The former national coach of the Matildas, the Australian women’s soccer team, who is now head coach of the Central Coast Mariners in the Hyundai A-League, will be in Hobart on the weekend to share his insights on coaching and the state of football in Australia.
Alen Stajcic will be the guest speaker at a networking event hosted by Women in Football Australia on Sunday night.
Secretary of Women in Football, Vicki Morton of South Hobart Football Club, said it’s a rare opportunity to meet and hear from an elite level coach.
“Alen was a highly successful coach of the Matildas with a long history coaching girls and women’s teams, so it will be wonderful to hear about his experience first hand.
“No doubt he will also have some observations about the difference between coaching men’s and women’s teams, and some hints and tips for local coaches.”
The Women in Football networking event, entitled Sunday Night with Staj, will take place at the club rooms of South Hobart Football Club from 6-8pm on Sunday 8 September.
Entry, including canapes and a complimentary drink, is $15 for members and $40 for non-members and is open to anyone to attend.
Registration for the event can be found at the Women in Football website: www.womeninfootball.org.au
Stajcic was coach of the Matildas for five years until he was controversially sacked without cause in January 2019.
During his time at the helm of the Matildas, the team was always in the top 10 rankings worldwide.
Also a qualified secondary school teacher, prior to working with the Matildas, Alen was responsible for women’s teams at the NSW Institute of Sport and Sydney FC, winning three premierships in national competition. He was named coach of the year by the Australian Institute of Sport in 2017 when he led the Matildas to a number four ranking worldwide.
Stajcic was appointed head coach at Central Coast Mariners in April. The forthcoming 2019/20 A-League season will be his first full season in charge of the A-League outfit.
Women in Football is a national non-profit member-based associated open to women and men to join that aims to support and champion women and girls in the sport of football.
The event is part of a pre-season tour to Tasmania by the Central Coast Mariners. They will play a Tasmania Select XI on Sunday at South Hobart Oval at 2.30pm, and South Hobart FC at Lightwood Park on Tuesday 10 September at 6.30pm.
