Tatura's new coach Reno Lia was never going to coach at any othre club if he came back to North Eastern Soccer League.

The Ibises' new boss played for Tatura, Shepparton United and Shepparton South in his days on the field but was only ever interested in one club upon his return to the Goulburn Valley from Melbourne.

Part of the Ibises' most recent senior premiership in 1987, Lia was back in Shepparton yesterday tuning back in to the North Eastern league.

"I said if I came back to coach in this league I wasn't going anywhere else," Lia said.

"There's a passion here."

Originally from Numurkah, Lia played with South Melbourne in the early 1980s before his stint with three North Eastern league clubs.

Another return to Melbourne saw him start his coaching career as an assistant with then-Victorian Premier League team Bentleigh Greens. He has since coached Knox and then Ashburton through the past 13 years.

Winning promotion from provincial division two to provincial division one was, in Lia's opinion, his best achievement with Ashburton.

Lia wasn't giving away much when it came to talking about his minimum expectation for where Tatura would finish next season.

"It definitely is different to come to a six team league when we have 12 in the league where I was," he said.

"There's going to be different perceptions of players, hopefully most of them will be positive.

"I will sit down with the committee and have a look at where they want (the club) to go."

Lia said the pace of the game would have the biggest bearing on how he would coach.

"I have a new set of players and a new setting to work with," he said.

"I haven't got a lot of time for individuality unless it's in the right areas, I'm very much team oriented."

Lia said recruiting was not a top priority but he had a couple of players in mind.

Teo Pellizzeri, Shepparton News, Friday, November 14.

Reno Lia will be Tatura's coach in men's divison one of North Eastern Soccer League after the club confirmed the former player was taking the role.

Lia, who won a premiership with the Ibises in 1987, will succeed Rocky Papalia as coach of the men's team as he moves back to the Goulburn Valley from Melbourne.

The former National Soccer League player with South Melbourne has coaching experience with Ashburton and Knox in the lower divisions of Melbourne metro soccer.

Papalia led Tatura through a winless season in 2007 before a break-out season this year saw the Ibises narrowly miss the top four.

Tatura needed victory on the final day of the home and away season against Shepparton United to make finals, but went down 1-0.

Tatura president Mimmo Lia said Reno's move back to the Goulburn Valley opened the door to him coaching the club.

"It was a great opportunity," Mimmo said.

"We had to pursue it."

Not yet permanently based in the Goulburn Valley, Reno's recruiting strategy and pre-season plans are still to be determined.

Mimmo said he would talk with Papalia about his future with the club.

"If he still wants to coach a senior men's team then that will mean leaving Tatura," Mimmo said.

A women's coach is yet to be locked in for next season; Rocco Bagnato took the Tatura women to an elimination final exit this year.

Reno Lia has played for Shepparton United, Shepparton South and Tatura during his North Eastern Soccer League career.

Teo Pellizzeri, Shepparton News, Friday, November 7.

Round one (this Sunday) - home to Western at McEwen Reserve, Shepparton

Round two (November 1-2) - away to Loddon Mallee (likely at Strathfieldsaye)

Round three (November 8-9) - home to Gippsland at Wodonga (likely to be Diamond Park)

Round four (November 15-16) - away to Wimmera South Coast (likely at Corio)

Round five (November 22-23) - home to Southern in Shepparton

Round six (November 29-30) - away to Central in Melbourne

Round seven (December 6-7) - away to Eastern in Melbourne (likely at Croydon)

Round eight (December 13-14) - away to Northern in Melbourne (likely at Epping)

Round nine (Jan 31 - Feb 1) - home to South East at Wodonga

Round 10 (February 7-8) - away to North West in Melbourne (likely at Darebin)

Round 11 (February 14-15) - home to North Eastern metro at Wodonga

Round 12 (February 21-22) - home to North Eastern metro at Wodonga

Round 13 (March 1) - home to Gippsland at Shepparton

Rounds 14 and 15 (March 7-9) - home to East and South East in Shepparton

Round 16 - away to Southern in Melbourne (likely at Narre Warren).

Griffith teams could be back in the North Eastern Soccer League as soon as next season after Hanwood and Yoogali said they would be open to returning.

The two former premiers of the league left the competition in February, citing numbers shortages and a lack of commitment to the six-hour round trip for away games in Shepparton and Tatura.

But an ambitious North Eastern league proposal to bring the teams back might be the best fit for the Griffith numbers, while also stimulating men's division one.

Rather than the entire clubs returning, a senior men's team each from Hanwood and Yoogali would fill the holes in the men's league fixture left by Kyabram and Numurkah, whose top senior sides play in division two.

Men's division one was riddled with byes this season, the competition suffering the double whammy of losing the challenging Griffith opposition as well as having games surrounded by regular weeks off.

Promoting either Numurkah or Kyabram to the top men's league has looked an ambitious proposal in recent years, the pair finished last and second last in men's division two this season with a combined goal difference of -167.

Yoogali president Paul Fisher said while not speaking on behalf of his players, the club itself would be open to the idea of returning a senior men's team to the North Eastern league.

"We would look at a proposal if the North Eastern league put one to us," Fisher said.

"Right now we do have a young squad and we would have to be competitive if we come back.

"You can't travel down to Victoria week after week to be demoralised."

Hanwood president Anthony Agresta said fielding just the men's seniors in the North Eastern league would be a better fit than finding numbers for multiple teams.

"Filling firsts, reserves and under-17s was getting hard and that's where we fell down," Agresta said.

"If it was only one team it would be easier.

"We'll discuss any proposal, we're open to the idea (of coming back)."

Two teams do not field sides in men's division one; Kyabram and Numurkah.

Hanwood would follow the fixture of one team and Yoogali the other.

For example, if Shepparton plays at home to Kyabram, its women and junior grades play as they would against Kyabram, while the men's match at the end of the afternoon is Shepparton v Yoogali.

Then, when Shepparton plays away to Kyabram, its women and junior grades play at Kyabram while its men go to Griffith to play Yoogali.

Teo Pellizzeri, Shepparton News, Wednesday, October 22.

Tatura scored a North Eastern Soccer League double by claiming two of the four junior premierships on offer at Tatura Park on Sunday.

The under 16s scored a comprehensive 4-0 win against Shepparton United and the under 14s recorded a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Shepparton.

Under 16s assistant coach Michael Sacco said the win was two years in the making.

"I reckon the boys learnt from last year's loss and they had that burning desire to make amends," he said.

"We really stressed to the boys that we had to dominate the game early and capitalise with an early goal."

James Nicholson got the ball rolling for Tatura with a well taken goal in the opening five minutes of the match.

Sacco said the game was still up for grabs at the break and he said the second goal from striker Sinan Kullukcuoglu settled the boys down to finish off the job.

Ben Maude and Daniel Hogarty rounded off the win with late goals.

League medallist Cody Sellwood was named best on ground.

However, Sacco said it took a team effort.

"I thought Mason Nicholson was very good at left back, Daniel Kezerle was good mopping up at the back to make Jarrod Backway's job easier and Sedat Ciftci also did a good job in goals pulling off a couple of really good saves," he said.

In the under 14s, the match went from end-to-end, but no team was able break the deadlock.

Jacob Rando, Joel Tartaglia, Zac Brian and Baiden Shannon scored the winning penalties.

''Shepparton were attacking more at the start, but we defended well and worked our way into the game,'' coach Frank Maiorana said.

''They missed two penalties in the shoot-out and we were able to capitalise.''

Ben Hawkes won the referees' best on ground.

Young soccer star Jacklyn Lombardozzi has stressed the significance of playing in an all girls' competition after taking out the inaugural North Eastern Soccer League junior girls' award on Saturday.

Lombardozzi, of Shepparton South, polled 22 votes to win the junior girls' (under-14) best and fairest by two votes from Cobram Victory's Lily Mogg and South's Brittany Patafio on 17.

Having also taken out the top goal-scorer award for the division, Lombardozzi played every game in the Shepparton South women's team this season.

League clubs only locked in a junior girls' league three weeks before the season kicked off this year, Shepparton South won the minor premiership and is through to this weekend's grand final.

Lombardozzi said it was great to play against girls her age.

"When you play with the boys you don't get much of a touch of the ball," she said.

"It was good that the league was brought in this year because we need to do more for soccer with the girls.

"It was really good to step up and play games with the women, to realise what it will be like next year."

Shepparton South's Ben Mammone completed a double-double on Saturday as he took out the under-12 best and fairest as well as leading goalscorer for the second year running.

Mammone completed the sweep in the under11s last year as well, scoring 44 goals and polling 34 votes this campaign to win from Shepparton United's Carl O'Keefe on 21 and Shepparton's Monga Maulidi on 20.

Mammone also scored two goals and polled a best and fairest vote in the under-14s division this season.

"This was my last year in this division and I feel I'm ready for under-14s next year," Mammone said.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Tatura's Jacob Rando won his third best and fairest in four seasons after taking out the under-14 count.

Being switched to play as a striker saw Rando win the leading goal-scorer to boot as he put 44 in the net during the regular season.

Rando polled 22 to votes to win from Shepparton United's Andrew Kyriakou on 21 and Shepparton's Hugh Anderson on 18.

"I'm loving my soccer and I'm always playing whether it's the backyard or the field," Rando said.

"I wanted to play as a defender this year, but I was put up forward and scored six goals in the first game.

"Scoring 44 goals in one year was more than my entire soccer combined up until this year."

Tatura's Cody Sellwood capped a breakthrough season by winning the under-16 best and fairest on Saturday.

Sellwood made his senior debut in men's division one during the season, but played the majority in under-16s where he polled 25 votes to win from Shepparton's Nathan Radevski and United's Justin Kalafatis on 21 votes each.

Sellwood's teammate Sinan Kullukcuoglu was leading goal-scorer in the division with 35.

"The whole team put in this season, there was a good feeling all year and no weak links," Sellwood said.

"I'll try and improve my skills and fitness over the off season so I'm ready (for division one) next year."

Teo Pellizzeri, Shepparton News, Tuesday, September 16.

Cobram Victory playmaker Frank Bazzano has won a North Eastern Soccer League best and fairest award two years in the making after taking out the men's division one vote count on Saturday.

Bazzano, 28, finished with the highest vote tally in the league for the second year running, but missed out on the award last year due to ineligibility.

League top scorer Stuart Vance led Bazzano by a vote with two rounds remaining, but did not poll again as Bazzano picked up consecutive best-ongrounds to win, 22 votes to 17.

Vance and fellow ineligible player Connor Campbell finished in the top vote getters, but the placings among the eligible players went to United's Bruce Hogg on 14 votes and Jimmy Avram on 11.

While Bazzano is making next week's league grand final his primary focus, the attacking midfielder said it was pleasing to win the competition's top individual honour.

"Last year was probably a better individual season for me, but this year it was about making sacrifices for the team," Bazzano said.

"The best moment for me this season was the win against Tatura when we were down to 10 men and came back to win from 2-0 behind.

"This year we've had a great coach, and adding (defender) Nathan Thomas to the team has helped us move up the ladder."

Bazzano played his junior soccer at Essendon in Melbourne, before signing a professional deal with Austrian club Bregenz in 2000.

Returning to Australia to play with Essendon again, Bazzano had a stint with Pascoe Vale on his way to ending up at Cobram Victory.

"After not becoming a professional footballer I was in an industry where I had to work on Saturdays," Bazzano said.

"If this competition wasn't a Sunday league I wouldn't be here.

"I love being a part of the community at Cobram Victory; the club has a great feel."

Teo Pellizzeri, Shepparton News, Monday, September 15.

Georgia Oudeman's first season of North Eastern Soccer League has ended in a resounding win in the women's best and fairest after the 18-year-old took out the women's league vote count on Saturday.

Oudeman polled two votes in round one then followed it with four straight best-on-ground performances for Cobram Victory to open a lead she never relinquished.

Shepparton United's league-leading scorer Jess Theobald polled 28 votes to finish seven behind 35-vote Oudeman, while Shepparton's Suzan Tanrikulu finished third on 21.

Oudeman's fitness and stamina allowed the defender to move freely up the field in the women's league this season, where she went on to lead her club's goal scoring.

The match which typified Oudeman's play as much as any other was Victory's 3-2 win against Shepparton South in round 14 where she scored two goals from almost the halfway line.

"It was a great win for the team and a real turning point that gave us confidence to finish out the year," she said.

"I've loved this season, particularly with 21 rounds and plenty of games."

Despite Victory's women missing the finals, Oudeman said her young teammates - all teenagers - had a bright future.

Oudeman played women's state premier league with Eltham North last season, but said a decision on where she would play next year hinged on her Year 12 results.

"I've got some important exams coming up and I won't be making any decisions until everything is finished," she said.

Kyabram's Anna Campanelli was the surprise packet of the vote count, polling 20 votes to finish equal fourth with Cobram's Clorinda Iannucci.

Other pre-count fancies, Samantha McIntosh of Shepparton and Imogen Head of United, finished equal sixth on 17, while last year's winner Derya Tanrikulu poled 16 votes from her 13 games.

Teo Pellizzeri, Shepparton News, Monday, September 15.