Environmentally Friendly

Our off-season recruiting does resemble is a case of pick your own cliche. Is it "everything old is new again" or "we're picking off the carcass of the deceased"?

Defying those definitions are the signing of midfielder Daniel Clark (Port Melbourne) and centre-back Stephen Folan (various Irish clubs).

But as for the rest? There's clear scavenging of newly cash-strapped clubs (somehow even more than us...), with the signing of defender Lirim Elmazi from Altona Magic.

There's also former players scavenged from the same newly cash-strapped club, in the form of defender Amadu Koroma.

There's also former players scavenged from recently relegated clubs, in the form of defender Chris Irwin.

And then there's former players returning to Lakeside under who knows what circumstances, in the form of defensive midfielder Luke Pavlou.

Apart from the wisdom of the recruiting in general (the fruits of whose labour will only be judged when there's actual meaningful contests), one will continue to wonder what the recruiting methodology in use during this off-season means in terms of keeping wage spending under control (if it ever was in control), and what all of this could possibly mean for the hoped for youth policy (which may or may not exist). I suppose the one thing we could say is that these recruits, along with the better remnants of the 2019 squad (and probably a goalkeeper), should see the club be able to field a competitive starting eleven next year.

2020 SMFC senior squad roster as of 4/11/2019
Signed

• Daniel Clark
• Lirim Elmazi
• Stephen Folan
• Chris Irwin
• Amadu Koroma
• Perry Lambropoulos
• Jake Marshall
• Brad Norton
• Luke Pavlou
• Harrison Sawyer
• Marcus Schroen
• Gerrie Sylaidos

Played for us in 2019 but now on the payroll in another guise

• Luke Adams

Played with us at the end of 2019 but who knows about next year

• Tom Aulton
• Keenan Gibson
• Peter Skapetis
• Nick Krousoratis 
• Manny Aguek
• Ben Djiba
• Amir Jashari
• Will Orford
• Zac Bates
• Josh Dorron
• Melvin Becket

'They' say that he's not coming back for whatever reason

• Kostas Stratimitros

On the proverbial knife's edge 

• Pep Marafioti

Going... going...

• Nikola Roganovic

Possibly already moved on to Kingston

• George Gerondaras

Has he even been in Australia since early in the 2019 season?

• Andrew Mesourouni

Last time anything was heard from him, he was exploring options in India

• Billy Konstantinidis

Out

• Kristian Konstantinidis (time to say goodbye)
• Leigh Minopoulos (retired)