Friendship On Hold For Local Derby

Newcastle Herald

Thursday October 4, 2007

JAMES GARDINER SOCCER

NEWCASTLE Jets striker Joel Griffiths recognised the number as soon as the text message flashed up on his mobile phone.

The sender was Central Coast Mariners defender and Griffiths's childhood mate Dean Heffernan.

"He wanted to know which one of my legs was the sore one," Griffiths laughed.

Griffiths and Heffernan have been friends since their school days at St Patrick's Primary School in Sutherland.

Heffernan, Joel, his twin brother, Adam, and Jets midfielder Paul Kohler were in the same year at school and played junior representative football for Sutherland.

Griffiths's father, Al, was the coach.

"It was a pretty handy side," Joel Griffiths said.

He and Heffernan have remained close ever since.

When Heffernan was contemplating returning to Australia this year after a barren time at German club Nuremberg, Griffiths was one of people he confided in.

"We both went through similar situations," Griffiths said.

"He got homesick when he was in Germany just like I did when I was at Leeds and not playing [in the first team].

"He rang me and asked if I thought he should stay in Germany or come home.

"I told him to come back, recharge the batteries, have a good year and then try to get another shot [in Europe]. Two days later he signed with the Mariners."

But the friendship will be cast aside when the Jets line up against the Mariners in a mouth-watering local derby at Bluetongue Stadium on Sunday.

Griffiths is battling to overcome a corked thigh which forced him to miss the Jets' 1-0 loss to Sydney FC.

Matt Thompson (virus) and Stephen Laybutt (hip flexor) sat out yesterday afternoon's session but are certain to start against the Mariners.

Griffiths trained with the squad yesterday for the first time this week and was confident of being fit by Sunday.

"I didn't push myself too hard," he said after training. "I went at about 70 per cent. I will increase that to 90 per cent on Friday and hopefully be close to 100 per cent by Sunday."

Griffiths is most likely to line up on the right wing if cleared, directly opposite Heffernan.

"I hope to have a bit of a free role and don't want to necessarily mark up on him," Griffiths said. "If I can create something on the right, great. If I don't, maybe I will drift into the middle or swap with Mark Bridge on the left.

"There is no doubt I will come up against him at some stage. He is pretty dangerous going forward and is one of their main strengths on the left side.

"If we can contain him it will shut down the supply of crosses."

The match with Heffernan is not the only case of childhood friends going head-to-head on Sunday.

Jets striker Bridge and Central Coast goalkeeper Danny Vukovic were also schoolmates in Penrith, while fellow Mariners Nigel Boogaard and Greg Owens were born and bred in Newcastle.

No doubts all will be after bragging rights.

"Once that whistle blows we are competitors," Griffiths said.

"At full-time we become mates again."

NZPA reports: New Wellington Phoenix signing Ahmad Elrich will not be rushed into the team to replace suspended midfielder Daniel when they take on the Queensland Roar at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night.

Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert said it would be hard to fill the gap left by the Brazilian after he picked up his fourth yellow card in the 4-1 thumping of Perth Glory in Wellington last weekend.

Herbert said Elrich, a former Fulham midfielder, was not match fit and would probably not get any game time for another week.

Instead he was contemplating the slightly more cautious approach of packing out the midfield with five players and having just Vaughan Coveny in an outright attacking role up front.

Their other impressive Brazilian signing, Felipe, is likely to be given a free-ranging role with Coveny's attacking partner last week, Shane Smeltz, playing down the flank.

Tomorrow's game marks the start of a tough phase in the season for Phoenix, who have five of their next six games on the road.

Wellington are in fourth place with two wins, two draws and two losses, but sit on eight points with three other teams.

"It is hard winning at home, let alone winning away. Probably the position we have got ourselves into the league now . . . is going to be tough to retain," Herbert said.

"But we are playing well and we want to keep that momentum going, and we want to keep getting players forward, but five of the six are going to be tough."

Phoenix will not be throwing their exciting attacking strategy out the door and going for the draw, but things are not going to be the same as last week's game in Wellington.

"I wouldn't say I would be happy with a point. We would like to win," Herbert said. "But I think it is going to be a little bit different from the Perth game."

Queensland impressed Herbert in the pre-season matches, and he believed their position second from bottom in a very tight table was deceptive.

The travelling squad will not be finalised until they leave today.

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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