The biggest day on the Tasmanian footballing calendar has rolled around for 2024, with a massive Cup Final Monday in store at Lightwood Park. In the Lakoseljac Cup, it will be the Kingborough Lions taking on the Glenorchy Knights, whilst the Lions have also reached the Women’s Statewide Cup Final where they will meet the Devonport Strikers. It makes for one of the biggest, if not the biggest day, in the Lions' club history and it sets the stage nicely for what should be an intriguing afternoon of football between tightly-matched sides.
Lions and Knights Set To Battle For Lakoseljac Cup Glory
The Lakoseljac Cup Final pits the Kingborough Lions up against the Glenorchy Knights, with a new Champion set to be crowned following three years of Devonport victories. The Knights were the most recent side other than the Strikers to win the Cup, having defeated OIympia in the decider in 2020. It’s one of eight Statewide Cup victories for the Knights - the most of any club - and along with the Cup being named for former club legend Milan Lakoseljac, coach James Sherman felt that meant the occasion took on even more importance.
"What I take from the week, especially with Milan, is that there is a real connection to the competition for us as a club and for the community," he said.
"So it’s an excellent week, it really does bring people together; reflecting on previous finals, the attendances we tend to bring have been superb and I think that’s a credit to both the Lakoseljac family and the Croatian community."
Sherman spoke in depth about that sense of connection to the club's history and felt it was something Knights did well.
“We spoke about that pretty heavily on Monday, for the players who haven’t been there before, what we do well at Glenorchy Knights is always having that reflection on heritage.
"It’s not just something that is brought up this week, it’s there at our club functions and when people first arrive at the club. So for us it’s a case of reflecting back on that and recognizing that we stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us, and that regardless of the result the main focus will be to represent them well on Monday.”
Sherman said he felt the side, currently sitting 2nd in the NPL Tasmania and yet to lose a match through 9 rounds, were playing some good football heading into the game.
"We’ve been reasonably consistent I think, there are some areas that I feel that the opposition sides have perhaps started to work us out a little bit, focusing on certain aspects of the game to stifle us or perhaps even the other way to get at us, so we’ve certainly had some hurdles we have had to jump over in the last 2-3 weeks but on the whole I think we have managed them well," he said.
Standing in their way will be a Kingborough Lions outfit looking for a first-ever Lakoseljac Cup, returning to the big stage for the first time since 2015 where they fell to South Hobart. With the Lions hosting the day and playing in both the men’s and women’s Cup final, it may well be the biggest day in the Lions' club history, an assessment coach Alfred Hess agreed with and said the club was excited for the occasion.
“I think that’s a fair comment, from a whole of club perspective, it’s an opportunity to demonstrate our sports product from a live sports experience, and it’s certainly a really important day to the club," he said.
"The feeling is one of excitement and anticipation really; we’ve worked hard to create this opportunity for ourselves, so looking forward to preparing well and giving the best account of ourselves on Monday.”
Despite the size of the occasion, Hess said the preparations had been much the same as they usually were for a league game, with the side sticking to the process.
“All the moments in the matches before, all the preparation and training has built to this moment on Monday, but this week the preparation has been very much the same as usual, sticking to the framework and processes. Whether it’s a league match or Cup final like this, it's much the same for us," he said.
If the Lions are to breakthrough for silverware, a key man in that will be Kobe Kemp, who scored in a thrilling 2-2 draw that the two sides played out back in Round 5, which is the most recent clash between the pair. That was a surprisingly open affair, which is not something frequently seen in Cup Finals, but Kemp believed the way both sides approach the game meant it could well be similar on Monday.
"I'd say I am expecting a similar game... however, it being a Cup Final, anything can happen," he said.
"We will prepare as well as we can and we will go out there with the mentality that we want to go out there, get on top early and stay there for the 90 minutes but realistically being a Cup game, that probably won't happen, so we have to be prepared for anything to happen on the day."
Kemp has been on fire so far this season, scoring 13 times in 9 outings in the league and also scoring in every Cup game the Lions have played en route to the final. He said he was pleased with his form, but pointed out the other threats the side possessed.
"I feel like I am playing well and it's good to know I've been contributing, but I'm not the only goalscorer, we've got Noah Mies who has been putting them away for fun and so even if I am not scoring, he is, or Otto Schwartz has now found form in front of goal as well," he said.
It makes for a formidable attack, but having shipped 4 in a shock loss to Riverside Olympic last weekend, it might be the other end of the park where they need to focus against a Knights side which has scored more goals than any side in the NPL so far this season. Both sides are highly likely to create scoring chances that can win this game, whichever side takes them will be the one hoisting the trophy on Monday evening and booking their coveted place in the Australia Cup Round of 32.
History Beckons in Women’s Statewide Cup
The Women’s Statewide Cup is guaranteed to create some history, with either the Kingborough Lions or Devonport Strikers set to raise the trophy for the first time, with neither having previously tasted the ultimate success. The Lions have come closest of the pair, reaching the final on multiple occasions, most recently in 2021.
The Strikers will enter the match as slight favourites, despite being on the road for this one, due to their position atop the Women’s Super League table. They presently sit six points clear of second place and are still unbeaten so far this season. They reached this stage by thumping the Cup holders South Hobart 5-0 in the Semi Final stages in what was a glistening performance.
Speaking at Friday’s media conference, Strikers coach Tom Ballantyne was confident ahead of Monday’s showdown.
“They’re all excited and ready to go. We just need to continue to consistently perform as well as we have over the past 10 weeks plus. The girls have been doing really well, they know what their roles are and tasks are. So it’s up to them to perform on the day now.”
Ballantyne said winning would be a reward for the way the side has built in recent seasons and would be an important landmark for the Club.
“A win would obviously mean a lot, the girls have worked really hard over the past few years and to then crown that off with a trophy would be really important for us and what we are building," he said.
The sides have met once in the Women’s Super League in 2024, with Devonport claiming a 2-1 win at Lightwood Park, something Ballantyne felt could provide a psychological edge for his side.
“I think the psychological edge comes from having beaten them at their ground last time, especially when it’s a home final for them in their own changing rooms, it’s creature comforts for them, they know what they’re about, but we’ve beaten them already and played really well against them in the second half, so we know what’s at stake and we know what to do," he said.
The experience of sisters Lucy Foote and Georgia King - no strangers to Cup Finals having previously been key players for Ulverstone SC - is something Ballantyne agreed would be vitally important.
“They’re going to be vital, they’ve been there, they’ve done it and won it with Ulverstone, so they’re massively important players for us at this level, especially when we’ve got two 15-year-olds and a couple of other teenagers in the side, to be able to keep them level-headed and grounded is huge for them,” he said.
Another player with no shortage of experience on the big stage is Lions star Danielle Kannegiesser, who will remarkably be playing in her 7th Statewide Cup Final, having played in her first all the way back in 2009 for Clarence Zebras. She boasts a 4-2 record in those appearances and is looking to make it 5 on Monday. Kannegiesser said she hoped her experience would be useful for the playing group.
“I think the young girls definitely look to the more mature players who’ve played in these occasions - like myself and Laura, who have played in these big games before - so it's taking them under our wing, but also giving them the space to be their own player," she said.
"They’re on the field for a reason, so we need to give them the space to do what they do best; they all deserve to be out there.”
With the Lions having fallen short on the big day three times since 2018 - including a 2019 defeat that was largely orchestrated by a Kannnegiesser brace when she was playing at Hobart Zebras - there is a real hunger in the group for the breakthrough.
"I think the mood is largely that of excitement in the group; a lot of the girls have been in this position before ,so know what to expect but we are yet to win a Cup final. So we are definitely keen for the silverware.”
Kannegiesser pointed to the potential impact of the crowd as a major factor in separating the occasion from a regular 90 minutes.
“I think you really need to go into every game with the same intensity, but the crowd plays a lot into big games, hopefully being at home we will have a big following," she said.
"Supporters around the ground will be a big driver.”
Lions coach Cam Heazlewood was pleased with how the season was panning out.
“Safe to say we were pretty lucky against Riverside last weekend, but we’ve just been taking it one week at a time, not focusing on anyone but ourselves and sticking to our goals that we set ourselves at the start of the year," he said.
"We are in a really good space, we’ve worked hard the past few weeks to get ready for this, so we really want to take home that trophy."
Diversifying goal scoring options had been a big factor in the Lions uptick in form, with Heazlewood suggesting the side had perhaps been too reliant on star striker Laura Davis in the past.
“We’ve had six different goal scorers, so we aren’t just relying on Davo, which is nice," he said.
"It certainly makes it more difficult for the opposition.”
Hannah Walsh has been one of those threats, scoring frequently from midfield in recent weeks and she has been a key reason why the Lions enter this one off the back of a five-game winning streak.
Though it's another star midfielder who looms just as large for the Strikers, with Whitney Knight, who scored the winner last time the pair met and is proving to be one of the players of the season in the WSL.
How each side's midfield maestros perform will undoubtedly go a long way to settling what shapes as a very tight contest between these two sides.