Image: Sportsgraphy
2016 NPL2 Champions Kingston City have completed the signings of goalkeeper Kile Kennedy and winger Erhan Yalaz as Nick Tolios’ men ramp up their preparations for the upcoming season.
27-year-old Kennedy moves to City from 2016 NPL Champions Bentleigh Greens, having been used as an understudy to Ryan Scott at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex.
A VIS graduate, the shot-stopper made his senior debut in Victorian football a decade ago with the Dandenong Thunder in 2007 before joining Sunshine George Cross a year later.
Originally hailing from country town Cobram, Kennedy then moved to the United States to play college soccer before returning to Melbourne in 2011 by joining Bentleigh.
At the Greens he was second choice behind Peter Gavalas and managed to make four league appearances across the season.
From there onwards Kennedy joined third tier side Fawkner, helping the Blues win the 2012 State League Two North-West title before embarking on a spell overseas in Iceland.
Another return home followed as the custodian returned to his roots by joining the Goulburn Valley Suns ahead of the 2016 NPL2 campaign.
Kennedy made 11 impressive appearances for the Suns before making the mid-season switch to Bentleigh – making a solitary league outing in their final round 4-1 thrashing over the Port Melbourne Sharks.
Joining him at The Grange Reserve is 20-year-old Yalaz, who moves to Clayton South after spending the past two years with the Sharks under former coach Eric Vassiliadis.
The speedy winger won a 20s Championship with the Oakleigh Cannons in 2014 under Sam Poutakidis as well as making his senior debut under Miron Bleiberg.
He spent the off-season trialling in Turkey with Izmir-based Goztepe, who at the time were competing in the nation’s second tier.
A move to JL Murphy Reserve followed in 2015, with Yalaz scoring a memorable 90th minute winner in a Round 20 3-2 victory over the North Geelong Warriors.
An impact player that season, the then-teenager began to earn more starts in 2016 and in total made 36 league appearances for the club.
The versatile winger has impressed in Kingston’s pre-season friendlies and will provide competition on the flanks to the likes of Stelios Konstantinidis, Hamish Millar and Mouad Zwed among others.
The duo join Faisal Sakhizada, Daniel Bennett, Nathan Tidmarsh, Chris Irwin and Sean McIlroy as Kingston’s new recruits as they look to make an impact in the top flight in 2017.
Meanwhile one-time City signing Emile Damey is seemingly on the move again have departed Spain in favour of a move to near-by Gibraltar.
The former Nunawading City forward has agreed terms with Gibraltar Premier Division club Manchester 62 before being sent on loan to Burgan SC in the Kuwaiti Premier League in a bizarre turn of events for the one-time Liberian B international.