With the State League One season commencing this week and potential promotion to NPL2 on the line, we run the rule over the south-east sides in 2017.
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Mornington Soccer Club
Two-time reigning Champions Mornington will once again start the season as favourites, with Adam Jamieson’s side securing the services of several high-profile recruits in the off-season. Headlining the new additions is star striker Ryan Paczkowski who returns to Dallas Brooks Park after helping Bentleigh claim the NPL Premiership and Dockerty Cup last year. Re-joining him on the Peninsula is forward Simon Mur who returns to the country after a spell in the lower leagues of England. Former Kingston City trio Gino Defoe, Nico Georgopoulos and Stefan Soler are other notable additions, as is Mauritian international and former Richmond defender Josh Valadon.
The club have also added three players from the English lower leagues in Nathan Smith, Jack Truelove and Matthew Wade, with the three imports joining experienced campaigners Danny Black, Steve Elliott, Wayne Gordon, Andrew Skledar, Craig Smart and Simon Webster at the club.
Malvern City
Last season’s runners-up Malvern City lost to Mornington in the FFA Cup third round and have lost influential midfielder Jordan Templin to Bulleen, Danish winger Oscar Pedersen, Italian goalkeeper Gianmarco D’Oria and Zachary Tung. Key arrivals in Kooyong include ex-Dandenong Thunder pair Anthony Giannopoulos and Chris Geils, the former returning to the club he featured for in 2014. Goalkeeper Alex Connell returns following a spell overseas in Wales while winger Brad Blumenthal makes the switch up the Monash Freeway from Mornington.
Steve Alviotis’ has retained the likes of Pablo Caceres, Jamie de Smit, Daniel Hilder, Ken Kilmurray and Ryan Ratcliffe meaning the club formerly known as Stonington City should be aiming to consolidate another top four finish, with a promotion push not out of the equation.
Clifton Hill
Rivals Clifton Hill recovered from a slow start last term to finish third but have been depleted by the loss of star Welsh marksman Chris Davies to Preston and Dylan Bresolin who has returned to Bulleen.
Former Brunswick City pair Dean Romas and Dimitri Vithoulkas join ex-Heidelberg shot-stopper Chris Davis at Ramsdown Street while Welsh attacking midfielder Daniel Thomas is one to watch after an impressive campaign last year, as is former VPL Champion Michael Catalano, who hit double figures from midfield in 2016. The likes of Andrew Goff, Carl O’Keefe and Christopher Vartaci all have prior NPL2 experience, with Leigh Tsoumerkas’ men expected to once again claim another top-half finish.
Casey Comets
Jamie Skelly’s Casey Comets have also been active in the summer transfer window and will be looking to mount a promotion push. Former Langwarrin captain Alex van Heerwarden has swapped Lawton Reserve for Comets Stadium and will be looking to build an effective defensive partnership with ex-Springvale White Eagles centre-back Nemanja Lojanica. Star Korean import Jun-Soo Park remains, although his compatriot Sang-Hyup Han has not returned.
Former South Melbourne and Altona Magic midfielder Dejan Radojicic moves to the Comets from Berwick City, while Ryan Hughes is expected to lead the forward line alongside new Canadian signing Allando Matheson. Marce Janneker and ex-Frankston Pines forward CJ Hodgson are other goalscoring targets, while goalkeeper Michael Sivulja is a notable departure.
Manningham United Blues
Manningham United Blues could be a potential promotion contender following some solid off-season acquisitions. A late-season fadeout last term saw the Templestowe-based outfit finish fifth in their second campaign following the merger with ex-VPL mainstay Fawkner Blues. Ex-Box Hill coach Alfredo Constantino has a number of his former United players within the senior ranks, including Colombian-born midfielder Sebastian Barrero who arrives from the Eastern Lions.
Travis Chalk-Hatton, Franc Carafa, Lucas Johns and Luca Presutti are the other former Pythagoras players in the side as is former captain Michael Godfrey who departed Wembley Park at the end of 2016. Former Bulleen goalkeeper Luke Gallo is another notable arrival from Whittlesea, as is David Morovic from Dandenong City and Anton Nardella, who returns to the club after a stint with Heidelberg United. Ex-Ranges trio John Reale, Daniel Sotiropoulos and Mark Vangeli also feature, while the goalscoring responsibility looks set to rest on the shoulders of ex-Dukla Prague forward Vojtech Engelmann, who was prolific last term.
Langwarrin Soccer Club
State League One regulars Langwarrin finished mid-table last year with experienced Scotsman Gus MacLeod taking charge of his 19th season as manager of the club. Veteran marksman Caleb Nicholes remains, as does former Melbourne Knights midfielder Boris Ovcin, who featured for the club in the NSL. Goalkeeper Robert Acs remains, as does defender Andy McIntyre, midfielder Nick Thorogood and forward Nabil Mozaffaruddin.
Lewis Foster has arrived from Dandenong City while Aaron Currie joins from Moreland City, with Sergio Yanez (Berwick City) and Mat Luak (Morwell Pegasus) adding further depth to their midfield. Four imports have arrived from the UK including Scottish defender Stephen Dick, English defender Kieron Kenny and former AFC Liverpool duo Paul Speed and Connor Belger. Expect Macleod’s men to give local rivals Mornington a good run for their money in the Championship/promotion race.
Warragul United
Regional outfit Warragul United finished a comfortable seventh place last year, partly inspired by their midfield maestro Thomas Ahmadzai who claimed the league best and fairest award. Peter O’Dea’s side have managed to retain the services of Ahmadzai, who was pursued by a number of metropolitan-based sides to no avail, with his brother Adam also re-committing to the United cause.
Key 2016 squad members Nathan Lugton, Sam O’Dea, Liam Johnson, Rory Wagner, Jason Dodenciu, Matthew Gauci and Jacob Vitale remain. Another mid-table finish is probable for a close-knit group of players who continue to overachieve and will look to make Burke Street a formidable place to visit over the coming months.
South Springvale
The 2014 Dockerty Cup finalists finished 2016 in a disappointing eighth position, only five points adrift from relegated Berwick City. Coach Stelios Drakos can still count on younger brother Ari, who continues to marshal the Aris defence despite his advancing years.
2014 NPL2 Player of the Year Sean Seavill is a key signing, with the English playmaker joining from Beaumaris, while ex-Northcote trio Ricardo Gonzales, Alex Rojas and Steve Sifinos will also call Warner Reserve home. Midfielder Aleks Furtula returns to Melbourne after spending the past few years plying his trade in Bosnia, while Michael Kariuki, Suji Mohammadi and goalkeeper Jeremy Sandoval are new arrivals. Marcelo Arapis, Thomas Brooks, Nathan Fenech, Brayden Hawkins and Courali Nassim all remain, with an improved showing expected.
Morwell Pegasus
The last remaining regional club in this year’s FFA Cup Morwell Pegasus will look to improve on last year’s ninth place finish. Former Berwick City coach and VPL star Carlo Retre is the Gippsland outfit’s new coach and has overseen an impressive pre-season in charge, which included last week’s upset FFA Cup win over Mornington.
Star man Dragan Milesevic has departed for South Springvale while John Kuol (brother Paul remains) and Malesh Jadaeile made the move to Dandenong Thunder in the off-season, while Mat Luak left for Langwarrin. Defender Wahid Hashimi arrives from Bendigo City while teenage star Godwill Benjamin joins older brother Edmon at the club, having made his senior breakthrough at George Andrews Reserve last year. Expect a charge up the table with a mid-table finish likely.
Mooroolbark SC
An inaugural member of the NSL 40 years ago, the Barkers survived by the skin of their teeth last term having been promoted from the fourth tier the year before. Andy McCabe has retained the majority of last year’s squad while adding former White Eagles defender Jordan Ballerini, ex-Eastern Lions goalkeeper Robert Havercroft and Knox City duo Ross Clark and Zach Merry.
David Brickell, Tom Byrne, Adam Doughty, Samuel Klepac, Maxim Solovyev and Brett Tronconi have remained at Esther Park, with Mooroolbark also set to host Northcote City in the FFA Cup fifth round. Will be looking to avoid relegation once more and are one of the benchmark sides in the league from a social media point of view.
St Kilda Celts
Have remarkably risen through the State Leagues by winning four successive promotions after only being founded in 2011 by local Irish expatriates. Coach Derek Donnelly has overseen each of those promotions, with the club looking to make a big impact in the state’s third tier this campaign.
Former Oakleigh defender and Northern Ireland youth international Johnny Black is one of the stars and has featured in pre-season in a more advanced position. Ryan Burns and Sam Sweeney are two other standouts from last year to re-commit, while former St Albans midfielder Brodie Patterson joins goalkeepers Tom Banfield and Brandon Galgano, and ex-Oakleigh winger Delarno Pharoe as notable additions.
Caulfield United Cobras
Like St Kilda, Caulfield achieved successive promotions having been promoted from State League Three in 2015 under Gus Caminos. Former Bentleigh manager Mike Kupinic took over and guided the Cobras to another elevation but he will be without the influential Michael Johnson and prolific Kiwi goalscorer Steve McRae, who have since left Victory Park.
Replacing McRae is former Kingston striker Antun Vulic, who featured for Beaumaris last campaign, while ex-Dandenong City midfielder Chris Sanita has prior top-flight experience and is joined at the club by former Hajduk youngster Reece Robic. Pre-season results have been mixed with the Cobras losing a Round 3 FFA Cup clash to fifth tier Monbulk, and Kucinich will be looking to ensure the club avoids the drop.