Adelaide United head coach Carl Veart was once a member of the Reds’ Legends squad, assembling each year to take on the Australian Defence Force Football Team at Coopers Stadium.
This season, as head coach of the club’s senior side, Veart will be deep in preparation for Adelaide’s A-League Men’s clash with Perth Glory on Sunday afternoon as the AUFC Legends v ADF exhibition match kicks off.
It hasn’t stopped Veart from making his contribution to a special occasion returning to the A-Leagues calendar for the first time since the COVID Pandemic began.
On Friday morning, the ADF Football Team enjoyed a training session at Adelaide’s training facility orchestrated by Veart, after sitting in on one of Veart’s sessions with his own team as preparations ramp up for the run toward the 2021-22 A-League Men’s finals series.
ADF Football Team assistant coach Mark Ninness has been involved in each instalment of the annual exhibition match since its inception. “This is by far the most opportunity we’ve had to engage with them,” Ninness told KEEPUP. “It’s been fantastic. What they’ve done for us, we can’t thank them enough.”
Ninness watched on intently as Veart took the ADF Football Team through its paces on Friday morning, realising one key feature of the session which binds football of all levels together: “In the game-play drills we got to talk to Carl. We stood beside him, and that’s when we got to ask questions and engage with him, and pick his brain about situations and tactics and how he sees things.”
“(Veart) said: ‘It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, we all have the same football problems we’re trying to solve.’
“I think the different level is the skill, fitness and talent – but the problems you’re trying to solve are generally pretty much the same. It was pretty good to hear, actually.”
Ninness added: “Carl was a player in a couple of these games, and now he’s coaching.
“I don’t know, this is just a feeling that we get, that he has some sort of reverence for that. I think he understands what it means to us, and the privilege we’ve got to be able to commemorate Anzac Day.”
The ADF Football Team will face an AUFC Legends squad including the likes of Marcos Flores, Travis Dodd, Kelsey Zafridis, Rachel Quigley and Marcelo Carrusca, with the exhibition match kicking off at Coopers Stadium on Sunday, April 24 at 2.15pm local (2.45pm AEST).
It’s a fixture which traditionally took place around the time of Remembrance Day in November – but with the finals not kicking off until May in 2021, the decision was taken to arrange the event on April 24, on the eve of Anzac Day.
“To be able to commemorate Anzac Day, and be part of that commemoration by actually playing football – it’s a bit of a two-fold for us,” Ninness said. “Adelaide’s support and helping us along to do that is fantastic – and the A-Leagues. Without the A-League allowing it to happen as well, we wouldn’t have the avenue.
“When we were first able to do this – I suppose six years ago now, Adelaide were the ones that took up the offer, they were the ones driving it, really.
“From a Defence point of view, we can’t thank them enough. For them to take ownership, to try and bring us along for that journey, it’s been fantastic for our lads.
“The experience for our men to do this, it means a lot. They’re footballers, and to be able to be put in a professional environment and see people we watch on TV and support, to be part of that organisation for a small part is fantastic for us.”
At the conclusion of the AUFC Legends v ADF Football Team exhibition match, the Reds will take on Perth Glory in the A-League Men’s at 5.05pm AEST.
The club’s home jersey will be adorned with the Anzac Appeal Badge, with the match-word strips available to purchase via an online auction after the game.
Adelaide United Chief Executive Officer Nathan Kosmina told the club website reintroducing the Legends Game for the first time since 2019 was an important moment to pay respects to the service men and women of Australia whilst celebrating the achievements of the club’s past players.
“We’re really proud to see our Legends Game return to Coopers Stadium next weekend as part of our Anzac Day commemorations,” Kosmina said.
“As a club we feel it is imperative to acknowledge and pay our respects to the service men and women that have fought for our country as well as those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“We also look forward to celebrating our past players and recognising their achievements with Adelaide United and more broadly South Australian football, so to have them take on the ADF in an exhibition game is a fitting way to observe the occasion.
“Together we look forward to commemorating the significance of Anzac Day with our fans next Sunday.”
Featured Image credit: Jordan Trombetta, Adelaide United.
