Image: Jason Heidrich
Recently departed Port Melbourne defender James Riccobene has joined Avondale, while his former club secured the services of youngster Milos Ilic from Northcote City.
23-year-old Riccobene was, until recently, the Sharks longest-serving current player, having joined the club in its first season back in the top flight in 2013 under Eric Vassiliadis.
After making his senior debut as a 17-year-old with South Melbourne in 2011, he made the mid-season switch to Hume before featuring for Heidelberg the following season.
The former Melbourne Victory Youth team player then settled at JL Murphy Reserve, making 67 league appearances across four seasons with the club.
A left-back by trade, his move to Avondale sees him reunited with his older Phillip at Doyle Street Reserve, having previously played along with him at both Hume and Port Melbourne.
The new recruit featured for the Avengers in their pre-season tour of Sydney, which saw Anthony Barbieri’s men defeat 2016 NPL Champions Sydney United 2-1 before losing 1-0 to APIA Leichhardt.
Riccobene joins Craig Carley, Evan Christodoulou, Petar Franjic, Chris Oldfield and Ramazan Tavsancioglu as new additions to a squad which is looking to challenge for finals football this term.
The 2014 NPL2 Champions kick-off their campaign with a home match against the St Albans Saints at Knights Stadium on Saturday February 11.
Meanwhile, the Sharks have been quick to fill the void of the recently departed left-back by adding Ilic to their playing roster for the upcoming season.
A Whittlesea Ranges junior, Ilic spent 2014 with the Heidelberg United 20s before being making his senior breakthrough towards the back end of the 2015 campaign.
He was promoted to the senior squad the following season under George Katsakis before departing Olympic Village mid-way through the year having made five league appearances for the Bergers.
A trial with Serbian third tier side Teleoptik followed, with Ilic spending a few weeks at the club’s Belgrade base, which also operates as the feeder affiliate club to Partizan.
He had initially agreed terms with Northcote for the upcoming NPL season, appearing in several of the club’s friendly matches, but has been allowed to pursue other opportunities.
TCF understands that an issue with the player points system has forced Hercules to release the 19-year-old defender, with Dominic Barba’s Sharks outfit the beneficiaries.
Ilic becomes signing number 11 for Port this off-season, the club already agreeing terms with Takanori Nishimoto, Michael McGowan, Philippe Bernabo-Madrid, Brendan White, Jason Shade, Kobbie Boahene, Christopher Cristaldo, John Maclean, Jordon Lampard and Nikola Kostadinoski.
Barba’s first game in charge of the 2012 State League One Champions will see the Sharks visit Heidelberg on Saturday February 11 in a fixture that last year saw both Port and Barba’s Bulleen defeated 4-1.