Words: Michael Flynn
Image: Jared Adamson/Palm Beach Sharks

Palm Beach Sharks goalkeeper Shane Vitakangas has expressed his delight in winning the NPL Queensland Grand Final on Friday night.

The towering 20-year-old has been the stand-out goalkeeper of the NPL Queensland season, keeping a league-best 12 clean sheets for the Premiers this year.

He shone again in the 3-2 Grand Final win against Olympic, including a match changing save to deny Olympic’s Danny Byrne midway through the first half.

“It was a good performance and a good result for the boys. Everyone is really happy and I thought the boys played really well,” he said.

“We started off slow in the first ten minutes, but throughout the whole game I think we dominated.”

“I would’ve liked to have kept it at just one goal (conceded), but Olympic are a good team and they’ve been solid all year,” he added.

Vitakangas admitted to some nerves in the lead-up to the decider but that the big occasion brought out the best in him on the night.

“I was a tiny bit nervous but I think I perform better in finals matches,” he explained.

“I just love the suspense. The do-or-die sort of thing and that’s why I’m in goals. When the pressure is on I am the last man,” he added.

Vitakangas played his junior football at community club Mudgeeraba before entering the Gold Coast’s representative programme as a teenager. He was also part of former Hyundai A-League club Gold Coast United’s Academy programme.

He joined Sharks this season after a brief sojourn playing Aussie Rules and explained the National Premier League’s restoration of a clear pathway for Gold Coast footballers was a major reason he returned to the sport.

“Everything was sort of going downhill on the Gold Coast with Gold Coast United losing its place and Gold Coast Football as well didn’t have a team in the Queensland State League,” he said.

“So I went into the Academy with Gold Coast Suns Under 18’s and they were impressed with my physicality and they set me up with Broadbeach Cats AFL and I did that for two years.”

“But I decided to come back because I missed playing football,” he added.

Vitakangas explained that his time playing Aussie Rules had influenced his approach as a goalkeeper

“I’m a lot more confident coming out for a high ball and I’m not scared of running into someone to get to it,” he said.

Vitakangas’ performances this season brought him to the attention of Brisbane Roar, receiving an invitation to train with the Hyundai A-League club.

“I’m loving the experience up there and I take every chance I can to train with them but I don’t have my hopes up that I will get signed or anything like that,” he explained.

“It’s still my first year back and I feel I still got a lot of room to improve. Throughout the year I think my kicking has been off and I think I can get a lot better with that.”

“But I think give me another year and I think I might be able to push to get into the A-League, but not quite yet,” he concluded.