Chris Sanita
By Walter Pless
Kingborough Lions United’s 17-year-old striker, Chris Sanita, could soon be on his way to New South Wales.
“I went for trials with South Cardiff recently,” Sanita said. “Brad Hughes [Kingborough official] helped me out with that.
“I went pretty well at the try-outs and they said they’d welcome me back for next season if I wanted to come.
“I’m trying to organise things now so that I can move up next year and have a shot at it.”
South Cardiff, which plays in the MBN Premier League, gave Sanita training sessions with the under-18s to begin with and then with the senior side.
“The first session was with kids about my age and they were pretty sharp and pretty quick,” he said.
“The seniors were much the same - sharp, quick and pretty physical.
“It was good training.”
Sanita scored 20 goals in the league for Kingborough this season and was the league’s third-ranked marksman.
His pace is phenomenal and he tormented most opposing defences throughout the season.
He netted four goals against Hobart United and it was his two strikes which sank New Town Eagles and helped the Lions finish second for the second year in a row.
His performances attracted the attention of southern coach, Eamonn Kelly.
He selected the youngster for his southern senior representative side which beat the northern representative side 4-1 in Launceston on Saturday.
“It was a bit nerve-racking sitting on the bench and then coming on, but it was really good,” Sanita said.
“It was a fast game and I was pretty rapt to get a goal at the end, in the last strike of the match.”
Sanita is looking forward to the return match next Saturday at KGV Soccer Park, when he is more than likely to start.
“We’ll be going for the win and we’ll go into the game pretty confident of wrapping up the series.”
If nothing comes of the move to NSW, Sanita is determined to stay with the Lions.
“Kingborough is my home,” he said.