little bit more attacking threat that can kind of score something out of nothing.
I hope I'm wrong, but I know as well. Ben. You know, I've got his wedding in June.
His flights Dune first, and the Grand Finals thirty first of May, so he's going to have to move his flight if he makes the final, so there's a silver lining if he loses. But I think Western United would be worthy finalists if they do win. This they finished third by you know what, it was one point. I think they missed out on the second place, so it was so close between them and Melbourne City. And then the other leg, I was very surprised victory actually beat West Sidney. West Sydney had been on a twelve unbeaten streak and you know.
They were the better team on the day by far.
And I think they have what I was just talking about, that attacking thread in your Asani, You've Vlu, You're mccutch, Virgos, Forna, role E, Piscopo Santos. There's just so many players, whether they're on the bench of starting, that can kind of win them a game. But Auckland have just been so solid the whole season. Their way they play is to win, no mistakes. They've built a squad to win a championship. They said they wanted to win within three seasons. They've won in the first year. They've got the Minor Premiers and I think they'll go on to be the winners in the Grand Final. I think they've been the best side, most consistent side, and I think you know their their crowd, they've already had maybe I think twenty odd thousand tickets sold for their game next week extraordinary. They've expanded the stadium actually by an extra three thousand seats the APL for that game, and I think the finals maybe five thousand. So there've been a shining light this year in the league in terms of attendance, as TV ratings, performances. How to kind of set up a club for success, So I think they deserve it.
Well, we'll see how it all plays out. Indeed, okay, it's the World Game. We'll take a quick break. Stephen mork will join us with Mornicks the World Game with.
Stephan Mark on five double A.
Welcome back to the World Game.
We'll take you to five DOAA football coverage in Darwin after we are done here tonight.
But of course you can buy any car from Southern.
Cherry to go in the draw to win a year's worth of groceries T twenty five Slash seven seven.
Great deal with Southern Cherry.
Let's get into our MPL is a local update. There has been a fair bit of football recently around the place. What can we can we take away from the most recent results.
Stepan, well, it was a few big results.
Campbelltown again on the winners list a one nil win against Adelaide City, which was a big one because obviously Campbelltown, the powerhouses they are, they've been struggling. They've got a I would say a lucky win against Adelaide United when they went down to ten men, but then to back it up with another win against Adelaide City, who was sitting in second place, is has probably made them be able to say they're turning the corner. They have lost Mark Marino, the the star striker who did do his hammy, and he's going to be away because he's actually coming to Mikinos with us as well, so I don't know if he's been doing too much upper body Jym and Forward, I know it's not good. We're taking Giorgio Dougherty from Modbridgetts as well and they've lost on the weekend, so their coach wouldn't be happy. But the Calor beat mod Bridgett's one nil and they're actually really struggling Modbury as well. They're another one them in Campbelltown who I probably would have been tipping for a you know, fighting for top spot. Both of them have really underperformed and I don't think it just shows how even the league is because you look around Raiders Parry Hills, they drew to all Playford who got promoted absolutely flying up in third place, they'd be Adelaide United Youth team three to one, White City.
Also three to one.
Again it's Croydon and then Metro Stars five to one against the Comets. So yeah, you'd say, now it's only a three point gap Metro Stars to Adelaide City in first and second. But I would say you can kind of start to see now the consistency of Metro Stars. I think they're going to be the team that runs away with this, you know, play for it on sixteen, White City, fifteen Adelaide you know, to fourteen Kembetown thirteen. It's very close after that. But you know, we're close to halfway through the season. I think Metro Stars it. They've just they've only lost one game so far and I just don't see them losing losing too many more. So, Yeah, very interesting to see obviously how it plays out. But yeah, it can change very quickly. In saying that, obviously with the separate competitions, with the cup competitions and everything like that, the multiple games. But I guess this this week and tomorrow night we have Campbelltown by Raiders modriv play for it on your Friday night. On Saturday we have Croydon the Metro, Para Hills, White City, and then on Sunday we have the Comets Viba Color and the youth team of Adelaide United against Adelaide's City and that game is actually being held up in Barossa.
So nice.
I think it's the facility next to where they had the footy for gather around.
Yes, it's brand new space.
So it looks unbelievable.
I saw on the drone footage when the footy was on and it looked great, and I heard they were playing, So I might even go up for maybe for a lunch, go to a winery and then stick around for the game, because yeah, it's great, you know obviously for us, you know, playing where Adelaide United, but you know, Adelaide is small, so you can go to these regions like Barossa and hopefully you know, by going out there, or maybe we can do some stuff in pre season, we can get some fans to come down more regularly for games because it's great, you know, to get around and let you know the kids in the area be able to see us in the flesh, and I think a few boys will actually be up there, some first team players kind of signing autographs and stuff. So big thanks to Barrossa for allowing us to come up there and kind of experience the new space.
Now, just before we get going tonight, do want to give and pay the credit to a man who's been under pressure all season long but finally gets himself a moment in the spotlight. So let's hope it in is really well for Ange Posta Coogloo and Tottenham. They're into the Europa Final. They'll take on Manchester United, what's.
That next week?
So this is a huge opportunity because it has been a bit of a dismal Premier League season, but in the Cup he least he's had a couple of really deep runs I suppose to Sami's in the Caravell and now in the Europa Final, now for this opportunity.
Yeah, And it's kind of yeah crazy because he came out with the big statements saying he always wins things. In the second year, he kind of tried to backtrack from those comments and say, well, it's a fact, I'm not saying that I'm going to I'm just saying I've always done it before, because he started to struggle a lot and the pressure.
Was heaped on him. Then they lost in the.
Carrabell Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League. You know, they're sitting in seventeenth top which is incredible, but they're in a final Europa League final against Men United, who are another team that is sitting in sixteenth spot in the Premier League. Similar timeline this year, yes, very similar to these two clubs.
Massive clubs but really struggling.
And this is the difference between being able to say this season was okay or this season was an absolute disaster for both these clubs. Because you win this game, you get Champions League football. I think it's wrong. I don't think you should be able to win the Europa League and get Champions League. I think you win Europa League, you get Europa League again. That's my opinion. Sure, but I'm not the one that makes these decisions, am I. I'm not working at YUAFA. They've decided the rules and if you win this, you know the money financially that you get because a financial fair play is massive because it means your revenues up and attracting players. You want to attract some of the best players to come and play for you. It's very difficult to do if you don't have Champions League football, European in football for that fact, So Man United in Tottenham, if they want to rebuild, they want to sign players and good quality players. You need to be able to financially. One, you need to get the backing of the board for them to give you the money. But too you need to be within the realms of financial fair play. So the more your money you turn over and revenue, the more you can spend. And then you need the players to want to come to your club. Yes you're big clubs, but if you're not playing in Europe, they'll choose someone else.
So massive I hope and wins.
If he wins, maybe he walks out and says, you know what, I don't want to be here.
I'm done. I'm happy with the silverware.
I'll go somewhere else.
Or maybe they say, you know what, you want a trophy. We'll give you another year and we'll back you and we'll give you a bit more money.
We know you had a lot of injuries.
I'd be stunned if you walked.
But I can totally see what you've just sort of proposed there as you know what, the stress isn't worth it. But I mean you're coaching a Premier League club. Of course there's going to be stress and pressure. Like it's just what you get even if you were a third. Sure there'll be some congratulatory but at the same time, the pressure is still, the heat is on. So I would like to think that he he pushes this. He's a tough guy. He'd want to be there as long as he possibly can and chase as much success as he can.
You'd think so, because there's no guaranteeing you ever get a chance in the Premier League again, exactly. He maybe goes out and goes to Italy or Spain or Greece or Saudi Arabia or wherever he goes, and he can come back to the Premier League. I'm not saying he can't, but it's very difficult to get in there. And once you're in there, you're at a big club like Tottenham, you don't want to just throw that away.
So let's see.
Let's see big, big game next week and I think Tottenham will win. You think I think three ones to Tottenham and Man United. Their fans will be distraught, and Tottenham fans will get their first trophy and what is it forty odd years or something like that, so they can then say, oh, they've had a more successful season than Arsenal apparently because we won a trophy and we got Champions League the same as you.
And I'll let him have that. Because of Ange, because of the Australian I'll let him have that.
Don't get too filthy, flies over to Europe like you wanted. All right, mate, we are out of time tonight, but we will see you next Thursday evening as we continue on our journey through the world game. But mate, enjoy the week. I know it'll be a little different you're not playing, but enjoy it. Nonetheless, the off season begins. You can put your feet up a little bit at the at the very least. Mate, Thanks for coming once again tonight. We'll be back next Thursday night from six o'clock.
Enjoy your evening.
