Hakoah-Maccabi YDL minor premiers
HAKOAH-MACCABI won its NSW Division One Youth League minor premiership when the under-15 team smashed Mt Druitt 6-0 last week.
HAKOAH-MACCABI won its NSW Division One Youth League minor premiership  when the under-15 team smashed Mt Druitt 6-0 last week.
Hakoah-Maccabi club chairman Jon Marcuson said he never dreamed of  winning a minor premiership three years ago when the team joined the  elite state-wide competition.
“It was unimaginable that we could take an ESFA [Eastern Suburbs¬† Football Association] team and train them up significantly so they¬† could win a minor premiership in a state rep comp,” Marcuson said.
Marcuson, Peter Grunfeld and Mick Vasin were the driving forces when  the idea of a youth league was first touted for the club.
It was designed to give Jewish footballers the opportunity to play in  a high quality competition.
“This is such a big achievement that everything else pales into¬† insignificance because these are Jewish shleppers against the best of¬† the state and we are smashing them every week.
“This minor premiership has been driven by the players. They are the¬† ones that want training before school and they are the ones who have
made the difference.”
The team dedicated the minor premiership to the memory of its former  coach, Ian Gray.
The entire team was close to the coach, who died earlier this year,¬† and six of the boys — Robbie Ezekial, Justin Malek, Brad Karpin, Gilad¬† Schwartz, Jared Engelman and Gareth Milner — were ushers at his funeral.
“We all lost a great friend and mentor in Iggy but to the boys he was¬† a true hero.
“For them to overcome Iggy’s passing, bounce back and actually go on¬† and win the minor premiership is an amazing achievement and a credit¬† to Iggy and every one of the boys.”
The team sealed the minor premiership and extended its lead to five  points over second-placed Stanmore with a 3-1 victory against Hills  Brumbies on Saturday afternoon.
Hakoah’s under-15 team has now earned a rest and a second chance. The¬† side will play the winner of this weekend’s qualifying final, between¬† Stanmore and Fraser Park, next week.
While it was all smiles for the under-15 team, the under-18 team was  knocked out of the finals race by fifth-placed Mt Druitt.
The team finished in sixth position on the ladder, two points outside  the top-five, after they lost to Mt Druitt, 2-1, last Thursday.
In the last game of the season on Saturday, the Maccabi-Hakoah side  defeated Hills 2-0, but because Mt Druitt won its final game of the  season 3-0 against Fraser Park, the team missed out on the finals.
Coach Steve Lawrence said it was a tough end to the season.
“As far as the team goes, it’s the best season that I’ve had with¬† Hakoah, but it was very frustrating to go so close and then not make¬† the finals,” Lawrence said.
“As a coach, though, I didn’t achieve what I wanted to, which was¬† making the semis, so I’m pretty disappointed.”
In other results the under-13 team lost to Hills 4-0, the under-14  team lost 3-1 and the under-16 team won 3-1.
JOSH LEVI
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