Green Gully will hope their raid on Bendigo City yields gold this season, with no less than five players and staff making the jump from the regional team to the Keilor Downs based outfit this season.
Akin to Liverpool’s acquisition of a number of Southampton’s players in the English Premier League this season, the Cavaliers have pipped Vitaka Rodriguez, Aaron Cohen, Alon Blumgart and Seb Mattei ahead of the 2015 NPL campaign.
Attacking midfielder Matthew Breeze was the last of the contingent to swap yellow for green, with Visa issues holding back any official announcement until recently.
They join Macedonian forward Nikola Markovski, Box Hill’s Rinor Muriqi, South Springvale’s Rani Dowisha and Far North Queensland FC’s Tom Murphy as Gully’s signings this season.
The new additions strengthen a squad boasting existing key players Rodrigo Vargas, Stephen Downes and Matt Sanders as Gully look to challenge for their first league title since 2011.
Starting his career in Real Betis’ youth side, social media ‘celebrity’ Rodriguez went on to play in lower leagues in Spain, Greece and France, before joining and starring in a tough season for the newly formed Bendigo club in Victoria’s second division.
Englishman Breeze’s career has spanned homeland clubs Peterborough and Worcester City before turning out for Peninsula Power in Queensland, and then moving to Bendigo in regional Victoria.
Aaron Cohen and Alom Blumgart already share a history together, having both played their youth football at Maccabi FC until 2010, with Cohen since playing at Bentleigh Greens and Box Hill United, while Blumgart spent time at Melbourne Heart’s youth side.
Blumgart told The Corner Flag his change was a positive move, with close friendships with his former Bendigo teammates helping him settle at Green Gully.
“Gully is a great club and I feel so privileged to be part of such a well established club that has a very successful history. I am really enjoying my time here,” Blumgart said.
“I feel like the boys are starting to gel and a good culture is starting to develop. It’s a competitive culture where we demand high standards but we are also very supportive of each other.
“We have really good ball players in the team so I think if we stick to a style that suits us, we will be successful.
“Obviously it has helped me settle in by having some familiar faces. These boys are also close friends off the park, so it made the transition easier, and all those boys bring something unique to the squad.”
Mattei was on both Melbourne Victory and Heart’s youth books without playing a senior game, and the 24-year-old now moves into a coaching role at the Gully.
He’ll be working with Kieran Gonzalez and new signing Rani Dowisha, South Springvale’s hero in their fairytale FFA Cup run last season – and once also former Melbourne Victory’s youth player.
Mattei told Green Gully, “I’m looking to instill a curriculum throughout the club including junior goalkeepers and working with the junior keeping coaches, that’s probably the part I’m most excited about.”
The Cavaliers open their NPL campaign at Green Gully Reserve on Monday, 23rd of February, where they’ll square off against Northcote City. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:30pm.