SOCCER
BEAUMARIS tried to prize Adam Jamieson from Mornington’s grasp just when he was weighing up his options for 2025. “For the first time in a long time I had offers from other clubs and I did catch up with Beaumaris through a contact,” Jamieson said. “But Mornington … well I just feel like we’re so close and there’s so much good stuff happening that I didn’t want to give up on our plan.”
Jamieson doesn’t try to mask the fact that Mornington has had “one of those debacle years”. One of the pre-season promotion favourites the Seagulls finished in the bottom half of State 1 with a squad that was vastly changed from the one that opened its campaign. Injuries plagued Kostas Droutsas, David Stirton, Sam Scott and Shaun Kenny while Ziggy Razuki went overseas and missed the entire season. Rory Currie returned to Scotland, Satoshi Kurosawa returned to Japan and Sam Orritt and Josh Heaton quit. “It became clear that we weren’t all singing from the same hymn book as they say and it didn’t help losing (president) Matty Cameron,” Jamieson added. “Taking that all into account we just had to survive and move on.”
Yet there are reasons to be optimistic about the future. The young reserves squad finished fifth and a group of teenagers gained valuable game time in the seniors. “Max Civil played around 90 minutes in the last three games and scored two goals, Aaron Hagland played a full game at centre half before injuring himself against Brandon Park.
“He was earmarked to play every remaining game and he’s a serious talent, Coby Wylde is another that got minutes, Will Giddings … we feel that we’ve got a group of young players coming through. “Flynn O’Reilly played the last seven or eight games for us and was a fantastic influence so there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Continuity has been a hallmark of coaching at Mornington with Jamieson in charge for most of the past 16 seasons and he readily admits to being addicted to that role. “Yes, well and truly. “I think I’ve said to you before that I’ve got an ego that wants to win all the time. “I said at the presentation night my wife hates me when we lose because I’m a grumpy shit till the next game comes around.”
There have been few periods of self-doubt during Jamieson’s tenure at Dallas Brooks Park and he thinks he knows why. “It’s that ego again mate. “I think I’m good at what I do. “Okay you have some doubts when you’re not winning games of football and why and how that needs to change but that’s a normal part of coaching.”
Jamieson already is preparing for next season and last season’s performance is quickly fading from view. Conversations with new players have taken place “I’ve started talking to new players but I can’t give you names right now. “I’ve signed a very, very talented player from the NPL. “I’m hoping to get a young centre half from Bentleigh Greens over the line soon and an experienced NPL midfielder. “There’s also a young central midfielder from an NPL club that I’ve spoken to. “What I can tell you is that two of these are ex-Mornington juniors.”
With regard to support staff it’s likely that Danny Topping will be Jamieson’s new assistant while David Waring remains as senior team manager. “I’ve had a meeting with Danny and I’m pretty close to finalising an agreement.
“I’m trying to get the senior assistant signed off on first then I’ll work through the reserves coach, goalkeeping coach, strength and conditioning and the physios.”
Jamieson has taken a short break recovering from the rigours of work and coaching and returns from Bali late this week. That’s when he’ll start letting his players know whether or not they have been retained. “I can’t say anything at this stage but I’ll keep the players I want to keep and those conversations will take place when I’m back in Melbourne.”
One player Jamieson won’t need to make a call on is midfielder Danny Brooks who returned to former club Peninsula Strikers last week. That was despite the pair talking last Wednesday night less than 48 hours before Strikers officially announced Brooks’ capture. Strikers first spoke to Brooks a few weeks earlier and head coach Scott Morrison sees him as an important addition to the senior squad. “He’s a former captain of our club so it’s great to see him come home,” Morrison said. “He’s experienced, tough as nails and a good footballer so he will add some real quality to the squad. “Personality-wise he’s an excellent replacement for Macca (Andy McIntyre).”
Strikers also have signed Sam Maggs, a 21 year old pacy attacker who can play anywhere across the front third and can also play as a fullback. He had been at VPL2 club Doveton for three years and spent the second half of this year at Berwick City.
At Strikers’ State 2 rival Skye United the changing of the guard officially takes place next Monday at the club’s AGM.
Daren Jones and Stuart Lawrence have stepped down from their respective positions as president and vice-president ending a decade-long period leading the club. Nominations for all executive and general committee positions closed yesterday (Monday) amid conjecture over who will fill the void left by the departure of the long-serving administrators.
Lawrence scoffed at recent rumours of unrest fuelled by the failure to mention his and Jones’ departure on the club’s Facebook page. “It’s really quite simple – Daren didn’t want the fuss,” Lawrence said. “When I resigned as vice-president I continued as treasurer but I’ll no longer be on the committee after the AGM. “I want to concentrate on coaching the senior women. “I haven’t been able to give as much time to the role that it deserves and to be honest I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. “I’ve just had enough and I honestly feel that the current committee is more than capable and has enough people – both male and female – to carry the club on.”
One of the names that has emerged as a likely candidate for one of the top two positions is that of Karen Gray, who is the club’s MiniRoos coordinator and oversees player registrations. Gray joined Skye in 2019 and has been on the committee since 2021. “It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s a really big player in all of this if you want to use that term,” Lawrence said. “She’s a really good operator and really cares about the club. “She’s transformed the MiniRoos in terms of organisation and it makes sense if she wanted to step up and join the executive committee.”
Gray was non-committal when asked if she planned to become Skye’s first female president. “I’m not 100 percent sure,” she said. “I believe that someone has put their hand up for the president’s job and it’s a person I could work with, very much so.”
First published in the Mornington News – 8 October 2024
