Jedinak’s first club kicking more goals
Who’d have known back in 1992 that this kid in the Werrington FC strip would grow up to captain the Socceroos?
Even those around at the time didn’t peg Mile Jedinak for greatness but his first football club helped instil a desire to succeed that’s taken the Australian Footballer of the Year to the top of his chosen profession.
Fast forward 23 years and Werrington FC is churning out a new generation of future champion but maybe not the obvious one; “We’re talking about finding the new Mile here but why not develop the new Messi or Ronaldo?” asks coach Joe Badrov.
Badrov was coaching at Sydney United when Jedinak was 14 and he recalls; “He was always a leader which is rare to find in a player. In terms of his skill he wasn’t necessarily the best player in the team but he was a hard worker.”
The 2015 model Werrington junior has that same work ethic but from a very young age they’re also being taught the finer skills of the game; “They want to emulate their idols so what I do is teach them to break down the moves that their idols do and we practice these moves and through it we’re getting some good results,” Badrov said.
Just three junior teams are sweeping all before them in the Nepean Association, the Under 5s averaging 15 goals a game, not that anyone’s keeping count; “We’re thinking of playing them up a year because they’re just steamrolling teams at the moment.”
Talent has not gone unnoticed at Football NSW with four eight year old players, three boys and one girl, chosen for the Skills Acquisition Program; “It teaches you how to attack, how to defend and what’s the position. I do like it,” Tamara Lukanovic said.
Werrington Football Club is a rare beast on the Australian football landscape; they own their own ground, Luddenham Oval. Without any help from the local council, club members keep the ground in good shape but they’re hoping for a State Government grant for lights so players can train at night.
Now that would accelerate the development of the next Jedinak or Messi or Ronaldo.
