Image: Mark Avellino. Graphic: Ajax 55
Slightly delayed and bypassing the vote for May due to a lack of resources, TCF has determined our Player of the Month for May. And that player is Milos Lujic after a prolific month for the league’s deadliest striker. But congratulations also to the four nominees below, who also had exceptional months for their respective clubs.
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Milos Lujic (South Melbourne)
The month of May proved to be a breakout month in 2017 for the league’s top striker. Up to that point he had notably struggled to score from open play – bar a wonder goal against Melbourne Knights – netting predominantly from the spot. But the stats speak for themselves. Following the scoreless Bentleigh draw, Lujic netted once and had an assist against Kingston, netted a double to put a sloppy Bulleen to the sword, and also exchanged a goal and assist each with Jesse Daley in a 2-1 win over Port Melbourne. The four goals and two assists led to an unbeaten month and in the process Lujic appeared in Team of the Week three times, twice as a starter and once on the bench.
The other four shortlisted:
Reuben Way (Heidelberg United)
Way played left back due to Les Doumbalis’ injury. He helped keep two clean sheets with Heidelberg only conceding twice. He was a positive influence up and down the wing for George Katsakis’ side in a winning month. Earned TOTW selections against Kingston and Port Melbourne, a game in which he had a winning assist for Jack Petrie.
Goran Zoric (Oakleigh Cannons)
In terms of tangible contributions, Zoric had a standout month for Oakleigh in one of the Cannons’ better months in an otherwise inconsistent season – although a defeat against Bulleen ultimately hurt the side’s prospects. Zoric notched up a hat-trick of assists in a 4-2 win against Pascoe Vale (and TOTW selection), scored against Bentleigh in a draw, had his moments in a 1-0 win over Kingston, and also had an assist in the defeat to the Lions.
Andy Brennan (Bentleigh Greens)
Like Lujic, it wasn’t easy going in Bentleigh and South’s scoreless meeting in the first game of the month. But then Brennan had an assist in the draw against Oakleigh, both assists in a 2-0 win over Gully (and TOTW selection), and also scored against North Geelong in a 3-0 win.
Marko Stevanja (North Geelong Warriors)
Selecting a goalkeeper of the second-last club may seem a stretch but the numbers actually stacked up well for Stevanja and the Warriors in one of their better months of a tough campaign. Stevanja was solid against the Knights away in a 1-1 draw, earning TOTW bench selection, conceded just once in a 1-1 draw against Hume City, kept a clean sheet in the club’s only win which came against Pascoe Vale, and despite conceding three goals against Bentleigh he was a starter in TOTW for making a number of crucial saves to deny the score ballooning out.