Coach: John Anastasiadis
Home Ground: Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
2015 Season:
League: 2nd (Champions)
Dockerty Cup: Round 5 (4-3 loss to Ballarat Red Devils)
Club overview/history: Established in 1987, Bentleigh enjoyed a steady rise throughout Victoria’s lower leagues and has been a permanent fixture of the state’s top tier since 2009. After narrowly missing out on championship glory in 2013, the Greens propelled themselves onto the national stage the following year. John Anastasiadis’ men reached the semi-finals of the inaugural FFA Cup competition, bowing out to A-League opponents Perth Glory. The next season saw the club win its first piece of major silverware, taking out the 2015 Victorian National Premier League Championship.
Pre-season: Five wins, one defeat (16 for, seven against).
- Bentleigh Greens SC 3 (McCormick, Lucas, Charalambous) defeated Knox City 1
- Bentleigh Greens SC 3 (Charalambous x2, Brindell-South) defeated Melbourne City FC 2
- Bentleigh Greens SC 3 (Paczkowski, Holmes, Ridesic) defeated Kingston City 0
- Bentleigh Greens SC 0 defeated by Heidelberg United 1
- Bentleigh Greens SC 4 (Lucas x2, Paczkowski, Tidmarsh) defeated South Hobart 2
- Bentleigh Greens SC 3 (Wallace,Paczkowski, Charalambous) defeated Northcote City 1
Last season: 2015 ended as the most successful in the club’s history. After finishing a record high of second place in the league, the Greens were crowned 2015 NPL Victoria Champions after defeating premiers South Melbourne in the Grand Final. Despite leading the competition for the majority of the season, a mid-season slump saw South Melbourne surpass Anastasiadis’ men at the top-of-the-table, a position South would hold on until season’s end.
Transfer movement:
In:
Kamal Ibrahim, Port Melbourne
Danny Charalambous, Moreland Zebras
Milos Ridesic, Melbourne Victory
Kane Pierce, South Hobart [TAS]
Josh Brindell-South, Lions FC [QLD]
Nathan Tidmarsh, Gunghalin United [ACT]
Ryan Paczkowski, Mornington SC [State League 1]
Jakob Williams, Oakleigh Cannons
Ross Archibald, Fortuna Dusseldorg [German Bundesliga 2]
Danny Dixon, Perth Italia [WA]
Out:
Ryan Love, Kingston City
Jamie de Abreu, Port Melbourne
Alastair Bray, Green Gully
Steven Topalovic, Oakleigh Cannons
Daniel Visevic, Hume City
Troy Ruthven, Palm Beach Sharks [QLD]
Players to watch: Bentleigh appears to have sent a message to the rest of the competition; such is its depth and quality in recruiting for the 2016 NPL season.
2015 NPLV Gold Medal Winner Kamal Ibrahim and former Fortuna Dusseldorf and Melbourne City FC defender Ross Archibald headline a list of big names to arrive at Kingston Heath this season. Ex-Wellington Phoenix defender Josh Brindell-South has impressed in preseason and will bolstered Anastasiadis’ defensive brigade alongside one-time Victory man Milos Ridesic.
Talismanic skipper Wayne Wallace will lead a talented midfield accompanied by Jimmy Rooney Medallist Tyson Holmes. New recruits Danny Charalambous and Ryan Paczkowski have been finding the back of the net in pre-season and will offer competition in the final third with 2015 leading goal scorer Chris Lucas on the flank. Matt Thurtell’s name is back in the mix after the striker enjoyed a stellar opening half to the 2015 season, scoring 11 goals before being struck down with an ACL injury.
What to expect in 2016: It’s clear by the club’s aggressive recruitment strategy that all pieces of silverware are in Bentleigh’s sights in 2016. Retaining a number of talent on the squad’s fringes come mid-season may provide a challenge for Anastasiadis, with a host of big names vying for similar positions. Avenging a disappointing FFA Cup/Dockerty Cup exit will be on the forefront of Anastasiadis’ mind in 2016, as the club will look to take-out back-to-back championships with a first place finish. Championship contenders, more of the same.
Feature Image: Graeme Furlong