Coach: Goran Lozanovski
Pre-season: WLLDW (Whittlesea Ranges 2-1, Pascoe Vale 0-2, West Adelaide 0-2, Avondale Heights 1-1, Bentleigh Greens 4-2)
Upcoming: Bulleen Lions (Thursday 12th Feb), Altona Magic (Wednesday 18th Feb)
2014 finish: 7th Northcote City ended a difficult season in mid-table after losing key players from the 2013 championship campaign. The 2014 NPL season seemed to be one of transition, with Lozanovski blooding youngsters like Wade Dekker and others into the first team. Northcote’s season began slowly, with the club unable to register a point in the opening three rounds of the season. Home games became an increasing issue, as results weren’t helped by the poor state of the pitch at John Cain Memorial Reserve.
The club was narrowly defeated in the qualifying round of the FFA Cup on penalties against NPL1 side St Albans Saints, a result that halted Northcote’s Cup run and potential clashes in the round of 32 against A-League opposition.
Read More > City to City: Dekker’s rise to prominence
New signings: The past off-season has seen Northcote yet again experience a huge turnover of playing staff, with a number of newly acquired footballers plugging the gaps left by the big departures of captain Kristian Konstantinidis (South Melbourne), Trent Rixon (Port Melbourne), Adrian Chiapetta (Oakleigh), Michael Catalano (Richmond), Ricardo Gonzales (Dandenong City), Liam Wooding (South Australia), Jonathan Munoz (Avondale FC), and Wade Dekker, Anthony Rizk and Phillip Petreski (all Melbourne City Youth).
Former Feyenoord youth product Ryan Go signed for the club after leaving the Dutch side last year. Go is a left back schooled in the Dutch system for a number of years at Feyenoord’s famed academy. Northcote also added former Heidelberg United right-back Jordan Wilkes to the back four. New Zealander Jason Hayne arrived from Green Gully after a number of years at the club, joining the attack after Liam Wooding’s move back to South Australia with NPL champions Metrostars. Meanwhile, 2013 VPL championship player Hayden D’Agostino returns from a brief stint in Western Australia.
The club also secured the services of central midfielder Ismael Mohammed. The former Heidelberg Stars man has significant pedigree, having played for Al-Gharafa in the Qatari Stars League. Intrigue also surrounds visa player Billy Webb, signed from Helsby FC in the UK’s West Cheshire Association Football League.
After the attempt to bring NPL 1 Goalkeeper of the Year Alex Pavildis from Box Hill fell through, Northcote signed former Brunswick City goalkeeper Mason Interlandi. The former City stopper saved the blushes of the cellar dwellers on more than one occasion, and has been signed to put pressure on last season’s number one Chris Theodoridis. Other NPL 1 recruits include Nick Kokolakis, Anthony Ramzy (both Box Hill) and Mitchell Bissinger (Richmond).
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Players to watch: There are a number of new players to watch in the upcoming season at Northcote, especially with such a high number of turnovers. Youth product Jacob Eliopoulos was promoted into the senior squad on the back of a star-studded season in the under 20s. Eliopoulos knocked back an offer from Melbourne City’s NPL1 side to stay at Northcote. Veteran Marino Gasparis had a fantastic pre-season, leading by example on and off the pitch.
New signing Jason Hayne is an experienced attacker having won a number of titles during his time at Green Gully. Young midfielder Jonathan Bounas had a breakthrough season last year playing most of the year at the heart of Northcote’s midfield. Bounas adds a physical and robust element to the Northcote midfield, as well as being versatile to move into other positions on the park.
What to expect in 2015: The club’s squad has been in a state of flux for the past two years, and having finished in a respectable 7th place last season, the goal should be to match it. A title challenge is most likely out of the club’s grasp, but having gone close last season Northcote should again look to push for a FFA Cup qualification or any Cup success. However, as club football operations manager Peter Kotsiris told the Leader newspaper: “We’re building a team that we think in the next year or two will be able to challenge for honours”. Experienced new Technical Director, John Kyrgios, will be overseeing the revival. Survival and dawn of a new era.
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