TAHJ MINNIECON MAkING IT COUNT - Home - Wanderland · Minniecon's grandfather played a major role in another source of inspiration in his career and life: religion. "My grandfather

PROUDLY bROUght tO YOU bY

TWENTY-THIRD EDITIoN • sEasoN 2013/14 vs PERTH GLORY

INsIDE THIs IssUE

TAHJ MINNIECON MAkING IT COUNT

HERSI vS SMELTZ

NEw AUsTRALIANsWESTFIELD W-LEAGUE

SYDNEY DERBY

sHANE D'CUNHA: FROM BOMBAY TO

BLACkTOwN

03

WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU

05 FROM thE BOARD DIRECtOR... Warren Mundine shares his thoughts on Western sydney

07 NEWS AND VIEWS tonight’s match at a glance with on this day, score wrap-ups and more

08 MAkINg It COUNt From injury to home-sickness Tahj Minniecon has defeated many personal demons and is ready to make every second count

13 PlAyERS tO WAtCh Youssouf Hersi and shane smeltz

15 NEW AUStRAlIANS Labinot Haliti and Kwabena appiah may not have been born australians but today they are citizens and proud of it

16 tODAy'S MAtCh Brought to you by amart sports

19 SyDNEy DERBy: W-lEAgUE StylE The Hyundai a-League is not the only competition with a fierce inter-city rivalry

23 tAkE FIVE WIth ... Jerrad Tyson takes some time out with The Wanderer

25 BOMBAy tO BlACktOWN Born in Mumbai, shayne D’Chuna has green and gold in his sights

27 SPOt thE DIFFERENCE Can you spot the five differences this week?

28 #WANDERtWEEt Thanks for your tweets!

the views in this publication are not necessarily the views of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers FC. Material in this publication is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written permission of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers FC. All photography courtesy of getty Images, george Suresh, efcso media, Quarrie Sports Photography, Steve Christo, Peter McAlpine, O'Neill & Page Photography and Perth glory FC.

thIS WEEk ... VISIt WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU & SIgN UP tO thE WEEkly WANDERER

FOllOW US @WSWANDERERSFC

OFFICIAL HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE PARTNERs

PARRAMAttA StADIUM tICkEtS ON SAlE 28 JAN

Visit wswanderersfc.com.au

tAkE ON ASIA'S BEStSEE thE WANDERERS

WED 26 FEB WED 19 MAR tUE 22 APR

GUIZHOURENHE MOUTAI CHINA FOOTBALL TEAMGUIZHOURENHE MOUTAI CHINA FOOTBALL TEAM

VS

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05


My world in Grafton was black and white, the aboriginal community which I was a part of

and the anglo community which moved on the fringes of. In auburn my class had around 35 kids from more than 30 ethnic backgrounds. Their parents could hardly speak English. a classmate of mine said I would make a good left half, would I like to play soccer? I asked what's a left half and what's soccer? Before long I was playing for st John's and later auburn District. I have loved the game ever since.

Football to me is like life. It has an incredible beauty about it but can also be cruel. It connects the whole world together. Once I became part of football I was no longer just an aboriginal boy from Northern NsW. I was part of a global community.

the Western suburbs of sydney is the heartland of football in australia, with such diversity, passion, working ethics and resilience. Western sydney Wanderers football club truly represents those qualities. the faces of the team today could be my auburn classmates.

Westies are proud people and the club has made us proud. as a proud Westie and australian on this australia Day 2014 I sing for Wanderers!

warren Mundineboard Director NRMa Insurance Western sydney Wanderers

When I was seven years old my family moved from Grafton to auburn, Western sydney. There I was introduced to two things - football and the rest of the world.

FROM thE BOARD DIRECtOR...

Who gives junior clubs the chance to win

Australia’s Best Small Car† and $10,000*? We Do.

From the Socceroos to community clubs around the country – at Hyundai we love football.

Now you have the opportunity to share our passion and take your place in Hyundai Goals for Grassroots, giving your football club the chance to win up to $10,000 in cash!

Score a goal for your team by completing the Club Registration form online at goalsforgrassroots.com.au, and tell us why your club should be rewarded in the program. Each week throughout the season one lucky club will be selected as the Hyundai Goals for Grassroots recipient.

Plus, every eligible club who completes the online registration has the chance to win a sporty Hyundai i30.

To enter, go to www.goalsforgrassroots.com.au

†Awarded to i30Active Hatch as shown. *To be eligible, your club must be a member of a body affiliated with Football Federation Australia. Terms & Conditions apply. Promotion ends 11.59am AEST on 3/4/14. Permit no’s VIC: 13/2342, NSW: LTPS/13/07549, ACT: TP 13/03524, SA: T13/1838. For full terms, conditions & details of how to enter visit www.goalsforgrassroots.com.au


07

HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE Round 14 sat 11 Jan, Pirtek stadium western sydney wanderers 1 (santalab 87) sydney FC 0Round 19 Tue 14 Jan, aaMI Park Melbourne victory 3 (Thompson 52, Barbarouses 62, Finkler 94) western sydney wanderers 1 (Juric 93)Round 15 sun 19 Jan, Hindmarsh stadium Adelaide United 1 (Carrusca 4) western sydney wanderers 0

wEsTFIELD w-LEAGUE Round 8 sat 11 Jan, Burton Park Adelaide United 1 (Condon 70) western sydney wanderers 1 (Carney 96)Round 8 Wed 15 Jan, WIN Jubilee oval sydney FC 4 (Kerr 5, allen oG 7, Taylor 47, Bolger 58) western sydney wanderers 3 (Carney 70, Garriock 78, Cannuli 81) Round 9 sun 19 Jan, Campbelltown stadium western sydney wanderers 1 (seaman 85) Melbourne victory 1 (o’Neill oG 34)

FOxTEL NATIONAL YOUTH LEAGUE Round 11 sun 12 Jan, Cook Park western sydney wanderers 6 (sotirio 16, Cindric 33 pen, 39, 80 86, Perkatis 62) Perth Glory 0Round 12 sat 18 Jan, Thebarton oval Adelaide United 3 (Costa 48, 62, Mileusnic 74) western sydney wanderers 1 (Barresi 82)

ROUND WRAP-UP

NEWS & VIEWS

WANt MORE WANDERERS FC?VISIt WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU

& SIgN UP tO thE WEEkly WANDERER FOllOW US @WSWANDERERSFC

Courtesy of andrew Howe @AndyHowe_statto

January 26 1972 marks the birth date of Penrith junior David seal, a prolific goal scorer of his time. He was the NsL's leading scorer

in 1989/90 (with sydney Croatia) and 1990/91 (Marconi) and was the youngest player of all-time to score 50 NsL career goals, which he did before turning 21. seal was also part of the golden era of australia's national youth teams which reached the final four at the 1991 Under 20 World Cup and 1992 olympic Games (Under 23). He spent over ten years playing in England where in 2001/02 he was the leading goal scorer of the Fa Cup, with 11 goals for Mangotsfield United.

ON thIS DAy...

WEStERN SyDNEyWANDERERS

tO PERth glORyNEVER lOSt

hA

VE0

I am a Pharmacy Business Manager and am a proud father of three

children who lives in the lower Blue Mountains. I started playing football in 1979 for the Blaxland Redbacks followed by Blue Mountains FC. I have been involved with the Wanderers since the start of the 2013-14 season. The reason to volunteer was simple; I wanted to help the team, the club, the fans and the next generation of players like my son Cody. I also wanted to experience Wanderland and further develop skills with my interest in sport, management, marketing and photography. This is something special, you can feel it at every home-game and I’m in for the journey!

gUARDIAN FUNERAlS WANDERCREW MEMBER OF thE WEEk: ADAM lUCzAk


08

WANDERERS FC VS PERth glORy


09

with the Hyundai a-League's progression and growth, football is quickly becoming

a large part of australian culture and with it, is celebrated on australia Day.

New south Wales will celebrate the beautiful game when the NRMa Insurance Western sydney Wanderers and Perth Glory meet today at Pirtek stadium. However, instead of enjoying the company of those closest to him, the Wanderers Tahj Minniecon will continue a football journey that has seen him deal with the struggles of being away from home.

Born in Cairns and growing up in Brisbane, Minniecon spent the first 22 years of his life living and playing football in Queensland surrounded by the support of family, a very important aspect of his life.

"When I grew up, my family was very close together - that's going from my grandparents to my uncles, aunties and cousins," Minniecon said.

"I've always had my mum to keep me grounded - she's been excellent.

"she raised me as a single parent, took

me to trainings, games; she sacrificed a lot of her time for myself and my career.

"she's definitely my inspiration."although his mother played a large role in

his development Minniecon has also had the support of a number of other family members.

"I have two younger sisters. one is 20; she's hard at times but I'm thankful for her.

"she sacrificed a lot of her time when we were growing up to come along to training and games - she's a blessing.

"I also have a baby sister. she's beautiful."Minniecon's grandfather played a

major role in another source of inspiration in his career and life: religion.

"My grandfather is a preacher; he ran his own church in Brisbane for a bit and when I was younger I was always at church," Minniecon said.

"He was always preaching and I was always singing songs. It's a major influence in my career and I have a big belief in God and Jesus."

story by Matt Marsden @MattkMarsden

australia has long been linked with sport, hosting a number of major international sporting events, as such, it only makes sense that most

australians spend australia Day participating in or watching sport with families and friends.

"I'VE AlWAyS hAD My MUM tO kEEP ME gROUNDED ... ShE

SACRIFICED A lOt OF hER tIME FOR MySElF

AND My CAREER"

MAkINg It COUNt


11"I go to church a lot, or as much as I can. I'm very

religious. Most of my tattoos are of my religious beliefs."a tribute to Minniecon's religion, family and roots

are on display in the form of tattoos with the winger sporting an array of ink ranging from his favourite Bible scriptures, shared tattoos with family and friends and a tribute to his tribe, the Kabi Kabi tribe, north of Brisbane.

With such strong family ties in Queensland, the transition from playing with Brisbane Roar and moving from the now defunct Gold Coast United to Western sydney has not been without its problems.

"The first five or six months down here was probably the hardest time of my life. I had no family and no friends.

"I got used to sydney. It was difficult at first but I guess every footballer has to do the same thing.

"I lost a lot of ties back home. I obviously couldn't visit my mum whenever I wanted so those kind of things are difficult but every footballer has to make the same sacrifices if they want to pursue their dreams."

The transition has been difficult at times and having fully experienced the hardships that come with moving away from home Minniecon acknowledged that the often-required distance between young indigenous players and families is enough to keep some from chasing the dream.

"It's difficult for indigenous players to move away from home - I've experienced it myself.

"It's difficult to break away and to go live in another city, another state or even overseas is very difficult for most.

"It's easy to get homesick but the outcome and the result in the end is always going to be

very nice and you'll obviously help your family a lot more if you pursue your dreams.

"I'd love to inspire young indigenous kids to follow their dreams."

although his personal transition has been testing, Minniecon has formed new bonds and found new sources of inspiration in New south Wales.

"I live with Jerrad Tyson and Josh Barresi. We get along brilliantly and it just feels like a home away from home.

"The fans, the administration, the coaching staff - everyone, we all get along.”

The support of the Wanderers fans is second-to-none in australia and aside from creating an electric atmosphere, they play a large role in players like Minniecon dealing with hardships.

"The fans are unbelievable. Even when I was injured and putting little Tweets out or Instagram pictures of my foot, there was so much support.

"It just makes you feel wanted and that's a big thing for a footballer.

"When you're on the field and it's the last 20 or 30 minutes and you can hear them screaming, it's unbelievable the amount of adrenaline and energy they give to you.

"I'd definitely call Western sydney my second home."With a large part of his career still before him, Tahj

Minniecon is slowly working towards finding a regular place in the Wanderers team. However, with the continued support of head coach Tony Popovic, the staff, his teammates and the red and black supporters, Minniecon is sure to continue his development and push through the barriers of distance.

HERSI SMELTZ

PASSING ACCURACY

1 2

73.1%50%

44 13

TOUCHES PER GAME

TACKLES WON

GOALS

74.9% 68.4%

WANDERERS FC VS PERTH GLORY

PLAYERS TO WATCHHERSI SMELTZ

PASSING ACCURACY

1 2

73.1%50%

44 13

TOUCHES PER GAME

TACKLES WON

GOALS

74.9% 68.4%


PLAYERS TO WATCH


13


Youssouf Hersi Forward

Youssouf started his career in the Netherlands with ajax before moving to a handful of European clubs from

the Netherlands and Greece. announced as a Wanderers Foundation Player on 11 september 2012, Youssouf made his debut in the club’s first ever match before scoring his first goal against sydney FC in Round 11.

shane smeltz Forward

shane smeltz is one of the Hyundai a-League’s most feared strikers. Having played with Wellington

Phoenix and Gold Coast United before joining Perth, the highest all-time goal scorer has won the Golden Boot twice and the Johnny Warren Medal as Hyundai a-League player of the year in 2008/09.


15

NEW AUStRAlIANS

lABINOt hAlItIHe may have been eligible for the australian, albania

and Kosovar national teams but the Wanderers foundation player is proud to call australia home.

Born in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, in Europe’s south eastern Balkan region (formerly known as Yugoslavia), Haliti began playing football at his local club KF 2 Kirkuk before the young striker’s family made the bold decision to pack up their life in Europe and re-establish themselves across the world in sydney, australia.

In his early teens at the time and showing some talent for the round ball, Haliti continued to play in australia. Firstly with state league sides and eventually with Hyundai a-League club the Newcastle Jets.

Compelled by the dream of playing football alongside the world’s best and making use of European ties he seized an opportunity to head overseas and play for several seasons in Croatia, albania and Poland before returning home to the Jets and eventually signing with the Wanderers in their inaugural season.

Despite his early upbringing in Kosovo, Haliti has well and truly shown his green and gold passion opting to play for australia when he proudly made his international debut in 2006 with the australian U23 side.

kWABENA APPIAhOriginally from across the ditch this Kiwi-born has

proudly made Western sydney his home for over a decade and can’t wait for an opportunity to one day pull on the national jersey of his adopted nation.

Kwabena was born to Ghanaian parents in auckland on New Zealand’s north island where he lived until the age of six when his parents chose to try their luck living in australia’s football capital of Western sydney.

It was in Parramatta that the quick paced forward first realised his passion for football, playing for Parramatta City and Granville Rage. It wasn’t long after making his senior debut that appiah was picked up by the Central Coast Mariners National Youth League side where he began to really make his mark on australian Football; scoring nine goals and winning the 2011-12 NYL title.

after his impressive first season with the Mariners it was no surprise when Tony Popovic brought him back home for the Wanderers first ever season. Wasting no time appiah made his debut for the club in their maiden match against former club Central Coast Mariners. although he may not have donned the green and gold just yet, this talented young forward wouldn’t dream of playing for anyone else.

story by Breanna Holden @Bre_Holden

It’s australia Day and in honour of all things aussie we’re taking a look at Labinot Haliti and Kwabena appiah; Wanderers who despite being born

overseas chose to don the green and gold, sing the National anthem with pride and become australian citizens.

COACHTony PoPoVIC

AssIsTANT COACHEsante MILICICRon CoRRY

sUBsTITUTEsOFF

ON

OFF

ON

OFF

ON

FULL TIME sCORE

sQUADs B¨ ¨ 01 ante CoVIC Goalkeeper¨ ¨ 02 shannon CoLE Defender¨ ¨ 03 adam D’aPUZZo Defender¨ ¨ 04 Nikolai ToPoR-sTaNLEY Defender¨ ¨ 05 Michael BEaUCHaMP Defender¨ ¨ 06 Jerome POLENZ Defender¨ ¨ 07 Labinot HaLITI Forward¨ ¨ 08 Mateo PoLJaK Midfielder¨ ¨ 09 Tomi JURIC Forward¨ ¨ 10 aaron MooY Midfielder¨ ¨ 11 Brendon saNTaLaB Forward¨ ¨ 12 Tahj MINNIECoN Forward¨ ¨ 13 Matthew sPIRaNoVIC Defender¨ ¨ 14 Kwabena aPPIaH Forward¨ ¨ 15 Yianni PERKaTIs Midfielder¨ ¨ 16 Josh BaRREsI Midfielder¨ ¨ 17 Youssouf HERsI Forward¨ ¨ 18 Iacopo La RoCCa Midfielder¨ ¨ 19 Mark BRIDGE Forward¨ ¨ 20 Jerrad TYsoN Goalkeeper¨ ¨ 21 shinji oNo Midfielder¨ ¨ 22 Dean HEFFERNaN Defender¨ ¨ 23 Jason tRIFIRO Midfielder¨ ¨ 24 Nicholas oLsEN Defender¨ ¨ 26 Jaushua soTIRIo Forward¨ ¨ 29 Mark CINDRIC Forward¨ ¨ 31 alusine FoFaNaH Midfielder¨ ¨ 32 Daniel aLEssI Defender


16

Grab a pen and write down your own record of the game.

tODAy'S MAtCh

PRoUDLY BRINGs YoU

LADDER* *Ladder correct at completion of Round 15CLUB P w D L F A GD PTs

1 BRIsBaNE RoaR 15 10 1 4 28 13 15 312 WEsTERN sYDNEY WaNDERERs 16 7 5 4 17 15 2 263 CENTRaL CoasT MaRINERs 15 6 6 3 14 15 -1 244 MELBoURNE VICToRY 16 6 5 5 22 22 0 235 aDELaIDE UNITED 15 5 5 5 22 20 2 206 PERth gLORY 15 5 5 5 15 14 1 207 NEWCasTLE JETs 15 5 4 6 15 17 -2 198 sYDNEY FC 15 6 1 8 17 22 -5 199 WELLINgtON PhOENIx 15 4 5 6 20 18 2 1710 MELBoURNE HEaRT 15 1 5 9 12 26 -14 8

LEGENDP Played w Wins D Draws L Losses F goals For A Goals against GD goal difference PTs Points

COACHKenny LoWE

AssIsTANT COACHandrew oRD

sUBsTITUTEsOFF

ON

OFF

ON

OFF

ON

FULL TIME sCORE

sQUADs B¨ ¨ 01 Daniel VUKoVIC Goalkeeper¨ ¨ 02 Jack CLIsBY Defender¨ ¨ 03 brandon o'NEILL Defender¨ ¨ 04 Ryan EDWaRDs Midfielder¨ ¨ 06 Cameron EDWaRDs Midfielder¨ ¨ 07 Jacob BURNs Midfielder¨ ¨ 08 Nebojsa MaRINKoVIC Midfielder¨ ¨ 09 shane sMELTZ Forward¨ ¨ 10 Jamie MaCLaREN Forward¨ ¨ 11 adrian ZaHRa Midfielder¨ ¨ 14 steven McGaRRY Midfielder¨ ¨ 15 Isaka CERNaK Midfielder¨ ¨ 16 sidnei sCIoLa MoRaEs Forward¨ ¨ 17 Chris HaRoLD Forward¨ ¨ 18 Jack DUNCaN Goalkeeper¨ ¨ 19 Joshua RIsDoN Defender¨ ¨ 20 Daniel DE sILVa Forward¨ ¨ 21 scott JaMIEsoN Defender¨ ¨ 22 Ndumba MaKECHE Forward¨ ¨ 23 Michael THWaITE Defender¨ ¨ 24 Matthew DaVIEs Goalkeeper¨ ¨ 25 Riley WooDCoCK Defender¨ ¨ 26 Harry o'BRIEN Forward¨ ¨ 36 William GaLLas Defender¨ ¨ 39 Luke RaDoNICH Goalkeeper


17

Grab a pen and write down your own record of the game.

tODAy'S MAtCh

PRoUDLY BRINGs YoU

LADDER* *Ladder correct at completion of Round 15CLUB P w D L F A GD PTs

1 BRIsBaNE RoaR 15 10 1 4 28 13 15 312 WEsTERN sYDNEY WaNDERERs 16 7 5 4 17 15 2 263 CENTRaL CoasT MaRINERs 15 6 6 3 14 15 -1 244 MELBoURNE VICToRY 16 6 5 5 22 22 0 235 aDELaIDE UNITED 15 5 5 5 22 20 2 206 PERth gLORY 15 5 5 5 15 14 1 207 NEWCasTLE JETs 15 5 4 6 15 17 -2 198 sYDNEY FC 15 6 1 8 17 22 -5 199 WELLINgtON PhOENIx 15 4 5 6 20 18 2 1710 MELBoURNE HEaRT 15 1 5 9 12 26 -14 8

LEGENDP Played w Wins D Draws L Losses F goals For A Goals against GD goal difference PTs Points

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19


story by Christian Layland @Layles89

Make sure you’re at Campbelltown stadium on saturday 2 February when the Wander Women take on sydney FC in our only home

Derby of the season.

Doubling up as the Westfield W-League team’s final home match, this is the biggest match of

the year with your support needed to help take out our fierce rivals and show that we run this town.

Played with the same ferocity and pride as the Hyundai a-League version, the Westfield W-League sydney Derby is a spectacle in itself with last season’s version showcasing the most passionate crowd the women’s league had ever seen.

SyDNEy DERBy:

W-lEAgUE StylE

go to wswanderersfc.com.au

SUNDAy 2 FEBRUARy VS SyDNEy FCDOUBlE hEADER

kICk-OFF 3.00PM | gAtES OPEN 2.30PM

kICk-OFF 6.00PM

CAMPBElltOWN StADIUM

FOllOWED By FOXtEl NAtIONAl yOUth lEAgUEtICkEtS AVAIlABlE At thE gAtE

20the Wander Women will be relishing the occasion as

they are the only side to have put three goals past the sky Blues this season after their meeting in January.

In fact, no other side has come close to dominating sydney FC like the Red and Black did in the final thirty minutes of the away Derby three weeks ago.

While the final score was 4-3 against the Wander Women, which included a controversially disallowed Emily van Egmond goal, they went home


21knowing they were the better side and with a steely resolve to make things right this time around.

That Red and Black performance will be on the minds of the sydney FC players and with an intimidating crowd against the sky Blues it provides the Wanderers with the perfect opportunity to gain revenge.

Having had an unfortunate season due to an extraordinary injury list which at one time saw a total of 251 national team caps unavailable for selection, the sydney Derby will be the last hurrah if the Red and Black are to make finals.

But with the majority of the team’s Westfield Matildas now available for selection and some brilliant form leading up to the match, including ending Melbourne Victory’s club-record winning streak, the time is now for the Wander Women.

National team players alannah Kennedy, Heather Garriock, servet Uzunlar, Teigen allen and Mackenzie arnold have all had extended stints on the sideline this term but will be fit and raring to go when the teams kick-off at 3pm.

There will be extra spice in the mix as apart from arnold, all of the above are former sky Blues themselves, returning home to the West when the Wanderers were formed.

Having proved they can match it with the best make sure the Westfield W-League team has the big crowd their performances deserve when they line-up against sydney FC at Campbelltown.

23

tAkE FIVE WIth JERRAD tySON

To celebrate australia's variety of different nationalists, The Wanderer spoke with Tasmanian Jerrad Tyson.IF YoU WERE sTRaNDED oN aN IsLaND, WHaT WoULD BE YoUR THREE EssENTIaL ITEMs? a sweet beach shack full of a years worth of supplies, a dog to be my best friend and enough palm trees to create a sweet "Castaway" type raft to get home on after my "gap year".

WHaT WoULD YoU BUY WITH YoUR LasT $50? some drum sticks, a heavy duty bucket and a funny hat so I could go out and perform on the street to earn money and get back on my feet.

WHo Was YoUR FaVoURITE PLaYER To WaTCH WHEN YoU WERE GRoWING UP aND WHY? David Beckham, Ronaldinho or Zinidine Zidane. I was only able to watch YouTube clips or random games on sBs but those three always put on a show and were the idols of every aspiring player. Goalkeeper wise I loved Gianluigi Buffon. His passion, his ability and his style always gave me goosebumps.

WHaT Was YoUR FaVoURITE TV sHoW as a CHILD? anything to do with Batman as a child captured my full attention. Even to the point where my mum bought me a batman suit for my birthday and I ended up wearing it to school everyday under my uniform. Year 1, not high school. Ha ha.

WHaT Is YoUR MosT TREasURED PossEssIoN? I don't like to think of myself as a materialistic person. Buying my car was a special achievement for me and I love my fry pan but I think my most treasured possessions are the letters or messages that people have sent me to say that I've made a positive impact on their or their children's lives through my work with the Wanderers. I keep them all and they help motivate and inspire me every day.

WHaT Is YoUR FaVoURITE HoLIDaY DEsTINaTIoN? I had the most incredible trip around the Usa, Mexico and Bahamas with my brother and remember every leg of that journey with extreme fondness. any of our destinations is worthy.

WHaT YoU DoN’T FIND aMUsING… Littering, bullying, animal cruelty and Labi's banter! ;)


go to wswanderersfc.com.au

VS NEWCAStlE JEtS

CAMPBElltOWN StADIUM

kICk-OFF 6.00PM

StRAIght AFtER thE WEStFIElD W-lEAgUE MAtCh


25

Rather than describe football as the social conduit of cultures, I like to think of it as the high-end optical fibre than connects

us all through the wonder of the round leather ball.There are many young footballers whose backgrounds,

stories of adversity and struggles have led to a strong sense of persistence and deep will to achieve results through a lot of sweat and tears along the way.

Enter shayne D’Cunha whose own story is one that many australians can relate to. shayne was born to hard working Indian parents in one of the busiest cities in the world, Mumbai. The young defender’s journey from a young boy to being selected in a Young socceroos squad is one worth telling.

at the tender age of four shayne’s parents made the giant but seemingly easy decision to leave Mumbai and commence a brand new life in the beautiful harbour city of sydney. It was a decision that some 13 years on they are still relishing.

story by James Clark @clarkies2340

There are not too many sports in the world or this Great southern Land of australia that can meld the many diverse cultures

together like football.

BOMBAy tO BlACktOWN

hOlIDAy ClINICS

BOOk IN NOW

COMMUNIty PARtNER 2013/14 go to wswanderersfc.com.au

KS

Powered by:


26australia Day means a lot to most australians and

for the D’Cunha family it is an important time for reflection and to appreciate the simple things that their chosen country delivers each and every day.

Quality of life, weather, relaxed nature of the people and a safe and healthy environment with which to live are just a few things they hold dear.

“The sacrifices were huge for my parents but they soon made plenty of friends through other families. The lifestyle, freedoms and opportunities we are able to enjoy are endless in this wonderful city and country,” said shayne.

“I have returned to Mumbai on a few occasions and it is immediately apparent that I could never have enjoyed the same freedoms, rights and sporting pursuits I’ve enjoyed growing up here. For the youth in Mumbai the focus is squarely on study and unfortunately football doesn’t sit high on the priority list.

“My father and his brothers were all handy footballers back in the day and I guess their love and football DNa is alive and kicking on in me thankfully!”

While hockey is unofficially known as India’s national sport, it never appeared on shayne’s sporting radar growing up and apart from a brief dabble in junior cricket it was clear from the outset that football is and always will be top of the tree.

Not surprisingly shayne’s biggest source of inspiration is his tight family unit as he sets his sights on gaining that all important professional football contract with the Wanderers.

“There any many challenges that come with chasing a sporting dream but having the support of family is most important to get over the challenges. There can be many highs and lows along the journey but family always keeps me grounded and focused.

“To realise my ultimate goal of one day playing for the socceroos, I know it comes down to working hard at every session and doing everything right on and off the pitch.”

When asked who his favourite players are here and

abroad, shayne didn’t need to look to far from the Wanderer’s dressing room with Matthew spiranovic easily commanding his attention and admiration.

“Matthew has a wonderful understanding of the game and as a centre-back has tremendous vision and positional awareness on the pitch.

“I certainly love watching his game to focus on the areas of my game that need improvement.

away from the game it is the simple pleasures that help shayne relax and unwind from the day-to-day schedule of football life.

“Playing my acoustic guitar is the ultimate tool to take me away from solely thinking about football.

“as important as it is to put the ultimate effort into all my sessions, the down time should be relished and used to refresh the body physically as well as mentally, and music really helps me do that!”

For now the task for shayne is to continue training and playing hard each week with his Western sydney Wanderers team in the Foxtel NYL.

“the great thing about the game of football is that you share the whole journey with great mates who all understand what it takes to do well.”

27

spot the five differences between these two photos.

SPOt thE DIFFERENCE PROUDLY bROUght tO YOU bY

28

WANDERERS FC VS PERth glORy

28

#WANDERtWEEtThanks for sharing your tweets and pics!

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WhAt A CAkEhAPPy

BIRthDAy!

WANDER DOg


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#WANDERtWEEtThanks for sharing your tweets and pics!

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I N T

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N

A T I O N A L


30NAMING RIGHTs & MAJOR PARTNER OFFICIAL PARTNERs

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FOUNDATION PARTNERs

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SEE yOU At WANDERlANDgo to wswanderersfc.com.au

FRIDAy 7 FEBRUARyVS BRISBANE ROAR

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Documents

TAHJ MINNIECON MAkING IT COUNT - Home - Wanderland · Minniecon's grandfather played a major role in another source of inspiration in his career and life: religion. "My grandfather