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BIRTHPLACE: BA, Fiji Former Berger takes over the “hot-seat” at Olympic Village BIRTH DATE: 09/03/1974 HEIGHT: 186cms Doug Hodgson is back in the big-time a semi-professional manner. academies in the country areas, the NSW WEIGHT: 80 Kg after replacing Kon Pappas as the system and being back in Melbourne that head coach of Foxtel Cup side, Hei- Is there a crisis at Olympic Village? times have changed. I’ve noticed that the MARRIED: Narrelle Sellers delberg United. After spending the No. Not at all, we’ve had a complete change work-rate, the quality and the tempo was LIVES: Private best part of the 90’s as a professional with a new coach coming in and you’ll prob- a lot higher in the 80’s and 90’s and in my CAR: Ford Telsar footballer in England, Hodgson re- ably see some changes with personnel and opinion, I think that some of these boys to- OCCUPATION OUTSIDE OF FOOTBALL: turns to the Olympic Village with a so forth, but there’s defi nitely not a crisis. day have got it a bit easy. I think that some of Flooring wealth of experience. We’ve got some good quality players there the attitudes are too relaxed, where as I look NICKNAME: None Hodgson’s football odyssey and a lot of experience. We’ve also got a lot at it like a job. Some of these boys are paid PREVIOUS CLUBS: BA FC Fiji, Gippsland has taken him from the pitches of of individual players with the right ability money with their contracts and at the end of Falcons (VIC), Rochdale Rovers (QLD), Wol- in different areas, but if we can get them to the day they should treat it like a job. Obvi- Frankston Pines, Western Australia, longong Wolves (NSW), Canterbury Marrick- the NSL, the United Kingdom, coun- gel together I think you’ll see a completely ously there are differences between being a we know as coaches is that we can’t guaran- ville (NSW), Newcastle United (NSW), Sydney try Victoria, NSW and now back to tee championships, but one thing that I can Melbourne. Some 3 ½ years were Olympic (NSW) guarantee is that that player will come away spent at Sheffi eld United, 2 ½ years REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS: Fiji Interna- more educated. Coaches basically coach at Oldham Athletic followed by loan tional and teach from experience. Stuart Munro’s spells at Plymouth Argyle and Burn- CHILDHOOD FOOTBALL HERO: Pele got his experience, I’ve got mine and other ley. A neck injury incurred at training FAVOURITE O/S PLAYER: Ronaldinho coaches have got theirs. The best you can while at Northampton Town ended FAVOURITE V-LEAGUE PLAYER: Juan Nilo do is analyse players and situations, imple- his career in 1999. All up, he notched ment good man management skills and look (Oakleigh Cannons) over 200 Football League games dur- at different areas on how to effect different FAVOURITE FORMER SOCCEROO: Graham ing his stay in England and faced teams. Arnold players such as Dwight Yorke, Sasha FAVOURITE CURRENT SOCCEROO: Lucas Milosivic, Ian Wright, David Beckham, What sort of style of play do you hope to Tony Adams, Paul Scholes, David Gi- Neil achieve at Heidelberg? nola and Sol Campbell on a regular MOST MEMORABLE MATCH AS A PLAYER: Good attacking football, that’s enjoyable for basis. Once his playing days Wollongong Wolves Vs Carlton in the 1999- the crowd. I believe that everyone’s got a job were fi nished, Hodgson worked un- 2000 NSL Major Final. Scored a goal and set to do – defender’s have a job to do, midfi eld- der Neil Warnock as Sheffi eld Unit- up the other for a 2-1 Win. ers have a job and the strikers have got a job ed’s reserve team manager. To this MOST MEMORABLE MATCH AS A FAN: – you get them all to do the right job and day Hodgson is still the only Austra- the right things, then you can become a good World Cup Play-Off between the Socceroos lian to ever coach professionally in team. Become a good team, you do very well and Iran at the MCG. England. While overseas, Hodgson and you can succeed. I won’t be playing de- MOST MEMORABLE GOAL YOU’VE SCORED: gained his UEFA “B” badge and has fensive football, whether it’s with a 4-4-2 or The one against Australia in the Confedera- nearly completed his “A” badge, but 3-5-1 or a 3-4-3, whatever system I choose, says “it doesn’t mean that I’m a good tion Cup in Brisbane nothing changes. The principle of the game coach, it just means I’m a qualifi ed FUNNIEST MOMENT IN FOOTBALL: Too remains the same regardless of what shape coach”. many to mention you choose. Hodgson returned to Austra- BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Not making it lia for family reasons even though he FAVOURITE AWAY GROUND: All to the VPL Grand Final last season How can we improve the local game? still had two years of his contract to SUPERSTITIONS: None WORST INJURY: Fractured ankle We need better players. How do we get bet- run at Bramall Lane. If he’d stayed ter players? Coaches have got to make them TYPICAL MATCH DAY MEAL: Crumbed in England, chances are he probably better. We need to develop and help make chicken and salad sandwich would have been sitting next to War- the players improve. Like it or not, not ev- WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS: Speed, nock on the bench for EPL games as eryone can play for the Victory, so the VPL Aerial Contest the trusty No 2. Never the less, the is the breeding ground for the A-league. We journey continues and Goal! Week- WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES: Snick- have to try and create enough good, quality ly caught up with Doug during the ers players so that guys like Ernie Merrick and week. FAVOURITE TEAM WHEN GROWING UP: different Heidelberg side. If anyone saw the semi-pro and a professional, but over there Gary Cole can have the pick of the bunch. Manchester United How did the Heidelberg job come about? fi rst hour of our game against Fawkner last in the UK, you live it and breathe it, and ba- FAVOURITE OTHER SPORTS: Volley ball, Do you have ambitions to coach in the A- I’ve been living in Albury/Wodonga with the week, we should have been up about 3 or 4 sically you’re playing for your livelihood. fi shing etc. wife and the two boys and we’ve been dis- nil by half-time. I think the Fawkner coach league one day? Let’s be fair, I never came back to Australia FAVOURITE OTHER SPORTSPERSON: cussing moving off the land and closer to the would have been happy to come away with Can you tell our readers what you’ve been Tiger Woods a point. There are some good signs. It’s just up to since you returned to Australia? for football reasons. If I wanted to stay in rest of the family back in Melbourne. I put FAVOURITE FOODS: Fried fi sh in coco- the feelers out to test the water with a few of a matter of the boys getting some confi dence The wife and I moved up to the country football I would have stayed back in the UK. nut cream with taro the Premier League clubs just before Christ- and believing in their ability and putting in where we built our dream home and had a If a job ever arises I’ve learnt to never say no mas and I guess when we sold the house and the hard yards on the park. cattle farm on some 80 odd acres. On the and you never, say never. Who knows? I’m FAVOURITE ACTOR/ACTRESS: Will Smith people heard I was heading back, I got ap- football side of things, I started a develop- sure, and I mean this sincerely, that if there’s /Julia Roberts proached by the Heidelberg committee What sort of expectations have you got ment squad with a maximum of 16 players in anything that I can do to help with my ex- HOBBIES: Woodwork, gardening for the boys this year? each squad. There are some good kids up in perience and with the people I know and FAVOURITE HOLIDAY RESORT: The Out- How are you fi nding it down at the Village Obviously, being new back into the coach- the country - Josh Kennedy’s from up there my contacts overseas, then my phone will rigger Reef Resort, Fiji always be on for people in the need. At the so far? ing game I haven’t had a chance to see all as is Archie Thompson.