Incorporating Round’s 10 through 14 for the month of May, we’ve plucked out some of the NPL Victoria’s best performers, full of familiar faces and some players who have performed all season long without reward. So get your votes in below for both the NPL and NPL2 Player of the Month.
NPL Victoria
Dusan Bosnjak (Oakleigh Cannons)
After an injury ravaged 2015 season, Oakleigh Cannons’ advanced playmaker Dusan Bosnjak is back to his very best form, with his performances over last month highlighting just that. Bosnjak has netted five times in the month of May, all coming in the last three games. His form has coincided with a resurgence from the Cannons, who secured a haul of 10 out of the maximum 15 points on offer, with Bosnjak’s impact going a long way towards that. From netting late winners against Heidelberg United and Northcote City, to grabbing a sealing double in the 4-1 rout of Port Melbourne, he’s had the ability to step up when his team really need it.
Matthew Foschini (South Melbourne)
South Melbourne’s quiet achiever of May, the hard-toiling defensive midfielder has been a consistent presence in the heart of the ladder leaders’ midfield, playing every minute in the league this month. Given South’s patch form of late, Foschini has done a commendable job in the engine room to take the sting out of opposition attacks with his clever reading of the play – vital given South’s lack of potency from open play at times this season. The outlier of South’s 5-0 defeat to Heidelberg aside, Foschini has been one of the standout performers of the month, even when drafted in at centre-half against Green Gully, where he helped keep one of the clubs two clean sheets in May.
Jason Hicks (Melbourne Knights)
Results wise, it’s been a decent month for the eighth placed Melbourne Knights. Front and centre of most of their good work has been their attacking midfielder Jason Hicks who has not only kept things ticking in midfield, but has also found the back of the net with increased frequency. Three of his four season goals have come in May, and his ability to perform even when his side aren’t winning games is to his testament. Was a standout in the loss to Avondale FC, scored the winner against Melbourne Victory in Round 10 and was amongst the best on ground in the 3-1 win over Pascoe Vale in Round 13.
Harry Noon (Heidelberg United)
It’s hard to miss Harry Noon and his blonde mop of hair on the park. Not only have his locks draw attention, but so have his tenacious box-to-box performances that he’s put in since making the move Down Under. The Englishman has taken his game to another level over the last month, scoring in three of his five fixtures, including a two-goal haul in a commanding personal display against South Melbourne. His overall performance, be it breaking up the play deep in midfield, or launching attacks off his own back, have been central to keeping the Bergers ticking over, even when they were missing a large portion of their first team through injuries.
Ryan Paczkowski (Bentleigh Greens)
The hard-working Bentleigh Greens winger has been a revelation since making the step up from the State League’s with Mornington, crafting out a new role in the front third in the process. The man that’d scored 22 goals in Mornington’s title win was now the main outlet for supplying goals, as he grabbed a handful of assists throughout the month of May. Whether deployed on the left or right wing, Paczkowski has provided plenty of forward thrust for his side while carving out a solid final delivery in the process. Shone in games against Green Gully and Port Melbourne Sharks, where he supplied what proved to be the winning assist in both games, while he was one of Bentleigh’s best in the draw with Heidelberg. Solid performances against both Bulleen and Northcote capped off a stellar month for the Englishman.
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NPL2 Victoria
Yusuf Ahmed (Melbourne City)
The Melbourne City can lay claim to being the in form forward of the NPL2 West after netting in four out of the five fixtures in March. Ahmed’s highlight was a double in the 7-2 rout of Murray United, while surprisingly, he failed to get on the scoreboard in the 7-0 win over Nunawading. Singles came in the other fixtures against Moreland City, Sunshine George Cross and Bendigo City
Brandon Barnes (Dandenong Thunder)
Once again, Dandenong Thunder’s Brandon Barnes finds himself in contention for Player of the Month honours. Despite doing the unthinkable and actually going a game goalless – ending an eight game scoring streak after being held by Springvale White Eagles in Round 13 – the Englishman laid on a simply unbelievable 17 goals in his other four games of the month. This included a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Moreland City, two against their crosstown rivals Moreland Zebras, a stunning four in the 6-0 rout of Eastern Lions, before amassing a league record eight in a memorable contest against Nunawading – seven of which came in the second half.
Velibor Mitrovic (Kingston City)
While spending a large chunk of the previous month on the sidelines through injury, Velibor Mitrovic hit back with a vengeance, leading a stunning Kingston City charge which saw them win 13 out of an available 15 points to keep touch with runaway leaders Dandenong Thunder. The playmaker punished Bendigo City with a hat-trick, while he was best on ground in the 3-2 win over Box Hill United, scoring a brace in that fixture. Mitrovic scored six goals in total for the month – his other goal coming in the narrow win over Brunswick City – to further establish himself as one of the in-form players of the competition.
Faisal Sakhizada (Dandenong Thunder)
While plenty has been made of Dandenong Thunder’s potency in attack, their solidity in defence has been a massive factor in their success, which saw them win five games – and continue their unbeaten start to the season – in the month of May. Central to this has been the form of Afghani international Faisal Sakhizada, the uncompromising defender has been a rock in defence. One of the aerial specialists of the league, Sakhizada was rarely beaten to a header and has formed a strong bond with Simon Colosimo and Brendan Elmazovski on either side of him. Thunder kept three clean sheets for the month, with only one goal – against the Zebras – coming from open play.
Michael Trigger (Ballarat Red Devils)
With only one loss coming in the month of May for Ballarat Red Devils, midfielder Michael Trigger has been central to their decent form throughout the last month. His three goals from midfield won a total of five points for the Red Devils and he’s contributed further with his intelligent passing and his general danger around the 18-yard-box.
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