Top notch pre-season practiceTuesday, 28 April 2009 by Paul Barbieri, perthglory.com.au / Sportal Perth Glory defender Scott Neville believes the club’s mouth-watering pre-season clashes against English Premiership opponents will be an invaluable learning experience for him and his new team mates ahead of the Hyundai A-League season.

Neville is one of a number of young guns recruited by Perth for the 2009/10 campaign and is jumping out of his skin at the prospect of tackling the top-shelf talent heading to WA.

Perth are scheduled to play the newly promoted EPL side Wolverhampton Wanderers in July and are working to secure another match against a top-flight team in what is shaping to be a football feast for Glory supporters and players alike.


Glory defender Scott Neville
© Getty Images
"It should be entertaining and exciting," said Neville.

"The striker for Wolves, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, he's scored 25 goals this year, it should be interesting to see how good he really is, see his movement off the ball and how fast he is.

"That's what you strive for, to play against those types of players and just try to learn as much as you can. I want to soak in as much information from them because they're obviously pros at the highest level and that's what you’re aiming to achieve," Neville said.

Wolverhampton wrapped up its promotion to England's top tier after securing the Championship crown last weekend and will use the trip to Western Australia as a key pre-season platform from which to launch their assault on the EPL.

The games will also be instrumental in Glory’s 2009/10 preparations as a new look squad hits the field for the West Aussie outfit this season. Neville is one of a new breed of players hungry for success at Perth and few would argue he has the potential to help the Glory achieve a finals spot this season.

Neville was Glory’s 2008/09 National Youth League player of the year and burst onto the Hyundai A-League scene in sensational style with a stunning debut that help inspire a 3-2 home win against eventual Champions Melbourne.

The 20 year old has even more reason to be excited about taking on the international visitors in July after being placed in cotton wool for the month to overcome groin soreness.

"It was just overuse," admitted Neville. "I'd played two or three seasons straight and there was just some moderate impact on the groin around the bone."

"I played a lot of games and was training twice a day last year and I'm still growing so it affected the groin a bit and it basically just needed a rest.

"Luckily it happened right at the end of the season so I could just rest it and make sure I do everything right so now that it's time to come back to training it's good again."

It has been an impressive rise through the ranks for Neville and the youngster hopes his experiences can be a beacon for the many other talented players in the state who are chasing their football dream.

"It's just awesome, anything can happen in football," he said.

"You can have a couple of good games and get spotted and the Youth League is just such a good chance for everyone that plays in it to shine and get their chance in the first team."

"It's just a great opportunity for everyone," he said.

http://www.perthglory.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=27269

Scott Neville's take on the Wolves game. That guy is a jet!

That is mouth watering. Seriously considering jumping on the Perth Glory bandwagon early(untill we get our own team :( )

You should do it! We need some more Perth Glory fans around the country. You can be our away support when we play Sydney at Parramatta!

Glory in the Pilbara
Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Perth Glory players will make appearances at Port Hedland local football clubs and primary schools this weekend and early next week as part of the club’s ‘Glory in the Pilbara’ programme in partnership with club sponsor BHP Billiton Iron Ore.

Port Hedland’s budding young footballers will be taught skills by star Glory players Adriano Pellegrino, Jamie Coyne and Jimmy Downey on Sunday 3rd May before the boys visit local schools on Monday 4th May.

The Pilbara visits continue the following weekend, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May, with players and club officials arriving in Newman for more community interaction.

Perth Glory is entering the second year of a partnership with BHP Billiton Iron Ore which enables the club and Pilbara residents to benefit from community engagement programmes throughout the region.

Football is one of the fastest growing sports in Australia and is the most popular amongst boys and the second most popular with girls. There are more that 300 registered players in Newman, and 200 in Port Hedland.

“It is a real honour to be part of the ‘Glory in the Pilbara’ programme and to be able to make a difference in the community and I look forward to coming up each time,” Pellegrino said.

Last season’s ‘Most Glorious Player’ is an active and dedicated community participant and since moving to WA last year from South Australia Pellegrino has enjoyed exploring the length and breadth of his new home state.

“I came up last year and was amazed at the beauty of the landscape and the passionate following for football and Perth Glory. This year I’m going to try and sneak my fishing rod in as well after some of the guys in Port Hedland promised to take me out for a quick fish,” Pellegrino said with a smile.

“If the time allows I’d definitely like to get out on the water but that’s not the primary focus of this trip. It’s just great to be in the Pilbara and involved with the WA community. It’s very important to give something back and I hope everyone that we meet gets as much out of the programme as we all do.”

One of Perth Glory’s best known and longest serving players, Jamie Harnwell, will be part of the group heading to Newman the following week. Harnwell will be joined by team mates Naum Sekulovski and Wayne Srhoj for a packed two day trip on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of May.

The Perth Glory trio will make use of their time in Newman to assist in the development of local players at junior and senior level while also giving coaches expert advice to ensure the prosperity of the sport in the Pilbara.

“Being able to take football and the club into communities throughout Western Australia is something as players we are passionate about,” said Harnwell.

“We always receive such a warm welcome and it’s fantastic to be part of the continued development of football in the Pilbara,” Harnwell added.