Image: Dion Fountas
The Goulburn Valley Suns have welcomed back the return of star striker Craig Carley, who re-joins the club after 12 months away in the NPL, most recently featuring for Avondale.
The 32-year-old returns to McEwen Reserve having spent two and a half years with the Shepparton-based outfit, netting an extraordinary 55 goals in 61 league games for the club.
London-born Carley was part of the Fulham youth set-up before making a name for himself in the non-leagues, where he featured as Shane Smeltz’s strike partner at AFC Wimbledon.
An England C international, he moved to regional Victoria in 2010 and became player-coach at the Cobram Victory, helping the side reach the last eight of the Dockerty Cup in 2012 having defeated the likes of Werribee City, Moreland Zebras and Bentleigh Greens in the process – the latter 6-1 – before bowing 4-3 to Heidelberg United in the quarter-finals.
He joined the Suns ahead of their inaugural season in the NPL in 2014 and despite their struggles on the pitch, managed to net 14 goals in 24 matches over the course of the term.
In 2015, he formed a potent strike partnership with Scot Sean Ellis and finished the campaign with 33 goals from 26 games – which included a seven-goal haul against Nunawading – to tie with Joey Katebian in the NPL2 Golden Boot race.
A further eight goals from 11 appearances in 2016 preceeded his mid-season move down the Hume Highway as he joined Hume City for the remainder of the campaign. Carley netted 7 times from 13 matches before joining assistant coach Zoran Markovski and a host of Hume teammates by agreeing terms with Avondale for the 2017 season.
He netted his debut goal for the Avengers in the Round 3 1-0 triumph over South Melbourne before scoring another two in a 2-1 win over Pascoe Vale in Round 9. In total, he scored three times in nine league appearances for a goal-shy Avondale outfit, and stressed logistical factors were behind his return to the Goulburn Valley Suns.
“The travel was just becoming far too difficult as I was doing more than 2,500 kilometres per fortnight and it wasn’t great for my overall wellbeing,” Carley told TCF.
“I absolutely loved the football side of things at Avondale and if it was closer to home, I would still be an Avondale player for sure,” the regional-based forward added.
Nick Kalafatis’ men sit fifth on the NPL2 East standings having won four, drawn five and lost five of their 14 fixtures so far this term as they sit five points above the dreaded drop.
“My aim for the Suns is to finish the season as high as possible. There is a good squad of players here so I’m looking forward to renewing some friendships,” he said.
“The club has aspirations to get back into the NPL and has began work on the new facility which is going to look amazing once it is finished. Plus it will be good playing with my good mates such as Matty (Matthew Lelliott), Jamie (England) and Shaun (Kane).
“We basically speak everyday along with Sean Ellis of Heidelberg so it will be good to get back in the changing rooms with them boys and play football with a smile on my face,” he added.
Carley will be eligble to take to the field for the Suns in next week’s Round 16 away trip to the Springvale White Eagles, and netted two goals last year in that fixture.