NT football making strides

Hidden away from the sporting hubs of the nation the Northern Territory is definitely not the first location that people think of in terms of producing the next football superstars.

Hidden away from the sporting hubs of the nation the Northern Territory is definitely not the first location that people think of in terms of producing the next football superstars.

This perception is in the first stages of being overhauled as one local product that made it out of the Territory and into the A-League and beyond is looking to inspire the next generation of footballers from up north.

The Northern Territory Football Association-s skill acquisitions trainer John Tambouras has been working with 12-13 year-olds as looks to help them achieve the same success that he did.

Tambouras, who played for the North Queensland Fury as well as in Greece, Malaysia, Ireland, Azerbaijan and China, has been in the role for just over 12 months and is already seeing improvements in quality from local juniors.

“We-ve made some massive strides in terms of development since we started,” said Tambouras.

“We have a five year plan and know that the first couple of years will be tough but we now have some quality juniors training four times a week and playing a game against higher age groups.

“It is great that these players are being tested week in and week out.”

Not underestimating the task at hand, Tambouras and NT Football have set some goals for themselves to achieve with the youngsters they have in the system.

“We have four or five really good kids coming through and hope to have one or two identified by the likes of an A-League club in the future.

“It has been a while since a junior (from the NT) has got a contract in the top level of football in the country but if we create a pathway and get a couple of kids through then there is no doubt that others will want to follow.

“It is great that the FFA and FFNT are working together to make this a realistic goal.”

While initial plans are to get the youngsters the opportunity to play at the highest level, the NT would eventually be eager to be involved in the larger competitions in Australia.

“It is extremely important to be able to participate at a high level. It would be great for football up here if we were able to put in a team in the Queensland or Western Australian leagues.

“We know it is a way off but eventually to get a Y-League or A-League team up here in the long term would be the ultimate goal.”

Born and bred in Darwin himself, Tambouras knows what the addition of a local team could do to inspire juniors in the area to continue on in the game that they love.

“When I was growing up the Darwin Cubs played in the Singapore League.

“It gave me something to strive towards and despite them not being around once I eventually got to the top level the fact that they were there when I was growing up pushed me to eventually get into professional football.”

Tambouras will again take his troops to national competitions throughout the year as they continue to strive towards the improvement that NT Football is pushing towards.