Image: Mark Avellino
2016 finish: 6th in NPL (quarter-final defeat to South Melbourne), FFA Cup round of 16 (defeated by Melbourne Victory)
Summary: Along with Bentleigh Greens, Hume City seem to have become Victoria’s FFA Cup kings in recent times with odysseys into the latter stages of the competition. League form came and went in waves, including the departure of Lou Acevski, though finals football eventuated in 2016.
Ins: Atilla Ofli (Whittlesea Ranges), Wayne Wallace (Bentleigh Greens), Ersin Kaya (Bulleen Lions), James McGarry (Melbourne Knights), Liam Boland (Green Gully), Kris Kioussis (Richmond SC), Michael Weier (Brisbane Strikers), Gian Tapia (Richmond SC), Bryan Bran (Richmond SC), Dillon Jakupi (North Sunshine Eagles), Blair Govan (Floreat Athena), Danny Dixon (Melbourne Knights), Jayden Prasad (Brisbane Roar)
Outs: Daniel Chaabani (St Albans Saints), Tom Cahill (Melbourne Knights), Hernan Espindola (St Albans Saints), Petar Franjic (Avondale FC), Ramazan Tavcancioglu (Avondale FC), Kym Harris (Melbourne Knights), Craig Carley (Avondale FC), Shane Rexhepi (North Sunshine Eagles), Chris Oldfield (Avondale FC), Joey Franjic (Altona Magic), Jeremy Walker (Green Gully)
Re-signed: Nick Hegarty, Daniel Clark, Kristian Trajceski, Theo Markelis, Deniz Yildiz
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Player Q&A: Theo Markelis
How’s pre-season going? Where have you been with the team?
Pre-season has been good, a lot of hard work and I feel better than ever. We went to Gold Coast for a pre-season trip (where we defeated Brisbane Strikers and Broadbeach United), it was really good to get away for a while and great to get to know the boys a bit better.
What have the club’s pre-season results been?
We lost our first game and also our fourth game but we got results every single game after that.
How are the new signings settling in?
The new signings have settled in very well, each and every one of them has something to bring to the team and they are all very talented.
Who are the Hume City players to watch in 2017 (new or existing) and why?
Nick Hegarty, he is always consistent and he is the best player in the league. Also Atilla Ofli , he is a goal scorer and is technically very good as well.
Who are the some of the bigger characters off the pitch and why?
Again Nick Hegarty because he is a born captain, on and off the pitch, everyone looks up to him. Wayne Wallace and James McGarry, they are two of the most experienced players in the league and know a lot about football, both on and off the pitch.
How has the coaching team been preparing the squad?
Our coaching staff have been preparing us in the most professional manner possible and I’m saying that out of experience. They have worked well with all of us and are doing things no other NPL club have done.
Which team/player are you most looking forward to facing this year?
I look forward to playing against South Melbourne and Bentleigh Greens, they are always title contenders and it’s always a good contest when we play them
Which opposition club(s) have impressed you most in pre-season?
Honestly it’s hard to answer that because everyone is trying new things.
What are the expectations/objectives in 2017?
We want to go further than what we did last season, and when I mean further we want silverware and I strongly think that is possible.
What’s one headline we may see about Hume City this season
We have worked very hard in pre-season and if we continue that kind of intensity throughout the year I think we will have a very successful season!