Tony Govorko has proved to be a safe pair of hands as Melville's head of goalkeeping coaching.

A host of other coaching personnel have come and gone in recent times at Gower Park, but 54-year-old Govorko has maintained a steady presence, after having first played northern league football for Melville in 1998 (and again sitting on the bench in Melville's big run to the Chatham Cup semifinals in 2013).

While Govorko had a number of years overseas in the early 2000s, since his return he has played an increasingly important role in coaching and development, in an era when Melville goalkeepers have increasingly caught the eye.

This year there were 16 goalkeepers across Melville's male and female academy and the Talent Development Programme in 2025.

On the male side, Govorko oversees the boys academy (13s-17s), the U23s and the men's northern league team (while former Melville academy member, 17-year-old Stirling Grant, assists with the U11s and U12s).

On the female side Govorko looks after U16s through to the first team, and is predominantly involved with the club's two main development girls - who have also been doubling as the clubs leading senior goalkeepers - in Emma Meadows and Elin Gainsford (while Meadows herself oversees the junior goalkeepers).

It was former first team coach Steve Williams who first asked Govorko to work with the club's goalkeepers in 2013 and he did his first coaching course that year.

Then when Sam Wilkinson and Michael Mayne shipped in at the end of 2016, Govorko began working in earnest on the academy side, looking after youth and U23s (while Neil Mouncher did the men's first team goalkeeping coaching).

Max Tommy - both a first-team goalkeeper and a coach in his own right - arrived at Melville in 2017 and Govorko has also liaised closely with him.

"Max doesn't require a lot of work from a coaching perspective. It's more making sure he's supported and he's getting the work that he wants, so he feels he's topping up his technique, but also getting that sort of 'constant repetition', as he calls it. 

"With Max it it's also just a case of being a sounding board for the wider elements of goalkeeping at first team level.

"The role of the goalkeeper has changed in the fact that they're more integrated in with the team and connected to the defensive unit."

"These days the requirements of a goalkeeping coach is more than being stuck in the corner, banging a few balls from one position. There's more of a requirement to be more integrated as a semi-assistant coach, having input into set pieces, working with outfielders."

Tony Govorko coaching in 2020

As with goalkeeping itself, Govorko said there were certain attributes required to be a goalkeeping coach.

"As a goalkeeper you certainly have to be a bit stubborn and have the ability to be resilient and to take it, whether that's making mistakes or copping abuse from teammates, coaches, supporters.

"You've got to be thick-skinned to deal with the requirements of the role because it is quite isolated, and it can become quite lonely. 

"With regards to being a coach, you have to take a bit more of a pragmatic view, but also support the keepers and to go into bat for them. Whether it is the first team squad or youth players, a lot of them are going through learning moments and they will make errors.

"If I use this season's example, when Max Tommy was out injured we had to play young Nathan Marlowe as an 18 year old, who hadn't played first team football at that level, and it was an in-depth supporting role. 

"You've got to understand your goalkeepers individually, what makes them tick, what works well for them, and what doesn't.

"For instance, Max is a completely different individual to Nathan, with different personalities, and different requirements. To support them, I've got to ask, as a goalkeeping coach, what they want or need to get to their maximum performance level."

As a goalkeeper Govorko was a good communicator, supportive of team mates and prepared to stand up for himself, but also quite humble, and seldom seeking the limelight.

One of the biggest assets he has brought to Melville has been a sense of continuity, as the club has gone through a number of coaching comings and goings - but also a commitment and passion to see his charges develop.

"The role can be a bit isolated, and you can flip in and out. One of the things that I have changed, even from Sam's days, and certainly over the last couple of years, is to try to work in more with (women's head coach) Tarena (Ranui) on the women's programme. It's a role where you've got to seamlessly switch between different groups.

"If I look at my own goalkeeping journey as a player, from my era, it was pretty tough and isolated. You were lucky to have maybe a second keeper to work with and it was all self-taught. 

"You had the opinions of the head coach but they might have known nothing about goalkeeping.

"So times have certainly changed. I would like to think that through those years that I've been here and through different coaching regimes, that there has been consistent support of the goalkeepers. Passing on the technical knowledge that I've built up over that time in coaching has added to those goalkeepers that we've had through the club."

Meanwhile Govorko offered a coach's view of some of the leading Melville goalkeepers.

Max Tommy saves against Auckland City

Max Tommy

"Max is an unsung hero of Melville United approaching his 10th season as No 1. and some of his key moments have been pretty iconic in club history, such as scoring a vital goal in a Chatham Cup final - and saving penalties to get there in the first place.

"The guy is an absolute champion to work with as a player, and his commitment to the club, to the team, is first class. He's level-headed, very knowledgeable, and knows his strengths and weaknesses.

"But he also deserves a big call out for working with the younger keepers over that time.

"Normally a No 1 keeper could be quite selfish, quite just protective of his space. But Max is a guy there on the training nights, happy to take time out and in conjunction with me, give his opinion or his advice to young, developing keepers. And I believe that's been a key to our success as well. It's not just one voice with these young keepers, it's a combination.

"It's worked really well because Max and I have similar philosophies and constant messaging to the younger keepers has helped develop them."

Nathan Marlowe

Nathan Marlowe

"It's a tricky time for Nathan after he had a significant taste of first-team football in 2025 after Max was injured.

"He's not the senior keeper on the roster but is in a phase where despite his age, he has outgrown U23 and his progression has to be based on senior football, so the reality is, he may be looking around.

"That's just the reality of football. It is, and that's the phase that he is at, a stage where he may want to move on.

"But even if a player could potentially move on, I'm still there for them. You look to keep the relationship. I look to see how they progress, because that's ultimately what is what you want to see."

Kobe Taylor

Kobe Taylor

"I have had a historic relationship with Jonathan Gould, the head of goalkeeping at Auckland FC, and through our Memorandum of Understanding with that club now being bedded in, Kobe was identified through their development programme and has gone up to their development centre during this season. 

"He came to our club two-three years ago. I remember him from a goalkeeping camp that I ran here privately, and he seemed quite raw, but keen on goalkeeping.

"The raw talent was there, but with technical work to be done and over the last couple of seasons, he's morphed into first team material.

"It's not only his physique and his attitude, but the way that he has developed, that has obviously put him on the radar of AFC.

"Part of the relationship with Auckland FC is that they want to keep him in his home environment and I'm constantly talking to Jonathan Gould about what is best for his development.

"Because he's still at school, Kobe will be very busy and in demand next year, but again, to get to that high performance level of Auckland FC, there's still further work to be done, and that could involve being exposed to senior football. 

"At the moment, he's in the 23s, but he's in a phase where he needs to keep that journey going."

Emma Meadows

Emma Meadows and Elin Gainsford

Two years ago Tarena Ranui has identified both of them as potential goalkeepers, though they hadn't had much coaching. 

"Over the last two years, both of them have ID'd for the New Zealand U16s, with Emma this year being selected - and on top of that, she was selected to go to the U17 World Cup in Morocco.

"She still is also still eligible next year for the U17s, so it is a great experience for her in learning in that environment, to see how a national age group setup works. 

"It's given her a lot of experience and confidence. On top of that, she has also, along with Elin, been identified with the Auckland FC Girls Development ID Centre, and both of them have been to ID Games for that, and to trainings as well.

"It's a positive having two young goalkeepers the same age who can both work off one another. It's great, when you're running a goalkeeping session, to have two or three of a similar level that can push one another. But also, they create their own little buddy system as well.

"As much as they're potentially competing with one another, what I've found is they have actually become good buddies. 

"It can be tricky when one keeper gets selected and another doesn't. Not everyone can do it, but the beauty of some of the goalkeepers across our club, especially in the youth space, is they're actually quite resilient. So yes, they can be disappointed, but when I've seen that happen, they just get on with it.

"Elin is quite athletic and a more outgoing type of character who has also done quite well in women's cricket, while Emma has different characteristics. 

"From a goalkeeping perspective, she's quite explosive, more powerful, with quite a kick on her and also strong in diving technique.

"As an example, at the U17 tournament at Western Springs, I saw her pull off something you don't normally see this with female keepers, in pulling off off-the-ground saves above their head, in the top part of the goal. 

Other goalkeepers

Govorko was reluctant to highlight the younger keepers.

"The thing about goalkeeping at youth level is it takes a few years to continually work at foundation techniques. They're not rock stars at 12 or 13, unless they're some special individual. 

"Let's go back to a character like Jamie Searle (Melville first team debut 2018 and All Whites debut in 2022). I recall he missed out on being selected for WaiBOP groups at U14, U15s.

"When Sam (Wilkinson) and Michael (Mayne) came in, he was our first one that we got up to a certain level from where he was able to progress on. 

"I should also mention Joe Knowles (now with Auckland FC). When he came to Melville he was probably at a higher level at that younger age and he would be one that I would categorise as 'a rock star'."

Melville have also previously had Carlotte Eagle, now with Wellington Phoenix, while Govorko has also previously worked with Aimee Danieli, who made her senior Phoenix debut back in 2024.

"I wouldn't quite say there's a production line, but you are seeing goalkeepers from here being identified at higher levels."

Govorko the wicketkeeper

Professionally Govorko works in information technology as a company relationship manager with software vendors, but what few Melville club members appreciate is that he also has international pedigree as a cricketer.

In younger days he played cricket for Thames Valley, within the Northern Districts region and then later played league cricket in Surrey (UK). He spent about 10 years playing in European tournaments as a wicketkeeper-batsman, and through family ancestry was eligible to play for Croatia.

Govorko had spent quite some time away from that scene when out of the blue in 2023 came an SOS from Croatia as they prepared for group B of the T20 World Cup qualifiers.

Known as "Tonchi" by his Croatian team mates, he duly made his T20 international debut against Belgium (winning on DLS), aged 52, and then at 53 became the oldest man to keep wicket in international cricket.

"We did really well at that tournament. We were ranked the lowest, and we actually made the top four."

Govorko had enjoyed an earlier stint with Croatia in 2011, but that was before their men's international matches were elevated to T20I status.

Govorko said there were several key synergies between wicketkeeping and goalkeeping with positioning and movement.

"A bit of talking is also required in both roles. Communication is key."

Govorko is currently three-quarters through his Oceania B licence, with one final assessment to be done early in 2026.

"Looking forward to next season, the key with our group of goalkeepers is trying to really develop at that foundation, entry level of our academy.

"Given we're bringing kids in at U11, U12, U13s, before they go into the TDP (Talent Development Programme)  phase, the goalkeepers tend to be very under-prepared and there is a lot of work to be done at that level."

Article added: Friday 26 December 2025