SPORT
Hockey
needs
support
HOCKEY
PUB: CADV
DATE: 16-MAR-2012 PAGE: 56 COLOR: C M Y K
HOCKEY is looking
for players for this
year’s season.
A trial game will be
played tomorrow at
the Alice Springs
Hockey Field at 2pm,
with the season starting on April 14.
Hockey encourages
fitness, teamwork and
fun, and new and experienced players are
welcome to play.
Alice
Springs
Hockey Association
publicity officer Nicole
Walsh said: ‘‘People
can borrow sticks from
the club if they
haven’t played before
and wear shin guards,
a mouth guard and
s o m e c o mf o rt able
clothing.
‘‘New and experienced players as well
as those who played
last year are welcome
to come down and
have a go and get in
contact with the
teams.
‘‘I know my club
Centrals and the other
clubs are looking for
players and we are
hoping to get more
players this year so
that we can have a
fifth team in the men’s
competition.’’
A juniors trial game
will also be played on
Saturday at 8.30am.
For more information about both senior
and junior trials, contact Nicole Walsh on
0409 095 920.
Racing
returns
BMX
BMX racing returns
to the Red Centre
BMX Club tonight at
7pm.
It will be the first
time the track has
been raced on since
February 24 after the
March 2 and 9 events
were cancelled due to
rain leading into the
March 2 event damaged the track.
But the club has had
several working bees
to get the track ready
for racing and will be
used a lot over the
weekend. Local riders
that are going to the
Australian Titles next
month will be riding
there on Saturday and
Sunday.
A group of riders
from Darwin will be
coming here to take on
our local riders before
the local Australian
Titles group go to
Mount Gambier.
All classes will be
racing and spectators
are more than welcome to watch, with
free admission and
canteen facilities
available.
Footy signs new deal
AFL Central Australia (CAFL) and
Community Enterprises Australia
(CEA) have developed a partnership
to improve the sporting participation of Aboriginal people in the
region.
CEA has joined forces with the
CAFL in developing programs that
will assist community football organisations in governance, umpiring
and coaching in the community.
Regional manager for AFL Central Australia Andy Hood said: ‘‘We
want to build partnerships with
organisations that are currently operating in the communities that we
are also working with and CEA
seemed to be the perfect fit.
‘‘The idea is that the CAFL and
CEA will work together in assisting
communities with upskilling their
AUSSIE
RULES
Dale Fletcher
clubs in umpiring, coaching and the
clubs’ governance.
CEA regional manager Tamara
Giles agrees with Hood regarding
the need to build capacity into community clubs and how they operate.
Giles said: ‘‘Too often community
sporting clubs go bust because they
don’t understand the importance of
good governance.
‘‘It’s the responsibility of all sporting clubs to ensure that they have
qualified coaches and umpires.
‘‘Currently this is not happening
with a lot of the remote communities’ sporting clubs and the CEA and
CAFL want to improve the quality of
the sport.
‘‘By working in partnership we can
bring football to a more professional
level in the communities.’’
CEA is currently running Women
in Sports programs in three Central
Australian communities and wants
to build a stronger relationship with
the men also.
Giles said: ‘‘Football has traditionally been for the men in the community but the CAFL has started a
women’s competition that CEA has
entered a team into, through its
Women in Sports program.’’
CEA has provided funds to the
CAFL to support a Community
Football grants scheme. Teams
from five communities will have the
opportunity to apply for these
grants through the CAFL, before
the start of the season.
Hood said: ‘‘Those football clubs
interested in applying for a grant
will need to contact the CAFL.
‘‘We will not be handing out grants
to clubs who cannot prove they are
viable and willing to participate in
building capacity into their organisation.
‘‘Good players come from good
strong football clubs and that’s what
we wish to build on here in Central
Australia.’’
Ben Kelleher prepares for tomorrow night’s bout
Picture: SUPPLIED
Kelleher on big stage
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
Dale Fletcher
AFTER a good second round
submission win on Friday
night in Darwin, local MMA
fighter Ben Kelleher has
had a late call-up to fight for
an Australian heavyweight
kickboxing title in Melbourne this weekend.
Kelleher will fight as part
of one of Australia’s biggest
promotions - Kings of
Kombat 6.
He said: ‘‘I am fighting
undefeated Ray Dimatchski
who has won seven of his last
seven fights by knockout in
the first round.
‘‘It is certainly the most
nervous fight of my career to
date. Mainly because of the
short notice and the fact it is
a heavyweight title.’’
Dimatchski, at 98
kilograms, will have a distinct size advantage over
Kelleher.
He said: ‘‘I am only a
middleweight at 85
kilograms. That, coupled
with Ray being Melbourne’s
most popular fighter and it
being the main event on a
Fox Sports broadcast, makes
it real tough for me mentally.
‘‘I am excited though, because it’s kickboxing and
that means we just stand
and fight for five rounds
which is my favourite.’’
Kelleher will take the opportunity with both hands.
He said: ‘‘It is a real spectacle for me because I am
main event on a show that
showcases fighters that I
looked up to when I first
started and who have fought
on the world stage.
‘‘James McSweeney (UK)
from UFC is the semi-main
event against Felise Leniu
who fought here at Submission 1.’’
New Zealander Doug
Viney, who was a K1 World
Grand Prix contestant and
has fought on the world’s
biggest stage in Japan numerous times, is also on the
card.
He said: ‘‘To headline for
them really is quite surreal.
‘‘This is absolutely huge
for me and despite having a
fight last week it finished
quite quickly which meant I
wasn’t too badly damaged.’’
Kelleher has been under
the tutelage of Mark Nixon
and Jason Lord, but will
travel to Melbourne alone.
He said: ‘‘I will be cornered
by Michael Seibert from
Darwin. It is very hard to get
in the ring without the familiar faces that are there for
me every night at training,
but Mick is a veteran of the
sport with a world title so he
has an abundance of knowledge also.
‘‘I’m very grateful to my
coaches for getting out of
their comfort zone to help
me with my kicks and knees
in preparation for the fight.’’
Davide Perna also fought
in Darwin last Friday night
and won by technical knockout in the second round.
Seven sides chase glory in grand finale
SOCCER
Warren Thomson
FOOTBALL In Central Australia’s
(FICA) seven-a-side competition
finishes tonight with all grand finals
to be played at Ross Park Oval.
The under-13s final between
Afromaniacs and Desert Rebels and
56 — Centralian Advocate, Friday, March 16, 2012
the under-15s final between Sakai
United and Penalty Box Heroes kick
off the night at 6.20pm.
The Women’s and C grade grand
finals are on at 7.10pm with Coolock
United taking on Yirara in C grade,
while Peppermints play Celtic in the
women’s final.
At 8pm, Annie’s Place take on
FICA in the B grade final and the A
grade final should be a cracker
between Stepovers and FC
Escorpiao.
Stepovers defeated FC Escorpiao
1-0 during the last minor round
match on Tuesday and should be
another close contest.
FICA president Joel Crawford
said: ‘‘The seven-a-side season has
been well contested, but it all comes
down to tonight.’’
The major season becomes the
focus tomorrow with FICA’s annual
general meeting at 10am, followed by
the sign-on day at 1pm at Ross Park
Oval.
A round-robin competition will be
played on April 21 and 22 before the
11-a-side season kicks off on April
28-30.