TAREE Wildcats Soccer Club will make a belated effort to be included in the Coastal Premier League.
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The Coastal Premier League is a two grade competition featuring clubs from Football Mid North Coast and North Coast Football. As it stands nine clubs - four from FMNC and five from NCF will contest the league to be played for the first time this year.
Taree Wildcats would be the only club representing the southern half of the zone and would look to attract players from the Manning and Great Lakes regions.
Taree Wildcats president Ben Sedlen conceded the application for a licence is at short notice, but added the club hopes it would be successful.
"Taree Wildcats has been supportive of the concept of the Coastal Premier League since Football Mid North Coast floated it last year,'' Mr Sedlen said.
"In all honesty we did not think we would have the player strength to be competitive. Now that we have started training and have seen the talent, we think that we will be more than competitive."
He said the Wildcats have made some key signings for the season, with several key players secured from the National Premier League (NPL) system.
"We previously advised the signing of Tim Walker. We have just added Sam Modderno to the list. Sam has previously been in the Newcastle Jets system and has even had a trial for Western Sydney Wanderers,'' he said.
"We also are looking at several other high quality players."
Mr Sedlen said the addition of a club from the southern half of the Football Mid North Coast zone, will make the Coastal Premier League the league it was intended.
"The Coastal Premier League would give players on the whole Mid North Coast access to a higher level of football,'' he pointed out.
"This will give players and parents of talented players a pathway that does not involve constant travel or relocation to Newcastle for higher level games. Football Mid North Coast squads in the NPL cease after 16.
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He said importantly, the Wildcats have secured player support for their application and said the club has sufficient numbers already signed and willing to commit to the league.
"We would like however, to attract some additional players who wish to play in this elite competition,'' he said.
"Ideally we would like to secure sufficient numbers to build a third team that could play in either the Zone Premier League or the Southern League men's competition. We would look to run the three teams as a squad.
This would help build player depth, and provide competition for places which is always a good thing."
The application has been endorsed by Football Mid North Coast, and the final step is ratification by Coastal Premier League partner North Coast Football. This is currently being sought.
The application for the licence, is just one of a number of plans that the Wildcats have to improve their club and sport. Football is the largest participation sport in the area and the Wildcats are looking to provide facilities and pathways for all in the game.
"Our new committee has plans in place, and we are now entering the execution phase.'' Mr Sedlen added.
Confirmed player list for 2020 (alphabetic order): Justin Atkins, Daniel Berner, Kyle Brady, Jason Collier, Matt Collier, Alex Corbett, James Goldsmith, Travis Goldsmith, Braidon Hill, Kyle Hammond, Kobe Jobson, Curtis Jones, Tyler Langley, Laurence Maurer, Sam Miller, Sam Modderno, Kodie Nolan, Canan O'Donnell, Tom Riley, Dominic Rankin, Zach Robson, Jordan Stark, Briath Waites, Timothy Walker, Dylan Webber.
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