As long as the body and mind feel good, I will keep playing.
- ROY O'DONOVAN
FORMER Jets striker Roy O'Donovan believes the introduction of a national second division is a must for Australian football - the evergreen Irishman just doesn't know if it will happen during his playing career.
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O'Donovan scored a brace to lead Sydney Olympic to a 2-0 win over Blacktown City on Sunday and win the NSW NPL premiership. His 21 goals for the campaign was enough to collect the golden boot, finishing one ahead of Rockdale's Alec Urosevski.
"Sunday could not have gone any sweeter," O'Donovan said. "We were two points behind the leaders and a couple of goals behind and everything went to plan."
Sydney Olympic are among a host of former NSL clubs pushing for the introduction of a national second division, to be known as The Championship.
NNSW club Edgeworth are also involved in The Championship partner group.
Football Australia and the Association of Australian Football Clubs are working on potential competition structures.
"The sooner the second division gets signed off and the likes of these heritage clubs are in the mix is better for the A-League and better for Australia football," O'Donovan said. "It will help develop more players, more coaches at a higher level and create more interest in Australian football.
"If would be exciting to see it get going in the next couple of years. It is important for Australia football more so than me."
Turning 37 next Wednesday, O'Donovan's focus is on the NPL final series and adding to his goal tally.
"I am feeling great. I wasn't ready to finish with the A-League last year," O'Donovan said. "I kept myself in that professional mindset.
"We have a great bunch of boys here, a special group. My old pal, Lawrie McKinna has been integral as the interim CEO. Ante Juric, our coach has been great with me. He has trusted me to play my game."
O'Donovan, who bagged 31 goals in 71 games for the Jets, and his young family live in Fletcher and the striker commutes to Sydney for training and games.
"I stay a couple of nights a week down there," O'Donovan said "I am doing a bit of coaching at Barker College and with the NNSW TPS program as well as doing a little bit of media with Channel 10. Lots of different things to supplement me playing football."
Sydney Olympic are joined by Blacktown City, Manly, APIA and Marconi in the finals.
Regardless of the outcome, O'Donovan is not about to call it quits.
"As long as the body and mind feel good, I will keep playing," he said.
"I can still run. I played all the games and scored plenty of goals. There is no reason to be making any decisions to knock it on the head just yet. Age is just a number."
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
