Rugby League: Bosden back to bolster the Sharks’ 20s
This year’s inaugural NRL Toyota Cup competition saw young players balance their off field career options with the lure of a professional Rugby League sporting contract for the first time.
The National under 20s competition showcased an abundance of elite talent and Cronulla Sharks second-rower, Jack Bosden, is just one of the many promising players slowly being groomed for stardom.
Although the young Sharks side finished a disappointing 14th on the competition ladder, Bosden had an outstanding season and was recognised as the Gavin Miller Toyota Cup Player of the Year.
“I was pretty happy with my season. I thought I got off to a bit of a slow start in the first few rounds but I eventually turned it around and I was happy with my year overall,” Bosden said.
“I was pretty surprised to get the award because there were quite a few others who also had good seasons but I guess I was lucky not to have any serious injuries and was able to play the majority of the games throughout the year.”
At only 19 years of age, ‘Boz’ stands 6’1” tall and weighs in at a substantial 97kg. With another year in the Toyota Cup left up his sleeve, Bosden will be injected into the full-time training squad for next season, hoping to break into the first grade side.
With the 2009 season looming around the corner, Bosden is confident that the young Sharks side can play some hard and entertaining football. He is looking forward to the challenge of training with the ‘big boys’ and continuing with his consistent and impressive form.
For more on this profile of Jack Bosden by Reece Carter go to: http://theshire.sportslive.com.au/index.pl?page=3366
Fast ball - local recruited for New York Mets baseball
Lachlan Hodge has everything it takes to become a professional baseballer, including a mental strength scouted early by the New York Mets. Now, the ball is in his hands writes Reece Carter.
The pitching mound can be a lonely place, but for New York Mets recruit Lachlan Hodge, he doesn’t mind. With a glove on one hand and a ball in the other, he tenaciously walks towards the pile of dirt that sits in the middle of the diamond. He’s wearing a navy blue tight-fitted training shirt with black shorts that reveal little more than his bulging quadriceps.
There’s something about him that will catch your eye. Standing 6’3” tall and weighing in at a substantial 93kg, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was an unyielding rugby league player or man-mountain on the basketball court… Most people do.
“Yeah, it’s funny, I grew up playing both basketball and footy as well as baseball,” Hodge says.
“Both my parents were basketballers so that was pretty much what I was bred to do, it was in my blood. Mum played in the WNBL which is the equivalent of the ABA these days until her knees were shot and Dad played in quite a few State teams.”
It wasn’t long ago that the 19-year-old Hodge from Sydney’s south was headed down the same track as his parents, strutting around in his Nike Air Jordan’s, shorts around his knees. When Hodge was 9, he picked up a basketball and played for the first time. Running relentlessly, dribbling quickly, and rebounding swiftly- the basics. But then came the hook shots, fade away jumpers, three-pointers and eventually the pick ‘n’ rolls.
Hodge was a pretty accomplished basketball player by the time he had hit sixteen. He’d won numerous premierships with his star-studded local team and played in multiple Sutherland representative teams under the guidance of ex-Sydney Kings and Australian assistant coach Bill Tomlinson.
As good as Hodge was at basketball though, it was baseball that ultimately captured his soul.
“I guess there was more of a future in baseball. It took me a while though to realise what I wanted to do because I had played basketball for so long and the teams I played in were pretty successful,” Hodge recalls.
“But then I started making state teams for baseball when I was in the 14’s and 16’s and I didn’t try out for the state basketball teams because it didn’t really interest me that much. I was always busy with baseball because it took up my whole year so I just made the decision to stick with baseball.”
And stuck with it he did. At the National Baseball Championships in 2006 where he played in the NSW under 16’s side, Hodge was like a worm in the dirt- preyed on by the high-sitting hawk in the tree from above. Major League Baseball Scouts were on the prowl and after starring for NSW in his first few games, Hodge had suddenly become their prey. Seven Major League Baseball clubs became interested in Hodge’s signature - San Diego, Colorado, Boston, Seattle, Minnesota, Atlanta and Philadelphia. Eventually, it was the New York Mets that won him over, snapped up by the prestigious club for a wage most likely to be above that of your father’s.
For more about Lachlan Hodge go to: http://theshire.sportslive.com.au/index.pl?page=3365
Sutherland’s Gan’s first start for Sydney FC spoilt by late goal
Former Sutherland Shark and Sydney youth team player Brendan Gan got his first start for the senior Sydney FC side against Central Coast last weekend and played the full game. However in the latest thrilling edition of the Hyundai A-League’s fiercest rivalry between Sydney and Central Coast, the Coast prevailed 2 -1 after a 90th minute penalty.
Whenever Sydney and the Central Coast meet it inevitably results in a classic contest and the early signs suggested Saturday’s round-15 clash would be no different when Alex Brosque’s blazing effort was desperately blocked by the Mariner’ defence in the 2nd minute of play.
The match was being contested at a ferocious pace, but after the initial sting subsided it was Sydney that was on the back foot as the home side began to dominate possession, with Clint Bolton called on to show his strength as the Mariners launched raid after raid into his penalty area.
In the 11th minute the Central Coast was in the middle of one-such attack when a dangerous cross deflected towards goal off Brendan Gan’s legs. Bolton reacted well to parry the ball and deny the blushes with a diving save to his left, but he couldn’t stop the follow up effort however, with Dylan Macallister making no mistake from point-blank range to give his side the early advantage.
The Mariners continued to dictate terms but the Sky Blues looked for every opportunity to get back on even ground. In the 29th minute Brosque made space for himself to cross down the left and John Aloisi came close with a searching header after ghosting in on the far post. Ten-minutes later the Sky Blues’ marquee intercepted a wayward clearance but his curling shot was again well blocked.
Bolton was still being kept busy at the other end of the field and he denied former team-mate, Sasho Petrovski with an outstanding stop five minutes before the break.
Sydney enjoyed the last opportunity of the half when Bobby Petta made a searching run and was fouled just on the edge of the penalty area by John Hutchinson. Shannon Cole lined up the free-kick but it was too close to the goal for him to repeat his heroics of round 2 and the score line remained unchanged at the end of the first 45.
One minute after the restart Brendan Gan had the chance to claim his second goal in as many weeks when Petta found him on the far post but he couldn’t hit the target with a well-struck header. Five minutes later it was Sydney that needed saving when Cole was forced to clear off the line following a Central Coast free-kick.
In the 63rd the drama reached its peak when keeper, Danny Vukovic heavily fouled Aloisi giving referee Peter Green no choice but to point to the spot. The Coast custodian then denied the Australian representative with an athletic save in front of the Mariners faithful but was forced to face the penalty again after Pedj Bojic was ruled to have moved into the area too soon. Aloisi coolly lined up his second attempt and this time gave the keeper no chance, putting his team back on level terms.
If the atmosphere wasn’t already tense enough Sydney looked set to take the lead soon after when Cole was crudely fouled in the box, but the referee’s decision to award another penalty was quickly reversed when a raised flag from the linesman indicated the closest of off-side calls against the Sky Blues’ defender.
The game seemed almost certain to finish in a draw before a final attacking raid from the home side added another twist to the tail. A flurry of activity in the visiting side’s box saw Macallister go to ground under the weight of an off-balance Iain Fyfe, and Sydney’s fate was all but sealed.
Mile Jedinak buried the resulting penalty in the back of Bolton’s net and the Central Coast was on its way to a rare win over its rival.
Having entered the fray 20 minutes from the end, Sydney skipper Steve Corica had the chance to claim a late equaliser and secure the match’s status as another derby classic but his close-range header couldn’t quite match the perfection of Rob Middleby’s cross and the Central Coast held on to claim maximum points.
“I was happy with the performance,” explained Sydney’s Coach. “You’ve got to show character when things aren’t going well for you and we did that, we’ve done that a lot of late.”
Central Coast Mariners 2 (Dylan MACALLISTER 11’, Mile JEDINAK 90’P) defeated Sydney FC 1 (John Aloisi 64'P)
For more on Sydney FC’s Senior, Youth and Women’s teams click here: http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=latestnews
For a profile on Brendan Gan click on http://theshire.sportslive.com.au/index.pl?page=3351
Parkes wins Queensland Swim title
Former SLC Aquadot swimmer Stephen Parkes has won the 200m individual medley event at the current Queensland swimming titles. He won in 2.03.98 from fellow Queenslander Daniel Lester (2.05.89) and Great Britain’s Roberto Pavoni (2.06.77)
Twenty year old Parkes had transferred to the St Peters Western club in Queensland earlier in the year.
NSW second in Claxton Shield after Blacktown, Canberra and Wollongong
NSW Patriots have now moved up the ladder to be equal second in the Claxton Shield interstate baseball series. This follows the opening series at Blacktown in early December and then three games last weekend. All three games were played against Perth Heat.
After rain washed out the first weekend game in Canberra on Friday night, two shortened seven innings games were played in that city on Saturday. NSW took the first game 5-3 while Perth won the second 7-2.
In the third game of the weekend played at Fred Finch ground Berkeley last Sunday NSW defeated Perth 11-8. Perth never recovered from NSW’s 6 run third innings which included Illawarra local Tim Atherton’s 3 run homer. Another Illawarra product, Trent D’Antonio also made a major contribution having batted in two runners in the 7th.
As a result of the weekend’s games NSW has moved up to equal second with Perth Heat with a 4-3 win-loss record. Victoria heads the table.
More details on the Claxton Shield series from: http://www.baseball.com.au/default.asp?MenuID=Events/95/0,Claxton_Shield/21613/48573
Happy Christmas to all
With this magazine taking a short holiday break, all involved in Sportslive wish all our readers a happy Christmas and an enjoyable sporting 2009. While the magazine is on a break, local sports results and stories can still be followed through http://theshire.sportslive.com.au .
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