2000 National Talent Identification Championships

Competing at this years event were teams from New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, Northern New South Wales, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, Country New South Wales, Tasmania, Northern Territory, and Country Victoria. In addition, the A.I.S. Women's team were invited to participate in the Under-15 competition as part of their Olympic warm-up campaign.

Playing in Group B, the W.A. Under-15's were outplayed in their opening match by a powerful New South Wales side, eventually succumbing 0-3. Two down at the break, coach Richard Slade made four changes at the break but the task was made all that more difficult for W.A. when Paul Wright was dismissed in the 57th minute of play. The following day they bounced back to recorded their first point of the tournament in a hard-fought 1-all draw with South Australia, defender Ryan Townsend getting the all important goal for W.A. five minutes from full-time. Despite the point, it was not all smiles in the camp after the match, Damir Kuduzovic came off injured after 35 minutes and was forced to sit out the next two games.

By Day Three the boys had put their first day blues behind them as they faced the Australian Capital Territory. First half goals from Brian Hedges and Stefan Smiljanvic ensured maximum points for the first time and put the side in equal third place on the Group B table, one point behind second placed Northern New South Wales and well in contention for a spot in the Semi-Finals. It was Northern New South Wales that the came up against on Day Four in what was a make-or-break match for the teams with both sides seeking maximum points in order to secure their spot in the finals stage. Nil-all at the break, two second half strikes from the 'home' side made sure it was them that came away with the goods.

The final group stage match was against Country Victoria and there was an early set-back for W.A. when Nick Ward came off injured after just 9 minutes. Despite this, it was the Perth lads that drew first blood, substitute Wright striking in the 24th minute to give his side the lead. But the Victorian side were made of stern stuff and pulled a goal back, then netting a second after the interval to leave W.A. in 5th spot on the final Group B ladder. This teed-up a Finals stage clash with a Northern Territory side that had scored only once in four games while seeing 24 goals go past them at the other end. And that trend continued as W.A. thumped them 7-1 to finish the championship in 9th place.

The Under-15 tournament was taken out by Queensland who fought off a determined New South Wales line-up in the Final to earn themselves the trophy through the only goal of the game scored in the 2nd minute of play by Mark Cruse. The A.C.T. downed Tasmania in the 3rd/4th place play-off 4-2.

Under-15 Results

Under-15 Tour Appearances

Under-15 Touring Party 

Our under-16's got their tournament underway with two successive losses. With a starting line-up against the Australian Capital Territory that featured no less than 9 E.C.U. Joondalup players, Anthony Danze goal put the side ahead after 26 minutes to give W.A. a 1-nil lead at the break. When Louis Parkinson added a second shortly after the re-start victory looked a sure thing for W.A.. It wasn't to be their day as the A.C.T. side slammed three past them to take out the points at the end of the day. It was a similar story against Tasmania, an early strike from Parkinson followed by another by Danze meant W.A. were 2-1 ahead at half-time. But again they let the lead slip with Tasmania slotting in two goals to make the final margin 2-3.

By Day Three the boys had re-discovered the form they displayed recently in Singapore during the Lion City Cup and were 5-nil up at the break. Danze and Chad Barton gave us a 2-0 lead over Country Victoria after just 12 minutes while three goals - Parkinson, Michael Bushby and Barton - in the space of four minutes effectively killed off the game. Bushby completed the route late in the second half. The win put the team in third place on the Group B ladder, six points adrift of joint leaders Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. First half against bottom placed Northern Territory was hard going and at the break the scorers were yet to be bothered. The floodgates opened with the re-start as Parkinson smashed a hat-trick with singles coming from Danze and Barton ensuring a 6-0 victory. Unfortunately, the win was soured by the fact that the two sides above W.A. fought out a 2-2 draw to maintain their undefeated records and thus putting them in the semi-finals and elminating W.A. from the medals play-offs.

Unperturbed, W.A. kept their third consecutive clean sheet as they ran out triumph by a 3-0 margin over Country N.S.W. in the final Group match, earning themselves third place behind the A.C.T. and Tasmania. The Finals stage game pitted W.A. against Victoria in a hard fought clash which W.A. won 3-2, leaving the side in 5th place in the final Under-16's standings.

In the age group Final, New South Wales swept aside Northern New South Wales 3-nil to claim the trophy, the goals coming from Jay Lucas (5th and 27th minutes) and Michael Di Meglio. In the play-off for 3rd/4th place, Victoria spoilt News South Wales chances of taking out the top three spots when they defeated Country New South Wales 1-0.

Under-16 Results

Under-16 Tour Appearances

Under-16 Touring Party

Special thanks to Binesh Mudaliar at Soccer N.S.W. for providing squad and match details.