Photo: Graeme Furlong
Northcote City hot-shot forward Braedyn Crowley is set to join A-League powerhouse Melbourne City for the 2016-17 domestic season.
The former Newcastle Jets man impressed his new A-League outfit in his time trialling with the club and featured in the club’s pre-season friendly against Hume City last week.
The move comes off the back of an impressive spell since joining Northcote City mid-season, where he netted just short of half of Northcote’s total goal tally in their 2016 NPL Victoria campaign.
Crowley’s 13 goals plundered in 19 games – including an all-important equaliser in the penultimate round fixture against Bentleigh Greens – were almost enough to drag Goran Lozanovski’s battlers away from NPL Victoria relegation, however a final day loss to Oakleigh Cannons send them down to the second division for the first time since 2009.
The forward had plenty of other memorable moments in a Northcote kit; he netted all five goals in a 5-0 win over the Melbourne Knights – a season record for the NPL Victoria – while a hat-trick against Port Melbourne Sharks gave City a vital three points in their race for survival.
He also displayed his technical prowess with a stunning free-kick in the 1-1 draw with Bulleen Lions, one of his six goals in the final six games of the season.
“I’ve played and had experience in the A-League, and it’s where I want to get back into as it was good at the Jets and I was really pleased with everything they did for me, but I just didn’t have the money to stay there in the A-League environment,” he said earlier in the NPL season.
“So coming down here was a move I haven’t regretted as it’s something I’ve enjoyed. I love being here with the boys as they are a good bunch and I’m fairly confident that if it comes to the end of the season and someone else calls, I’m not going to go to any other club unless it’s an A-League club.”
The Townsville-born striker, who turns 20 later this year, made his senior bow as a 16-year-old at Central Queensland, before netting an impressive 17 goals in 26 NPL Queensland games in his Young Player of the Year award-winning season with Northern Fury, which attracted interest from the Jets’ NYL team.
He flourished in the A-League youth setup, which saw him make his senior debut under the tutelage of Phil Stubbins, coming on as an 88th minute substitute in a 1-1 draw against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
He failed to find the net in his one start and seven substitute appearances in the 2015-16 A-League season, with his last appearance coming in the 1-0 loss to Adelaide United earlier this year.