Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Bumstarling brilliant gave a football electric blue in the Derby
six on the bounce for Auckland FC, uncharted territory, Alex
Fulston's goal finally breached, but it wasn't enough to silence
(00:36):
the port and it was not enough to lower the
blue and black colors of the A League's new boys.
They stay perfect, they go marching on.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
As mentioned, one of the undoubted success stories on the
sports field and offered off twenty twenty fourth was the
emergence of Auckland FC in their first A League men's season.
They won their first six matches, didn't concede a goal
until the sixth one, went unbeaten for their first seven
matches and enter the new year five points clear at
(01:12):
the top of the.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
A League ladder.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
In the stands, their fan base has grown from nothing
to something pretty special, with two sellout crowds at go
Media Stadium and four others over thirteen thousand. Awklan, the
FC's director of football, is a two time A League
champion himself with Sydney FC. Terry mcflinn, who joins us. Now,
thanks for your time, Terry. Are you where you thought
(01:34):
you would be after ten games?
Speaker 5 (01:38):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (01:38):
Look, going into the season, Jesse, we were very optimistic,
with a lot of belief and a lot of trust
in the group that we've assembled. We knew it was
important in this league to get off their good start,
and thankfully we did that and the boys have been
fantastic from.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
July one when we start a pre season.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
They've really brought into the project and everyone's working really
hard and we're really pleased to be where we're sitting
at a minute.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
What do you think the foundations of your on field
six says have been.
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Oli?
Speaker 6 (02:09):
I think, you know, there's a lot of honesty, a
lot of trust in the system, trusting and belief in
the project and what we.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Want to achieve.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
You know, there's a real burning ambition within the club
to be successful and that stands right from the top.
You know from the CEO, Nick Becker, really drives that
ambition day and day out.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
So you know, for us as a football department, you.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
Know, we've got the best job in the world and
you get to play football for a living and entertained
people on a weekly basis. So the players have really
bought into what we're trying to achieve and we're just
taking the game by game at this stage.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
And in terms of the why the team is playing,
what have been the key reasons for your on field
success in that regard? What do you what do you
like about this football team?
Speaker 5 (02:52):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (02:52):
Look, I think there's a real togetherness right across the
whole the whole group.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
I think you can see that. And you know, from
the first.
Speaker 6 (02:58):
Whistle to the to the last whistle, the boys never
give up. They keep working for each other, they keep
working for the club, they keep working for the supporters,
and it's just a joy to come in to work
every day and see how hard these boys are working
and getting the rewards on the weekend in terms of
good performances and on the backup good performance, you get
good results.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Where do you think the growth areas, all the improvement
areas are the main ones for this team?
Speaker 6 (03:24):
Oh look, I think you know, we've got a lot
of improvement to do. We're a brand new group. Like
I said, we only started in July. There's a lot
of cohesion that still needs to take place over the
common weeks and months, and we continue to work on
that day and day out.
Speaker 5 (03:37):
As I said, did the coaching staff, Steve.
Speaker 6 (03:39):
Cork and Danny Hay, Jonathan Gold, Elias Priacre and all
the medical team beat Christie. They're doing an amazing job
with all the players and Foster and that relationships Foster
and that cohesion and working together behind the common goal.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You've known Steve Carriker for a very long time. You
played together, of course at SYDNEYFC. What are his strengths
as a head coach?
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Alok Steve is a very very good tactician first and foremost.
Speaker 6 (04:05):
That's his job as a head coach is to set
the tactics for the team.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
He's very trusted of his staff.
Speaker 6 (04:11):
You know, as I said, all the coaching staff are
doing an amazing job with their departments, whether it's a
head of performance, whether it's assistant coach, goalkeeper, coach, medical.
There's a lot of trust in the group from Steve
as a head coach. He empires people. I think you
can see that in the freedom that the departments have,
but also in the players as well as a.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
Real trust in the system.
Speaker 6 (04:33):
There's a real trust in the environment and like I said,
it's just a joy to come into work every day.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Danny, how you mentioned them there?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Assistant coach of course, former All Whites head coach and
a guy who has been a head coach for a
weee while in other environments. I guess there might have
been a few questions about how he'd adjust to a
role as an assistant coach. What have you sayen from
him in that regard?
Speaker 6 (04:52):
Oh, Daniel's been fantastic. You know, he's a real sign
on board for Stevie. They've obviously known each other for
a long long time as well, they played together in England.
So again I think having that knowledge in the room.
Jonathan Gould's another one. Having that a football knowledge experience
in the room is only beneficial to the whole group.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Your imports, Terry Geygoss for Strata my moreno, Saki, I've
all worked out, which is you know that's not always
the case with imports, as you know, I mean there
have been some imports on the A League who haven't
come as advertised. How did you do your due diligence
on your foreigners to make sure you've got good players
and good people?
Speaker 6 (05:32):
Yeah, I looked at this was a little bit different
to what we're previously used to Jesson to be honest,
because to bring a foreign player to a club that
didn't exist was a bit of a challenge.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Obviously, a lot of the.
Speaker 6 (05:44):
Selling points and bringing foreigners to the competition as your
history and your heritage. Obviously we didn't have any of that.
So again it's testament to head a recruitment dog. Corse
did a lot of work in the batground in around
this type of player that we wanted to bring in,
but more importantly it was about the people that we
bring in. You always heard that from day one that
(06:06):
we want to fill the building up with good people.
With good people, you can achieve anything. And as you said,
all five imports are good people. They're here for the
right reasons. They want to bring success to Auckland. They
want to bring success to this football club and make
the supporters in the stands prior to the performances weekend
we go.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
And one of them came with huge pedigree, obviously, Hierarchi Sakai,
he's your inaugural club captain. Can you give us an
idea of his influence around this playing group.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Yeah, look at Rookie is incredibly influential in the group.
You know, for I think it's a very important one
for our younger players to take note of what he's
actually done in the game, to play seventy five times
for your country, playing three World Cups, playing multiple countries
around the world, and obviously his hometown in his home
country in Japan. He also played in France, he played
(06:58):
in Germany. So he's the experience that he brings to
the group, the knowledge that he brings to the group,
and just a professional and both on and off the
pitch is a real I don't think we'll actually see
how important Hiroki is for our football club short term.
I think the benefits for our football club be long term.
(07:20):
And the professionalism that he's he's bringing to the club.
And you know, the younger players are run the run
the traps that Fim McKinley and Ollie Middleton and Louis
Toomey and John t Binwell, Jesse randall these young players
that are learning the craft and learning their trade.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
To have something like Hiroki in the dress rooms invaluable.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
You're going along brilliantly.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
And then there was that that little bump in the road,
the four nilla home loss to Western United. How much
of a of a bump in the road was that
and and how I guess please were you to see
the bounce back performance a week later against the Mariners.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Yeah, look, we've we've always said it, Jesse.
Speaker 6 (07:54):
We're never getting too carried away with with things has
going well, and we won't get too carried away when
we do have a little speed bump. For us, it's
a but sticking to the processes, sticking to what works
weekend week guy. For us, we wanted to see a reaction.
We got that reaction when we went to Central Coast.
The players refocused and we went again. So for us,
(08:15):
it wasn't a major deal. You know, we know in
sport that everything is not going to always go smoothly
and it's not always going to go your way. And likewise,
when things are going well, it's about how you react
to things. So you can never get too carried away
when things have gone well. You can never get too
carried away when things don't go the way they are.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
As long as we.
Speaker 6 (08:34):
Can identify areas where we can improve, unless we continue to.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Do day and day.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
How much are the players and the and the staff
and the you know, everybody in the club, how much
you enjoyed the atmosphere EDG Media Stadium for home games.
Speaker 6 (08:48):
It's amazing. It's absolutely amazing. I've said before the work
that Nick Becker and all the admin team off the
pitch is done to fill up the stadium. The boys
absolutely love it long and out to you know, a
massive crowd every week.
Speaker 5 (09:02):
I think we're leading the crowded the men.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
I think, as I'll start the other day, were the
first club to break a hundred thousand support us through
the turnstiles this season. So you know, that's again that's
testament to the to the team that have made the
fan experience what it is. You know, to see families, kids, teenagers,
you know, everyone turning.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Up on match today. There's something for everyone.
Speaker 6 (09:25):
You know, we had the beach, we got the inflatables,
we've got the slide, we've got much day experience, we've
got the Black Night Club, we've got good football on
the pitch. So there's actually something for everyone. And just
to see the joy on the people's faces and obviously
getting good results helps as well.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
The Director of football is an over arching role that
you hold what takes up most of your time.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
Look, obviously in the initial phase was setting up the
football department for the men's team, when I shift and
focus to certainly myself, is to setting up the female
program so we'll into the competition this year. So yeah,
that's that's sort of where my focus shift at a minute.
But really many day to day is just making sure
that everything's running smoothly, if the coaches need I signed
(10:11):
on board, if the players need to have a chat
about anything logistically, making sure that the team's moving around
the country in and out of Australia smoothly, and just
generally being here and making sure that the department's run
out smoothly.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Any unexpected surprises in that role, good or bad.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
Oh, Look, that's the beauty of football.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
You know, you're dealing with people, You're dealing with emotions
every single day. So that's the beauty of the jobs
in that never two days of the same. There's always
something that needs attention. There's always something that needs to
be rectified and something that needs to be addressed, which
is the beauty of it. But like I said, with
good people, you can achieve anything. We've got some fantastic
(10:53):
people in this building and it's just a joy to
be here every day.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Well, as I said at the start. One of the
undoubted success stories of the last little while is the
emergence of Aukland. Eff say, congrect on your part and
that Terry or the base four are brilliant twenty twenty five.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Thanks for taking the time for a chat.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
No problem, Thank you very much for your support.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Jesson now too easy, Terry, thanks indeed. Terry mcflynn, Director
of football at Auckland FC, who have entered into the
new year.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I said five.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Points clear, actually four points clear at the top Melbourne
Victory picking up a point last night in a too
wall draw with Western Sydney, so four points clear Auckland FC.
But they do have a game in hand over Melbourne Victory.
They've got a bit of a break actually now Auckland
f C. Having drawn nil all with Victory on New
Year's Day. The next match is next Saturday. It's the
long trip to Perth for a match against Perth Glory
(11:42):
on the night of Saturday January eleven. Next home game
is the following Saturday at go Media Stadium, which has
become their fortress. Apart from that little blip and that
lost to Western United, they take on Auckland City. That's
on the night or the late afternoon five o'clock of Saturday,
January eighteen. Man, that's going to be a busy all
(12:02):
weekend at Auckland with sale GP on at the same time.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Forward to that.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
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