Coach: Vitale Ferrante
Home ground: CB Smith Reserve
2015 season: 6th (3-2 semi-final defeat against South Melbourne)
FFA Cup: Round 5 (3-1 defeat against North Geelong Warriors)
Club Overview/history: Formed in 1932 by British migrants, Pascoe Vale underwent significant change throughout the decades, including being reformed by Macedonian immigrants in 1966. The club has been on a steady rise since the 1980s, making a surge through the provisional leagues in the early 80s with successive promotions and competing in the State Leagues for the first time in 1987. Promoted to State League 3 in 1992, the club achieved promotion to State League 2 for the first time in 2001, then making it to State League 1 in 2009 under current Melbourne City assistant coach, Luciano Trani. VPL promotion came in 2012, before being accepted into the NPL in 2014.
Last season: After a slow start, including three straight defeats, Pascoe Vale emerged as the competition’s dark horses. Improving on an 8th place in 2014 to finish 6th and inside a finals spot, they got within one game of the NPL Grand Final after a 2-2 draw and penalty shootout win over Heidelberg in controversial circumstances in the elimination final. They were minutes away from beating South in the semi final but succumbed late in heartbreaking circumstances. While a Cup run ended early and disappointingly against North Geelong Warriors, 2015 was nonetheless an overwhelmingly positive year for Paco.
Pre-season:
Pascoe Vale 2 defeated Apia Leichardt 0 (Conversano and Santilli)
Pascoe Vale 3 defeated South Hobart 2 (van’t Schip x2, Kitade)
Pascoe Vale 2 defeated St Albans Saints 0 (van ‘t Schip, Ferrante)
Pascoe Vale 2 defeated Hume City 0 (Conversano, Ferrante)
Pascoe Vale 3 defeated by South Hobart 4 (Youssef x3)
Pascoe Vale 3 defeated Richmond 2 (Youssef x2, Conversano)
Transfer Movement (official)
In:
Luka Prelevic, Melbourne City
Yusei Kitade, Japan
Out:
Jake Halliday, South Australia
Tom Black, England
Players to watch: Captain Joseph Youssef was in stunning form last season and will once again attempt to lead by example as the club looks to go one better in 2016. He was able supported in attack by Davey van ‘t Schip, who stepped up in Jake Nakic’s absence. Teenager Matthew Conversano also got some senior minutes under his belt and after scoring in pre-season will be looking to add to his tally.
Youngter Luka Prelevic comes accross from Melbourne City’s NPL side and adds spark to the front third, while Japanese import Yusei Kitade looks set to make his mark on the competition in an attacking midfield role.
Elsewhere, while not officially confirmed signings, former Green Gully man Aaron Cohen and Cameron Tew have also been at the club and look set to play a part this season, alongside Spanish goalkeeper Erik Priz, who will fight it out with Dennys Martin – who returns from Kingston – for a spot between the sticks in Alex Pavlidis’ absence due to a lengthy injury.
What to expect in 2016: While some clubs has almost completely overturned their squads, Pascoe Vale have remained relatively stable in the transfer market. While Young Player of the Year Jake Halliday returns to South Australia and Tom Black heads to England, the core of the squad that made semi-final remain at the club, with a few notable additions serving to strenghten the squad. The difference this year is that expectations are heightened. With Coach of the Year Vitale Ferrante at the helm, mid-table obscurity is no longer an option. Pre-season results have been solid with goals coming regularly, and with a new identity refreshing the look of the club, another finals tilt is well and truly on the cards.
Image: Graeme Furlong