Adam Gorrie Is One Closer To His Dream

Devonport have been dealt another blow just weeks away from the start of the season. This time it is great news for Adam as he is one step closer to his dreams.

Devonport Strikers defensive midfielder Adam Gorrie, of Penguin, has been snapped up by New South Wales premier league club Blacktown City.

The 18-year-old impressed the club so much during a trial in January they offered him a spot the following week.

Gorrie will initially be playing with the club's under-20s team, but will train with the first-grade side and will be under consideration for a regular place in the first team.

Blacktown City is the same club which Gorrie's former Strikers team-mate Jesse Curran moved to, before being signed by the Central Coast Mariners A-League youth team.

Gorrie is hoping he can follow a similar pathway.

``That's what I am hoping for, and it's what I've always wanted to do,'' he said.

Gorrie said while he was pleased to be following his dream, he would miss playing at the Strikers.

``I'm going to miss the guys there, it's a great bunch of blokes and I've been there since under-18s,'' he said.

``I had a talk with them on Saturday at a practice match and they were all congratulating me.''

Gorrie, who this year made the inaugural Victory League team of the year and the Tasmanian under-20 side which played against Malaysian team Sarawak, said he would find living away from home a shock.

``It will be difficult to start with, I've never been away for a long period of time, so it's going to be a massive change, but it's what I want to do,'' he said.

The club will assist Gorrie in finding work.

Gorrie paid tribute to the set-up of the Victory League as a pathway for young players like himself progressing their careers.

``When I was younger I wanted to play in England, so that's still a dream of mine, but I definitely want to play in the A-League,'' he said.

``If I played for the Socceroos it would be a dream come true.''

Gorrie won't have long to settle in to his new surroundings, with Blacktown City set to start their 2014 campaign next Saturday, March 22.courtesy of the advocate.

Road Andrews also wishes Adam all the best and had this to say"

We have known about this for some time now and planned  to release something once the dust had settled re a couple of our unplanned departures.

Adam is a great kid, and we are absolutely delighted for him. This is the second player that has gone from the Coast to Blacktown. Central Coast Mariners Youth Captain Jesse Curran also spent a season there before being picked up by the Mariners. As you would imagine the Blacktown City Coach is pretty keen to get some of the water we drink on the North West Coast  bottled as clearly we are punching above our weight in terms of junior development.

As  an aside, to me it calls into question the value for money around our NTC program. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of the concept , and would encourage any player to take up an offer to go there, but when a disconnected amateur club can achieve a similar level of success in terms of moving players along the correct pathways as a full time fully funded program – I think it reasonable to ask that question as a football Administrator  and a taxpayer. Some other juniors  who didn’t make the journey South

Jeremy Walker (Ulverstone)– Melbourne Heart  A League

Jesse Curran (Devonport) – Captain CCM Youth Team , and recently selected on the Young Socceroos Train on Squad

Jesse Dance (Devonport)- 2012 State Under 13 Captain (rejected offer to move to NTC)

Dom Smith (Devonport)- current Tasmanian Under 14 Captain (rejected offer to move to NTC)

Michael Holden(Devonport) – Was the youngest player to play NPL  last year (rejected offer to move to NTC)

Beau Blizzard (Somerset) -Was the youngest player to play Victory League last year (rejected offer to move to NTC)

Tom Pearce-(Ulverstone) –widely regarded as one of the best young goalkeepers to emerge from the Coast (never made a state team)

Eli Lutmer (Burnie) now living in Hobart and a former Australian  Under 17 (Joey’s) Team member

Incidentally, Adam never made a State Team and Jesse spent 2 months at the NTC before moving back to the coast. Gives hope to a lot of local players on the North West Coast