THE Central Coast Mariners are hoping an upcoming junior clinic at Dubbo can be the start of a relationship which leads to an A-League match in the city.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Reaching out to regional areas has been a priority for the club ever since the formation of the A-League and next month former striker Adam Kwasnik will be in Dubbo to run training sessions with local juniors.
After playing matches at Mudgee and Orange in the past and hosting training clinics in both those centres, Kwasnik was hopeful the visit to Dubbo would help promote the Mariners brand and ultimately lead to an A-League match in a country area.
"I know we're looking at heading to the Orange region in pre-season and that can be a starting place but if it works financially and both parties agree then in the future Dubbo can host an A-League game," he said.
"That would be huge and the people who would benefit most are the young fans."
The young fans are who Kwasnik and the Mariners are targeting when they run clinics at the Lady Cutler Complex for a week from September 28 to October 2.
The first three days of the clinic will be for youngsters from western NSW in the five to 12 years category while the following days will be for those aged 13 to 16.
While Kwasnik will be heavily involved in all the sessions, he admitted some of the older players will definitely get his attention as he searched for the next batch of Mariners stars.
"Rural and western NSW has a lot to offer and plenty of untapped talent," he said.
"It's more about having a lot of fun and exercising during the school break but I'll be keeping a keen eye on some of the older and talented kids and taking some notes."
After attending a similar clinic at Mudgee earlier in the year, Kawsnik admitted he was delighted by the commitment in training shown by juniors from the country.
With the growth of the Western Mariners in all age groups and the number of positive results recorded there, Kwasnik said the improvement and growth of the game in regional NSW was obvious.
"The behaviour and willingness to learn has been nothing short of fantastic, they're really big on the more you listen, the more you'll learn," he said.
"It's very much an untapped reserve in western NSW and ambassadors like me want to make the most of that and turn some footy fans into Mariners fans."
Kwasnik retired in 2014 after a career which included two stints with the Mariners as well as some time in China and is still the second all-time leading scorer for the A-League club.
More information on the clinics, running from September 28 to October 2, can be found on the Mariners website or by ringing Mariners HQ on (02) 43537200.