Moreland City have completed the signing of veteran striker Trent Rixon ahead of the 2016 NPL2 Season. The 30 year-old striker moves to Campbell Reserve after spending the past season at the Port Melbourne Sharks for whom he scored four goals in 17 league games.
Originally from Albury on the NSW-Victoria border, Rixon moved to Melbourne in 2005 where he first played for Hume City (then North Coburg United) before spending a short stint with Sunshine George Cross in 2006 under Chris Taylor.
A mid-season move to second tier Northcote City followed where the forward re-discovered his goalscoring touch but could not prevent Hercules from dropping into the third tier of Victorian football. Despite the disappointment, Rixon remained at John Cain Memorial Park and netted 44 goals in three seasons, helping City earn back-to-back promotions as the club returned to the top flight in 2010 under coach Peter Tsolakis.
Rixon continued on his goal-scoring heroics in the top-flight, scoring 18 goals in 19 games in 2010 as Northcote achieved mid-table safety and along the way won the league’s Golden Boot. A further 15 goals in 21 games followed in 2011 where Rixon featured for City as they defeated the Melbounr Knights to win the Dockerty (then Mirabella) Cup.
His exploits in front of goal attracted the interest of several A-League clubs but Rixon, along with many of his Northcote teammates followed Tsolakis to South Melbourne. A disappointing return of 3 goals in 2012 for the frontman saw him make a difficult start at Lakeside Stadium, and despite getting into some fine goalscoring form towards the end of the 2013 season under new coach Chris Taylor, Rixon was released by South at the end of the season after 13 goals in 33 games.
He moved back to Northcote City in 2014, re-joining former teammates Adrian Chiappetta, Kristian Konstandinids and Chris Theodoridis among others at the club before making the switch to the Sharks last season.
The acquisition is a huge boost for City who performed above expectations in 2015 where one of Melbourne’s oldest clubs finished third on the NPL West Standings in their inaugural season in the NPL, beaten to second place by rivals Moreland Zebras by goal difference only. Rixon is expected to fill the shoes of recently retired striker Kamer Simsek and partner Casey Thomas up forward for Adrian Mather’s outfit.