Confidence Starts at the Top

                                            Confidence is Sky High at Athena 

                                       Teamwork - working together to get the job done

In all aspects of life whether it be the family unit, a business organisation or a football side, it is leadership and teamwork that are paramount to the striving for success. And with football coaches when they can instil their own confidence in their leadership and plans onto their players who have the skills and abilities to excel then they have the makings of an outfit geared towards positive results on the park.

After round 6 in the WAPL Athena are a side that currently plays with some serious swagger. The 3-1 win over Balcatta lived up to its expectation of being match of the round. This fixture is the newest hot club rivalry in the league due to the 2011 appointment of Athena player/coach legend Michael Roki to lead Balcatta. Along with the exodus of several long standing players and coaching assistants to Grindleford Reserve have now combined to make one of the most anticipated match ups in state league football for respective fans and neutrals alike. For those seeking entertainment they were not disappointed with what was dished out in this encounter. Whilst for those who could not make it they are fortunate that this 'wonder match' was recorded (see below).

Athena earned the rub of the green in this match - a game where they dominated the 2011 minor premiers for much of the play in all departments on the park. They were however made to work hard for their well deserved three points that now sees them two points clear of Perth SC on top with fifteen points. 

 Athena and Balcatta have met four times in the League under the Football West structure with the record standing at 3 wins to Balcatta and the solitary win for Floreat Athena. The task toward victory for the home side was made even harder with the red card dismissal of Liam Boland early in the first half for what appeared to be a mistimed tackled deemed to be have been dangerous by the referee. This was further compounded early in the second half after a long run to the goal square down the right side of the park by Human who sent in a short range cross that was deflected into the path of the quickly advancing John Migas who slotted a right footed goal for the first score of the match (1 min 25 secs). 

When past Athena club captain Julian Madaschi was judged to have handled the ball in the box at 70 mins (his fourth penalty infringement) after a rasping 25 yard shot from Pritchard, up stepped the former Wales youth and Under 23's international to take a finely executed spot kick as he calmly slotted the ball with pace into the right hand corner even though Glory youth keeper Lewis Italiano picked the correct way (2 mins 30 sec). The Athena faithful along with the increasing confidence that the players were showing on the park could sense that this clear dominance of the match was about to change in the enveloping wet, yet balmy and dark atmosphere at Litis Stadium that saw the flood lights unusually being turned on 4.15 PM.

Athena were forever showing strong signs of sniffing a sense of victory with several clear cut shots on target being delivered by Heagney, Pritchard and Boi and a half chance to Sweeney.  In this strong desire to seize the moment the WAPL man of the moment goal machine David Heagney put the home side ahead at the 89th minute with a classy across goal finish courtesy of a sublime defence splitting through-ball after an impressive surge toward goal from the half way line by Pritchard (3 mins 42 sec).

 Then in the dying seconds of the game with Balcatta desperately seeking an equaliser sent several players forward in and around the Athena box. In a sudden counter-attack Sweeney managed to latch on to the ball being knocked out of the defence to pass it directly to the feet of an unmarked Jarrod Smith who set off on an unchallenged run where he beautifully rounded the keeper to place the ball into the open net. A goal that Smith will saviour and remember for a long time and that was just reward for the long term loyal servant of the club who is improving in his craft game by game.

These last two goals were the stuff that football dreams are made of - the kind of things that players and fans yearn for. As everybody in the game knows that in football you have to make your own luck and this can only be achieved through hard work and commitment along with talent and ability. Against the ambition of Balcatta, the history behind this new Athena outfit excelled with a memorable and deserved victory. The celebratory scenes of pandemonium amongst the faithful spanned across the generations of Athena fans. 

What was clearly a work in progress at the end of the night series campaign is now well taking shape toward the standard annual expectation of coaches, fans and clubs alike - and that is finals football. The pre-match confidence of Chris Barbas in predicting a victory has clearly rubbed off onto the players. Overall this impressive run has seen the side now win 6 matches in a row after a respectable opening round two nil loss to Perth. 

With a quarter of 2012 league campaign having been completed it is clear that Athena playing in style that is certainly getting results. The core spine of the Athena side with players of the ilk and talent of Harris, Wilson, Pritchard, Boi and the primary strike combination of Boland along with now the predatory instincts of Heagney - Athena have the makings of solid team that is very attack minded, totally results focussed and playing football as it should be played - in an entertaining manner. 

The Athena faithful salutes the players and coaches on their achievements to date in season 2012 and dream and back the side so that long it may continue for this is what Athena fans do.

                              Round 6 All Flags State Premier League - Floreat Athena v Balcatta

 

FAFC 2012: Work in Progress

Floreat Athena was disappointingly sent crashing out of the 2012 night series with an 8-7 loss on penalties to Ashfield Soccer Club after a 3-3 draw at 90 minutes on Friday night. For Athena - at least a semi final appearance in this competition is almost mandatory. This is due to the fact that we are one of the few that has historically always taken the night series seriously plus the fact that we have few of them in cabinet. The intensity of our celebrations for Kovacevic's charges when they lifted the 2011 trophy in the wake of the Balcatta summer plundering of senior playing stocks is testament to what this tournament means to our club and the fans.

Even during the pre-season it was bewildering to see the side unable to beat a rank Division One side like Ashfield who clearly have not taken it seriously with mixing up and rotation of starting elevens during the competition. This years format along with the friendlies played so far has now (from the outside) rendered us unable to carefully judge where we are at. The impressive (on paper at least) cricket like scores against the likes of Shamrock, Southern Spirit and Canning City has the fans wondering - what are we in for in 2012?

It was bizarre to hear some fans on the way out on Friday mutter comments like "Don't worry check out how bad Sorrento, Armadale, Joondalup are and now look at the Knights getting spanked by Perth" . Sorry you folks but above us is the sky and making such comparisons is irrelevant - as we are Floreat Athena and besides, all four of those clubs finished above us in 2011 when we arguably had a considerably better and more experienced side. Whilst senior coach Chris Barbas was quoted after game two vs Spirit as saying "......but were not feeling any pressure to defend the title of Night Series champions." the fans can assure the players, the coaches and the Board - they they universally felt and expect the pressure.

As of today in the eyes of the fans, several neutral pundits and this blogger - the side appears to be lacking in overall depth in quality. A quick glance to the youth on the park and then bench over the night series confirmed this. The signings of imports such as Wilson and Harris and WAPL super star Boi have been impressive and utterly essential for survival. However, it is clear a few weeks out from the start of season that the overall loss of quality  such as established first team players - Isaia, O'Connell and Kovacevic, plus the axing of Vujacic and Cattalano along the shock departures of the van Dongen twins, club captain Julian Madaschi and keeper Alex Dunn (all in space of a week) - are yet to be fully replaced "like for like" and have left major challenges to the coaching staff and to what appears from the stands to be an almost 'hands on' team management approach from certain senior Board members.

Too often in WAPL attempts to play out junior development programs at the adult level have failed if not only in results but also in the entertainment factor for the fans. In fact this blogger is unaware of where it has worked previously. A commonly cited reason for flushing player stocks with youth is financial savings - however in our case the signings of alone Wilson, Harris and  Boi would arguably place them in the top WAPL pay brackets and certainly higher than any of the departed list above. So unless all the kids are playing for petrol money one would doubt any budget savings in 2012 as there obviously were last season.

Patience from the faithful was the resounding trait  required by Athena fans throughout season 2011 where we saw the beginnings of a very structured youth and development initiative at the club for the first time essentially since 1997. This patience was supported not only with the glee that comes with a night series trophy but also in the confidence that that several long term loyal and high quality established players and coaches remained at the club. Overall it is commendable that the club still has the courage to hold development as a firm target. Similarities with last season can be noted with the blend of inexperience and youth. And again patience and support from the faithful is what is required as this work is progressed hopefully into the realms of success.

Where we are at in this work in progress will begin to take shape with match of the round in the opening weekend - arguably WA Football's biggest fixture Floreat Athena FC vs Perth SC Sunday March 25 2012, Litis Stadium. Lets just quietly say they look in great shape to wrest back the night trophy they feel that they have owning rights over and set themselves on sail for 4 WAPL's in a row. The define bench mark and personally with six years FAFC Board experience I personally know the challenge of working hard towards that bench mark.

As we enter another season in the battle for football supremacy in the WAPL Athenista urges all blue blood fans to become members of Floreat Athena FC and attend, support and sing their blue hearts and lungs out for the lads and their coaches home and away, day and night , rain, hail or shine!