Image: Altona Magic
The State League One arms race has intensified with rivals Altona Magic and Preston Lions strengthening their senior squads with the season now only weeks away from kicking-off.
Goran Lozanovski’s Magic have added Argentine attacking midfielder Facundo Alcacer, who joins the five-time VPL Champions after initially agreeing terms with St Albans on NPL Transfer Deadline Day.
A Newell’s Old Boys youth product, the 21 year-old had a two-week trial with the Central Coast Mariners in January after last year plying his trade in Brazil’s third tier.
25-year-old forward Kliment Dimitrieski returns to Paisley Park Soccer Complex having appeared for Altona in 2012 and spent last year at boyhood club Preston Lions.
A fan favourite at BT Connor Reserve, he scored 10 goals for the Lions last term and has prior NPL experience at both the Whittlesea Ranges (2014) and Moreland Zebras (2015).
He is expected to form a formidable frontline at the Magic alongside Scottish striker John McShane and Adamson Ajayi in addition to former top-flight forwards Ben Clarke and Jason Hayne.
Dimitrieski’s goalscoring boots at BT Connor Reserve have been replaced by Welsh forward Chris Davies, who netted 16 goals for Clifton Hill last year, finishing third in the Golden Boot standings.
Moving across from the NPL is former Werribee City midfielder Anthony Ragusa, who arrives at Makedonia after spending last season at Green Gully under Arthur Papas.
A former Newcastle Jets Youth team player, the 23-year-old helped the Bees earn promotion to the NPL in 2014 and made a total of 67 appearances for Werribee, netting three goals.
While primarily used as an impact player at Green Gully Reserve, Ragusa made a total of 22 league appearances, scoring once as the Keilor-based side reached the FFA Cup Quarter-Finals.
Joining him at the former NSL outfit is ex-Whittlesea Ranges captain Andrew Taylor, who returns to the northern suburbs after helping the St Kilda Celts achieve promotion to State League One.
Having begun his senior career at the Port Melbourne Sharks, the 21-year-old centre-back made the switch to Sunshine George Cross before captaining the Ranges in 2015.
Fellow defender Scott Dixon arrives from Banyule City, with the Englishman also appointed to the role of club technical director after occupying a similar role with his previous employers.
The last of the new signings for Zeljko Popovic’s squad is another English defender in Josh Stadnicki, who originally hails from Manchester and spent last season playing for lower-league Northwich.
Both the Magic and Lions are expected to challenge for promotion this season alongside the likes of North Sunshine Eagles and Keilor Park with the State League One campaign commencing at the end of the month.
***
Meanwhile, Mornington SC have strengthened with the return of attacker Ryan Paczkowski after a stint at NPL premiers Bentleigh Greens.
The Englishman scored 21 goals in 2014 and 22 in 2015 when Mornington claimed the SL1 title honors before his move to Bentleigh, where was was part of the club’s minor premiership, Dockerty Cup triumph and FFA Cup run.
Work commitments are understood to have affected his commitments to training at Kingston Heath.
Mornington had also secured the signature of former NPL man Gino Defeo from Doncaster Rovers.
He had scored 22 league goals over three seasons under Nick Tolios until 2016, and also enjoyed stints with Port Melbourne, Brunswick City, Bulleen Lions, Clifton Hill, Diamond Valley United over his time in Victoria.