No sign of a South Melbourne AGM on the horizon, although there's enough time yet to sneak one in before Christmas.
The new season, as per recent custom, is going to start around mid-February. It's been said that the first game will be against Heidelberg, but who knows? I expect, though have no immediate knowledge of, some very low key friendlies to be arranged by some time before Christmas.
Elsewhere there hasn't been much buzz around the rest of the competition so far as I can tell - it's all been very low-key. Hume have re-signed a lot of their players. Oakleigh has also re-signed the bulk of their 2020 squad, and added Tyson Holmes, to create a bit of a Dad's Army feel. It seems like Milos Lujic is probably on the way out, mostly likely to Port Melbourne, who have been re-signing at least some of their squad, as well as acquiring Ross Archibald from Altona Magic.
Reigning champions Bentleigh have both re-signed a lot of their title winning squad, as well as added a number of new players, including Alex Canigilia and Damien Iaconis. Altona Magic have been notable for the players they've lost after one of their chief backers departed their club. Heidelberg's squad looks it's in the middle of a renewal period, with a few people moving on including ancient centre-back pairing Luke Byles and Stephen Pace.
The following clubs have been quiet in terms of squad updates, at least on social media. Dandy Thunder have made a handful of signings, and begun some fitness work; no news of note from Knights, St Albans, Green Gully, Eastern Lions, Dandy City, and Avondale.
Is this it? Probably not, but who knows?
As for South. the club has come out with a little social media summary the other day noting the new players that we've signed up so far. The list includes players which have been signed up since I last updated, including former youth team player Josh Meaker, and current youth team player Giorgi Zarbos and Matthew Loutrakis.
From the ten 'new' players, we have two current youth team players, four former players, and four actually new players. None of the ten is a goalkeeper, which has some people a bit concerned, even though the start of the new season is three months away.
Not announced by the club, but announced via other media channels, are the departure of defender Tom Aulton to Brisbane Olympic, and youth team utility player George Gerondaras, who is joining his brothers at Kingston.
The only major thing I've rearranged in my squad list is noting which players had been signed to contracts in 2020 from before either the 2019 season started or during the mid-season transfer window.
2020 SMFC senior squad roster as of 16/11/2019
Signed
- Daniel Clark
- Lirim Elmazi
- Stephen Folan
- Chris Irwin
- Amadu Koroma
- Perry Lambropoulos
- Matthew Loutrakis
- Jake Marshall
- Josh Meaker
- Brad Norton
- Luke Pavlou
- Harrison Sawyer
- Marcus Schroen
- Gerrie Sylaidos
- Giorgi Zarbos
Played for us in 2019, but now on the payroll in another guise
- Luke Adams
Previously signed until the end of 2020 - or even beyond - but you know how these things can go
- Melvin Becket
- Josh Dorron
- Nick Krousoratis
- Peter Skapetis
Reputedly posting on Instagram about getting ready for 2020, but who knows for what club
- Nikola Roganovic
Played with us at the end of 2019 but who knows about next year
- Keenan Gibson
- Manny Aguek
- Ben Djiba
- Amir Jashari
- Will Orford
- Zac Bates
'They' say that he's not coming back for whatever reason
- Kostas Stratimitros
On the proverbial knife's edge
- Pep Marafioti
Has he even been in Australia since early in the 2019 season?
- Andrew Mesourouni
- Billy Konstantinidis
- Tom Aulton (Brisbane Olympic)
- George Gerondaras (Kingston)
- Kristian Konstantinidis (time to say goodbye)
- Leigh Minopoulos (retired)
Just absent-mindedly number crunching the numbers for the 2020 senior squad, and if my counting is correct, we have 15 players who have signed or re-signed, 4 who have at least nominal contracts for 2020, and just one spot left - probably for a keeper, probably Roganovic.
ReplyDeleteUnless some of those players who signed contracts for 2020 before the 2019 season ended move on, I think we can safely say that 2019 senior roster members Gibson, Aguek, Djiba, Jashari, Orford, Bates, Stratomitros, Marafioti won't be at Lakeside next year.
It's possible that some players would've moved on any way - Aguek, Orford, and goalkeeper Jashari - to loo for better first team opportunities. Stratomitros rumoured to be unhappy with the club culture. Marafioti's attitude making him at best a 50/50 proposition. Bates has been talked about by some people as likely to move on. But no-sign of Djiba being signed up for 2020, which would be a curious outcome, although we have signed or re-signed plenty of full-back options - Norton, Koroma, Irwin, maybe even Elmazi.
Now they tell me that you can have up to 23 in your squad.
DeleteHeard Jashari will be doing pre-season with North Sunshine, and possibly try his luck O/S in 2020.
DeleteThat kind of move would make sense.
DeleteNeed the goalkeeper situation sorted ASAP.
ReplyDeleteYou raise a good point about the AGM Paul. It's already the middle of November and nothing yet announced. Why is it most other clubs are able to hold their respective AGMs within the same calendar year and we cannot?
ReplyDelete