I'm sure that any of the highly qualified FFA staff coaches and stakeholders within the local NPL football milieu would look forward to the advice of a paragon of football omniscience like your good self, on where and how Tasmanian football could improve, Lollywood.

A few local NPL teams have beaten some supposed NPL mainland monoliths of Australian football in recent times. They've reached two nationwide NPL Cup finals. The next step, would be  to win them. Your profound  insights could tip the balance for  a national title being awarded to a Tasmanian club!

I believe there are people  involved in Tasmanian football reading this who could  set up a public forum at Football Fed Tas.

Here  you could address FFT's CEO, TD and staff coaches, as well as the NPL club presidents, TDs and NPL coaches at FFT HQs, with sage advice on how to improve Tasmanian football, Lollywood.

I was talking to your parole officer  the other day, Lollywood.

In the interests of your rehabilitation  and transition to life outside the jail system, he thought an altruistic  gesture would be to try and assimilate you into the community with people of good standing. The first objective is for you to last two hours without exposing yourself to  members of the public.

In the interests of developing a better society and to successfully transition degenerates into the wider community,  the offer of a drink still stands, Lollywood.

I asked him to provide football performance criteria  for sacking a previous coach.

At the beginning of one season there was  an impressive presentation  about  a long term plan, etc, etc. It was jointly delivered by the NPL coach, Chris Hey, and Olympia president, George  Mamacas.

Then on a whim, Mamacas sacked Hey about 6 months later!

 Mamacas  never publicly produced any football performance  rationale for sacking Hey. 

Have you had time to updated new rangers kit? You have done a quality job so far.

Last night lowly Kingborough beat Hobart Zebras 1-0. Zebras were hoping to be one point off the top position on the ladder  by winning last night's match.  Wasn't at the game, but  apparently the win was against the run of play with Zebras having the ascendancy for most of the match .

Tommy Fotak took over the head coaching role at Zebras from  recently departed FFV TD, David Smith, this week.

Mark Broadbent took over the head coaching role from Gabriel Markaj at Kingborough in the last week too. In terms of knowledge Broadbent has to be one of the best coaches in the league, but has never had sufficient quality cattle in his previous tenures with Knights and Borough.

In terms of strips, when I attended the Zebras/Olympia fixture last week, they were too much like each other in differentiating players and teams. 

Decentric,

In terms of a future national second division, if it was to take the form of an expanded NPL, in your opinion which of the Tassie sides would be best equipped financially to compete?

We have seen some of them can compete in one off cup matches but would any of them be able to be sustainable over a whole season?

Would their ever be any chance of a combined effort from the NPL sides and/or FFT?

South Hobart surely. Maybe Olympia. Im guessing btw. Maybe just pro rel regardless. Surely the added exposure of being in a national second tier will negate any current financial situations that clubs in tas find themselves in. 

La liga on steroids. 

Yesterday watched South Hobart beat Olympia 6-2 on a decent pitch at Darcy St.

There was decent possession football played by both sides.

South were sharper in attack.They squeezed better and pressed higher up the pitch, forcing Olympia into making hurried decisions.

Olympia's Hill and Undy played their best games for the club. Hamlett and Thomas had their best games for South. 

South also had luck.


The crowds are increasing in size. I was late and couldn't get a seat in the main stand as it was full. Ditto last week at FFT HQ, KGV

Good questions I don't know the answers to, Big Poppa.

In HAL 2 I think a Tassie team could be competitive over a whole season.

The problem is if any existing big club in the south, such as South, Olympia or Zebras played HAL 2, other teams' supporters hate them and wouldn't attend games. If they did, they would support the  visitors!

This round's results.

Zebras lost to Kingborough 0 -1.

South Hobart beat Olympia 6 - 2.

Devonport Strikers beat Launceston City 1-0.



Clarence are due to play Northern Rangers today on what will be a muddy pitch. 

Really appreciate the report Decentric! They're a fascinating read.

I've had a slightly quieter social weekend  than usual, so I've been able to catch up with more NPL football. Just watched two of the lower teams on the table, Clarence at home against Northern Rangers.

The standard was quite good.  Usually I'm looking at everything  that could be improved, but a few pleasing features were:

* Rangers played some slick football in possession. They used their right flank effectively when they gained possession of the ball in central midfield. In the Attacking Transitions they played some nice one and two touch football. The first goal they converted, with Riley Darrant scoring a looping header, was a result of some decent Proactive football from the back of the pitch to the front.

* Clarence were more effective in Ball Possession Opposition in disturbing Rangers' build ups. They also won more of the 1v1 physical rules. They outmuscled Rangers.

*  Clarence's number 8, a Pom called George Hallard, used a beautiful La Croqueta to split the defence open one occasion. Other  than that his best feature was a huge booming voice with gratuitous advice for the ref and his more talented team-mates!

* I was pretty impressed by Rangers' number Harry Thannhauser's one touch passing and decision-making in midfield. He started many build ups.

* Both teams, particularly Rangers, featured a lot more outside of the foot receiving, and dribbling, than in most Tasmanian NPL games. Players were far more able to turn their markers as they received, and, beat players with shoulder feints when they ran at defenders.

Rangers won 3-2.
 
Both teams' first goals were spectacular - Rangers' from effective build up play and a headed goal. Clarence's with a long range strike from well outside the box.

I think Darren Cook, awarded amateur coach of the year in Oz a few years ago, is Ranger' assistant coach. He is an excellent  youth coach and a terrific exponent of coaching passing football.

One nice gesture was rugged Clarence CB Paul Stevens, playing alongside the equally rugged CB Matt Lewis,  flattened Jin Seog Yong with a bone jarring tackle. The  thud  could be heard from one end of the pitch to the other. He got little ball and a lot of Jin!  Stevens immediately apologised, picked him up off the turf, shook his hand and was genuinely concerned about Jin's well being. He escaped any card, but conceded the foul.



The new FFA coaching methodology has really benefited Tasmanian football. There is a lot more possession based football on show. A few years ago nepfre the NPL state league it was mainly kick and rush hoofball.

You're welcome.

Oh so thats who you are big poppa ;) 
Thanks for liking the streams on facie brother. 

Hi mate i'm Benjamin Smith that liked the live streams on Facebook. I'm not big poppa I just seen a while ago that he made graphics and I asked him to make NPL TAS kits so that my profile picture of Facebook. I don't know who bigpoppa but seems a good bloke.

Check your PM.

This week's round saw:

Olympia 3, Kingborough 2.

Clarence 0, South Hobart 6.

Northern Rangers 2, Launceston City 1.

Zebras 0, Devonport Strikers 1.


Kingborough has just played two of the southern 3 powerhouses away from home in the last three weeks, beating one, Zebras, and losing by the solitary goal to the other, Olympia. Borough coach, Mark Broadbent, is a very good coach who has never previously had the cattle.



The animosity between the five southern NPL clubs is much fiercer than between HAL fans on here. Given how so many players and coaches change from one club to another regularly  from season to season, I'm surprised how one eyed and hostile the hard core supporters are when they post on Walter Pless's blog.

Pless hosts in excess of 1500 individual posters per day ATM. At one stage it had 3 000 visitors per day a few seasons ago.

Surprisingly, Eduardo Castenada, has left the National COE and is now on the bench for South Hobart's senior NPL team.

Many of us watched him play for the Joeys.

Tyler  Fischer has left the Devonport Strikers to play for Victorian NPL side Avondale Avengers.

He has scored 11 goals out of 12 games played in the Tasmanian NPL this season.

Only 24 years old too! could go well if given the opportunities. Craig Carley left the avengers to come back to the Suns, and geeze we really needed him back!!

FFA Cup Final result: Olympia 4, Knights 2.


Women's Final:  Hobart Zebras 1, Launceston City 0.

This last week I've seen the highest standard game I've seen in Tasmania from both teams.

Devonport beat Olympia 2-1 at Warrior Park.

It featured some good football from both teams.

 Chris Gallo is coaching Devonport to play  some good football. Ditto Kenny Weston with Olympia.

1 all draw tonight between Zebras and Olympia. Can definitely see the investment coming to fruition in the NPLT. May have also helped with p&r

Didn't attend this game due to social commitments. It was cold too.

Hoping to attend Kingborough /Northern Rangers today. 

Scenes. 

NPL Tasmania standings after round 14:
1 South Hobart 14 12 0 2 57 12 45 36      
2 Devonport Strikers 14 11 1 2 44 17 27 34      
3 Hobart Olympia 14 9 2 3 44 21 23 29      
4 Hobart Zebras 14 6 4 4 33 11 22 22      
5 Northern Rangers 14 4 3 7 16 32 -16 15      
6 Kingborough Lions 14 2 4 8 12 44 -32 10      
7 Clarence United 14 2 2 10 12 51 -39 8      
8 Launceston City 14 1 2 11 13 43 -30 5
 
Round 15 schedule:
Saturday 2.00pm Kingborough Lions v Hobart Zebras
Saturday 4.30pm Launceston City v Devonport Strikers
Saturday 4.30pm Northern Rangers v Clarence United
Sunday 2.00pm South Hobart v Olympia Warriors

Attended this game yesterday.

Borough were leading 1-0 until the conceded a penalty in the 92nd minute.

It was a most enjoyable game to watch. Borough only have one remaining import since Gabriel Markaj's sacking. Mark Broadbent has them playing much better as a team unit.

What Borough fans told me at the game was that he relinquished the the NPL job this season to concentrate on the Borough academy. I think Broadbent has written a uniform club philosophy that is permeating all ranks of the club.

There are a lot of young players at Borough. They seem to have a much bigger quota of locally developed players in their squad. If Broadbent stays with them for a few more seasons, he has been appointed for two more, if Borough can find someone to do the development as well as Broadbent, they could be a force in another year or so.

I've trained with most of the NPL coaches. Broadbent is unequivocally one of the most knowledgeable Tassie NPL coaches from working with Dean May  and Kenny Weston, former NTC coaches, for years. 

Zebras played some  slick football at times. Jayden Hay was outstanding at RB for them.

NPL Tasmania standings after round 16:
1 South Hobart 16 14 0 2 64 15 +49 42
2 Devonport Strikers 16 11 2 3 46 20 +26 35
3 Olympia Warriors 16 10 2 4 49 24 +25 32
4 Hobart Zebras 16 7 5 4 37 14 +23 26
5 Northern Rangers 16 4 4 8 19 36 -17 16
6 Kingborough Lions 16 2 5 9 13 48 -35 11
7 Launceston City 16 2 3 11 16 45 -29 9
8 Clarence United 16 2 3 11 14 56 -42 9

Round 17 schedule:
Saturday July 22nd 2.00pm Devonport Strikers v Olympia Warriors
Saturday July 22nd 6.30pm Clarence United v Hobart Zebras
Sunday July 23rd 2.30pm Kingborough Lions v Launceston City
Sunday July 23rd 2.30pm Northern Rangers v South Hobart

NPL Tasmania standings after round 17:
1 South Hobart 17 15 0 2 67 17 50 45      
2 Hobart Olympia 17 11 2 4 51 24 27 35       
3 Devonport City 17 11 2 4 46 22 24 35      
4 Hobart Zebras 17 8 5 4 42 14 28 29      
5 Northern Rangers 17 4 4 9 21 39 -18 16      
6 Launceston City 17 3 3 11 19 46 -27 12      
7 Kingborough Lions 17 2 5 10 14 51 -37 11      
8 Clarence United 17 2 3 12 14 61 -47 9
 
round 18 schedule:
Friday July 28th 8.00pm Hobart Zebras v Olympia Warriors
Saturday July 29th 2.30pm Devonport City v Northern Rangers
Saturday July 29th 2.30pm Launceston City v Clarence United
Sunday July 30th 2.30pm South Hobart v Kingborough Lions*
 
*if South Hobart win next Sunday against Kingborough Lions it will secure them the 2017 NPL Tasmania premiership and a spot in the 2017 NPL national finals.