Tigers teammates to reunite as foes in Australia Cup clash

Following a week of delays due to ground closures deluged by rain, Kemps Creek United and Bonnet Bay finally took to the field for their round 2 Australia Cup encounter at a spongy Bill Anderson Reserve on 22 March.

Goals from Ismail Radjabu, Marcus Mamone and Antonio Pavez saw the home side prevail 3-0 and set up a mouth-watering encounter against NPL club Western Rage. This will not be just any ordinary match, as both teams were largely all team-mates at the Tigers den until this season.

Following three years at the helm of the first grade team at Kemps Creek, coach Jarrod Carluccio sought a new challenge for the former Southern Districts Soccer Football Association premier league outfit, and took the majority of his squad to NPL 3 club Western Rage for 2022.

This opened the door for the Tigers reserve grade squad to fill the void as the club’s elite team, and after a narrow defeat in their first competition fixture last weekend, they rebounded in their Australia Cup debut.

The luck of the draw has now presented the two sides an opportunity to square off against one another in what is expected to be a highly entertaining match between the very well respected combatants.

Kemps Creek United club president Ross Maiorana joked during February’s release of the Australia Cup draw about the prospects of the two sides being pitted against each other.

“It would be ironic if Kemps Creek and Western Rage drew one another,” he said during the draw announcement. It didn’t quite eventuate in the initial round, but a first up win for the Tigers has resulted in that quip coming to fruition.

Carluccio, who has also been a regular starter of late for the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League, says it wasn’t easy to leave Kemps Creek United after three highly rewarding and enjoyable years which included premiership and championship glory.

“To play against Kemps Creek in the next round is crazy as with so many teams in the draw, the chances of drawing them were so little.

“It is a bittersweet situation, as I am grateful to Ross and the club for giving me the chance to coach a first team from the age of eighteen, but my goal on the night is to help my players deliver a result for Vic and the club at Western Rage for showing so much faith in me as a young coach.

“Western Rage has allowed me the freedom to coach and bring in new ideas and new structures. Vic has been a great supporter of our direction and growth in such a short time being the head coach.

“I am looking forward to the fixture as myself along with the team understand the challenge that sits in front of us.

“The Australia Cup is about the roots of football and the two sides I’m sure will represent themselves and the cup in great fashion. I wish both teams the best of luck and am eager to begin our cup journey at Western Rage.

“It is true when they say it is the ‘Magic of the Cup.’ As the former coach of the Kemps Creek premier league side, it will be an odd feeling standing in the dugout opposite to what was normal. This season myself and my co-coach have moved onto Western Rage as I saw it as an opportunity to further challenge myself as a young coach and improve my skillset in an NPL environment.”

Newly promoted Tigers first grade coach Danny Berti, who too has tasted silverware success in his time at the club says he has big shoes to fill stepping up from reserve grade after three seasons, but relishes the opportunity for his team in the top flight and is certainly looking forward to the round 3 Australia Cup clash with the Rage.

“This year is our first year in the top grade at Kemps Creek United, the boys are really excited to now be in the top league of our Association. I always felt we would get this opportunity and it’s a credit to the whole team to accomplish it.

“When I later learnt that we were now able to play in the Australia Cup, I notified the team and we couldn’t wait. What made it of even more importance is the opportunity to play Western Rage if we got through our first match against Bonnet Bay, which we fortunately did.

“We now get our chance to show our strength against a team we knew really well. The team has been waiting a long time for our shot at this level and we will do everything possible to not let the club and members down.”

Details on the round 3 fixture will be released shortly.