Comfortable wins for league leaders
Mainland premier soccer league leaders Nomads United and Ferrymead Bays warmed up for today's top-of-the-table clash with comfortable wins on Saturday.
Nomads fired in five first-half goals in a 5-0 rout of Rangers at Tulett Park and title-holder Ferrymead beat Nelson Suburbs 2-0 at Barnett Park with the final score flattering the visitors.Nomads coach Keith Braithwaite and Ferrymead counterpart Fred Simpson both had the luxury of substituting key players in the second half on Saturday to conserve them for today's tussle at Tulett Park.
"That wasn't our best performance of the season," Simpson said. "But from our perspective, it's three points, and it gave us a chance to rest a couple of players."
Simpson's decision to withdraw young midfielders Southay Rattanong and Darren Overton was no reflection on their efforts. The teenagers provided quality deliveries for Bays' two goals. Rattanong's right-wing cross was deftly headed home by Callum Fraser off the inside of the upright to give Ferrymead a 1-0 lead at half time.
Overton obliged with a pinpoint ball to allow an unmarked Eli Doornenbal a free 5m header to make it 2-0 midway through the second half.
Rattanong, Ramzi Toumi and striker Greg Draper produced some quality touches on the greasy surface. Draper should have had a penalty when he was clipped inside the area. . The Canterbury United centre-forward was denied a deserved goal by a brilliant diving save by Nelson keeper Brent Fletcher.
Target man Greg Feutz scored twice in Nomads' rampage against Rangers. Last year's Golden Boot top-scorer award winner was joined on the score sheet by Luke Petrie, Dave Tregenza and Rami Duwass.
Braithwaite brought Feutz off in the second spell, which must have been a relief to Rangers' evergreen ex-All Whites goalkeeper Alan Stroud. The 45-year-old � deputising again for the injured Connor Chellew � performed some second-half heroics to keep the score at the half-time margin of 5-0. Rangers' Felix Grant was sent off for a second caution.
The goals glut gave Nomads a narrow lead over Ferrymead on the goals-for-and-against differential. Today's clash will pit a strong Nomads defence, led by ex-All White Gareth Rowe and Daniel Burns, against Ferrymead's promising attack.
Richmond City should be favoured to win the Mainland league's first Nelson derby against Nelson Suburbs today after its 5-1 drubbing of Western at Richmond's Jubilee Park on Saturday.
Solomon Islander Benjamin Totori scored a hat-trick to take an almost inevitable lead in the Golden Boot stakes with five strikes � one more than compatriot Batram Suri, who grabbed two goals against Western. All 10 Richmond goals this season have been scored by Solomons imports.
Nine-man Woolston Technical eked out a 1-1 draw with Halswell United at Garrick Park, but was aggrieved at red cards issued to Jon Sansom (swearing) and Jamie Smith (retaliation).
Halswell notched its first point of the season after industrious striker Ewan Bakker scored after a swift counter-strike in the first half. But Smith equalised from the penalty spot after he was upended in the second half.
There was no red card for the Halswell defender but Smith collected Tech's second in a subsequent sideline skirmish, which had Tech fans howling for action to be taken against his Halswell opponent.
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Super striker runs riot
Richmond City striker Benjamin Totori showed why he won the Golden Boot in this year's national football championships, scoring a stunning hat-trick against Western in their Mainland premier league match at Jubilee Park.
Totori scored 24 goals for Manawatu in the national league and continued his spree at Jubilee Park on Saturday. The Solomon Islands international slotted the first three goals in Richmond's 5-1 win to take his Mainland tally to five goals in just two games.Totori needed only four minutes to get on the scoresheet, showing electric pace to secure a tentative back pass and side-foot the ball past goalkeeper Matt Herd.
He slipped past three defenders and guided the ball in for number two after 37 minutes, and completed the hat-trick in the 70th minute when he fired a left-foot shot into the net.
Batram Suri, who came off the bench in the 70th minute, nailed the next two goals to let his young compatriot know that he is still the boss.
Suri scored from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute and then two minutes later clinically stabbed a Totori cross into the net. The veteran striker also made a big impact on the team's dynamics when he came on for Alick Maemae, lifting Richmond out of a slump.
After leading 2-0 at the interval, Richmond muddled its way through the opening stages of the second half. When Western striker Geoff McIntyre capitalised on a defensive error to dribble a miscued shot past Karl Numan, Richmond's lead suddenly looked under threat.
But once Suri came on, it was game over. The whole team lifted, with midfielders Michael Fifi and Michael Campbell pushing forward and Totori and Suri running riot in an exhilarating final 20 minutes.
"We didn't really start playing until Batram came on," Richmond coach Peter Simonsen said. "When it was 2-1, we were almost in danger of going to 2-2 but Batram added that bit of spark."
Although Richmond needed 70 minutes to start playing quality football, there were some encouraging signs from the outset. Defenders Ant Sonneman, Matt Ayloff, Nigel Gibbons and Matt Elliott were solid throughout while Maemae, Campbell and Darryn Cunningham showed nice touches in midfield.
The performance of the back four was particularly pleasing for Simonsen after a woeful display in the first half of Richmond's opening game, against Ferrymead Bays.
"I've been a harsh critic of our defence - they don't get a lot of credit but I was pleased with them today. We gave them the goal but apart from that, we defended well."
Nelson Suburbs suffered a 0-2 loss to defending champion Ferrymead in their Mainland premier league game in Christchurch on Saturday.
Nelson conceded a soft goal just before halftime when Callum Fraser scored from a diving header, and another 23 minutes into the second half when Eli Doornebal headed in from the far post.
Ferrymead had been dominating the second half leading up to its second goal but Nelson responded by pushing players forward and taking control of the final quarter.
"They had the better of the second half and could have led by more," co-coach John Brydon said. "But then we threw numbers forward and were unlucky not to score.
"We should have been on equal terms with them at halftime, too. It was a soft goal - we failed to clear and they headed in.
"But Ferrymead are a good side and they deserved to win. They were two goals better than us - it was a good reflection of the game."
Brydon said Nelson goalkeeper Brent Fletcher had a strong game, while captain Mike Bothwell was outstanding in midfield. Sam Ayers showed plenty of pace when he was pushed forward, while Joel Wiechern was unlucky not to score in the opening minutes.
"Everyone played well," Brydon said. "It was an improved showing from the previous week but we were still regaining our confidence after being hammered by Nomads."
The two Nelson teams were to play their fourth-round Mainland league match at Saxton Field on Monday.
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Nomads United has raced out to a five-point lead at the top of the Mainland premier soccer league after its second win of the season in Nelson.
Two Jean-Claude de Joux goals straight after the interval gave unbeaten Nomads a 3-1 win over Richmond City at Jubilee Park on Saturday. Second-placed Ferrymead Bays dropped a point in a 1-1 draw with Woolston Technical to slip further behind Nomads.
Nomads coach Keith Braithwaite was proud of a "good team performance" in difficult conditions. "I've never known it to be so windy in Nelson."
Richmond � still reeling from a 0-3 Easter Monday derby loss to Nelson Suburbs � led 1-0 at half-time after Benjamin Totori tucked away a penalty after a dive in the area.
But Nomads came out firing early in the second half with de Joux missing an open-goal sitter immediately after the restart. He more than atoned by reacting quickly to slot home two goals in the 46th and 49th minutes after goalmouth scrambles.
Nomads' clinching goal came in the 89th minute from substitute striker Steve Hill. "He hit one from 25 yards and it near took the net off. It was a tremendous goal," Braithwaite said.
The Richmond victory extended Nomads' winning sequence to 21 premier league matches.
Ferrymead Bays had to come from behind to earn a point at Garrick Park after Tom Cairns netted his third goal of the season to put Technical ahead in the 32nd minute. Cairns' Canterbury United academy team-mate, Greg Draper, equalised after 62 minutes for Bays, which had midfielder Paris Kerdemelidis sent off.
Gareth Turnbull struck a hat-trick in a withering seven-minute burst to propel Western up to third place after a 6-1 win over Nelson Suburbs at Walter Park. The Canterbury United squad member has scored 10 of Western's 16 goals this season and now has a four-goal lead in the race for the Golden Boot.
Nelson was without co-coach Brendan Crichton and three players, who are touring South America with the Nayland College soccer squad. But the visitor put up a credible display in the first half with the score locked at 1-1 at the break after Suburbs' Wesley Olea cancelled out Colin McDermott's opening goal for Western.
Robbie Stanton's Western went beserk in the second spell with Turnbull striking in the 57th and 59th minutes before completing his hat-trick in the 66th from the penalty spot. Kris O'Neill and Rhys Parker embellished Western's margin.
Two first-half goals from Dan Martin earned Halswell United a 3-0 win in the bottom-of-the-table clash at Eric Adam Park. Rangers dominated much of the second half but remained empty-handed. Teenager Nick Gebhardt lofted the ball over Halswell keeper Steve Graham only to see it hit a divot and bounce over the bar. Graham pulled off a brilliant reflex save from a stinging shot by Rangers' Hue Frame before Luke James headed in Halswell's third goal.
Defending champion New Brighton came from behind to beat closest rival Ferrymead Bays 4-2 in the Mainland women's premier league feature match. Ferrymead led 2-0 at half time but Marcella Reed grabbed two goals in the seasiders' strong second-half comeback.
Western had a 4-1 win over Halswell United with ex-international Rachel Oliver among its scorers. Avon United gained its first premier league point when Mary McCutcheon earned a 1-1 draw with Burnside whose goal came from Chelsea Bignall.
Founder
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Rangers end five-match drought
Rangers scored their first goals and their first win of the Mainland premier league soccer season with a 4-2 win over Nelson Suburbs yesterday.
The end of Rangers' five-match drought was as much a talking point as top team Nomads United dropping its first points of the season in a 2-2 draw with Woolston Technical on Saturday. Nomads still has a four-point lead on Western, which beat defending champion Ferrymead Bays 2-1 yesterday to leapfrog it into second place.Rangers' big win at Nelson's Saxton Field should be a major confidence booster for new coach Alan Walker and his young team.
Canterbury United academy player Nic Gebhardt and Nelson's Sean Parkes traded penalties late in the first half but Andrew Grant restored Rangers' lead after the interval and Chris Williams extended the margin to 3-1.
Parkes slotted a second penalty in the 84th minute but James Stewart grabbed Rangers' fourth goal just before full time.
Two goals from Jean-Claude de Joux extended Nomads' unbeaten run to 22 league games, but Tech deserved a share of the spoils at Garrick Park. Canterbury United veteran Chris Morris bundled home Tech's first goal after 30 minutes when Jamie Smith's free kick was flicked on by Tom Cairns.
De Joux equalised five minutes before half time but Tech edged ahead in the second spell when Smith slotted a penalty.
Nomads only seemed to spark into gear when it trailed 1-2. De Joux netted the equaliser in the 72nd minute after Tech had only partially cleared the ball.
Top scorer Gareth Turnbull nabbed his 10th goal of the season to set up Western's win over Ferrymead Bays.
A Ben Hughes corner was flicked on by Dave Mawhinney for Matt Boyd to power home a header to make it 2-0. Greg Draper replied with a penalty for Ferrymead.
Halswell United led Richmond City 2-0 at Halswell Domain after goals by Jonathan Deaker and Dan Martin (penalty). But Jimmy Lattimer and Benjamin Totori saved Richmond's bacon with late goals.
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Brockie at Richmond! Western
narrows contest lead
Western beat Nomads 1-0 to step closer to the competition
leaders in a tight top-of-the-table clash in the Mainland premier
soccer league.
With one of the three rounds now completed, Nomads still lead on 16
points, one ahead of Western, with Ferrymead Bays on 13 points.
The home defeat ended Nomads' 22-match unbeaten run.
In a game worthy of its status, Western had the better of the opening minutes.
Five minutes before the break, Nomads' Jean-Claude De Joux was still regretting botching a simple tap-in when Colin McDermott headed in a free kick to give Western the lead.
Nomads increased the pressure in the second half but could not break the Western defence, which was assisted by the off-side flag when De Joux managed to find the net.
In other games, Bays cut loose in the second half to overrun Rangers 8-0, after being three up at the break.
Greg Draper bagged half of the goals and Darren Overton scored twice, although the final score did not reflect Rangers' effort.
Richmond City claimed its third win by beating Woolston Technical 4-1.
Early goals to Benjamin Totori and new signing Jeremy Brockie gave City the early lead, with Chris Morris then reducing the margin.
Totori went on to complete his second hat-trick of the season in the second half with Technical paying dearly for some poor finishing..
Halswell and Nelson Suburbs shared the points in a 3-3 draw yesterday.
Every time Halswell took the lead, Joses Nawo replied for the visitors.
In the women's premier league, leader New Brighton continued on its unbeaten way when downing Avon United 4-0, with Kirsty Palmer scoring twice.
A brilliant 35m strike from Kelly Jarden allowed Western to defeat the Mainland Pride Development Academy 1-0.
Rangers were too strong for bottom-placed Burnside, winning 5-0, while Ferrymead Bays returned to winning form at the expense of Halswell with a 6-1 scoreline.
Da Selekta2007-04-30 14:49:24
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Solomon Islanders Score!
Islanders score hat-tricks
Two hat-tricks from Solomon Islands strikers and a surprise appearance from an All White marked this weekend's Mainland Premier League football action for Nelson teams.
Richmond City pounded Woolston Technical 4-1 in a frenetic game at Jubilee Park on Saturday, while Nelson Suburbs returned to form on the back of a Joses Nawo hat-trick, drawing 3-3 with Halswell in Christchurch on Sunday.
In a move kept secret until kick-off, Richmond fielded a dreadlock-shorn Jeremy Brockie. The All White and former Nelson Suburbs player showed his class in the first half with several nice touches and a superb goal, but had a quiet second half in which he missed a penalty.
Brockie started wide on the right but moved into a central role, where another former Suburbs player, Tom Lancaster, and Chris Morris were Technical's best players.
Richmond's Solomon Islanders were exceptional, with striker Batram Suri marshalling his compatriots, Alick Maemae providing crisp, accurate passing, second-half substitute Michael Fifi making several crowd-pleasing trick-laced runs, and Benjamin Totori in hot form.
Totori knocked in three goals but could've had another three from the many chances he created. New Zealand's new A-League franchise in Wellington could do worse than sign him.
Richmond stunned Technical with two goals in as many minutes quarter of an hour into the match. A defensive clearance from left back Matt Elliot found Totori on halfway. A deft turn had him away from his marker, who had no chance of catching up before Totori placed the ball past the keeper.
Elliot, having one of his best games in the red shirt, was also involved in the second goal a minute later, sending Totori down the left flank. His shot was stopped but Suri swooped and crossed the ball to Brockie, who thumped in a left-foot volley from the edge of the goal-box.
Technical hit back through Morris, who chested down a high ball on halfway and after initially trying to find striker Tom Cairns, beat Richmond keeper Karl Numan with a flat shot.
Richmond hit a flat patch as the visitors took the initiative, but held its lead at halftime.
The home side stepped up a notch after the break. Brockie somewhat redeemed the penalty he missed early in the half, starting the attack that led to Totori's second goal.
Maemae was put into space on the left and threaded the ball through to Totori, who with one touch, beat a defender and hit the ball low and wide into the net from just outside the box.
The super striker added the last a minute from fulltime, tapping in the rebound of a partly saved long-range Brockie effort.
Technical's player-coach, Stuart Kelly, regarded by many as the top striker in the league, did not take the field as he was recovering from a hernia operation.
He said after the game that Richmond might have won by five or six goals as Technical just could not contain Richmond's Solomon Islanders.
"It's a long season, though, and we'll be there at the end of it."
Richmond coach Peter Simonsen said it was the first time this season he'd been able to field all the Solomons players. He was particularly impressed with Suri, and of course Totori. "He reckoned he should have had six. He gets disappointed if he doesn't score a hat-trick."
Simonsen also praised the performances of Elliot and Matt Ayloff. He said Brockie, who trained with the side in the pre-season, had been cleared to play on Friday.
"It's good to have him in the club, especially for the young guys."
Suburbs did the same to Halswell as Richmond did last week, coming from behind to earn a draw.
Coach John Brydon was proud of his team. He said Nawo was extremely sharp and combined well with Paul Brydon up front.
Gary Calderbank had a strong game captaining the side from midfield in Mike Bothwell's absence through suspension, and Matt Mitchell was solid again, said Brydon.
Suburbs created enough opportunities to win but the result was fair in the end, he said.
Halswell led 3-2 at halftime and dominated a "battered" Suburbs in the first 15 minutes of the second without extending its lead, Brydon said.
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Western extends lead By GAVIN SEARLE - The Press | Monday, 14
May 2007
Western has increased its lead in the Mainland Premier Football League to four points after beating Woolston Technical 3-1.
The red-and-blacks' closest rival, Nomads, shared the points in a 1-1 draw with Nelson Suburbs. Ferrymead Bays stayed in third place when it beat Halswell, 3-1, and Richmond City collected its fifth win with a 5-3 defeat of Rangers.
Western heads the table with 21 points, with Nomads on 17, Bays 16 and Richmond 15.
Western opened the scoring when Western defender Matt Boyd's effort was deflected before Gareth Turnbull turned home a great cross from Ben Hughes on half time.
Technical got back in the game in the second half through James Reichwein, but Hughes and Turnbull combined again, Turnbull wrapping up the win with a thundering shot off the goal post.
Nomads picked up their first point at home in three games in a 1-1 draw with Nelson. The visitors took an early lead through Joses Nawo before Dave Tregenza equalished. Both sides failed to convert chances in the second half.
After a scoreless first half, Greg Draper gave Bays a two-goal lead over Halswell before Dave Pinese pulled one back for the home side.
Bottom-placed Rangers fought back from 3-1 down against Richmond to draw level, before two late goals to Batram Suri undid Rangers' hard work.
New Brighton remained on top of the women's premier competition by beating third-placed Rangers 3-0 for its sixth win in as many games. Georgia Goulding scored twice and Marcella Reed claimed the other goal.
Second-placed Western edged out Ferrymead Bays 1-0 through a long-range effort by Kelly Jarden.
Six goals from Alana Ainsworth helped Mainland Academy crush Burnside 13-0. Aimee Phillips and Blenheim's Natalie Johnston both scored twice for the Academy. Halswell climbed above Avon United on the table with a 3-1 win thanks to a Krista Neilson hat-trick.
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Suburbs the favourite for Chatham Cup clash
Da Selekta2007-05-21 08:38:09
By DANIEL NIELSEN - The Nelson Mail | Saturday, 19 May
2007
This weekend's Chatham Cup clash between Nelson Suburbs and
Richmond City may have been overshadowed by the Phil Whitley saga,
but remains an opportunity for people to see Nelson's best
footballers in action.
Richmond's been on a roll in the Mainland Premier League with three wins in a row, while Suburbs is starting to show more consistency.
Suburbs won 3-0 when the two sides met in the league and is strongly favoured to win Sunday's game at Saxton Field as well.
Richmond will be without top scorer Benjamin Totori, in-form striker Batram Suri, classy midfielder Alick Maemae and left back Matt Elliot, who have all left the club this week in the wake of a Securities Commission investigation into the business dealings of former sponsor Whitley.
Coach Peter Simonsen said it had been a difficult week but expected his players to be as motivated as ever for the Chatham Cup game.
He said the team would just have to rebuild and that the flipside of the exodus was that younger players, such as Jordan Swaney and Nathan Searle, would get more opportunities.
Simonsen hadn't finalised his team but said there were no injuries to worry about.
Suburbs co-coach John Brydon said he had a full-strength squad to choose from as Gary Calderbank and Marty Chandler were returning. Wesley Olea wasn't 100 percent fit but could still get game time, he said.
Striker Joses Nawo was ill during the week but had recovered sufficiently to train on Thursday.
Brydon said the Richmond situation had been unsettling for his side and was concerned that it might turn football fans off the game.
The game will feature some interesting individual match-ups. If Richmond uses Jeremy Brockie in central midfield, he will come head-to-head with Suburbs' Paul Dirou who fits adjectives such as tough, uncompromising and robust.
Brockie could be playing as a striker or out wide, however, given the lack of options Richmond has.
Another key match-up will be Nawo and Richmond central defender Matt Ayloff.
With both strong in the air and excellent readers of the game, it should be a great challenge for both players and enjoyable for football followers.
The game kicks off at 1pm.
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Western 4 points ahead
Western maintained its four-point lead at the top of the Mainland premier football league with a thumping 6-0 win over a depleted Richmond City.
Still reeling from the loss of its president and benefactor, and its Solomon Islands stars, Richmond held Western out for the first half. But the floodgates opened after the interval.
Former Canterbury United striker Dave Mawhinney scored twice for Western, whose final margin was embellished by two penalties, to top-scorer Gareth Turnbull and under-17 international Hamish Chang.
Chang and fellow New Zealand under-17 representative Geoff MacIntyre featured on the scoresheet yesterday, alongside the Mawhinney and Turnbull.
Nomads United returned to form with a 5-0 win over bottom team Rangers, with striker Luke Petrie and midfielder Gavin Jeffs each getting two goals. Halswell United continued its mini-revival with a 1-0 win over Woolston Technical, with Jonathan Deaker scoring the winner in the second half.
Nelson Suburbs returned to the winner's circle with an emphatic 4-1 home win over third-placed Ferrymead Bays at Nelson's Saxton Field yesterday.
Canterbury United captain Dan Terris, who starred in Nelson Suburbs' 2004 and 2005 Mainland premier league championship teams, opened the scoring for Ferrymead Bays in the 28th minute. But Suburbs dominated the rest of the match.
Defender Paul Dirou and Wesley Olea struck within four minutes of each other to give Nelson a 2-1 lead before half-time.
Joel Wiechern and top-scorer Joses Nawo added second-half strikes.
Western is also riding high in the Mainland premier women's competition. Former international Sara Clapham scored twice in a 6-0 win over Avon United on Saturday to maintain Western's goal-difference lead over titleholder New Brighton.
Marcella Reed and Jasmine Lovell were on target in Brighton's 2-0 win over Burnside while Ferrymead Bays scored a welcome 3-2 win over the Mainland Pride Academy team. Krista Neilson grabbed a hat-trick in Halswell's 4-2 win over Rangers.
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look what I found whilst searching for proper
thread.
E's Flat Ah's Flat Too
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it appears we are lost again - but have funky new functionality
Kotahitanga. We are one.
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Hello everyone, this seemed like the best place to post.
I'm a senior-age keeper (but not masters) down from Wellington looking for a club for next season. I'm up for pre-season training (and trials if clubs do this) and serious competition/committment during the season should I remain here (subject to work confirmation etc).
Any suggestions of which clubs would be good/appropriate would be greatly appreciated :)
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Probably mostly depends on which league you're looking to get into and which part of the city you're moving to. There is a list of clubs with contact details in the city and surrounding districts on this link. Clubs are pretty well scattered about.
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Agree with the above comment - depending on your location is probably going to determine which club(s) you'll look at. Also what sort of level you are looking at. If you are a senor keeper - but not masters - I'd assume you are looking for a div 1/2 (possibly 3) team. But ideally it'll come down to location - unless you enjoy a little travel.
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Thanks guys, appreciate the reponse. Probably be living in or around the Shirley area, so Nomads, Western, FCTwenty 11, Chch United...any others? I excluded CashmereTech as I've been redaing the other Mainland post about the merger and the leviathan junior squad-focus. Any issues i should know about the other clubs?
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United is a very small club and may be a bit far in terms of training compared to Western and Nomads. Both of which have fairly strong senior sections - would probably say on the whole Nomads is the stronger club (ok junior section compared to almost no juniors, club rooms vs no club rooms etc - tullet park is probably one of the better home fields too)
Other options are burwood (really small club with very few seniors) or possibly coastal spirit and parklands if you wanna be heading further east
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United is a very small club and may be a bit far in terms of training compared to Western and Nomads. Both of which have fairly strong senior sections - would probably say on the whole Nomads is the stronger club (ok junior section compared to almost no juniors, club rooms vs no club rooms etc - tullet park is probably one of the better home fields too)
Other options are burwood (really small club with very few seniors) or possibly coastal spirit and parklands if you wanna be heading further east
Thanks !
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