lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll l l l l l SPORT Village Club thinks big South Darwin RL senior sign-on Christensen out for months TRACY Village Cricket Club will hold its 2014 sign-on SOUTH Darwin Rugby League is having its senior GEELONG’S Allen Christensen will be sidelined for at day at the cricket ground on Tambling Tce from 11am sign-on today at the Parap Hotel from 4pm. The least the first half of the AFL season after tomorrow. The Villagers are looking for a big season club, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this undergoing back surgery on Friday. Territorian in all grades, with new Premier Grade skipper Angus year, has appointed Jo Romelo as A-Grade coach Christensen went under the knife after complaining Webster sharing the coaching duties with former with George Brown as his assistant. Players of leg and back pain associated with a lumbar disc Test wicketkeeper Richie Robinson. West Australian confirmed for the Rabbitohs this season are: injury. He’ll spend the next 12 weeks in recovery Webster, who dominated with bat and ball in his first Rodney Barba, Courtney Searle, Ray Robinson, before starting training in the hope of playing a part Top End season, will take charge of the senior squad. Brad Robinson and Steven Molde (ex-Eastern in Geelong’s second half of their campaign. Geelong Robinson will oversee the others. Suburbs Brisbane). football boss Neil Balme said the injury was a blow. Antonis to the rescue for under-fire Sky Blues A-LEAGUE Antonis will make his long- since their 3-0 drubbing by still in the title hunt. But per- mes for the youth side that now I’m just so excited to be By ANGELA HABASHY awaited comeback from in- Adelaide, where frustrated haps no one is more eager last weekend clinched the ti- back,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve gotten all jury against Perth at Allianz fans revolted and called for than Antonis to step out onto tle, with Antonis scoring the the nerves out now so I’m just HE’S been watching the dra- Stadium tonight, with coach Farina’s axing. the pitch tonight. opening goal in their 2-1 vic- ready to rock and roll. ma at Sydney FC over the Frank Farina confirming the After suffering their sev- Having endured almost tory over Brisbane. ‘‘Yes, there’s a lot of past 18 weeks; now midfielder 20-year-old will start. enth loss in 10 matches and a nine months out after ruptur- And now, he says, having pressure on us this week for Terry Antonis will make his No team is under more club-record third-straight de- ing a muscle in his thigh, An- gotten any nerves out of his sure after what happened first A-League appearance pressure to win this round feat at home, the entire Sky tonis rejoined first-team system playing in the youth last week, but ...We’re all this season in the under-siege than Sydney, who have en- Blues squad are hungrier training in December. team, he’s ready to go. just really hungry to win club’s most critical match. dured a tumultuous week than ever to prove they’re He’s since played three ti- ‘‘I’ve been out for so long this weekend.’’ Muscat says it’s no trick SOCCER By JOHN SALVADO COACH Kevin Muscat is insulted that Melbourne Victory have been accused of engaging in a dirty tricks campaign by their Asian Champions League opponents from Thailand. Muangthong United’s English coach Scott Coo- per initially claimed he was leaving the club after Saturday night’s one-off playoff tie against the Vic- tory in Geelong, only to perform a complete back- flip a few hours later. In an interview on Muangthong’s website, Cooper accused the Vic- tory and Australian media of attempting to destabil- ise the club. ‘‘I will still be with the football club after the game,’’ Cooper said. ‘‘The trick by the Aust- SCORECARD ralian side is clearly Hyundai A-League - Round 19 meant to unsettle the ADELAIDE UNITED 2 (Marcelo team, to unbalance us. Carrusca 33m, Fabio Ferreira ‘‘But actually it’s a mis- 45+1m) bt CENTRAL COAST take because that makes MARINERS 0 at Coopers Stadium. us stronger and gives us Crowd: 6980. Referee: Kris something more to be an- Griffiths-Jones. noyed at and fight a little harder. We use the trick to our advantage. Adelaide United’s Marcelo ‘‘That’s up to them if Carrusca (left) tackles Mariners’ they want to write those Joshua Rose Picture: SARAH REED things to try and make us feel uncomfortable. ‘‘I look at that as though maybe they’re a little scared of us.’’ Muscat was offended rather than scared, alth- ough he chose his words carefully yesterday. ‘‘We’ve got our focus and our own job to do,’’ he said. Marcelo is magical ‘‘Someone else’s issues is the furthest thing from my mind.’’ A-LEAGUE Carrusca is considering an Carrusca sweet left-foot ised to strike, instead softly ing high to his right, and a Muscat said the Victory By STEVE LARKIN improved contract offer from broke the game open in the laid-off sideways to Ferreira. Matt Simon header almost had nothing to do with the in Adelaide Adelaide, having rejected the 33rd minute after a canny The winger slotted his sixth shaved the far post 10 minutes report on SBS where Coo- club’s initial bid. build-up featuring Ferreira goal of the season for Ade- later. But the spotlight soon per had said the ACL A DAY after his coach pleaded The mercurial midfielder is and Osama Malik. laide, who have lost just once returned to Carrusca. match would be his last at with him to sign a new con- expected to decide within a Ferreira, wedged on a in their past 10 matches. In the 60th minute, he con- PUB: the club he joined just a tract, Argentine ace Marcelo week, and his coach Josep sideline, shrewdly played into The Mariners, now fourth jured a precocious shot with a NTNE-WS-14KTE:GE:LO-R: 53M -DA F YC month earlier from Thai Carrusca delivered Adelaide Gombau on Thursday made a the path of a charging Malik, on the ladder but level with first-touch from the outside of champs Buriram United. United a 2-0 triumph against public appeal to Carrusca to whose cut-back pass re- Adelaide and fifth-placed Mel- his left boot then lobbed over ‘‘I’m insulted to be hon- Central Coast Mariners. stay in Adelaide. bounded from a Mariners de- bourne Victory on 27 points, the Mariners’ keeper but the est,’’ said Muscat. Carrusca scored one goal While money looms a stick- fender to Carrusca, who showed more scoring intent in ball fell on top of the net. ‘‘It’s got nothing to do and set up another for team- ing point, he was priceless for coolly scored from 10 metres. the second half. Carrusca managed another with us, it’s someone else’s mate Fabio Ferreira as Ade- the Reds on a rain-soaked Coo- Thirteen minutes later, Car- And they went close: a saved shot before being leav- issue and they should take laide climbed to third on the pers Stadium as they took rusca turned provider when Bernie Ibini blast was spec- ing the field to a standing ova- them up with whoever A-League ladder with last third spot from the sagging he cruised toward goal and, tacularly saved by Adelaide tion when substituted in the they need to.’’ night’s home victory. Mariners. when five metres out and po- ’keeper Eugene Galekovic div- 79th minute. www.ntnews.com.au Saturday, February 15, 2014. NT NEWS. 43.