Image: Rob Cruse
With the mid-season transfer window in full-swing, a number of signings across the state’s top three tiers has taken place in the last couple of days.
Last-placed NPL outfit St Albans Saints have added winger Christopher Cristaldo and goalkeeper Nikola Kostadinoski, with both players joining the club from the Port Melbourne Sharks.
22 year-old Cristaldo made his senior debut for the Victorian Training Centre in 2011 before spending the next three years with the Melbourne Victory, making four A-League appearances and scoring once.
Spells in the NPL with Hume City and Werribee City followed before moving to Bundoora in 2015 to feature for the Melbourne City Youth team, scoring 10 goals in 19 league games.
After a short stint in the youth-team of Paraguayan top flight side Nacional, he moved to JL Murphy Reserve and in total netted twice in 13 appearances under Dominic Barba.
23 year-old custodian Kostadinoski has previous senior team experience with the likes of Clifton Hill, Preston Lions and more recently the Moreland Zebras, featuring 60 times under Danny Gnjidic.
Having played deputy to Brendan White this season, the shot-stopper has replaced the injured Chris May in the Dinamo squad and will battle it out with Aaron Romein for the number one spot.
Re-joining Port Melbourne is veteran Irish midfielder Alan Mulcahy who returns after a year-long spell at Kevin Bartlett Reserve with Richmond, captaining the club and scoring three times in 25 games.
He previously joined Port mid-term in 2015 from Dandenong Thunder and made 20 appearances in midfielder alongside compatriot and current Sharks captain Alan Kearney.
Another Irishman to make a return to the top-flight is former Hume City full-back Shaun Timmins who has joined the Melbourne Knights for the remainder of the season from Floreat Athena.
The English-born defender featured in the academies of midlands clubs Coventry City and Birmingham City before moving to Perth in 2011 and subsequently joining Green Gully in 2013.
He spent a short time in the A-League at the Wellington Phoenix under Ernie Merrick afterwards before winning the inaugural NPL Championship with South Melbourne in 2014 and becomes the Knights’ second addition behind Anthony Duzel.
Heidelberg United have strengthened their squad with the acquisition of 21 year-old midfielder Alex Schiavo from Brisbane Premier League side Lions FC and has previously featured for the Brisbane Roar Youth team as well as the Brisbane Strikers.
Green Gully have lost defender Matthew Reid, who has agreed terms with Moreland City in NPL2 after making 63 appearances for his childhood club since making his senior debut in 2004. In return, Gully have signed Nathan Cook from Northcote City, the englishman spending half the season there after stints in Tasmania.
Murray United have made their second signing of the window by bringing in former Dingley Stars captain and Dandenong City defender Halil Gur from Richmond.
Meanwhile State League One North-West leaders Altona Magic have announced the captures of Marinos Gasparis, Takanori Nishimoto and Ivan Skorich for the remainder of the campaign.
An experienced campaigner, Gasparis featured for the Magic last year before making a mid-season move to Pascoe Vale for whom he made 26 appearances, scoring five goals.
A veteran of 310 top-flight league games, he has won three VPL Championships with the Bulleen Zebras (2004), Preston Lions (2007) and more recently Northcote City (2013).
Japanese attacking midfielder Takanori Nishimoto returns to Paisley Park Soccer Complex, having spent some time at the five-time VPL Champions in 2013.
He had initially joined the Port Melbourne Sharks at the beginning of this campaign after three years at Bulleen, but did not make an appearance at the club after being released due to injury.
Former Perth Glory Youth team striker Ivan Skorich has spent the last year plying his trade with Nunawading City, scoring seven goals in 19 league games for the club and has previously also featured for the likes of Dandenong Thunder and St Albans Saints.
The Magic have also welcomed recently departed Sydenham Park manager Alex Cobo as their new first-team assistant coach, reuniting with Lozanovski whom he worked with at Northcote.