Raiders investing in youth

[back of the net]

Raiders moving forward with youth programme

After a very successful year, the youthful Adelaide Croatia Raiders Football Club are implementing another bright pathway project for junior players in the north which will help develop home grown talent for their seniors and beyond.

In an initiative, the first of its kind at this level in South Australia, the under 17’s (generally coming under the junior umbrella) will now be part of the senior programme for season 2010. As a squad they will work very closely with the under 19’s and become one large development squad, with approximately 80% of players being eligible to play for the under 17’s.

Adelaide Croatia Raiders Football club see this programme as the first step in being able to develop ‘home grown’ talent and give the youthful players in the north an avenue for playing first team at a younger age, this being the case, the amount of experience and exposure open to these players will hopefully see them move on to pastures new with an A-League club or indeed oversees.

This new initiative ensures the best talent will be identified and progressed through to the senior programme, youth players wanting to benefit from this initiative are invited to trials on: Sat 17th Oct 6.30 – 8.30pm
Fri 23rd Oct 6.30 – 8.30pm
Players aged 15 and above with ambition to play in these groups are strongly encouraged to attend.

A meet and greet will take place on Thursday the 27th of November 2009 where all players will have the opportunity to meet the senior coaches, ask any questions in an informal setting and take advantage of the light refreshments provided. All players that wish to take part in this initiative are invited to attend along with all existing and new senior players. Pre season training will commence on Tuesday the 1st of December 2009

The senior coaching and liaison staff for the 2010 season are as follows:

Brenton Waye: Football Operations Manager
John Walker: Technical Director of football
Ivan Behan (17’s) and Paul Crout (19’s) Youth development squad
Mick Doyle: Reserve team coach and assistant to the first team
John Duthie: Senior first team coach

[John Duthie]

This decision and vision is one, that we as a club have thought long and hard about. The committee, Football Operations Manager, Technical Director and coaching staff believe this is the best way forward for the club.

When you consider sponsorship dollars for all clubs is in decline and the costs of running a club continues to increase year to year, the need to develop talented youth through our own system is paramount. Our aim is that in a couple of years time, we will have a core group of home grown youth players, and provide them with an excellent opportunity to play first team.

I truly hope this formula works as I am very passionate about junior and youth development, and am very glad that I share this passion and commitment with all at Raiders Football Club.

If any parent or player wishes to know more about this formula, and the clubs exciting vision for the future, please call me direct on 0404 188 746 and I will answer your questions as best I can.

Yours In sport

John Duthie

[Ian Saint John]

Well ‘Mr Walker’ & ‘Back of the Net’
You have done a fine job this year at Raiders haven’t you develop youth!
Apart from your loud mouth bragging about how good you are and what your going to do at Raiders lets look at what you have done in 2009.
What did you say; “Like I keep saying keep thinks constructive” if you want a private dance call me on 0428816505
JW
Yes every technical director will say that, but how will they do it and what experience do they have.
I think it is time for working and not talking about this stuff. I will work hard and I will make Raiders one of the best if not THE best junior club in SA.
JW
John Walker AFPP and Mr back of the net you said,
As one of Walker's bosses....by the way my name is Brenton Waye ... say what you like about us but we are here to stay and grow and develop players thats is what walker is employed to do and spend a minute with him and he will excite anyone that is passionate about player development. So i guess we will have to see what the Raiders deliver....2009..
So lets address these statements and be constructive Mr Walker shall we………………?
In 2008
13B 2nd
14A bottom
15C 5th
16 9th
17A 7th
In 2009 :
13B 2nd from bottom no change then from last years U12’s
14D 3rd from bottom, humm (1 place up from last year)
14A 3rd from bottom (from second place u13B last year) humm big improvement
15B 2nd from bottom wow…a marked improvement from bottom year’s u14 A’s.
16C 2nd in C Division, a big improvement from 5th in u15c even with most of your academy boys in the team and all that extra training you have been lavishing on them!
174th in C Division from 9th in U16 NE division last year.

The Walker statement
“I think it is time for working and not talking about this stuff. I will work hard and I will make Raiders one of the best if not THE best junior club in SA.”
Yes, we can all see the improvements, and by your statements, it looks like you have done more talking and certainly more drinking than working at Raiders.
Lets, take a look and be more construct, because that’s what you asked of us on this forum was’nt it Mr Walker?
What, has been the other great things have we seen…Discipline, Player and parent participation, conduct humm….No. Mr Walker, your other great performance was at Galaxy when throwing your beer and spitting on that young Galaxy player whilst he was on the pitch and the game was being played. Yet another great standard setting performance….you are certainly making the club one of the best clubs to be at……… aren’t you!

As For you Mr Benton Waye, being proud as ‘his boss’ announcing yourself on this very forum, what other club would employ a Technical Director, who again on this public forum states “if you want a private dance call me” and conducts himself like a football hooligan at the Galxay match. By still employing him you are condoning this kind of conduct!

Under FFSA, FFA there by FIFA rules; is a person allowed to hold a position on an committee within a league club, if they are declared bankrupt, I’m sure they are not ?

That does not sound like, as you so boldly put it, “grow and develop players thats is what walker is employed to do”
Who in their right mind would want their children coached, or be within 100m of this Technical Director or at club that condones such disgraceful conduct, by association. Good luck with trying to recruit new players or in fact keep the players you have….”So i guess we will have to see what the Raiders deliver....2009..”, god help any one thinking of going to Raiders in 2010 under that Technical Director / coach and Director of Food Ball. I will definitely be taking my grandson some where else to trial for an u16’s team next season for sure.

We will have to see how many A’s and B squad teams you develop next season, as it looks like your great achievement will be having any squads next year to develop at all…!
And, PS, Mr Walker the amount of times you ask people if they want to dance, you must be lonely or dance as good as you can coach…..?

Well done Mr Walker & Mr Back of the net, with the only thing you have done so well is drive good people away from a great club and I almost forgot…marking the pitches and feather your own nest so well at the same time, congratulations were they are due……!

[Killa Pass]

Ian Saint John that is disgraceful, I'm sorry but really come out from behind the Keyboard if you are whom we all think you are and by the looks of your outburst you are more upset about not getting technical director role at Raiders and not getting a coaching role.....we understand....

First the announcement from back of the net was to announce the changes of Raiders senior structure linking 17-19's together as a development squad working towards 1st team potential player and pending trials. Back of the net is very proud of the club and yes pumped things up abit which i don't like either but the reality is the 1st team had a mix of youth and experience and played in the final series and in the end finished 4th. Raiders had a new "unproven" coach John Duthie and IMO the club has done a really good job.

Reality is Raiders are trying to develop home grown talent that is why the 17-19's would like a mix of age of youth and develop and improve players over time. Hopefully talented boys will trial for these age groups and Raiders will develop the squad in total. Development Mr Saint John takes time and Raiders is building the juniors-seniors and has worked hard on making sure Raiders have the right people in the right places. Development should not be judged on winning and losing, development is about improvement and what the kids have learn't and how they play and act around football and beyond.

How do you judge development from looking from the outside is beyond me Mr Saint John.....but you are not from the outside are you????

Please also keep in mind that your outburt is directed at John Walker and Back of the net and you should have started a new thread to attack them not Raiders. If you are unhappy with them because your own needs have not been met fine go for it at them directly. Most take what you have said as a grain of salt and a bitter person however you may have offended other people that have worked so hard in Raiders for the longer term development. Just have a walk around Raiders and see the improvement in the facilities or watch the invovlemnt that first team players, coaching staff have with juniors or come down and have some Bull off the spit and Jaeger bombs..

If we are looking at results Mr Saint John mmm what did you achieve....this year at Raiders....mmm NOTHING !!! Did you assist in anyway even marking a pitch or serving a drink no so goodbye and good riddance. Goodluck in the roles you have been applying for I'm sure your resume looks impressive

The Boss..... sometimes players and people need to look outside the circles, opportunities could be around the corner or off Main North Road