Image: Mark Avellino
Northcote City have completed a triple signing that forms part of almost a whole squad turnover for 2017 under new coach Zeljko Kuzman.
Welshman Matt Whatley and Englishman Liam Flynn sign on – the latter staying on in Victorian football – while Tremayne Sadler also returns to NPL action after a year off.
Former Brisbane Roar youth Sadler joined Northcote, winning the VPL Championship in 2013.
He joined Oakleigh Cannons in mid-2014, spending two campaigns at Jack Edwards Reserve before injury kept him out in 2016.
In total, Sadler played 19 games for one goal at Northcote (2013-14), and 33 games for one goal at Oakleigh (2014-15), including the NPL runners up in 2014, Dockerty Cup runners up in 2015, and FFA Cup quarter-finals in 2015.
He returns to his former club with the intention of “[getting] back into enjoying football.”
“I knew of Zeljko and heard great things about him. It’s also a good club with a good environment. When I came down the first week, it was fantastic,” he told the club.
Former Richmond man Flynn reunites with Kuzman and former captain Peter Sawan after the trio spent time at Kevin Bartlett Reserve together prior to last season.
The left-sided player’s youth pedigree includes an F.A Cup youth final for Bradford City, before moving to Australia in 2011 where he played for Pascoe Vale, and joining Richmond in 2014.
Flynn’s record includes 66 games and 10 goals at Richmond (2014-16) and 16 VPL games for Pascoe Vale in 2013, with two previous years with Paco in State 1.
His Australian achievements include promotion-winning campaigns with Pascoe Vale in 2012 and Richmond in 2015.
“The driving factor for me was the coaching pedigree of Zeljko and Steve. I played under Zeljko in Richmond’s Championship winning team. In the few weeks I have been at the club I can already see how professional they are and that they strive for excellence and I’m happy to be a part of it,” he told the club.
Meanwhile, Whatley comes to Australia with a vast CV.
The Swansea City product started his senior journey with Welsh league clubs Neath and Carmarthen Town, then played in Sweden with AFC United and Valsta Syrianska IK, Iceland with UMF Selfoss, back to Wales with Port Talbot, and an American stint at Tulsa Roughnecks in the nation’s third tier.
He joined Australian as he “fancied a change so I thought I’d come over to see how it went.”
“I want to get started in Australia and see if I can make an impact,” Whatley told the club.
The 24-year-old will add to the club’s defensive stocks.
The trio take Northcote’s signings tally to 12 in the off-season, joining Andrew Milicevic Griffin McMaster, Nathan Cook, Baggio Yousif, Josh Knight, Milos Ilic, Trent Manicas, Alex Goodwin and Peter Sawan as new recruits at John Cain Memorial Reserve for 2017.