FOXTEL CUP - ROUND 18 Shark Jason Dimozantos Focus on Royal Junior Catalano Season 3: Issue 11 Monday 2Nd July 2007
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INSIDE THIS WEEK... www.goalweekly.com $3 Profi le on FOXTEL CUP - ROUND 18 Shark Jason Dimozantos Focus on Royal Junior Catalano Season 3: Issue 11 Monday 2nd July 2007 Supporting all colours and reporting in black and white SCINTILLATING PREMIER FOOTBALL RICHMOND HEIDELBERG EAGLES UTD GEORGIES, V V SPRINGVALE GREEN GULLY WHITE EAGLES CAVALIERS Kevin Bartlett Reserve Olympic Park (Village) OH SO Friday 6th July Sunday 8th July KO 8:15PM KO 3:00PM WESTERN PRESTON CLOSE! SUBURBS LIONS V V MELBOURNE ALTONA KNIGHTS MAGIC Ralph Reserve BT Connor Reserve Sunday 8th July Sunday 8th July KO 3:00PM KO 3:00PM SUNSHINE SOUTH GEORGIES MELBOURNE V V OAKLEIGH ESSENDON CANNONS ROYALS Chaplin Reserve Bob Jane Stadium Sunday 8th July Sunday 8th July Photo: Daniel Flis KO 3:00PM KO 4:30PM KINGSTON WHITTLESEA PLUS► ALL THE LATEST FOXTEL CUP, STATE, PROVI, CITY ZEBRAS WPL, JUNIOR ACTION & MUCH, MUCH MORE! V V FAWKNER A.I.S Epping Soccer Stadium BLUES Sunday 8th July The Grange Reserve KO 6:00PM Sunday 8th July KO 5:00PM “FREE ENTRY” Goal! Weekly PLAYERQ&A PROFILE Goal! Weekly FOOTBALL FOCUS 27 Jason Dimozantos DIMOZANTOS: SHARKS WILL BITE BACK! MICHAEL CATALANO Port Melbourne players aren’t kittens ESSENDON ROYALS FC ason Dimozantos bristles at the sug- came to a Sandringham game and Merrick liked FULL NAME: Michael Catalano gestion that Port Melbourne is al- what he saw, inviting Dimozantos to trial at the BIRTHPLACE: Melbourne ready doomed to relegation from Institute. Shortly after, Dimozantos accepted the BIRTH DATE: 21.6. 86 Division One. And the former Victo- offer of a scholarship and over the next couple HEIGHT: 172cm Jrian Institute of Sport scholarship holder and of years found himself in what was to prove ex- Australian schoolboy representative even gets alted company. His Institute teammates included WEIGHT: 69Kg testy at the mere suggestion that alarm bells Scott MacDonald, now with Scottish giant Celt- MARRIED: No are ringing for the SS Anderson Oval outfit. ic, Melbourne victory duo Eugene Galekovic CAR: Honda Prelude But alarm bells certainly sounded and Kristian Sarkies, and their former Victory OCCUPATION OUTSIDE OF FOOT- loud and clear when we started this interview. teammate Simon Storey. BALL: Student Dimozantos had set them off at his Southbank “I improved out of sight at the VIS. NICKNAME: Junior residence but he quickly got into full stride a few Ernie Merrick was fantastic. He’s a great coach PREVIOUS CLUBS: Bulleen minutes after disarming the security system. and he thinks through every little detail. Back REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS: “We were unlucky against Langwarrin then we were pushing the boundaries in terms of Schoolboys 2004 the other week,” said the 25-year-old who start- sports science. I mean I saw a thing on TV the CHILDHOOD FOOTBALL HERO: ed that game on the bench after missing a few other day about the Socceroos wearing ice vests Schilacci weeks through injury. “Langwarrin had three at- as they prepare for the Asian Cup Finals. It was FAVOURITE O/S PLAYER: tacks in the fi rst half and scored three goals but presented as if this was some sort of innovation. Marco Bresciano we had most of the ball and we pressed well for I laughed. We were using heart monitors and ice most of the game.” vests at the VIS back in the 1990s.” FAVOURITE V-LEAGUE PLAYER: It was Heidelberg legend Jeff Olver’s This was the start of a rollercoaster ride Robert Bresciano second game in charge after replacing Aki Ala- for Dimozantos in terms of his aim to become FAVOURITE FORMER SOCCEROO: giozidis as fi rst team coach and if the recent a professional footballer. In 1999 he clinched a Kevin Muscat player turnover at the Greek-backed club is any- place in the Australian schoolboys side and also FAVOURITE CURRENT SOCCEROO: thing to go by then Port is setting itself up for a had a trial arranged with Manchester City thanks Vince Grella strong back half of the season. to former Sandringham City assistant coach MOST MEMORABLE MATCH AS A PLAY- “I went to training the other night and I Gary Mallachan. The trial involved a month with ER: Year 12 school Grand Final win felt like a new player. I hardly recognised any of City’s youth team and it allowed Dimozantos a MOST MEMORABLE MATCH AS A FAN: the lads down there,” said a grinning Dimozan- rare opportunity for comparison. Australia v Uruguay 2005 tos. “I’d say that in terms of sports sci- MOST MEMORABLE GOAL YOU’VE “So far so good as far as training goes. Jeff’s ence the VIS was way, way ahead of Manchester SCORED: First Premier League goal sessions are excellent. They are short, sharp and City’s youth set-up but in terms of technique I’d FUNNIEST MOMENT IN FOOTBALL: very well organised and I’m defi nitely confi dent say City’s youths were miles ahead. I mean I saw that we can get out of this. 10-year-old kids over there doing things with the Hodgson also arranged trials for Dimozantos in After an acrimonious end to Dimozantos’ stint Seeing my brother run out at half time “Look, when you’re down the bot- ball that I’d never even seen before. They were England with, fi rst, Hodgson’s former club Shef- at Heidelberg he joined Richmond for the 2005 with toilet paper hanging out of his shorts tom often things go against you but we’ve got a incredible.” fi eld United then, later, with Grimsby Town. season then switched to Springvale White Eagles after using the lavatory. couple of games in hand and a lot of new players But the City trial didn’t work out and Dimozantos The media lapped it up. AAP Sports for season 2006, playing in the Serbian-backed BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: and once the team starts to gel we could start a returned to Victoria and joined Port Melbourne News ran a story on 12 July 2002 headed ‘Aus- side’s successful promotion campaign in Divi- Not making Vicenza side 2005 run that would take us well up the ladder.” in 2000, playing under three coaches during his tralian defender to trial at Sheffi eld United’ and sion One. WORST INJURY: Nil If Port embarks on such a run it will be fi rst spell with the club: Peter Tsolakis, Frank a day later the Sydney Morning Herald reported Dimozantos tried to give Premier MOST DIFFICULT OPPONENT: nothing new to Dimozantos. He experienced a Arok, and Harry Chalkitis. on the Sheffi eld United trial, evening quoting League another try by training with White Ea- Mile Medjedovic great unbeaten run with Richmond in 2005 that “Tsolakis was a good coach, a great United’s then assistant manager Kevin Black- gles during the last pre-season but contract ne- FAVOURITE AWAY GROUND: saw the Kevin Bartlett Reserve side win promo- player and a good bloke. Arok concentrated on well: gotiations fell through, prompting his move to Bob Jane Stadium tion to Premier League. the fl amboyant aspects of the game, the skills, “We still speak to Doug regularly and Port for a second stint. Even so, as he now looks SUPERSTITIONS: None “Andy O’Dell was coach for about and to put it bluntly I had a big fall out with he suggested that we have a look at Jason,” said upon White Eagles anchored to the bottom of TYPICAL MATCH DAY MEAL: Spuds, fi ve games then Dean Hennessey took over and Harry. I was doing okay when he was using me Blackwell. “We’ve not seen a lot of him so far the Premier League ladder he feels sorry for the we went on this amazing unbeaten run which off the bench and even the other players thought because a lot of our training has been geared to- club. rice and a touch of tuna clinched runner-up spot in Division One that so but I just couldn’t get a regular start. Any- wards fi tness work, but he is here for a few more “Springvale’s a great club, with great WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS: season.” way, I ended up trialling in Singapore and was weeks and we will see if he has the credentials. people, and they deserve to be in Premier League. Left peg Amazing seems an appropriate word offered a contract but I was never happy about “Providing we can obtain (an) interna- I really mean that. OK, you can say about the WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES: when talking about Melbourne-born Dimozan- living over there. When I got back Harry told tional clearance we would like to give him the troubles the club faces now that the committee That’s a secret tos. His career has taken many twists and turns me that I’d be in the reserves for the next two chance to impress in a couple of our pre-season have brought them on themselves, but the club FAVOURITE TEAM WHEN GROWING and few players outside Premier League boast as games. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know where friendlies.” didn’t realise what was going to happen regard- UP: Bari impressive a football pedigree. he was coming from and I don’t know whether That chance never came. A serious an- ing relegation this season. FAVOURITE OTHER SPORTS: Jetskiing He started his junior career with San- it was some sort of personal vendetta or not so kle injury in his fi rst practice game for the Bra- & Fishing dringham City, which included an under-16 I left Port and joined Fitzroy City for the 2002 mall Lane outfi t all but scuppered his dream.