High Flying Rox of Etna Returns to Litis Stadium

                       

           

   Looking ahead: Coach Michael Roki, captain Ashley Rosindale, state team members

        John Migas and Daniel Micevski and assistant coach Peter Vatistas.

As a player and as a coach Michael Roki has done it all in blue and white stripes of Athena and the black and gold of our State team. His achievements are etched in the clubs history and the experiences and memories course through the mans veins and the hearts and souls of all contemporary Athena fans.  

A noted professional amongst his peers and those seeking his guidance to develop into better footballers. After announcing a break from the game in the summer of 2010 and stepping down as Athena coach after a successful stint - the question on the minds of many in the WA football family was when, where and how would Rox return to the presuure cooker of life in the coaching circle?

Well to the surprise of many we did not have too wait long. Within one year Roki has returned to manage arguably one of the most ambitious and results driven clubs of recent times at least – Balcatta SC. In recognition of their historical club name Etna - their club symbol sports an image of an explosive volcano spewing dangerous molten larva into the atmosphere. The results and heights that the club has achieved in 2011 so far have been equally breathtaking. 

With the utmost respect  shown to the man who lives and breathes the game like the greatest football tragic of us all that we can relate to -  it is most fitting that we catch up for a word with Rox. 

A warm welcome back to Litis Stadium for Michael Roki - this time unusually as the opponent coach of the WAPL's best performing side to date - league leaders Balcatta SC.

 Athenista caught up with one of Athena's all time favourite sons for some special comments before the Sunday June 26 2011 clash - Floreat Athena FC vs Balcatta SC.

Hello Michael and thanks for making the time to contribute to the Athenista blog.

Cheers it is a pleasure and big hello to the Athena Army!

It must be very rewarding to be plying your trade again as a senior WAPL coach with your side being in great shape on top of the league. We all know football is a team sport but are there any individuals you wish to single out for special mention that have contributed to this overall very impressive showing to date?

Whilst Burton and Rosindale have scored 10 goals a-piece, the opportunities they have had stem from the work of a team that has been able to control many of our games and also that has defended well to date. I think the team has worked well together as a squad and essentially that’s why we are up with the leaders. I don’t think it would be fair to single out players as its been a genuine squad contribution over the course of 15 rounds.

        

Which opponent WAPL sides have impressed you so far this season and why?

Inglewood have looked impressive with their free flowing counter attack style and obviously Floreat have now settled to be grinding out solid results consistently.  

2009 Gold Medal Winner David Micevski is back in WA after a short stint in the break away Indonesian Premier League with Solo City where he netted 5 goals in 11 appearances after some fantastic seasons for Western Knights as a rampaging midfielder. This is a massive signing for Balcatta - how did this come about and is it a long term signing?

David is likely to head back to Indonesia shortly to continue his contractual obligations. He is probably only with us for a short while and we are helping him with his preparation for his return to Indonesia. His stint is a timely one for us as recently we lost Chile Barrera for the season due to injury and Migas and Eltonbott are on leave for extended periods.

The Stephen Burton and Ashley Rosindale combination has been lethal with the pair netting 10 goals each to be currently joint leaders in the scoring ranks. Tell us a little about Burton and were you surprised as many of us were that Rosindale did not make the State squad but Burton did?

I’m really not sure about the selection criteria used for state selection but Ash has missed 4 games due to work commitments but the good news is that he will only miss one more this season. Burts has been solid all year and I’m a bit surprised that they both didn’t get the call up. I would also have included Adam Tong in my state side given he has lead the team that has conceded fewest goals in the league, not to mention Lewis Italiano in goals who would also be deserving of a call. 

You were a high profile player both locally and abroad. Now as well regarded and much respected coach we know you thrive on this high profile and embrace it as a challenge and motivational fodder for yourself as a committed football professional. Can you please give us some insights into your current footballing life and expectations at Balcatta SC.

My decision to re-enter the coaching scene was a lot more difficult than leaving it, but I must say I am enjoying the involvement again due to the great support that I am currently having from the BSC management and from Pete, Saul and Johnny. My work commitments have not lessened anywhere near what I would like, but I am committed to the club at the moment and hope that can continue. Our main objective at BSC this year was to raise the clubs profile to becoming a genuine top five competitor and we are well on the way to achieving that. The exciting challenge for me is to see if we can transform a struggling recently promoted team into a new soccer force in WA within a few years. It’s an ambitious project but I believe the club has the management personnel to drive such a project.   

Do you have any views on the new look Floreat Athena side after the huge number of changes and departures at the club? And are there any players that you would single out for any special attention.

There has obviously been a lot of speculation regarding player movements particularly with a number of them re-associating with me at Balcatta. At the end of the day Ante and Taki have maintained a nucleus of players (AK, Jules, Jimmy, Alex, Jarrad, Miki) and added a number of quality players. The Van Dongens, Pritchard, Boland, Moran, and youngsters O’Connell and Franz complement a very solid squad which is equal to any in the league.

Balcatta will obviously have to keep their eye on Boland who has been scoring regularly and Pritchard who has made a big impact in their form turn around.

Cheers Michael – see you Sunday!

STAN THE TOP MAN

                 Football Federation Australia Hall of Famer - Stan Lazaridis

The Autumn 2011 issue of the Fame Game - the newsletter of the WA Football Hall of Fame highlighted ex- Athena Player,  Socceroo legend Stan 'The Man' Lazaridis on his induction into the Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame. In our Athena sports bar we proudly display a framed and signed Socceroos shirt kindly donated to Floreat Athena by Stan himself upon his retirement after his last ever game for the national team vs Paraguay in Sydney Saturday 9th October 2006. This item is now like a family heirloom for the club.

The entire Athena Family salutes Stan on this remarkable achievement and the honour bestowed on him.

Also it was kind of cool to see the Stan in the stands for our recent home match vs the Western Knights with his friend FAFC Board member and club stalwart Jim Karikis - we look forward to  see more of you Stan!

Stan Lazaridis, considered by many to be WA's greatest ever footballer, is the latest West Australian to be included in the Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame. The 38-year-old was inducted in December, 2010, at a ceremony in Sydney. 

"It's an incredible feeling and part of me isn't sure I'm worthy of the accolade," said Perth born Stan who made 72 appearances for Australia, including 60 'A' internationals — the most national caps by a West Australian.  "I love the game and I gave everything to the game and my country." 

Stan started his senior career as a leggy left-winger with Kingsway Olympic when he was 16, and went on to play for Stirling Macedonia and Floreat Athena. He was transferred to NSL side West Adelaide in 1992, and then signed by West Ham for a fee of £300,000 in 1995. After four seasons with the Hammers he joined Birmingham City in a £1.7 million deal, being a key player in their return to the English Premier League in 2002. He returned to WA in 2006 to join Perth Glory, but injury restricted his appearances and he retired in 2008. He took part in four World Cup campaigns and was a squad member for the 2006 finals in Germany. 

He also took part in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Stan joins four other WA players to be included in the National Hall of Fame — Gary Marocchi, Robbie Dunn, Robbie Zabica and Ron Adair.

Non-players from WA who have been inducted into the FFA Hall of Fame are: referee Eddie Lennie, administrators Julius Re and Harry Croft, and Bob McShane, who was a referee, trainer, administrator and all-round icon.

A Word from AK - 22 June 2011

We catch up with Athena senior coach Ante Kovacevic for a word after an impressive run of results that has seen the team rise up the ladder into the top five and it now appears that we are in  obvious contention to stake a claim for the crucial finals program.

AK, since we last caught up our league run has given us much to be excited about especially after our slow start. Give us an overview of your feelings on where we are at as the second round fixtures have well and truly begun?

Well, we are sitting in the top 5, and that’s where we want to be come the end of the regular season. We’ve done enough over the last 9 weeks to turn our season around from the slow start and pull away from the relegation zone. Obviously that was our main aim, but now that we find ourselves amongst the finals contenders, that is where we want to remain for the rest of the season. The challenge now is to match it with the front runners of the competition and prove that we deserve to be there also.

Midfielder Damien Catalano has recently signed with the club after a career long association with Bayswater SC. Tell us a little about his qualities and where you see him adding value to the squad?

Catalano is a quality footballer, who is comfortable on the ball and has good vision. He’ll be able to slot into a midfield role when required as the season goes on. In the second half of the season, suspensions and injuries traditionally creep into the squad. With this in mind, and ambitions to make the finals, strengthening the squad was a necessity. Catalano, along with Kyle Moran, have added quality to the squad for the rest of the season. Sikora’s short term addition has also added undoubted quality as witnessed against the Knights.

With the June 30 transfer deadline looming do you see any scope for anymore signings?

Taki and I have kept a constant eye on the squad and what we may need to improve the squad. We will always be on the lookout for players that can come in and will improve the squad. What we wont do is bring in players that we believe wont' be any better than the players we currently have available at our disposal.

You must be impressed with the gelling of the midfield pairing of Kyle Moran and Mark Pritchard who are proving a handful for all opposition sides lately?

Both Moran and Pritchard have had valuable contributions to the team since their arrival. They are both confident and capable footballers who are quite comfortable at this level, and we are privileged to have their services. Hopefully they continue to have an effect on games and continue to gel with one another as well as gel into the team and the way we want to play collectively.

We have just completed 2 hard fought draws against fellow top five contenders - the 2-2 vs the Western Knights at home and 1-1 Sorrento away. We are developing a reputation as being somewhat difficult to beat! What is your assessment of these 2 results? 

They were both tough games against two quite different opponents. Firstly the Western Knights probably have the most experienced squad in the league, and the mistakes we made were punished. It was a game of two halves, which was disappointing on our behalf. We need to play and compete for 90 minutes.

The game against Sorrento was a scrappy affair in tough conditions. We hit the lead through Liam Boland, and once again gave away a cheap goal. Against the better teams in the league, sloppy football gets punished, which was evident in both those games. Hopefully we have learnt from our mistakes, and prevent this from happening in the future.

We have played well over the last 9 weeks, and this will need to continue for the next 8 weeks to ensure we figure in finals football this season. At this stage, it’s safe to say, our destiny is in our own hands.

We meet the high flying Balcatta SC at home this Sunday in another WAPL match of the round clash something we as a club and a fan base are becoming very accustomed to!

The last two weeks we have played teams battling for a top 5 spot, and this week we’re up against the league leaders. These are the sort of games we need to win if we expect to play finals football. Hopefully it will be another good game of football, but hopefully the points remain at Litis Stadium.

How is the preparation for the match coming along?

How do you rate our chances?

At this time of the season the preparation becomes a routine. Julian Madaschi and myself will be available for selection, so we’ll have a full squad to choose from. We will go through a few things on Thursday night in regards to the team setup and structure. But I’m sure all the boys in the squad will be itching to be part of this game and hoping to knock of the league leaders.

Amongst the array of players that Balcatta has amassed who do you see as being important and in need of careful watch and containment?

Their attacking combination of Rosindale and Burton have created a great understanding which has produced goals. With other creative players such as Moe Atak and Daniel Micevski supplying, they will always be dangerous in the front third. They also have Daniel Niederberger, who has strangely played a role off the bench, but is menacing when on song.

Jack Allen moves soon to the UK for a football scholarship. We congratulate the boy and the coaching success and input he has received from under 18's coach Chris Barbas and yourself that culminated in Jack being a revelation with some standout performances in our successful night series campaign last summer.

Jack is a wonderful talent, who has somewhat been unlucky in the game time he has received in the regular season. After a successful night-series campaign where he showed he is capable at playing at this level, he received a red card in the first round of the season. This, combined with our poor start, forced some changes in personnel. I decided to move Michael van Dongen to a full back role and he has performed admirably. This has also coincided with the teams fortunes turning around so opportunities have been limited. I hope his move to the UK is a successful one. I’m sure this isn’t the last time we’ll here his name.

As someone who has travelled both interstate and overseas as a football professional no doubt you are excited about the adventure young Jack is about embark upon. From where you sit do you have any words of advice for him?

Concentrate, listen and learn. Players at his age have their careers ahead of them. Development and progression is of ultra importance. The UK will be a more competitive environment than what we have here, so a strong work ethic will also be required.

It is always exciting when Athena players make the cut of State team squad and this year is no different with the selection of James Isaia and Mark Pritchard. What do you have to say about their selection and who do you think was unlucky to not make it?

They have both deserved their selection, and have been an important part of the squad and our revival. Both are versatile players and have played a number of positions as required and have consistently performed well.

Its tough to pick out other players, as all have played well and done what is required of them. Julian Madaschi is probably another one who has been a consistent performer for Athena for several years, and hasn’t failed the club or team this year, after taking the captaincy role as well.

But in the end, its up to the State Team coach, and what he see’s in players as he watches the games on the weekend.

In a similar vein James Isaia and Liam Boland have been part of the Perth Glory training squad and this is something all Athena fans should also be proud of. In your opinion what is the thinking behind this?

Perth Glory have identified a number of players from the State League that will come under the eye of the football department as potential recruits for the A-League and Youth team squads. Ian Ferguson and the coaching staff have welcomed some of the players into training, to see how they cope in the professional environment. This is fantastic for the players involved and a better way of assessing the players abilities, especially when the State League is a part-time environment and the players are stepping up a level. It will give them time to adapt and an understanding of the requirements needed for them to step up a level.

Thanks AK for the update and as always be assured that the loyal troops of the Athena Army are behind you and the boys all the way as we remain excited and focused toward the goal of finals football in 2011

Video Highlights

Balcatta *(2) vs Athena (1) - 26/3/2011: Grindleford Reserve

 

About Athenista – the Floreat Athena Blogger

The object of this blog is grounded in the Floreat Athena Football Club’s Constitutional Object No. 1:

“ To foster the game of Association Football (Soccer) and provide facilities for the playing of the game.”

This a personal reflections blog on all things associated with the Western Australian Premier League outfit Floreat Athena FC. Est. 1951.

It is dedicated to analysing and discussing Floreat Athena’s football/soccer premier team from differing perspectives in order to foster a better sense of community and greater understanding about the beautiful game we all love so much and how it is specifically conducted on the park by Floreat Athena FC.

The blogs appearing will concentrate mainly on the on goings of the Premier first team with input from senior coaches and at times the opposition (coaches, board members and the like) being faced in upcoming fixtures. Contributions will also be interspersed with historical pieces of importance and interest and alternative invited expert commentaries from opinion leaders.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions reported on this site will never purport to be official positions or views of Floreat Athena FC or it’s Board of Management.

Interested persons seeking such official comments from the Club are referred to the club’s Official Website, Facebook page and to Twitter updates. Those wishing to participate in fans forums discussions are referred to the Floreat Athena FC Forum. Those who have specific club questions are encouraged to approach the Board of Management.

This blog will not be source of information for club social events and club related general updates.

Athenista Blog Site Policies

Athenista will post-moderate comments on all posts; there will never be censorship of comments based on personal or team preferences (“political views” in sports parlance). The only ones that Athenista will delete or edit are those comments that include:

• abusive or excessively foul language.
• contain racist, sexist, homophobic and other slurs against anyone (be they a member of the club, a player, or otherwise).
• are solicitations and/or advertising for personal blogs and websites (please include a link in your name rather than in the comment itself, though some exceptions will be made).
• thread spamming.
• explicit intention of provoking other commentators or the writers of the Athenista Blog.
• content that may infringe the copyright or intellectual property rights of others or other applicable laws or regulations (just cite your sources, please!).

Please be aware that not everything you write will be interpreted perfectly and that sometimes misunderstandings can arise from benign intentions. Athenista reserves the right to moderate comments in violation of guidelines and common sense.

Profile Background of the Blogger

A mid forty something Western Australian male football tragic. Living a humble life on a “football Odyssey – Enjoying the Journey” (A quote Andy Harper that resonates personally with the blogger). A man who is a lover of all aspects of association football.

He has been personally in attendance at the actual moment of every Floreat Athena FC top flight honour and unfortunately way too many runners-ups since 1975 onwards.

A first generation Greek Australian born in Middle Swan at the Swan Districts Health Service.

A dual citizen, who holds both Australian and EU (Hellenic Republic) passports.

Relationship status – De facto

Children – 2 boys, Fotios and Maximos

Profession – Nationally registered psychologist, masters qualified specialist title.

Biggest Athena Football Highlights:

As a youngster our first major trophy being the1975 Top 4 Grand Final

Floreat Athena 3 (Jackson, Lace, Stacey) Azzurri 1 (Brady). Th 'ol man made me and 2 brothers blue and white party hats smarting broken English lettering and blue and white streamers. He proceeded to ditch them from the grand stand after each goal.

The 1997 Treble

The 2007 Undefeated league champions

Against all odds being crowned 2011 Night Series Champions.

The re-development and opening of Litis Stadium - the end of the Empire Games Mt Hawthorn Velodrome.

My only Athena Masters goal in the inaugural year 2009, a wind assisted hopeful welly from 35 yards into the air and over the hapless keeper’s head at the city end of Litis Stadium.

Selected Football Credentials

Past Floreat Athena Football Club elected secretary 2005-2010, co-opted in 2004 as general board member

Past Board Member of Sunday Amateur Premier League Clubs: Canning Villa SC (now Belmont Villa) and South Perth United

Premier League Sunday Amateurs Reserves – Player Coach, South Perth United: 1999 and 2000

Level 1 A and B Coaching qualifications conferred by the Australian Soccer Federation, 1998

Amateur, socials, masters player 1982 – to the present at the following clubs:

Forrestfield United, Lesmurdie United (Western Echo League) Canning (Belmont) Villa, Morley Windmills, South Perth United, Alexander the Great SC, Akropolis FC and Floreat Athena FC.

Amateur Reserves Cup Winners, South Perth United and Runners up with Forrestfield United

Secretary - Football West Home of Football Planning Committee 2009-2010

Football West – State League Standing Committee, elected secretary 2009-2011 and elected member 2011-2013

Elected Football West Zone Representative – Northern Zone 2011-2013

Favourite Athena Players: John Sydenham, Steve Stacey, Ken Sandercock (dec), Colin Bowles, Jeff Curran, Paul Wormley, Norrie Sutton, Troy Bernard (dec.), Bobby Despotovski, Taki Nicolaidis, Doug Ithier, Michael Roki, Jerry Karpeh, Ante Kovacevic, James Isaia

Favourite Music: 80’s UK punk and alternative

Favourite saying: FFS, Poli Bad, Poli Wrong and Football is my religion, Athena is my goddess, Litis Stadium is my church

Favourite Food – Mediterranean and Asian

Favourite Drink – beer, wine, spirits, liqueurs’, coffee, tea and soft drink

Favourite Movies – Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, the Godfather trilogy, Bad Boy Bubby, Romper Stomper, Road to Nihl, Apocalypse Now, Head On, Escape to Victory

Favourite Books – 1984, Animal Farm, The Slap, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Wings of a Bird, Baghdad FC, Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters, Our Socceroos

Favourite Football Clubs: Floreat Athena FC, PAOK FC, Perth Glory, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Juventus, Wycombe Wanderers FC, South Melbourne FC, Sydney Olympic, Deportivo la Coruna, Glasgow Rangers FC, Porto FC, New York Cosmos

National Teams - Australia and Hellas

WAFL Club – Swan Districts

AFL Clubs – West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers

Super 15’s – Western Force

NRL Club – Manly Sea Eagles

NHL Club – Detroit Red Wings

NBA Club – San Antonio Spurs

MLB Club – New York Yankees

NFL – Dallas Cowboys

All Time Most Memorable Personal Football Experiences (in attendance)

• 1975 WA State teams vs Manchester United (2-1 loss) and Glasgow Rangers (2-1 win)
• 1976 WA State team vs Tottenham Hotspur (4-0 loss)

• 1991 South Melbourne Hellas vs Heidelberg United at a packed Middle Park. South victors.

• 2000 La Liga and the Camp Nou, Barcelona FC vs Racing Santander

• All six group and finals Greece matches in Portugal Euro 2004

• Portugal 2004 quarter final England vs Portugal, England out on penalties.

• Australia vs Argentina – Athens Olympics 2004

• The pain of the nightmare at the MCG Australia vs Iran Nov. 1997, losing our ticket to France 1998 to away goals 2-2. The Peter Hoare serial pest incident with the goal net – a perfect example of why automatic weapons should not be banned!

• The pain of the Glory Grand Final losses at Subiaco to the Wollongong Wolves and Sydney Olympic.

• The elation of the 2003 NSL championship finally! Grand final victors 2-0 over Sydney Olympic at Subiaco.

• Along with Con Poulios present at the last ever day of the Perth Glory 2004 NSL champions away grand final in torrential rain at Parramatta Stadium. Nicky Mrdja wonder golden goal.

• The euphoria of the John Aloisi penalty vs Uruguay Nov 2005 sending Australia to its second ever world cup, Sydney Olympic Stadium.

• Floreat Athena Tour of Duty – Socceroos farewell to Germany 2006 friendly international match Australia vs Hellas MSG (1 nil Australia).