Flash back to Round 12 of the 2015 NPL Victoria season and you’d find yourselves looking at an out of sorts Northcote City, a shadow of the powerhouse side that took home the 2013 VPL championship.
The landscape was bleak for the proud club, who were just one game ahead of 12th placed Dandenong Thunder, with an inferior goal difference. In fact something very similar occurred the season prior, where Northcote sat 10th after 14 rounds, half those games ending in defeat.
Something had to give for Northcote City, lead by their captain Chris Theodoridis and their backroom staff, who’d just been on the receiving end of a 4-0 drubbing by a ruthless Bentleigh Greens. But one thing we’ve learnt over the years is to never discount a Goran Lozanovski coached side.
“Some true words were said [by Lozanovski after the 4-0 loss to Bentleigh] and everyone had to pull their fingers out and push harder at training individually,” Theodoridis said when questioned on the resolve of the squad after that result.
“I think the coaches have done a really good job in driving us as well – every team has their good patch and bad patch, and that was probably our low point.”
In 2014, they scrambled some impressive end of season form to take home seventh spot, just a win off fifth place. This season, they look like doing much the same; their form since that fateful meeting against the Greens has been nothing short of brilliant.
“Last year we showed that [rebuilding process], the second half of the season was a lot better than the first, and we’re seeing it again this year,” Theodoridis said.
“Losing half your team [is tough] but we’re starting to improve as a team. The most important part is to try and keep these players; and that’s the ambition of the club, to keep these players for at least two-three years and push for a championship. The majority of the team is young [so there’s room to grow as a squad].
“The last two years we’ve had to start from scratch again and the club has always – this being my ninth year here – appointed good characters here, more so than ability.
“I think that shows; every year we surprise people and I think that got to do with the character of everyone. All credit goes to the junior coaches because the kids that they’re bringing up don’t only have the ability, but they are good characters.”
That rebuilding process has been a harsher hitting one than the year prior. The 2015 season saw them lose more than half of their starting XI; gone were players of the ilk of Trent Rixon, Wade Dekker, Liam Wooding, Jonathan Munoz, Phil Petreski, Kristian Konstantinidis and most importantly, Championship captain Adrian Chiappetta.
“It’s always hard when you lose the spine of your squad and ever since we won the Championship [VPL in 2013], that’s what has seemed to happen. I think the players that have come in have all lifted, and grasped their opportunities,” Theodoridis said.
“I think we knew it was going to be tough because we lost the majority of the squad. Again, it comes down to the coaching squad, the background staff and what they’re doing off the pitch, as well as on it, to assemble a team that both plays the way they want to play and has the right character for the club, and that’s showing.”
Their last eight games have resulted in a return of five wins, two losses and a draw, which has seen the club move all the way up to seventh place, just six points shy of Hume City in that concluding finals position.
While it may have seemed all but a pipedream two months ago, the resolute Northcote are hardly giving up on their ambition to play in the post-season, and with a generous run of fixtures ahead – North Geelong Warriors, Dandenong Thunder and Werribee City in the next three rounds – that looks like it could be a reality, should they maintain their form.
“While you’re mathematically in the equation to make [the finals series] then that’s everyone’s ambition to make it, whether you’re bottom of the ladder or seventh,” Theodoridis said.
“You’re always trying to chase that sixth spot and that’s why we play, to play finals. Until it’s mathematically impossible to make it, that’s when we’ll put our hands up, but we’ve got to do what we have to do and hopefully results go our way.”
Northcote City travel to Elcho Park to take on the 13th placed North Geelong Warriors in what could be their biggest match of the season. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00pm.