Image: Mark Avellino. Graphic: Wayne Unwin/Ajax 55
A winger who likes to cut in from the right to shoot with his left, curling the ball into the back of the net. That’s a way of describing Sean Ellis’ signature trait on the football pitch, one not too dissimilar to that of Dutch superstar Arjen Robben. Although his looks more closely resemble Paul Scholes.
The age-old saying of “when it rains, it pours” is an appropriate adage to describe Sean Ellis’ season to date, who is our NPL Player of the Month for April. The Scottish wide forward along with his club Heidelberg United enjoyed a frustrating start to the season having collected just four points from a possible nine at home in the first three rounds of the campaign.
To heap added misery on Ellis, his penalty against St Albans was saved, condemning the Bergers to a stalemate against the Saints in Round 3. While United’s performances improved from there onwards, the popular Scot failed to find the target until on April fool’s Day no less.
Ellis scored five goals to help Heidelberg claim a remarkable 8-0 win over the North Geelong Warriors in Round 7 at Olympic Village, with the feat made more extraordinary by the fact that the hosts were reduced to ten men soon after his opener.
“When Reuben got sent off I thought ‘Oh no, we’ve got a game on our hands here’. But I just felt really good that game and could run another 90 minutes after the 90 I played as everything I hit and touched turned into goal,” he commented.
Those five goals were followed by a further two and three assists to end the month as well as beginning May in style following his opener in United’s 2-1 away win over Kingston City last Monday night.
“I started this season off poorly and have been working hard, getting my touch back and playing the way I can play and that all came together in April. I started last season off well but faded away as the season went on, while this season I’m doing the opposite, so hopefully I can carry on with my performances.”
Hailing from Scotland, the former Ross County youth followed a similar trajectory to many footballers who hail from the United Kingdom, plying his trade in the state’s regional centres – in his case Shepparton, where he became familiar with current Avondale FC man Craig Carley.
“I start off as a junior at both Ross County and Inverness before going back to my home town Fort William where I played at for a few years. The chance to move to Australia came through one of my dad’s mates who he used to coach when he was younger was out here in the Cobram-Shepparton area and encouraged me to come down here so I did. I arrived in 2012 and had to stay in that regional area because of my work and in order to obtain my visa. In 2015 I moved down to Melbourne and have not looked back since.”
“I still talk a lot with Craig and we’re always having a joke and laugh as well as scoring goals. Playing top-flight football has been good and we’re both doing well this year so I can’t complain.”
His exploits at Goulburn Valley Suns especially in the early days of the NPL brought his name to the fore, and he has hit new heights since signing for Heidelberg as early as September 2015 – one of their first signings for 2016, highlighting how big a target he was for George Katsakis.
“George and Jeff [Olver[ have done well with the club for the past few years and have kept the same boys on board. We’ve all bonded well and are good mates on and off the park and if we keep getting stronger and stronger hopefully we can get something from this season.”
10 goals in 24 games marked a strong first campaign at Olympic Village. But it’s a figure he almost eclipsed in a single month in 2017. And he’s ahead of star striker Kenny Athiu in league golden boot standings. Ellis is just one of many Scots having an impression on the league, with likes of Ryan McGuffie, Andrew Doig, Sean McIlroy, Steven Weir and Paul Harvey and others making their mark in recent years.
“The league I played back at home is the Highland Football League which is very similar as there are a lot of good players. But you need to be tough as you will get kicked every week and that’s where we get it from as Scottish football is like that. Having said that it’s been great down here and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”
Silverware has eluded the Bergers in recent years despite coming ever so close. Should they finally manage a trophy this year, one imagines Ellis will be at the forefront of such an achievement.
“We cannot wait for this Northcote [FFA Cup] game and are buzzing for it. A lot of the boys know what it is like to be playing interstate and flying to different states to play other teams so we’re looking forward to that should the opportunity present itself.”
“Right now I’m looking at staying at Heidelberg and winning medals and trophies with the club. We’ve added quality players to the squad and we all have to perform otherwise risk being put on the bench so that’s healthy. As the season has gone on we keep getting better and better and are starting to play more and more football.”