Latest news with #Perth-raised
West Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic hails return of Alessandro Circati amid more injury blows
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic says Perth-raised Serie A centre-back Alessandro Circati's availability for their crunch World Cup qualifiers was a welcome surprise as injuries once again impact squad selection. The return of the highly-rated Circati might be just what the doctor ordered for Australia as they prepare to face Japan at Optus Stadium on Thursday, with a win putting them on the brink of qualification for the 2026 World Cup. But after serious injuries already claimed vice-captain Jackson Irvine, centre-back Harry Souttar and rising left-back Jordan Bos, the Socceroos have also lost Craig Goodwin, Nestory Irankunda, Mathew Leckie and Nishan Velupillay closer to camp. The Socceroos and Japan have landed in Perth ahead of Thursday night's match, with the Australians arriving off the back of a 10-day training camp in Abu Dhabi. While a win over Japan may not officially seal Australia's qualification for next year's World Cup, it would mean Saudi Arabia, their rival for the final direct spot through to the tournament, would need to put five past the Socceroos the following Tuesday in Jeddah. Popovic admitted he had not counted on 21-year-old Circati's availability after he tore his ACL last September, but his strong form after a rapid seven month recovery was enough to convince him. 'We didn't expect to have him, so we weren't planning on having him in the squad and we anticipated September would be the earliest moment to have him back,' he said. 'But once he played those two games and he got through it, we saw the opportunity to bring him in. 'We've worked with him for the last few days of the camp in Abu Dhabi, and he looks well. Game-fitness is not quite there, but we're happy to have him and feel he can certainly contribute.' WA products Adam Taggart and Cameron Burgess have retained their spot in the squad, although Jack Iredale has missed out on a maiden call-up. World Cup hero Leckie was poised to come into the squad, but battled a hamstring strain and broken nose in Saturday night's A-League grand final which has ruled him out — not that it stopped the Melbourne City star from picking up the Joe Marston Medal for man-of-the-match. 'He was very worthy of winning the man-of-the-match award. I thought he was outstanding in the game, and it's why we had him in the squad — because for big matches, he can provide the experience and quality that you need in big moments,' Popovic said. More curious for many Socceroos fans was the lack of Nectarios Triantis; the Sunderland midfielder won acclaim on-loan at Hibernian in Scotland, but withdrew from Australia's training camp on its eve amid the Greek national team's reported interest in his services. 'I'm not too sure where it exactly sits. But we had him in the squad for the camp, and on the day that he was supposed to travel, he informed us that he's not coming in,' Popovic said. 'He just said he's got a lot of things on at the moment, a lot on his mind in terms of what he wants to do. We have to respect that, and we'll see what happens.' Popovic also revealed Goodwin was due to undergo foot surgery which ruled him out of the upcoming two matches, while Bayern Munich's teenage tyro Irankunda had tweaked his hamstring on loan at Grasshopper in Switzerland. Another who missed out was young attacker Nicholas Milanovic, who won the Johnny Warren Medal for the A-League Men's best player this season, as did midfielder Max Balard who impressed for Dutch Eredivisie side NAC Breda. 'We had (Nicholas) in camp, so there's a great reward for the young man that had a great season in terms of performances, also gets player of the year, gets a move to Aberdeen, comes into his first Socceroos camp,' Popovic said. 'I'm sure he would have taken a lot away from that camp and moving forward, I think he can improve significantly. 'He (Max) is a prospect, and Maxie knows exactly how we feel about him, and I'm sure he'll go away and start the new season full of confidence, and we hope to see him keep improving, and we'll keep monitoring.' Socceroos vs Japan (Thursday June 5, Optus Stadium, 7pm) Goalkeepers: Joe Gauci (Aston Villa) Paul Izzo (Randers) Mat Ryan (RC Lens) Defenders: Aziz Behich (Melbourne City) Kasey Bos (Melbourne Victory) Cameron Burgess (Ipswich Town) Alessandro Circati (Parma) Milos Degenek (FK TSC Bačka Topola) Jason Geria (Albirex Niigata) Lewis Miller (Hibernian) Kye Rowles (DC United) Kai Trewin (Melbourne City) Midfielders: Anthony Caceres (Sydney FC) Riley McGree (Middlesbrough) Connor Metcalfe (St Pauli) Paul Okon-Engstler (Benfica) Aiden O'Neill (New York Red Bull) Ryan Teague (Melbourne Victory) Patrick Yazbek (Nashville SC) Forwards: Daniel Arzani (Melbourne Victory) Brandon Borrello (Western Sydney Wanderers) Martin Boyle (Hibernian) Mitch Duke (Machida Zelvia) Mo Toure (Randers) Adam Taggart (Perth Glory) Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)
West Australian
5 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Socceroos hopeful Jack Iredale eyes World Cup qualifying squad after long road from Perth to Hibernian
It has been more than a decade since Jack Iredale last stepped foot in an Australian national team camp. The Scottish-born, Perth-raised defender last donned the green and gold for the Australia under-17's back in 2012. Now, the Hibernian defender is potentially days away from fulfilling a lifelong dream of representing the Socceroos at international level. To do it in his hometown, in front of an expected 45,000 at Optus Stadium in a crucial World Cup qualifier no less, would be the cherry on top of a remarkable journey. 'It's the things dreams are made of, isn't it?' Iredale told The West Australian. 'You grow up wanting to play for your country, and if there's a possibility of playing for your country in a massive game, with a win that would send your country to the World Cup in front of all your friends and family, it would be absolutely massive.' Iredale's spot in Tony Popovic's squad for Australia's last two World Cup qualifiers is not set in stone, with the final squad to be announced on Sunday. But irrespective of his selection, the Perth RedStar (formerly ECU Joondalup) product's path to the national team's training camp in Abu Dhabi deserves to be celebrated. 'I never stopped believing: it was always the one thing that I desperately wanted in my career, to play for Australia and to get this opportunity now, I'm very grateful,' Iredale said. 'I was absolutely buzzing. First thing (when I found out) was I called home, I don't even know what time it was. They were probably asleep back home.' If selected, the 29-year-old could even play alongside his fellow Connolly Primary School alumni: Ipswich Town defender Cameron Burgess, whom Iredale was classmates with. 'I followed Cam's career closely, he's always been that one step ahead of me; he went over to the UK, and I went over, and then he worked his way up and got all the way to the Premier League,' Iredale said. Iredale has had to overcome a lot in his career: he is a type one diabetic, with his sugar levels keeping him on his toes and he also suffered three torn ACLs as a teenager, threatening his dreams before they even began. In 2017, he exited Perth Glory's youth set-up and spent a short stint at ECU Joondalup before moving back to the town of his birth, inking a deal with second-tier Scottish outfit Greenock Morton. 'I wouldn't have taken that chance (leaving Glory) if I did think the ship had sailed. I knew I wanted to be professional, I knew I could be and it was a matter of taking it into my own hands,' Iredale said. Iredale bounced around England and Scotland's mid-to-lower leagues , turning out for Queen's Park in Scotland, Carlisle United, Cambridge United, and Bolton Wanderers. 'You learn lessons every single day. With promotion and relegation, it's do or die. You've got no excuses, no chances to slip up,' Iredale said of his seven year-spell after leaving home. 'It teaches you game management, all that side of things and then obviously you need to be a good player to survive as well, and a good player to progress.' Iredale describes the past season at Hibernian, who finished third in the Scottish Premiership behind only Celtic and Rangers, as 'one positive thing after another.' He played 32 games, was one of four Australians at Hibs alongside Martin Boyle, Nector Triantis and Lewis Miller who won rave reviews and he even won the league's goal of the season — coming in an Edinburgh Derby against Hearts no less. 'It was a really fun season. It didn't start very well, we had the goal of European football and then found ourselves rock bottom by November, but the club stuck by the management team,' Iredale said. 'Since then, togetherness was massive. Winning games helped with the confidence, and the fans were absolutely incredible, they backed us all the way, home and away, and we shared some really positive moments with them throughout the season.'
West Australian
21-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Foxe opens door for Alessandro Circati ahead of World Cup qualifiers
Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Foxe says they will monitor Perth-raised defender Alessandro Circati ahead of their looming World Cup qualifiers after the 21-year-old made an impressive return to Serie A football. While the Australian national team have assembled in Abu Dhabi for a 10-day training camp ahead of their two crunch World Cup qualifiers — including their June 5 match against Japan in Perth — Circati has not joined them. Instead, Circati started his first game for Parma on Sunday since tearing his ACL last September, marking a whirlwind recovery from the serious knee injury. Having been on the bench for Parma the past month, the rising centre-back was thrown into the deep end against a Napoli side hoping to wrap up the Serie A title. But Circati made a memorable starting return, helping secure a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against star Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. The 23-man Socceroos squad who have linked up with coach Tony Popovic in Abu Dhabi is not the final squad that will be selected for their final two World Cup qualifiers. Foxe said Circati was every chance to feature in the final squad and was impressed by his game against Napoli. 'He was able to play out comfortably 90 minutes against a side who's challenging for the title. It means that he's done his work, he's been due diligent, and he's actually prepared and done his rehab to a level that is expected,' he said. 'Every case is different, and you can't say that he needs to play a certain amount of games before he can get called in or not called into the national team. 'Continually, medically and tactically, we're monitoring him and all the players. We'll keep monitoring and see how he goes again this weekend, and then we'll see what the decision's made, if he gets selected or not selected for the June camp.' Foxe said he was not surprised to see Circati make such a smooth return as the Socceroos coaching staff had been in contact with him throughout his injury. 'We know what he's been doing. He's been working ever so hard, doing two or three sessions a day, working with the medical team very closely,' he said. 'We know the work he has been putting in, which needs to be done if you want to play at that level. It's no surprise now that when he comes back, he can play out 95 minutes and do it comfortably, physically, mentally and tactically.' Another Perth product, Hibernian centre-back Jack Iredale, was called into a national team camp for the first time since his youth days. Foxe said Iredale's ability to play both centre-back and left-back was invaluable. 'A lot of things can happen in such a short space, especially in the international window, you have to have some flexibility for sure,' he said. 'We've been monitoring Jack for the last six months, so we know what he's been able to do at Hibs, and now he's got an opportunity to show what he can do here. 'By all reports and the people we spoke to, he's a fantastic human being, number one, and he's a fantastic player and a hard-working player. He deserves the opportunity.'
New York Post
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ex-Big Brother star accuses ‘party girl influencers' of secretly struggling with substance abuse while glamorizing lifestyle
A viral social media storm has erupted after Perth-raised podcaster and former Big Brother star Julia Rangiheuea, 31, accused some of the most popular 'party girl influencers' of secretly struggling with substance abuse issues, while glamorizing the very lifestyle that nearly ruined her own life. Rangiheuea, who shares her sobriety journey as @recoveringpartygirl on social media and hosts the podcast 'Soberly Speaking,' says she was 'deep in addiction' until January 2023, when, with just $29 to her name, she made the decision to go sober. She now uses her platform to shed light on the harsh reality of addiction, and in her latest video, which has amassed over 2.1 million views, she pulled no punches. 'PSA, your favorite party girl influencers all have crazy substance abuse problems,' she claimed, later repeating for emphasis, 'Crazy substance abuse problems.' 7 Julia Rangiheuea, a popular sobriety advocate, has made a shocking claim about the reality of 'party girl influencers' – and the internet is divided. She added that these influencers 'use their fat paychecks entirely on partying' and therefore, are often broke. The ex-reality star also suggested that the 'doing it for the plot' or 'Brat Summer Party Girl 365' narrative popularized online and promoted by these influencers isn't just harmless fun, but potentially dangerous. As someone who couldn't socialize for 15 years without the use of alcohol or drugs, she said alarm bells are often raised for her when she hears how some of these influencers speak about alcohol. 'I just want you to think about the way these people talk about socializing without alcohol and how negatively they talk about it, or how their life, if you really look at it, does revolve around substances,' she says. 7 'PSA, your favorite party girl influencers all have crazy substance abuse problems,' she claimed, later repeating for emphasis, 'Crazy substance abuse problems.' Monkey Business – Anticipating backlash, she admitted, 'I'm sorry to be that girl, but I had to bring it up.' The response was immediate. Many users chimed in to support her, with one noting, 'It quite literally is the early 2000s all over again.' Another added, 'A lot of people are actually alcoholics and don't realise it, because it's so normalised.' 7 She added that these influencers 'use their fat paychecks entirely on partying' and therefore, are often broke. Bohdan – Some commenters also criticized influencers more broadly, especially health or wellness ones, for promoting an aspirational lifestyle while drinking heavily behind the scenes. Meanwhile, some hit back at Rangiheuea, saying she was overreacting and that not everyone who drinks has a problem. 'God forbid a girl has fun – not everyone is an addict,' quipped one. 'Just because the poster had an addition problem, doesn't mean all girls who like to party do,' replied another user. 7 The ex-reality star also suggested that the 'doing it for the plot' or 'Brat Summer Party Girl 365' narrative was popularized online. Jacob Lund – As the video gained traction, followers began tagging high-profile people such as American content creator Alix Earle, singer Charli XCX, and business owners Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott, who co-host the podcast 'Happy Hour with Lucy and Nikki.' is not suggesting that any of these women have substance abuse issues. Jackson, one of those tagged, quickly addressed the situation in her own video. '(Rangiheuea) is saying that your favorite party girl influencers all have massive substance abuse problems,' she said. 'Firstly, (that) is a huge assumption and, secondly, a huge projection. @lucykatejackson28 I start to ramble at the end but please guys just be mindful to not be part of the problem❤️ Also any negative comment about any other creators under this video will be deleted! ♬ original sound – Lucy Jackson 'Obviously, she struggled with some really big addiction problems, which is awful. But that's your journey, not everyone else's.' Jackson, who co-owns the fashion label Jagger & Stone with Westcott, then defended her lifestyle, insisting that she and her pal don't have substance abuse problems and are 'not broke.' 'We run successful businesses. We have a very well-balanced life,' she insisted. She then urged her followers to think twice before commenting on others' videos, potentially defaming someone without any evidence. 7 'I just want you to think about the way these people talk about socializing without alcohol and how negatively they talk about it, or how their life, if you really look at it, does revolve around substances,' Rangiheuea says. Pixel-Shot – 'As women, we are so quick to attack each other,' she said. 'We need to be so careful with the content we are consuming to make sure that we are only taking in genuine facts of information.' Her video received a lot of praise, most notably from fellow influencer Abbie Chatfield, who commented: 'It's so exhausting people making false narratives because they THINK they know you from the content you post! 'It's also wild to me that people see other people tag you in comments and then they think it's true …? Because someone else tagged it…?' For her part, Rangiheuea told her goal was to spark a broader conversation, not to single out individual people. 7 Many users chimed in to support her, with one noting, 'It quite literally is the early 2000s all over again.' Grady R/ – 'My intention was never to attack a specific person, but to start a conversation about a broader issue I see again and again online,' she said. 'Party influencers will broadcast (and therefore monetize) binge drinking multiple nights a week. They'll openly glamorize benders, which often involves staying up all night, taking drugs like cocaine. 'When someone is consistently using substances like this, it's worth asking if they're in control of it, or if it's controling them.' She believes that for many people, seeing excessive drinking and drug use glamorized online creates 'huge pressure' to keep up or risk feeling left out. 7 Some hit back at Rangiheuea, saying she was overreacting and that not everyone who drinks has a problem. pressmaster – 'Normalizing harmful behaviors like this can lead people into addiction before they even realize what's happening. Personally, that constant celebration of the party lifestyle made it so much harder for me to recognize my own addiction. 'As a society, we won't make meaningful progress on the drug and alcohol crisis, or its devastating effects, unless we honestly reflect on our own relationship with substances. 'The second we make these conversations about personal attacks, we derail the opportunity for real progress.'
West Australian
30-04-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Ben Henshall: Perth Wildcats young gun confirms NBA Draft nomination
The WA presence in this year's NBA Draft pool continues to swell, with Ben Henshall the latest Perth product to confirm his nomination. The 20-year-old guard was listed among the 106 early-entry candidates ahead of June's draft, joining Wildcats teammate Izan Almansa and Perth-raised Florida big man Alex Condon on the list. Henshall travelled to the US in early April to begin the process of going through pre-draft workouts to give potential suitors an up-close look at his talents. The Wildcat averaged 10 points and almost three assists per game while showing an improved defensive effort in a breakout NBL campaign, becoming a key part of Perth's rotation. Earlier this year, Perth general manager Danny Mills said the club was in discussions with Henshall to return to the Wildcats next season even if he gets drafted, in a similar fashion to former Perth small forward Luke Travers. 'We're excited that he's going to get this experience. The hope and the belief is that he'll be back in a Perth uniform come NBL 26,' Mills said. 'He's got such a bright future. There's no rush. So if he or his representatives don't feel there's enough interest for him to secure a guaranteed deal and get drafted, he still has another year of eligibility.' Fellow NBL products Alex Toohey (Sydney), Rocco Zikarsky (Brisbane) and Malique Lewis (South East Melbourne) are also in draft contention after securing their places on the early-entry candidate list.
