What to make of the Friendship Cup?

Not too much really. But what better way to kill some time during the flight back to Melbourne than another blog entry?

This year was the 10th instalment of the Friendship Cup which began in early 2005 after the demise of the old dark violent ethnic NSL. Some of you may have done the math and figured out that 2005 to 2016 is more than 10 years, and you are right. The reason for the difference is a 'breakdown in communication' which halted the event for a couple of years, that's not entirely true but we will just leave it at that. 

Knights media team view before the match 

Despite the unpleasant weather, the arrival at the club was a rather pleasant one, seeing many familiar faces and catching up with friends made along the way of the 10 year journey. You could say that things have changed quite some bit since the event first came to Sydney back in 2006. From the club undergoing a few makeovers, to older faces moving on and younger ones emerging.

Knights Fans in 2010

The presence of Knights fans I must admit was also not what it once was, with 30 odd fans making the trek over by bus in 2010 in what was to date the most exciting match in the cups short history, which saw United run out 3 - 2 winners with a goal in the dying minutes. Apart from the scoreline, not too much was replicated this time around, with crowds getting smaller every year and the event maybe, just maybe, not serving the purpose it once did.

For most part of the 90 minutes I wasn't too impressed. The first half didn't see us produce much more than a Jason Hicks free kick which hit the crossbar (more on him later). And we only really got back into the game in the latter stages due to combination of our younger players coming on trying to prove their worth, combined with United either doing the same or being worn out from the heat. To be honest I didn't give the match my 100% attention as I was a little preoccupied trying to swallow my warm can of Toohey's New. Warm because I had to walk half way around the ground in the sun with it, and because I had to get more than one in case they sold out of them like they did with the Corona. I guess serving beer out of a minibar for the whole stadium doesn't help.

Although I wasn't impressed, I'm not overly concerned. Last year saw us go down to them 5 - 0 at home only to go on and win out opening 5 games of the season. But maybe I should be concerned, as we had a very favourable fixture last year and although we didn't have an excellent pre season campaign then, it can't be any worse than the one we had this year. As far as I am aware we are yet to have a hit out against a decent or even any side with our full starting 11. I guess having a few small injuries doesn't help that, but either does not playing anywhere near enough serious opponents, nor does still signing players. Which brings me back to Jason Hicks. I must say it feels rather sweet to have him on our roster. A man that was once hailed as a great signing and exactly what was need in the middle of the park by South Melbourne fans, has now been deemed surplus by the same group of people who act like it's no big deal. Cry me a river, you guys are full of shit. But hey, what's new? 

Hicks joins SMFC

The arrival of Hicks you would assume is the end of our transfer window campaign, however a little birdie may have told me that it ain't other yet. But whether or not another player is brought in or not doesn't really phase me too much. We might not have replaced the quality that departed at the end of last year but that's ok. I think we had an exceptional team then, and for our budget I can't say I expect us to maintain that level of quality every year.   

Mid flight snack

The parmesan paprika bikkies were OK but nothing special. I didn't have any of the tomato salsa dip because it's not my type of thing. Drinks being offered more than 10 minutes later didn't enhance the experience at all. Would much rather have enjoyed the usual cheese and crackers I was served on the way up, where I received a drink at the same time mind you. 

Not sure if it is because I have been quite busy in the off season and haven't had a chance to attend any club events until the Friendship Cup, but this off season seems a bit longer to me than the last few years. In saying that, I cannot wait for Friday nights game. Where win lose or draw, I'll just be happy to be back where I belong.

Why aren't you a member?

After reading the call to arms a few weeks ago, and more recently HNK Hajduk Split explaining why it is important to become a member of the club it really made me wonder why we don't have a lot more members than we currently do. Is it that people don't understand what comes with being aa member, or is just that interest in our club is genuinely that low?

Fans of many clubs around the world would die for what we have. Something perhaps our community can better understand is the ongoing struggle of Dinamo Zagreb fans. A club that has been hijacked by one family for their own financial benefit, and there is almost nothing any of the members can do about it. Something that at our club would not have lasted, because the members hold the power.

How many A-league fans would like to have what we have? I bet there is a fair number of them that would pay any price to own a share of their club. To be able to put their hand up and have their say on what goes on at the club. To decide who should run their club. But they can't. There isn't one person that can walk up to an A-league club, buy a membership of the shelf, and with that own a share of the club and be eligible to vote at general meetings.

Melbourne Knights Back to Back NSL Champions

WE CAN DO THIS! THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE! But for some reason it's like we just don't want it. People don't seem realise how lucky we really are. Our club is at least for me, and may be for a lot of fans, the club that you dream of. A club that through the blood, sweat and tears of it's members and volunteers was built from nothing, was twice crowned the best in Australia, is 100% member owned, and is worth more than most A-league clubs (even with their guaranteed 2.whatever million a year in TV rights).

For as little as $60 a year, you can own your share of the club. The same share as every other member in the club. You can put your hand up and be heard. You can have your say on the future of the club. You can decide who will run the club. The club is in our hands. So why aren't we jumping at it?

With talk of promotion and relegation increasing each day, the chance to return to the top fight and once again be crowned the best in Australia get's closer and closer. If and when that time comes, it is important for the club to be in a strong position, and one of the greatest measures of a club's strength is it's number of members. 

Don't allow our club to die a slow death. Don't wait until it is too late. Stand up, buy a membership, own a part of Australian football history, and most of all be proud to call this club your own. Because that is ultimately what it is!

Pre-season Update

Well I'll be stuffed. Seems that I was a fair way off with some of the things in my last piece. 

Starting with Chris May, who I thought the club would have retained at all costs, has parted ways after not getting the pay rise he was after. I can understand him wanting a pay rise and definitely understand the club not being able to afford it, but what I struggle to understand is why you would make a move like that before securing another club that is willing to pay you more? Who knows, maybe I'm a fair way off again with my prediction, but with the stupid systems in place in the league, it's not so easy for a visa player to pick and choose where he wants to play and how much he wants to play for.

Moving along to Tomislav Uskok who was off to Sydney United for a year before returning to the club, who has pleasantly surprised us all by securing his first A-league contract at Central Coast Mariners. I say surprised because after a few unsuccessful trials, it seemed like he was never going to be given the chance he deserved to prove himself in the nations top division. Will be disappointed if he doesn't return in 2017, but glad he will be playing at the highest level available to him.

Farewell Anth

But perhaps the biggest surprise for me is the departure of Anthony Colosimo. Playing more than 100 games over 7 odd seasons, he was the longest serving player at the club who remained loyal throughout. I'm devastated that the club has decided let him go, but at the end of the day I am sure whoever has made the decision has their reasons. I would like to wish him all the best in the future and he will always be welcome at Somers St.

Oddly enough, one goes and another returns. After getting some much desired game time and finding the back of the net a few times, Jacob has returned to the club for the 2016 season. Let's hope he can hit the same form he was in prior to his latest injury.

I'm not going touch on the other signings for now as to be honest I don't know too much about them. I guess time will tell whether they are up to it or not.

In other news;

Some much overdue improvements are being made around the stadium with the car park behind the grandstand being asphalted, as well as the fence around the pitch being torn down and replaced by a much more attractive shorter version. 

Memberships are out. Not too much has changed with the usual Corporate/Gold/Silver/Bronze staying the same. Should be available for purchase immediately after the new year.

Friendship Cup has been confirmed for Valentines Day weekend up in Sydney. I'll see you all there with your wives/husbands! We haven't done to well in the last couple of years so would be nice to take the trophy back for a change.

And finally, the Knights media team has three new additions for 2016. I'll be eagerly anticipating what Donald and the crew will have in store for us next season.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Stay safe and see you all in 2016!

Call to Arms - Rant!

In a future not too long from now, you come across an old VHS tape marked ‘NSL Grand Final 1995’. Instantly you re-call the old Olympic Park stadium, the smell of flare smoke fills your nostrils and somewhere in the background someone is blowing that long red annoying horn.

Melbourne Knights 1995 NSL GF

You gather your children around, blow the dust off the old video player and tell them about this story of a once great giant of Australian football, Melbourne Croatia.

This scenario scares the living day lights out of me, and mainly because it’s a plausible future for our club. I always envisioned my boys growing up supporting and playing for their local club, a club they could call their own.

When your children ask what happened to this club, what will you say? Will you blame the break-up of the NSL? The changing of the name? or the establishment of the A-League?

There really is only one answer to that question. And it’s YOU.

Yes, I’m being blunt, but it’s absolutely true. What has stopped you from attending games and buying a membership? What is your excuse?

Melbourne Croatia/Knights has been around for generations, it was built by our grandparents not just for a place to gather as a community, but for their children and grandchildren to have something to call their own.

Will you just stand aside and watch this once famous club disappear into a distant memory? Are you happy to just watch and do nothing?

If this club has ever given you an ounce of joy, it’s time to show that you care. Memberships cost as little as attending one A-League game, and ensure the stability and survival of the club. Even if you can’t make it to a game, you can still show your support.

There is no reason why this club can’t stick around for another 60 years, a club you can call your own, a place that feels like home. However it is completely up to you to ensure the future of this club isn’t limited to an old VHS tape. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

#ONELOVEONECLUB

What will be of Melbourne Knights in 2016?

With pre season not too far away and clubs announcing their new arrivals, some might be asking how we are looking for next season. Seems like for whatever reason we like leaving it late or are just a lot more secretive than everyone else. Let's start with looking at last years side.

2015 Keeper of the year Chris May (Photo: Melbourne Knights)

Chris May - Goalkeeper of the year for good reason, had his best season since joining us in 2013 and most will never forget South Melbourne at home. Should be retained.

Ben Surey - Been at the club longest together with Anthony Colosimo, over 100 games and still just as good as ever. Definitely worth retaining.

Milan Batur - Solid in the backline. Grew up with the club, wouldn't expect see him playing anywhere else.

Tomislav Uskok - Already in Sydney and returning in 2017, will be missed in the middle of the park. Do we look for a 1 year replacement? Probably.

Christopher Talajic - Struggled with injuries prior to this year, performed well enough. Should be pushing for a starting place every week if he can stay injury free.

James McGarry - Quality player. Recovered well after his injury in 2014. Will be useful in the middle of the park next year.

Marijan Cvitkovic - Has proven he can be the best player in the state when injury free. Will be an asset if he can stay fit for most of season.

Anthony Colosimo - Longest serving player with Ben. Been pretty consistent over the years. Doesn't belong anywhere else.

Ivan Grgic - Worked his way to the top pretty fast. Will be a long term player unless he takes the next step.

Rodrigo Covarrubias - Will unfortunately struggle to get a starting position with Stipo as the preferred lone striker. Good to have as a back up.

Alex Dao - Can't see him as a regular starter. With a few signings might not even make the bench if he is still around.

Rob Zadworny - Great mid season pick up and good replacement for Alinejad. Look forward to him running a muck next season.

Josh Brekalo - Did very well after the switch from the lower state leagues. Should be pushing for a starting place most weeks if he can keep the same form and injury free.

Michael O'Farrell - Don't get to see much of him, always hard with a second keeper. Not really a position I am too concerned about.

2015 Melbourne Knights B&F Stipo Andrijasevic (Photo: FFT)

Stipo Andrijasevic - Worthy winner of the club B&F. Took the piss most weeks and frequently found the back of the net after Barisic departed. Would definitely have him as number 1 striker for 2016.

From what I can gather everyone that we want to retain will more than likely be retained, which is a good start. 

There some to be a few disgruntled people down at North Geelong who are claiming that we have swooped for more than one of their players in the off season, which is fair enough considering we already snatched Zadworny mid season. But I guess it's better that they are coming to us rather than going to any other NPL side, especially if they have already spent some time at the club as juniors. Ideally we would send a couple of fringe players down to help them out, but it's not easy to convince someone to leave the Knights and head out to Geelong 3 or 4 times a week to play a division lower. But judging by the depth of the squad last year and the injury plague the year before, it doesn't seem like a luxury we can afford at the moment anyway.

And in coaching news, I would suggest Stabba and Frank are hanging around as I haven't heard otherwise.

Let's just hope we start seeing some good news popping up in our news feeds in the coming weeks, as with the addition of a couple of quality starting players, we should definitely be up there again in 2016.

Melbourne Knights 2015 AGM Wrap

Thanks to our newest contributor Nemo for this write up. 

The old 'Batcave'

Last Friday, the Melbourne Knights held their Annual General meeting in the now known Knights Gym. For me though, it will forever be familiar as the ‘ Batcave’. A gathering venue for the more passionate supporter to wet their whistle before and after the game, talk about the glory days and wait for the opposition bus to arrive/depart, to wish luck to our opposition in our more colourful language. 

The new gym

Those days are a distant memory now, and the disappointment of walking into the ‘Batcave’ and discovering only 35-40 people in attendance is disheartening. Scanning the room, you recognise everyone by name or by face, the same people that rain, hail or shine are there at every game, supporting their club…true supporters. 

The first main talking point of the night, Melinda Cimera announcing that after six long years, she has decided to step down from her role as Secretary.  We should all be thankful for her commitment and dedication to the club, volunteering many hours to a role which give so little back. 

Ange Cimera gave his take on the season, citing that he believed despite the disappointment of the game against Hume, and South Melbourne in the cup, it was a successful season. Our home form was magnificent this year. Ange posed the question what more could the supporters ask of the team, only 2 losses at home all year and still a bare stadium week in week out. He was right. What excuse do the fans have? The irony being that our lowest attendance of the season was for our biggest win of the season (5-1 v Werribee). 

He may have his doubters and some critics, but those who pay attention can see the passion he holds for the club. Like in previous years, Ange has offered his role to anyone that was willing to take it, stating that he would love to see some new young faces on the board, but if no one steps up he won’t leave the club in the dark. One thing he said has been stuck in my head since that night, out of all the eligible voting members we have, it is left up to the minority of approximately 10% to decide the future and direction this club is to take. Do 90% of our members not even care to hear how our club is truly performing, are these the same people that bemoan our on pitch performances, coaching/player selections and committee members? Unsurprisingly, no-one in the room questioned Ange… 

Next on the agenda was finances, and whilst I won’t mention the specifics (attend the meeting if you want specifics), what is clear is how well our season went on the pitch. We compete in a league where player wages are highly inflated and the Player points system is abused. Out of all the clubs in the top 6, my guess is we were paying the least, probably the bottom four in the league would be closer to the mark. Andrew Marth and co have done well considering. 

The topic of player retention was brought up, and if you have been hiding under a rock you wouldn’t have heard that Tomislav Uskok has departed for Sydney United. Uskok’s absence will be felt, as it was in the elimination final. Rumours have been doing the rounds about several star players being courted by opposition clubs, some deja-vu with a gun striker being linked to a greek-cypriot club for triple wages may remind you of the Visevic saga last year. Ange stated that those rumours were exactly that, and he was more than confident that the core group of players were staying. Ideally I would be more confident if I saw some official news on player retention/signings, as actively as Bentleigh, Port Melbourne and South Melbourne. 

The topic which finally got a rise out of the ‘oldies’(pardon the pun), was Friday night home games this season. The board stated that despite the crowd numbers staying around the same, gate takings for home games was significantly higher when we played on Friday nights as opposed to Sunday afternoon. Obviously the older generation dislike Friday nights, stating that it’s too cold and late to be watching soccer at night, again the irony this time being that this very meeting was on a Friday night. Although the Sunday afternoon game is a historic tradition for our club, I can see the need for change. Sunday’s are littered with family events and house chores, we also compete in a time slot against other local clubs (most notably Dinamo) and even our own juniors. Friday night allows for a greater atmosphere, downing some whiskeys without hesitation, and boy does it set up the weekend when we win on a Friday night. The new board will be tasked with attempting to please everyone when it comes to home game fixtures. 

Talking about new boards, we see a familiar face return to the President’s role with Tony Karlusic being nominated and voted in unopposed. Tony last held the role during our NSL season 2000/2001, a season which we knocked Perth Glory out of the finals (following a minor incident). During his short stint, he also had the hard task of removing club legend Joe Biskic as head coach. Majority of the existing board members retained their positions with some new additions which will be formally announced in due time.  

The clear message of the night is one that I will repeat and reiterate, if you support the Melbourne Knights in any way or form; show it by buying a membership! Attend the AGM! This club cannot survive alone on the generosity and commitment of the few. It is time for the next generation of supporters to ensure this club survives another 60 years. Regardless of how many games you can attend, the club relies on its Membership for a sustainable future, sign up your partner, sign up your kids, and show your support. This is our club…our home…our heritage, and nobody can take it away from us except ourselves.

How I feel about South Melbourne

A couple of days ago someone commented on my last write up about the Knights 2015 NPLV season. Rather than trying to cram everything into a small reply, I thought it would be easier and more fulfilling to just do a whole write up on the matter. The comment read..

Considering how rich the Knight's history is and how well you write your posts (westofthequarry) - I am confused as to why there is so much mention of South Melbourne and no mention of Bentleigh Greens who were the stand out team in terms of you "not rathering be them".

Would be good to get some insight on your feelings towards other teams.

Firstly, thank you for the compliment on how well I write my posts, I sometimes think I can write half decent stuff so it's good to know that others may think that as well..

Now to make it clear, at the time of that write up South Melbourne had won the Charity Shield, the Dockerty Cup and the Minor Premiership, had qualified for the FFA Cup (making a quit exit like us in 2014) and still had the NPL Victoria and Australia Championships up for grabs. Bentleigh on the other hand had won nothing at all, with their only chance of a title being against South Melbourne for the NPL Victoria Championship. So I would have to strongly disagree that Bentleigh were the standout team when quite clearly it was South Melbourne, even though I am in no doubt that Bentleigh had the best quality team throughout the year.

Still excited about that extension?

Now that the first reason South Melbourne was the team I would 'rather not be' is out of the way, I'll get started on the second. Despite their success this season (as winning the NPLV is a success) as far as I am aware Bentleigh went about their business this year as most teams do, there isn't anything major I can think of where I thought to myself, Jesus Christ that kind of thing would never happen at my club, if it did bla bla bla. But with South Melbourne however, there was more than enough of those. We can begin with the Epifano incident(s). Had Mr Epifano been playing at my club, after the first offence he would probably have been told to leave the club and if not would have been disciplined appropriately. After the second offence, he definitely would have been told to leave the club, and would have received more than a few unkind words from supporters. After the third offence, he would have endured some physical harm at the hands of supporters, who would then question the competancy of the current administration. After the club announced it's excitement of the resigning of Mr Epifano for the 2016 season, a mob armed with torches and pitchforks would have gathered at the Knights head office wanting blood. Now you could just say that we are a bunch of savages, which we very well may be, but we are savages with morals, savages that won't just sit back and watch as the club throws away it's self respect and allows someone to just walk all over it. And for what reason? Because you might have a better chance of winning some stuff with him in the team?

Anyway, one incident (or four) don't make a club what it is. That's why the club went out and announced a make believe partnership with European giants Real Madrid. For those of you who aren't familiar with the story, I'll fill quickly fill you in. A few rounds before the end of the home and away NPLV season, South Melbourne announced the postponement of one of it's fixtures (home match against Hume City), that same day South Melbourne announced it's partnership with Real Madrid with a photo from a few years ago and how the club will have the opportunity to host them over the next few weeks for the money making fan boy tournament. Anyone with half a brain would have put two and two together and figured out that they postponed the match so Real Madrid could use the venue. Right? Wrong! Because it wasn't Real Madrid that was using the venue, it was Roma. And because the club were/are yet to sign off on their lease and social club, there's not too much they could do about the venue being snatched from them by the Victorian Government. I do believe that it would be an honour to have a European giant use your venue as a training base while in Australia, but when it's at the expense of your own fixture and you need to make up a fake cover up story then I think I would pass. And how did the supporters react to this? They thought it was good for the club because the announcement got a lot of impressions on their Facebook page. 

Though I could go on for a lot longer about the shady dealings of the club, I will turn to the final chapter, the supporters. While there is a handful (and as far as I know it's only a handful) of decent supporters, the majority of them are not. I won't go labeling them 'Obsessed Maco's" where they apparently can't see because all Croats have been 'banned', but I will say that they don't deserve any better than their club dishes out to them. After five years of no social club, no stadium lease, Epifano and fake partnerships (that's just this year) they haven't done shit. The decent handful will speak their mind, but it is constantly smeared by people blowing fairy dust over anything and everything the club does.

So there you have it, I hope it's enough of a reason for me to have South Melbourne as the club I would rather not be. If it's not, then you'll just have to accept that they are our main rivals and have hated them ever since I can remember.