Adelaide Blue Eagles star Elian Pirone and former Adelaide United player Daniel Mullen praise revolutionary school soccer program
The local college that produced an NPL soccer under-18s Best and Fairest winner looks set to change the sport under the watchful eye of an A-League star.
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The 17-year-old named the state’s Best and Fairest young soccer player over the weekend has handed his school the credit for his startling success.
Rostrevor College’s Elian Pirone said his school’s new specialised soccer program, now headed by former Adelaide United star Daniel Mullen, would be “revolutionary”.
The 17-year-old midfielder was a standout player in 2021, dominating for his school and also captaining the Adelaide Blue Eagles to National Premier League glory.
Pirone said the college’s soccer program, which is now one of the only programs to be part of school curriculum in the state — along with Gleeson College, Nazareth College and Blackfriars — will change the game in South Australia.
From next year the program will be taught at Rostrevor as a ‘Special Interest Soccer’ component and will also include video review technology to support tactics, as well as close liaison with Adelaide United, Blue Eagles, Campbelltown City, MetroStars and Modbury Jets.
“It’s revolutionary. I feel a lot of schools around the state will now start introducing a high level soccer program like this to their curriculum,” Pirone said.
“It’s great to have access to the professionalism and knowledge of an ex-A-League player like Daniel Mullen and I know he’s going to continue to develop the guys in every way.”
The young gun, who now has aspirations to play A-League soccer, has excelled in every area of his game in 2021, creating for himself and teammates and leading by example as captain for Blue Eagles.
He said the support his club and college have provided has been integral to his evolution as a player.
“Rostrevor has been immense with its support. Evan Pezos and Terry Frangakis have helped me so much throughout my whole career,” Pirone said.
“Blue Eagles have been great too, I was honoured to be captain this year and it gave me the confidence to play at my best.
“I’ve been at the club for 14 years so to captain it to a league title was a sensational feeling. I’m hoping to crack the first team next season and develop from there.”
Daniel Mullen, who will be Soccer Coordinator at Rostrevor College and teach the Specialist Soccer program, said the school and other schools around SA had the potential to produce more talent like Pirone.
“In my time I’ve played with elite players who’ve come through Rostrevor so I think there’s a lot of potential here but I also think there’s huge potential to continue growing the sport of soccer through schools in SA and develop kids on and off the pitch,” he said.
“It’s going to be a program which is focused on more than soccer. There’s going to be a large focus on personal development where we look at leadership, resilience and the all-round approach of tackling life problems.”
The former United star also said the elevation of the program would accommodate the continued growth of soccer in SA and Australia.
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