Image: Smile for Peter
The Bentleigh Greens have raided rivals Oakleigh Cannons to capture the services of forward Dimitri Hatzimouratis for the remainder of the 2017 NPL season.
The 27-year-old came close to joining the Greens prior to the start of the 2016 campaign only to be reunited with former South boss Peter Tsolakis at Jack Edwards Reserve.
Having made his top-flight senior debut aged just 17 with the Western Suburbs a decade ago, Hatzimouratis established himself as one of the state’s most promising young players during his two year stint at Ralph Reserve, which saw him score six goals in 45 league games.
A short move to Somers Street Stadium followed in 2009 upon the Suburbs relegation from the top tier, with the teenager making 11 appearances for the Melbourne Knights that year.
He departed Melbourne mid-season to head over to Cyprus, spending the next two years of his career with top flight side Alki Larnaca before returning home in 2011 and briefly joining Oakleigh.
Hatzimouratis then joined South Melbourne ahead of the 2012 VPL season and made 29 appearances for Hellas over the course of two campaigns, netting five goals.
A move up north to New South Wales followed as he joined Sydney Olympic, where he hit double figures across both seasons with the former NSL Champions.
He returned to Melbourne last year and was a revelation for the Cannons, scoring 15 goals in 29 league appearances, forming one part of a deadly strike quartet alongside Dusan Bosnjak, Dean Piemonte and Goran Zoric who terrorised defences across Victoria.
However the signings of Nate Foster and Giuseppe Marafioti unsettled his position within the side, with co-coaches Tsolakis and Con Tangalakis struggling to get the best out of both Hatzimouratis and star signing Foster, who has since departed for the Springvale White Eagles.
In total he made 40 appearances for Oakleigh, scoring 16 league games and was a key part of their run to the 2016 Grand Final which they lost 3-2 to South in September last year.
He becomes the Greens’ first mid-season acquisition as they push for top spot in the league and a cup run.