Good to be back - South Melbourne 3 Port Melbourne 2

So, back to normal somewhat, the social club open even with its truncated "first day back" menu, and the South faithful were keen to spend a summer's Wednesday by the lake checking out the squad, while putting some money over the bar. Bentleigh Greens coach John Anastadiadis was just one of the interested onlookers at Lakeside last night, watching as former Bentleigh (and of course, also ex-South) player Andy Brennan continued to spend his pre-season time with South.

FFV match commentator Chris Gleeson has noted that Brennan will sign, but you know how I feel when it comes to these things - until a players steps onto the field in a league match, I'm always wary. After all, did we not once sign a player by the name of Jason Hicks, who ended up somewhere else without kicking a ball for us in anger? Did we not once sign Kevin Nelson, whose transfer was mysteriously delayed until after the team lists were meant to be handed in before round 1, 2006? And of course we can add the now incredibly obscure players of days of yore who we had signed but who never fronted up for us for who knows what reason.

For those South fans who have begging, craving, lusting over a need to bolster our forward stocks, last night's hit out had plenty to offer you. Milos Lujic, Leigh Minopoulos, Sam Smith, Amir Osmancevic, Andy Brennan (first half only), Giordano Marafioti and even Kaine Sheppard. Sheppard, most notably in local terms of Heidelberg, and most recently of Finnish club Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho, had been training with Northcote. Does this cavalcade of attacking talent mean - even if Chris Taylor decides to ditch half of them, because where would you put them all anyway - a pending change to the game plan? I would not rule that out.

Defensively, things are a bit more, well, problematic (I will try and make that the last time I use that word this year). As reported in a brief paragraph in last Thursday's Neos Kosmos, our number one goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic has retired. Together with Zaim Zeneli's move to North Sunshine, our goalkeeping combo will be all new in 2018. There was some discussion over the off-season - oh, about a month or so ago - that we were in the hunt for Chris Oldfield, but that doesn't seem to have progressed. Thus we're trialling a few blokes, and are apparently looking to get Alistair Bray as our number one choice.

In front of the goalkeepers we have a few options - Kristian Konstantinidis, Ajdin Fetahagic, Darby Dexter, but new recruit Jake Marshall will be out injured for a couple of months, or so they say. Under 20s right-back Josh Hodes continues to get game time, and if it's true that Tim Mala will be taking a year off from soccer, then that's one less obstacle in Hodes' way to getting a senior gig at South. Those hoping for a holding or attacking midfielder, I guess that situation will eventually find someone playing that role. Maybe we'll just direct everything up the wings as per last season, with the twist of using the right-hand side as well as the left.

As for the game itself... very energetic from most players on both sides, but also very loose, with a lot of space for forwards to have a crack at goal. The finishing could've been better; but then again, the  finishing could almost always be better.