Rewind the clock back 12 months and Jack Edwards Reserve was a place brimming with heightened expectations as Miron Bleiberg embarked on his second pre-season at the helm, determined to kick on following a successful inaugural NPL season where the Cannons finished second on the ladder.
However, a disastrous start to the season – in which the club won only one of their opening eight games – saw Bleiberg resign, as injuries and rumours of deep unrest within the playing squad plagued Oakleigh. Arthur Papas came in and successfully steered the team away from a relegation battle and salvaged some pride with a run deep into the FFA Cup before losing in heartbreaking fashion to Hume City in extra-time at the quarter-finals stage of the competition, after earlier being defeated by South Melbourne in the Dockerty Cup Final.
The 2011 Coach of the Year departed as the Oakleigh hierarchy turned to Peter Tsolakis and Kon Tangalakis, who were named as joint head coaches in a new look coaching structure. The former had a successful playing career in the NSL with Hellas and Heidelberg United, before earning plaudits coaching the likes of Port Melbourne and Northcote City – the latter whom he took from State League 2 to the VPL before winning the Dockerty Cup with them in 2011.
His return to the bench at Lakeside Stadium (where he had previously been assistant to Stuart Munro in the NSL) saw the former NSL giants struggle for consistency, before Tsolakis tendered his resignation to the club board in July 2013. A self-imposed exile from the game followed for the man commonly referred to by his nickname ‘Gus’.
Now the 50-year-old is back at the coaching helm with the Cannons as the squad head into the upcoming campaign with measured expectations and a determination to improve on last season’s disappointing 11th place league position. TCF caught up with Tsolakis following his side’s recent pre-season friendly victory over Kingston City to see how preparations for the upcoming campaign are going and how he is finding his return to the game.
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You have been away from the game for two and a half years now since you departed your post as manager of South Melbourne, how does it feel to be back coaching?
Good, as I enjoyed and relished my time off as it was the first time since I was about eight that I took some time off from football. To have a couple of years off from the game (self-imposed) was well-earned and something I enjoyed. Oakleigh then came in with a proposal and I had to jump at it as it was a good opportunity for me to get back at it.
What in particular about the Oakleigh proposal attracted you to make a return to the game?
They are a very big club in Victorian football and are ambitious by also wanting to finish in the higher places of the table. They already had a pretty good squad of players re-signed for this season so it’s safe to say that the offer was interesting and inviting to say the least.
How are you finding it working with Con Tangalakis, who will be joint head coach with you this campaign, along with former Heidelberg United striker Mark Tsiorlas, who is the assistant?
Very good and I have known Con for a very long time so it’s not as if I’ve just met him or anything like that. We played junior football together and we’ve been more or less mates for around 40 years, so that’s not an issue. He is very well credentialed and knows his football and we work quite well together.
Just another a month out until the season kicks off, are you happy with the way the squad is shaping up ahead of that first game against the Port Melbourne Sharks?
We’ve deliberately set about playing two games a week heading into the last month of the pre-season with tonight’s game against Kingston being a third game in the space of seven days. As you could see, the boys were a bit fatigued and looked a bit tired which is good as it means they are doing some hard work. Playing Wednesdays and Saturdays until the season starts up until that final week where we stay fresh for the season opener is good preparation for them.
Looking at the squad, it seems like you have a good balance of youth and experience?
We have a mixture of experienced players that have been at the club for a few years, which was another reason as to why I came to the Cannons knowing that those players were already here. We also have a few good young kids who have shown a lot of promise when required and can do the job for us when asked to do so.
One player who I imagine you would have been delighted to have secured is forward Dimitri Hatzimouratis, who you worked alongside with during your time at South Melbourne.
I am very happy that we have managed to get a player of his quality to the club, having previously worked with him at South. When I left Lakeside Stadium in mid-2013 he did so as well and went to Sydney Olympic, where he banged in 20 league goals over two seasons before I made contact with him as he was looking to come back to Melbourne. I’m excited to have him here, not just because of his football ability, but also because he’s a great person to have around the locker room.
Coaches don’t like to put added pressure on themselves, but could you maybe give us an insight into how far this squad can go this year?
I’ve learned over the years not to make any predictions, but as long as we finish higher than last season’s placing of 11th it will I suppose be a successful season. Realistically, everyone goes into the season to firstly avoid relegation and secondly make the finals, and we are no different than any other team in the league in that aspect.
One of the things which became well known about Oakleigh last season was how fractured the locker room became. How have you found it since your arrival?
I had a chat to everyone and that was a common theme among everyone and I told everyone the expectations I have of my dressing room. Over the years my dressing rooms have been very healthy and like to get the players doing things together outside of football and like to make myself one of the boys rather than being an authoritative dictator. I’m sure if you ask anyone of the boys, they would all agree that the dressing room is a good place to be at the moment.
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Oakleigh Cannons general manager Aki Ioannas credited the new coaching trio for fostering a harmonious playing at Jack Edwards Reserve.
“All three have been fantastic in creating an unbelievable atmosphere in the dressing room,” he said.
“The fantastic environment at the club has enabled the boys to have bonded really well together ahead of our pre-season trip to Sydney this weekend.
“Con, Gus and Mark have been instrumental in creating a totally different vibe around the club which was not present last year, with the players getting along really well.”