A-League Hope alive and kicking for Tassie young gun

Tasmanian National Training Centre (NTC) player Josh Hope has shot himself onto the radar of A-League clubs, dominating for Tasmania to win Player of the Tournament at last week’s NTC Challenge.



The NTC Challenge pits the brightest young football stars from across the country against each other in a week long tournament in Canberra. In what was Tasmania’s finest ever finish at the NTC Challenge, Hope starred for Tasmania catching the eyes of Football Federation Australia and A-League technical staff, seeing him selected in the NTC All Star Team and ranking him as the best performer of the competition.

The 16 year old has had a fine year in the NTC in 2014, scoring 19 goals from 19 games in the Victory Development League, and playing a major part in the state's NTC Challenge success, with his 1 v 1 work a real highlight of a dominant individual tournament.

“Josh had an outstanding tournament, and fully deserved his plaudits,” said FFT Technical Director Spencer Prior.

"He worked unbelievably hard for the team when not in possession and when he had the ball he dominated his opponents.

"It’s been commented on that he runs with the ball to much, but we gave him and every player licence to express themselves during the week and his ability to beat defenders is something we’re very slow developing in Australia,” said Prior.

The attacking midfielder was part of a Tasmania team that finished the highest they have ever finished at the major national tournament. Highlights of Tasmania’s strong campaign were a 1-0 victory over 2013 Champions South Australia and a draw with powerhouses Football New South Wales. Hope was central to the team’s success, helping them to finish at their highest ever position, at sixth on the traditional match points table and fourth on the technical points table, in which teams are ranked on their style of football.

FFT Technical Director Spencer Prior believes the standout display may open doors for Hope at the next level.

"Not only did other Member Federation Technical Directors and Coaches comment on how well Josh (Hope) played, but he also drew many positive comments from both A-League scouts and National Team staff.

"By putting himself in the shop window at a National Championships, I’m sure this will lead to opportunities to now further his football development at the next level. This is an important part of the three pillars that we follow within the National Curriculum, and shows there’s a clear pathway for talented players within Tasmania.”