SOCCER SIDESHOW Goal! Weekly a Little Bit of This, That & the Other
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FOOTBALL FOCUS ON www.goalweekly.com NEW PRICE $4 BUSINESS HOURS ROSS THOMPSON OLLERTON RESIGNS ARE SOON TO BE FROM ZEBRAS FOOTBALL FEATURE ON Season 4: Issue 13 Monday 12th May 2008 EXTENDED. DAVID STIRTON Supporting all colours and reporting in black and white EAGLES SWOOP! LAST MINUTE WINNER KEEPS RICHMOND IN TITLE HUNT www.goalweekly.com Photo by George Stogiannou PLUS► ALL THE LATEST WEEKEND FOOTBALL ACTION, BOO, AND STILL AVAILABLE FROM ALL KATSA, TSIGAN, TARTAN TALK, SOCCER HOTLINES & MORE! GOOD NEWSAGENTS EVERY MONDAY. PO Box 142 Port Melbourne 3207 p (03) 9645 1440 e [email protected] www.goalweekly.com Photos by Nome Risteski Goal! Weekly FOOTBALL FEATURE HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE 31 David Stirton 2008/09 FIXTURE LIST ROUND 1 Fri, 15 Aug 08 Jets v Mariners EnergyAustralia 8.00pm Sat, 16 Aug 08 Sydney FC v Victory SFS 7.00pm Sun, 17 Aug 08 Phoenix v Roar Westpac 3.00pm STIRTON’S FIELD OF DREAMS Sun, 17 Aug 08 Adelaide United v Glory Hindmarsh 5.00pm ROUND 2 Teenage Cannon Eyes Professional Career Fri, 22 Aug 08 Glory v Jets Members Equity 9.00pm Sat, 23 Aug 08 Mariners v Sydney FC Bluetongue 7.00pm avid Stirton has a dream – to represented a prime opportunity for Stirton Sun, 24 Aug 08 Phoenix v Victory Westpac 3.00pm follow in his father’s footsteps to exorcise a demon but again, the astute Sun, 24 Aug 08 Roar v Adelaide United Suncorp 5.00pm and become a professional foot- youngster proved to be as elusive off the D ROUND 3 baller – and some highly credentialled fi eld as on. Fri, 29 Aug 08 Victory v Jets Telstra Dome 8.00pm and astute judges both here and overseas “Alan Davidson’s coaching was good,” was Sat, 30 Aug 08 Adelaide United v Phoenix Hindmarsh 7.00pm believe that the 16-year-old Oakleigh the best that could be squeezed from him, Sun, 31 Aug 08 Sydney FC v Glory SFS 3.00pm Cannons striker has the talent and drive albeit that the Davidson rebuff ended his Sun, 31 Aug 08 Roar v Mariners Suncorp 5.00pm to make that dream come true. junior representative career. FIFA MATCH DAY BREAK He’s been to Murray Park, training base of A second setback occurred during Stirton’s Scottish giant Rangers, and impressed club three-year Box Hill stint when he was ROUND 4 and Scottish football legend John Greig identifi ed as an elite talent and invited to Fri, 12 Sep 08 Victory v Adelaide United Telstra Dome 8.00pm Sat, 13 Sep 08 Jets v Sydney FC EnergyAustralia 7.00pm and Rangers Hall of Famer Bobby Russell trial for a Victorian Institute of Sport place. Sun, 14 Sep 08 Phoenix v Mariners Westpac 3.00pm who was coaching the club’s under-13s. His fi rst trial went well and he was invited Sun, 14 Sep 08 Glory v Roar Members Equity 5.00pm That was back in 2003, midway through his back for a second trial but the family was under-12 season, and when Greig said of heading to Queensland on holiday so he had ROUND 5 Fri, 19 Sep 08 Roar v Jets Suncorp 8.00pm the Frankston-born youngster “he’s defi nite- to forgo the trial. He never heard back from Sat, 20 Sep 08 Sydney FC v Adelaide Utd SFS 5.00pm ly got a bit of class”, Stirton thought that his the VIS. Sat, 20 Sep 08 Mariners v Victory Bluetongue 7.00pm The 2007/08 A-League Champions, Newcastle Jets. break had come. Now able to fully concentrate on his club Sun, 21 Sep 08 Glory v Phoenix Members Equity 5.00pm “I was there (Murray Park) for a week and career Stirton was lured to Oakleigh’s ROUND 14 trained on two nights. Rangers were very under-18s for the 2007 season where ROUND 6 Fri, 5 Dec 08 Adelaide United v Phoenix Hindmarsh 8.00pm Fri, 26 Sep 08 Mariners v Glory Bluetongue 8.00pm Sat, 6 Dec 08 Mariners v Roar Bluetongue 6.00pm positive and wanted me to come over but his development was guided by Bobby Sat, 27 Sep 08 Adelaide United v Jets Hindmarsh 7.00pm Sat, 6 Dec 08 Glory v Victory Members Equity 8.00pm dad said I was too young.” McLachlan and Harry Djumas. These two Sun, 28 Sep 08 Phoenix v Sydney FC Westpac 3.00pm Sun, 7 Dec 08 Jets v Sydney FC EnergyAustralia 5.00pm He understands why his family – father mentors are his present-day coaches in the Sun, 28 Sep 08 Victory v Roar Telstra Dome 5.00pm Ian, mother Julie and sister Rachel – were Oakleigh reserves. ROUND 15 ROUND 7 Fri, 12 Dec 08 Victory v Adelaide United Telstra Dome 8.00pm not prepared to relocate to Scotland for “Last year we fi nished midtable in the Su- Fri, 3 Oct 08 Adelaide United v Mariners Hindmarsh 8.00pm Sat, 13 Dec 08 Phoenix v Glory Westpac 5.00pm his sake but that was then and this is now. per League which was a pretty good effort. Sat, 4 Oct 08 Victory v Glory Telstra Dome 5.00pm Sat, 13 Dec 08 Mariners v Sydney FC Bluetongue 7.00pm We’re sitting at a table in Richmond’s social I played a couple of reserves games too.” Sat, 4 Oct 08 Sydney FC v Roar SFS 7.00pm Sun, 14 Dec 08 Roar v Jets Suncorp 7.00pm club at Kevin Bartlett Reserve and dad Ian He also reached double-fi gures in goals in Mon, 6 Oct 08 Jets v Phoenix EnergyAustralia 3.00pm ROUND 16 interjects: 2007 and his fi rst senior run as a half-time FIFA MATCH DAY BREAK Fri, 19 Dec 08 Phoenix v Mariners Westpac 5.30pm “It was just far too big a move at that substitute in the 2008 Hellenic Cup also Fri, 19 Dec 08 Jets v Victory EnergyAustralia 8.00pm stage,” he says. “But right now you’d have yielded a goal. Even that piece of informa- ROUND 8 Sat, 20 Dec 08 Adelaide United v Roar Hindmarsh 8.00pm Fri, 17 Oct 08 Roar v Adelaide United Suncorp 8.30pm Sun, 21 Dec 08 Sydney FC v Glory SFS 5.00pm to give it serious consideration and give him tion has to be prized out of him because Sat, 18 Oct 08 Jets v Victory EnergyAustralia 7.00pm the very best opportunity you can to make Stirton is modest in the extreme. Sun 19 Oct 08 Mariners v Phoenix Bluetongue 3.00pm ROUND 17 it because that’s all he wants to do with his At the start of this season though he was Sun, 19 Oct 08 Glory v Sydney FC Members Equity 5.00pm Fri, 26 Dec 08 Jets v Mariners EnergyAustralia 8.00pm life.” tempted by an offer from Richmond but Fri, 26 Dec 08 Glory v Adelaide United Members Equity 10.00pm Now it’s David’s turn: “I hate school. All in the end decided to stay at Oakleigh. ROUND 9 Sat, 27 Dec 08 Victory v Sydney FC Telstra Dome 7.00pm Fri, 24 Oct 08 Mariners v Jets Bluetongue 8.00pm Sun, 28 Dec 08 Roar v Phoenix Suncorp 7.00pm I want to do is play football.” And believe Judging by his assessment of the youngster, Sat, 25 Oct 08 Victory v Sydney FC Telstra Dome 7.00pm you me, the lad can play. His school, Car- McLachlan is delighted that he stayed. Sun, 26 Oct 08 Phoenix v Roar Westpac 3.00pm ROUND 18 rum Downs Secondary, is fully aware of his “David has a wonderful fi rst touch, in fact Sun, 26 Oct 08 Adelaide United v Glory Hindmarsh 5.00pm Wed, 31 Dec 08 Mariners v Glory Bluetongue 6.00pm sporting prowess, having conferred upon he’s one of the fi nest controllers of the ball Fri, 2 Jan 09 Victory v Roar Telstra Dome 8.00pm ROUND 10 Sat, 3 Jan 09 Adelaide United v Sydney FC Adelaide Oval 8.00pm him its Achievement of Excellence in Sport that I’ve seen,” said McLachlan. “And the Fri, 31 Oct 08 Adelaide United v Victory Hindmarsh 8.00pm Sun, 4 Jan 09 Phoenix v Jets Westpac 5.00pm award two years running. weight of his passing is exceptional, so Sat, 1 Nov 08 Sydney FC v Mariners SFS7.00pm Asked what he thinks are his strengths, he much so that I see players in our national Sun, 2 Nov 08 Jets v Roar EnergyAustralia 5.00pm ROUND 19 replies: “My touch and my speed.” Free- league who don’t have that ability. He’s Sun, 2 Nov 08 Glory v Phoenix Members Equity 7.00pm Fri, 9 Jan 09 Adelaide United v Jets Hindmarsh 8.00pm Sat, 10 Jan 09 Mariners v Roar Bluetongue 7.00pm kicks are a specialty too although by his very gifted. Right now he lacks strength but ROUND 11 Sun, 11 Jan 09 Sydney FC v Phoenix SFS 6.00pm own admission “they’re not working out too I’m sure that will develop. Fri, 7 Nov 08 Sydney FC v Phoenix SFS 8.00pm Sun, 11 Jan 09 Glory v Victory Members Equity 8.00pm good lately.” That won’t please his father “He sees things really well. As you know Sat, 8 Nov 08 Mariners v Adelaide United Bluetongue 6.00pm who already knows what it’s like to be he’s a Rangers supporter and if you were to Sat, 8 Nov 08 Roar v Victory Suncorp 8.00pm ROUND 20 Sun, 9 Nov 08 Glory v Jets Members Equity 7.00pm Fri, 16 Jan 09 Victory v Mariners Telstra Dome 8.00pm forced to wait patiently while David prac- compare David at the same age to say, Scott Sat, 17 Jan 09 Roar v Sydney FC Suncorp 8.00pm tices wrapping his lethal left foot around McDonald, Scott was stockier and harder to FIFA MATCH DAY BREAK Sun, 18 Jan 09 Phoenix v Adelaide United Westpac 3.00pm countless free-kick attempts at the end of push off the ball.