Mixed results for Innisfail United Football teams

Story And Photos By Maria Girgenti

INNISFAIL United Football Club’s Premier Men’s team kicked off their season on March 3 with a 3 - 2 win over Mareeba.

Round 1 results - March 3:

Under 18 - Innisfail vs Mareeba 2 - 1 loss

Under 23 Men’s - Innisfail vs Mareeba 3 - 1 loss

Premier Men’s - Innisfail vs Mareeba 3 - 2 win.

Round 2 - March 10 - 11

Under 23 Ladies - Innisfail vs Stratford 0 - 0 draw

Division 2 Men’s - Innisfail vs Marlin

Coast 4 - 0 win

Division 1 Men’s - Innisfail vs Marlin Coast 5 - 1 win

Under 13 - Innisfail vs Edge Hill 3 - 3 draw

Under 14 - Innisfail vs Marlin Coast 10 - 2 loss

Under 16 - Innisfail vs Marlin Coast 9 - 2 loss

Under 18 - Innisfail vs Marlin Coast 0 - 0 draw

Under 23 Men’s - Innisfail vs Marlin Coast 5 - 2 loss

Premier Men’s - Innisfail vs Marlin Coast 4 - 1 loss

2023 junior coaches: Steven Tanti (2 x Under 12), Renzo Franco (2 x Under 13), Mark Austin and Raymond Lyons (Under 14) and Brendan King (Under 16), with Hayden Darveniza and Amber Overton (Club Technical Directors).

Senior coaches: Leo Di Carlo (Premier Men’s), Cameron Epong (Under 23 Men’s), Kye Goatham (Under 18), and Division 1 and Division 2 Men’s teams (self-managed).

Vanuatuan football star Bong Kalo has joined Innisfail’s Premier Men’s team, whilst Malon Kaltanak and Patrick Pat have returned to the club.

Paulo Di Carlo, Club President for 17 years, said they have healthy junior numbers, with a combination of new and returning players in the Men’s teams.

“We are always looking to bleed younger players into the system from Reserves to Premier Men’s.”

IUFC 2023 - 2024 committee is William Darveniza (Vice President), Annette Lyons (Treasurer), Donna Vecchio (Secretary) and Hayden Darveniza (Technical Director).

In the off-season, the club upgraded Field 2 with 10 tonnes of sand, as well as an upgrade of underground drainage.

Recently, the club submitted a Queensland Government Sport and Recreation grant for an upgrade of lighting to 100 LUX on Field 2.

Innisfail will field one Senior Women’s team in Football Queensland’s new FNQ competition, which includes ten teams.

The team is again rebuilding after numerous Premier Women’s players from 2022 have left the region for work/ university.

For the past four years, Innisfail fielded two Ladies' teams. In 2023, new young players will step up to play Senior Women’s, including 2022 Junior Female with the Most Potential award winner, Karina Guglielmi.

Innisfail is one of the youngest in the Ladies' competition, with the core team comprising talented players, including Guglielmi, Chloe Musumeci, Breanna Bird, Michelle De Faveri and Ammie Bensi.

Senior players Isabelle Bushby will lead the team, along with Cutters’ stalwarts Malorie Howarth and Bianca Borg.

This season, Amber Overton and Mareeta Nicolau will coach the Women’s team again, with Annette Lyons and Tash Musumeci (managers).