Hyundai A-League Round 16 is #PlayFootball Round – a full weekend of first class top-flight Australian football implemented to recognise and celebrate grassroots football players, coaches, referees, volunteers and administrators.
While not all grassroots players will one day feature in the Hyundai A-League, every player has his or her own football story.
We sat down with Newcastle Jets midfielder Ben Kantarovski to discover a little bit about his.
NewcastleJets.com.au: Ben, who was your first football team?
Ben Kantarovski [Kanta]: Broadmeadow Magic
NewcastleJets.com.au: What about your first coach, do you remember him or her?
Kanta: I can’t remember the name of my very first coach, but one coach that stands out for me is Steve Cucamanovski. I played for him at Magic and he gave me so much advice and encouragement.
NewcastleJets.com.au: What was the biggest derby for you during your time as a grassroots player?
Kanta: When I played for South Wallsend in under 11s and 12s James Virgili also played for the team and we had a massive rivalry with Merewether, who Jacob Pepper was playing for at the time.
NewcastleJets.com.au: Did you have any outstanding achievements during your grassroots days?
Kanta: For South Wallsend under 11s we only had 11 players in the squad all season but we went undefeated for the whole campaign. We even beat Pepper’s Merewether team 9-0 on a Wednesday night, I recall. That season we won the league and James Virgili scored something like 112 goals.
NewcastleJets.com.au: What would be your advice to young players looking to get involved?
Kanta: I would just say don’t give up, keep practicing, and always listen to your coaches!
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Newcastle Jets vs. Brisbane Roar – Hyundai A-League 2014/15 Round 16
Friday 6 February 2015
Hunter Stadium, Newcastle
Kick-off: 7:40pm
Tickets: Please click here to purchase tickets to the match.
Twitter: Join the match conversation using #NEWvBRI @NewcastleJetsFC
