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- 2 March 2006
Central Coast Mariners Hyundai A-League Final Appearance
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Ms MARIE ANDREWS (Peats) [4.36 p.m.]: It gives me great pleasure to inform the House of the remarkable success of the Central Coast Mariners. On Sunday the Mariners will take on competition favourites, Sydney FC, in the inaugural Hyundai A-League grand final. This is an amazing story of the underdog. From not having a national sporting identity, the Mariners have emerged to put the Central Coast on the map. This is will be an exciting match: the Central Coast underdogs versus the powerful Sydney FC. Many pundits suggested the Mariners would come close to being the wooden spooners this season. How wrong they were! Instead I am delighted to inform the House that the Mariners are on a 12-match unbeaten streak and have conceded only one goal in their three final series matches. I am feeling very confident that the game this weekend will be lucky number 13 for our team from the Central Coast.
In a nail-biting final against Adelaide last weekend, the Mariners clinched a one-nil victory in front of almost 11,000 Adelaide fans. Playing with superb control and passion, the Mariners overcame this season's runaway minor premiers to earn a spot in the inaugural A-League grand final. The Mariners have created a buzz among the Central Coast community. All over the coast, homes, businesses and shops have been painted yellow and blue. I might add that the front windows of the Peats electorate office in the main street of Woy Woy have been bedecked with the Mariners colours.
The Central Coast Stadium in Gosford was packed with 17,500 fans for the Mariners last home game of the league season. This was backed up last Friday by hundreds of supporters, including the Minister for the Central Coast, the mayors of both Gosford and Wyong and me, who turned up at Kibble Park, Gosford, to wish the Mariners luck for their away trip to Adelaide. The Premier also called in to see the team last week and offered a few words of encouragement to promote an all New South Wales decider. This followed a visit by the Premier of the Mariners training headquarters at Mingara during the regional Cabinet visit to the Central Coast last September.
On Monday morning thousands of people lined the streets at ticket outlets on the Central Coast for the chance to be at Aussie Stadium this Sunday. Unfortunately, only 5,000 tickets were available, and many Mariners fans missed out. However, I am pleased to announce to the House that, thanks to the efforts of the honourable member for The Entrance and Minister for the Central Coast, local fans who are without tickets will still be able to watch the big match in a live setting. Thanks to a deal forged between the State Government and the Central Coast Stadium management, this Sunday Central Coast Stadium will be transformed into a free live site for the decider. I also thank Foxtel, which, through FoxSports, will telecast the match live on a giant television screen within the stadium.
The full facilities of the stadium will be available for Mariners fans. That is terrific news for the Central Coast and an electric atmosphere is expected to prevail at Central Coast Stadium this Sunday. It is hard to capture exactly how much the Mariners have boosted the region. The Central Coast is dynamic! We have a diverse population mix, encompassing young families and retirees, and we love our sport. On the Central Coast more than 14,000 registered amateur football players are involved in the local competition—14,000 children, men and women play football every weekend.
People on the Central Coast love sport and for years now we have been crying out for our very own national level sporting team. Sadly, rugby league and rugby union rejected the Central Coast and the magnificent Central Coast Stadium; their loss is a gain for Football Federation Australia. I thank the administration of Football Federation Australia for its vision in giving the Central Coast a chance. Now, 12 months later, we have a debut team in the A-League grand final. People on the Central Coast have opened their arms and embraced this team and we are proud to call them our own.
The Central Coast Mariners have united us and injected passion and pride into a region that often feels left out in the cold. People in Perth and Adelaide did not know where the New South Wales Central Coast was—but now they do. After only one year in the national spotlight, the Mariners have formed part of our identity, they are our team and we are proud to wear the yellow and blue to cheer on the team this Sunday. The State Government certainly recognises the value of the Central Coast Mariners and their role within the community. Should the Mariners claim victory this Sunday, they can expect a homecoming to remember. The State Government will provide a civic reception or a ticker tape parade for the Central Coast Mariners if they take out the premiership. In the words of Mariners coach, Lawrie McKinna, "It's a fairytale and it's continuing along very nicely." To the Mariners captain, Noel Spencer, and to all the players, I wish them well on Sunday. Go Mariners, go!
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