Images: Matt Johnson
Coach: John Anastasiadis
2016 finish: 1st in NPL (semi-final defeat to Oakleigh Cannons, Dockerty Cup champions (against Green Gully, FFA Cup semi-finals (defeated by Melbourne Victory)
Summary: At one stage Bentleigh were sweeping all before them, with the dominoes toppling one by one – Community Shield, Dockerty Cup, NPL minor premiership. Competing on all fronts took its toll though as a finals exit to Oakleigh Cannons and NPL nationals finals defeat to Edgeworth Eagles put a dampener on the campaign, before a brave effort against Melbourne Victory in the FFA Cup semi-finals ended the year.
Ins: Nick Glavan (Melbourne Knights), Stipo Andrijasevic (Melbourne Knights), Trent Clulow (Brisbane Strikers – NPL QLD), Marco Jankovic (Lions FC – Brisbane Premier League), Keanu Moore (Edgeworth FC), Alex Connell (Haverfordwest County – Welsh Premier League), Andy Brennan (Newcastle Jets), Ben Liftin (Wellington Phoenix)
Outs: John Maclean (Nortchote City), Liam McCormick (South Melbourne), Wayne Wallace (Hume City), Kamal Ibrahim (Avondale FC), Dion Kirk, Brady Quinn (Melbourne Victory NYL), Josh Brindell-South (Green Gully), Kile Kennedy (Kingston City), Ryan Paczkowski
Re-signed: Jack Webster, Troy Ruthven, Matthew Thurtell, Kieran Dover, Lambros Honos, Ryan Scott, Ross Archibald, Luke Pilkington, Chris Lucas, Tyson Holmes
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Player Q&A: Ross Archibald
How’s pre-season going? Where have you been with the team?
It’s going well, we started really early, all the way back in November but I feel like we’re super fit and the new boys are gelling really well. We haven’t really travelled anywhere as a team. But I’d say we’re fitter than what we were last year when we ran out of legs and bodies towards the back end of the season. But playing 40 games a year and working does that to you.
What have the club’s pre-season results been?
Overall I would say pretty good, we got good wins over Kingston and Box Hill. But there were games that were pretty disappointing against Heidelberg where we were really flat and against Adelaide Comets we had conceded too many goals and were a bit shaky. You look at the result against South last week winning the Community Shield and I think overall though it’s been good and we’re ready to go all the way this year and win even more trophies.
How are the new signings settling in?
New signings are settling in really well. We have had a fair few boys come in however we kept a strong core from last year. We have added some quality in the front third and plenty of competition for places all over the park which will only push everyone on throughout the year
Who are the Bentleigh players to watch in 2017 (new or existing) and why?
I think we have some exciting players in the front third, Stipo, Dover, Matty Thurtell all showed good signs scoring in pre-season, and now Andy Brennan adds genuine pace. Adding Benny Litfin in our midfield brings some creativity too. I think Ryan Scott can also show why he is the best keeper in the league this year and push his case to get to the next level.
Who are the some of the bigger characters off the pitch and why?
Ryan Scott has been put in charge of fines this season so been hearing a lot from him around the place. Kieran Dover and Nick Glavan find each other’s jokes funny but nobody else really gets their banter.
How’s John Anastasiadis been preparing the squad?
I think the biggest thing JA has wanted from us is make sure we are one of the fittest teams in the league. We had schedules over Christmas we had to follow and they tested us when we got back from our break. We have GPS during matches and training session to track how much we are running so there’s no hiding. We have really set up how we play our football over the past few seasons, JA has very particular way of playing and it’s been successful over the past few seasons.
Which team/player are you most looking forward to facing this year?
Always good to come up against Oakleigh and South. I know everyone involved in the Club enjoys those fixtures but we start with Gully this weekend at home and take it game by game.
Which opposition club(s) have impressed you most in pre-season?
I haven’t really been keeping an eye on other clubs to be honest. I think at our best no one can beat us, but it will be interesting to see how a few of the new teams go, there’s been some big signings around the league as well so everyone will be keen to impress.
What are the expectations/objectives in 2017?
I feel like we have a better squad than last year, so it would be disappointing if we don’t win a few trophies. That’s the expectation that we have on ourselves and it’s the same throughout the whole club.
What’s one headline we may see about Bentleigh Greens this season?
‘Bentleigh undefeated on their way to NPL Championship’