He plays at right full-back.

Michael came runner-up in the Blue Lake under 14 best and fairest, which was a good effort considering he missed two games. He was also the team’s leading goal scorer (12, including five in one game) and he was named vice-captain in the Blue Lake club team of the year (all grades).

As it happens, Michael has just been selected to play with Adelaide Comets next year in their under 15 Junior Premier League division one team. The Comets play at Adelaide High School, about 1.5km from where we are living in Mile End.

There were three trial sessions and a final practice match, from which a squad of 16 was selected. Michael is really looking forward to playing next year in the highest level of junior club competition in the state.

It’s a real honor for him, as a country kid, to make it into the upper echelon on his first attempt. Combined with his participation in a soccer academy at Underdale High School, the next two years present a wonderful opportunity for him to advance in the sport.

It’s only the third time I’ve been to a national league soccer match. The first was between Morwell Falcons and South Melbourne at Crinigan Road in the mid 90s; the second between Perth and Newcastle in Perth a few years ago.

Google Maps told me it was 3.4km from our house in Mile End to the stadium in Hindmarsh. We walked through light rain via back streets, crossing the Torrens River at the Holland Street Bridge.

Google Maps didn’t show there was a bridge, so I searched and found this reference:

The bridge is one of the earliest known reinforced concrete bridges in South Australia and was
designed and constructed in 1908 for trams to cross the river. In 1962, strengthening works were
undertaken to the bridge structure allowing it to be opened to vehicular traffic with a load capacity
of 5 tonnes. In 1986 the load capacity was further reduced to 2 tonnes and the bridge was later
closed to vehicular traffic in 1990.

Hindmarsh Stadium

We had general admission tickets, which weren’t too expensive: $9 for Michael and about $25 for me.

We arrived 45 minutes before play started to secure a comfortable seat around the half-way line. The ground filled up quickly around us and it was standing room only on the midfield.

The first half was fairly dull and scores were tied at 0-0.

I told Michael I thought the game would end in a 1-1 draw. He nominated a 3-0 result, but declined to pick the winner.

He was right, as events transpired. I asked him why he thought it would be 3-0 and he said the team that scored first would crack the game open and run away with it. The kid knows something about soccer.

The attendance was 11,200, but seemed more than that because of the atmosphere.

I saw Fitzroy play AFL matches in its final years in front of similar crowds with less atmosphere. AFL grounds are bigger and the crowds are often evenly split in their support of competing clubs.

My employer has a super box at Hindmarsh Stadium. I hope to view a game from there one day.

The main objectives are to promote fun, fitness and teamwork.

Michael (third from left) with teammates from the Round Ball development team in Mount Gambier.

Michael heard the players’ families pay up to $1000 a year for children to participate.

It was a credit to the Mount Gambier boys and girls they performed so well against the capital city visitors.

Michael’s team won all three trophies on offer: seven-a-side, Futsal and 11-a-side. Michael scored a goal in one of the 11-a-side matches.

The competition rules required at least five girls to be on the field for each side at any given time.

This weekend the group will play “mash-up” games combining boys and girls against visiting teams from Warrnambool.

“For many years female players have played in local soccer matches and the Round Ball and many others have mixed girls and boys to create good outcomes and to extend individual players,” Round Ball CEO Scott Dickson said.

“This is different though; this is a competitive fixture against a talented opposition who places a high degree of importance on co-educational football.”

Each side will have 16 players in each squad, eight boys and eight girls, and five girls will play on the pitch at all times. The focus is on development and fun, letting the kids mix and play the game.

Michael has been named boys’ captain of the under 14 team. He is pictured with the girls’ captain Monique Ianella.

However, I enjoyed the game very much and didn’t disgrace myself as a goalkeeper, if i do say so myself.

My son, who is a talented soccer player, was a harsh critic, but overall even he thought I did okay.

This post is to describe in some detail the differences, as I saw them, between goalkeeping in soccer and hockey.

Firstly, the similarities. You need to work the angles in both sports and know when to stay on the line or come out.

In both sports it’s better to avoid the need for a spectacular save by moving around the square or circle to pre-empt attacking moves through an intercept, or by making the attackers indecisive.

In a one-on-one situation (one attacker streaming toward goal) and even two on one, my response was similar, ie reduce the angle, time any potential intercept and anticipate a strike.

The differences are significant, but not insurmountable.

The size of the goal is obviously one of them. A hockey goal is about the width of a body plus stick, so you can just about physically cover it lying down (not that doing so is effective).

A soccer goal is much wider. I found that confusing on penalty corners and in crowded situations. I had to watch for more possibilities.

I messed up the first corner by staying on the post, but fortunately a goal didn’t result. In hockey that’s fine (on a long corner), because it will normally take at least two hits before the ball can be on your other side.

In soccer, it’s just one kick and the wide goal creates extra scoring possibilities.

Another difference is the height of the goal. In hockey, goals are rarely scored over the goalie’s head, so it’s safe to come out from the line.

I did that in the soccer game and an opponent saw an opportunity to go over my head. Fortunately, he hit the crossbar.

In hockey the ball rarely comes at you with height, whereas in soccer it’s quite common.

The defensive principles are the same, likewise the instinct for attacking defence.

I believe the skills are transferable with fine tuning and training.

It’s a five-hour drive, allowing for necessary breaks.

On Friday night I attended the South Australian Country Press Association awards, where The Border Watch was recognised for best sports story.

The ceremony was held at the historic Adelaide Town Hall.

Like most country boys on a rare visit to the city we headed to the casino afterwards. I didn’t gamble though.

The walk there involved crossing Hindley Street twice. That’s the nightclub precinct of Adelaide and it was pretty rowdy.

We got back to our hotel about 2.30am. In the Sunday Mail I read there was a stabbing at 3.25am in Hindley Street that night and a man was killed.

Young Michael played in an under 15 soccer tournament on the weekend for his club Gambier Centrals.

It was the Manchester United Premier Cup and Centrals were the only country team contesting the South Australian leg.

Most of the Centrals players were under 14, except Michael who is under 13 and two older boys, so they did well to be competitive in two of the three games.

I took the action shot below of a Centrals player flicking the ball on with a header.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 is a good all-round camera with a 10X optical zoom. It’s not ideal for sport, but if I take enough photos I usually capture one that’s okay.

Michael’s team finished second in the tournament to the host team Warrnambool, which was a good effort. They played seven-a-side in 15-minutes halves on short pitches with no offside.

Conditions were very warm, about 30 degrees for much of the day before the wind swung around late.

I had the other kids with me as well. They spent some time at the adventure playground and I took them out for lunch, then they watched the soccer in the afternoon.

Here is the team photo:

I’ve negotiated myself a lifetime position as his manager with a fee of 85 percent (after he haggled over my 90 percent bid).

So I’m driving north to protect my financial interest … and to enjoy some rare bonding time with my eldest boy.

Mildura is actually in Victoria, but apparently they entered the South Australian competition recently. They are closer to Adelaide than Melbourne.

A team from Broken Hill in New South Wales is also competing.

The Western Border team includes Portland, which is also in Victoria, so this is really an interstate tournament.

Michael represented Kalgoorlie in Country Week soccer last year; in fact he was captain of the side.

It must be pretty rare for a boy to play Country Week in separate states over two years.

I expect it will take about six hours to reach Mildura. His last game on Sunday won’t finish until about 4pm, so it will be a late return home.

Still, I’m looking forward to it.