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While Damian Iaconis was busy doing it on a Saturday afternoon in Brunswick, St Albans Saints’ were able to hold off Whittlesea Ranges to secure three points, a clean-sheet and a spot in the NPL top-flight for the very first time. Aside from this, there were plenty of things that happened in the NPL2 that weren’t centred around the promotion race as we run through some of the key facts and news titbits from across the East and West that you may have missed.
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NPL2 East
While it wasn’t the most memorable season for Box Hill United, there was plenty to cheer about for their juniors, as their U20’s claimed the NPL2 East Premiership with a 4-0 away win over Dandenong City. Liam Mclure, Stefan Papageorgiou, George Hronopoulos and Chris Heckenberg all got on the scoresheet as they finished the season two points clear of Eastern Lions, averaging over three goals a game doing so. They weren’t the only ones celebrating as senior keeper Keegan Coulter celebrated a great season between the sticks with a best and fairest honour.
As reported earlier today, Dandenong City senior coach Aaron Healey and assistant Gerry McDonagh have both departed the club after their 3-2 home loss to finish the season. The club pushed for a promotion berth for large parts of the season, but in the end fell 11 points short of a top-two spot. Full article here
Brandon Barnes’ 42 goals from 25 games for Dandenong Thunder is an NPL record for most goals in a season as the forward cruised to a Golden Boot honour. It’s small consolation for the club who missed out on automatic promotion and the forward will have to be on his game to progress potentially through another two games. In the five games he failed to score in since making his debut in a 3-1 win over Box Hill in Round Four, the Thunder have dropped eight points out of a possible 15.
Goulburn Valley Suns have been without forward Dan Heffernan over the final two weeks of the season, with the former Heidelberg United and Central Coast Mariners ending his five-year association with Australia to take up an opportunity overseas in Asia.
In other overseas news, Nunawading City’s superstar Emile Damey revealed interest from Central Coast Mariners in the same week that he netted for Liberia against Morocco’s Under 23 team. He is yet to make an official debut for his country after sitting on the bench against Tunisia in their World Cup Qualifier. Tyrone Boissezon and Nicholas Salvitti made their league debut’s this week in his absence.
Some good news for Springvale White Eagles supporters was the return to fitness of defender Jordan Ballerini, who made his first appearance in almost six months after returning from a PCL tear. He kept a clean sheet in his 55 minutes on the park, before coming off in the final game of the season.
NPL2 West
Melbourne City seniors finished the NPL2 season in a respectable fourth place, but there was even more luck for their reserves side who claimed the U20’s title with the most goals scored, least goals conceded and a nine point buffer over next best side Moreland Zebras.
Their seniors played Sunshine George Cross, who ended their season with a bang, finishing the season with a thrilling nine-goal thriller, which ended 5-4. Youngster Nicholas Gonzalez score a hat-trick against his former side, including the 89th minute winner. It was a perfect send-off for former North Queensland Fury and Brisbane Roar fullback Chris Grossman, who announced his retirement at the tender age of 29.
For City, a brace from Zachary Bates and a single to Gerrie Sylaidos agains Sunshine George Cross gave Joe Palatsides’ men the largest amount of individual goal scorers for the season with 17. Christopher Cristaldo and Yusuf Ahmed led the way with nine goals, while Austin Wong grabbed eight in his breakthrough season.
Quite surprisingly, North Geelong Warriors finish the season with the lowest amount of individual goal scorers, equal with both Bendigo City and East’s Murray United with eight players. With Juso Julardzija scoring on the weekend – his second after re-joining the club from Sunshine George Cross – the club finished with only multiple goal scorers, with fellow mid-season signing Kene Eze leading the way on 12. Matthew Thorne (nine), Michael Anderson (eight), Matt Townley, Nicholas Jurcic (both seven), Rudi Saglam and Vito Cichello (both four) made up their 53 league goals for the season.
Despite the fact he failed to find the net in any of his final three fixtures, Whittlesea Ranges’ Atilla Ofli claimed the NPL2 West Golden Boot in comfortable fashion over closest rival Apai Ukuno. His 32 goals for the season takes his total NPL2 tally to 48 goals, the second highest since the league’s inception, with Joey Katebian leading on 58. Craig Carley scored 39 times for the Suns in the second tier, while Tom Cahill netted 43 times in two seasons.
Ukuno’s club Moreland City will be screening their centenary documentary this weekend, to give a nice finish to what was a disappointing season on the park.