CENTRAL Coast Mariners are pleased to confirm John McLafferty has been promoted to the Club’s National Youth League (NYL) head coaching position.
New Mariners Youth Coach John McLafferty
CENTRAL Coast Mariners are pleased to confirm John McLafferty has been promoted to the Club-s National Youth League (NYL) head coaching position.
McLafferty has been Tony Walmsley-s assistant coach with the Mariners NYL team for the past two seasons.
With Walmsley leaving the yellow and navy to take up a new challenge with Sheffield United-s Academy this October, McLafferty stood out as the best candidate to succeed him in the important youth development role.
Having been involved in the recruitment and retention phase for this seasons NYL, McLafferty not only understands the players signed for this campaign, but the practices and processes which make the Mariners Youth development program the best in Australia.
Moreover, McLafferty will take on an additional responsibility with the Central Coast Mariners Academy (CCMA) as Men-s Program Director. This role will see him overlooking the entire Men-s program from under 16-s through to Central Coast Football-s (CCF) first grade team.
McLafferty will work closely with Paul Waters and Steve Finch to ensure the successful progression of Mariners Academy players to the CCF first grade team, and potentially Mariners Youth and Hyundai A-League outfits.
“It-s very exciting times,” McLafferty said. “It-s an exciting time to get them on the field and not just get results, but hopefully develop them so ‘Arnie- (Graham Arnold) and ‘Mossy- (Phil Moss) can have a better look at them as well.”
Meanwhile, Central Coast Mariners can also confirm the 16 players signed for the 2012/13 NYL season, and announce that the squad features three locally trained juniors.
Local lad Louis Bozanic – brother of Mariners A-League star Oliver – has signed on with the Club, while in another exciting development underpinning the importance of the CCMA pathway, two U16 Central Coast juniors will also join the team. Josh Forbes and Steve Whyte – who played this season for CCMA in 2012 – will proudly represent Mariners Youth this campaign.
“It-s exciting times for the development on the Central Coast. Two players from last year-s Central Coast Mariners Academy have been selected to go into the Mariners National Youth League this year. Obviously they-ve got a lot to learn but they-re coming into a professional program and hopefully there-s a few more come after them.”
“There-s been a gap there and there still is a gap which has been identified from day one. But the work is in progress and we feel confident that we-re getting closer and closer to where it should be,” McLafferty said.
Four members of the Championship winning NYL team from last term will again feature for the Club. Talented custodian David Bradasevic, Australian youth representatives Hayden Morton and Nikola Stanojevic, as well as explosive right-winger-cum-full-back Adam Jenner will don the yellow and navy once again.
But Mariners Youth will have a distinctively fresh feel when they begin their campaign against F3 Derby foes Newcastle Jets at the Central Coast Mariners Centre of Excellence on Sunday 21 October.
Up front Central Coast Youth will feature two former Australian Institute of Sport graduates in Aaron Peterson and Patrick Dixon.
Meanwhile, NYL experienced players including goalkeeper Luke Turnbull, former Gold Coast United midfielder Daniel Bragg, and utilities Jordan Crighton and Tommy Cirjak have penned deals with the Club.
Up-and-coming players Micky Neill, Kieren Paull and Dillon Vorster round out the Mariners 2012/13 NYL roster.
Central Coast Mariners 2012/13 NYL Squad: Louis Bozanic, David Bradasevic (Gk), Daniel Bragg, Tommy Cirjak, Jordan Crighton, Patrick Dixon, Josh Forbes, Adam Jenner, Hayden Morton, Mickey Neill, Kieren Paull, Aaron Peterson, Nikola Stanojevic, Luke Turnbull (Gk), Dillon Vorster, Steve Whyte
