Zois signs with the Cannons - Out of Singapore Cup squad

All the way back in December 2009, when I posted this clip of South's new recruits introducing or re-introducing themselves to the South family, I told you it was not for the squeamish. I readily admit that I was holding back somewhat - I could have easily said not for the diabetic, the credulous, the incredulous and people who are quick to joy and then anger caused by their own relentless and relentlessly undermined optimism. And so Peter Zois has packed his bags, the latest in a long line of exits down the freeway to the railway track and industrial estate of Jack Edwards Reserve: Ricky Diaco, Robbie Wynne, Trent Waterson, Yusuf Yusuf, Scot MacNicol. I suppose the one sobering thing that we as South fans can take from this is that none of those players went on to bigger and better things - indeed many of them went backwards.

The ancient Cynics might have had a chuckle at the foolhardy exclamations made by Zois and the fans over the course of 2010, mostly to do with loyalty and the South cause. The manner of the exit leaves something to be desired, mind you - so close to the deadline for finalising details for the Singapore Cup quarter finals, and as a traitor in any sense of the word, he deserves to cop hell - hey, it's an emotional game. But I'm reminded also of this rambling post I made in October 2008, about what factors other than money might and can have an influence. And part of the reason I wrote that is because money is seldom the reason that clubs and players will openly say is 90% of a decision depends on. Last December, in reply to the question, why did you sign with South Melbourne, Zois answered 'great history, great culture, biggest club outside the A-League', and continued with 'buzz, club moving forward, out of the box thinking'. When asked who he was looking forward to playing with the most, he said 'everyone'.

So all of a sudden, the buzz is gone, the forward movement has hit reverse and all our thinking is now firmly back inside boxes sealed with that crappy brown tape that's always manages to twist itself into stupid knots. And not only that - our history, our culture and our status as biggest club outside the A-League - all gone - and 'everyone' is no fun to play with anymore. I don't know whether or not any of these things have really changed that much in the ten months that Pete has spent at Lakeside. It'd be a pity if it they had, but somehow I doubt it.

Dollars and Sense, or what kind of price can you put on abstract concepts?

Stick with me as best you can because this might go all over the place or even nowhere. I was thinking recently about how much players might get paid in this league, and what influences other than money might have an impact on where players choose to spend their playing time.

A few years back on smfcboard, someone claiming to be Sam Poutakidis made what seemed to be an outrageous claim at the time, that someone might choose a club like Oakleigh not for the money but for its facilities. We all had a good laugh (and whinge)... but no one thought to start putting dollar signs or devising some kind of method. Now that's perfectly ok; the players themselves probably don't go through and list every detail and put a price on it, and it may even be that money is 90% of the deal.

But looking back on certain cases... Hamlet Armenian allegedly coming to South to cut down on travel time... Diaco enjoying having some sort of fandom to play in front of... a Billy Nats playing for the club he grew up supporting... a Scotty MacNicol coming back perhaps because of a lack of opportunities despite what he may have been getting... players coming to South perhaps in the belief that their A-League ambitions would be better suited at Lakeside than say Chaplin or Monterey Reserve... liking or disliking one coach over another... and never forgetting the lure of a championship, where rogue players and their clubs tolerate each other for as long as possible as long as glory is within sight... all of this to be considered within a framework where the next paycheque might never come in.

I don't know what the average VPL player gets for certain, let alone our boys. But for simplicity's sake let's say our boys get about $350-500 on average. The better players a little more, the younger fringe players a little less. If they were to be offered more money at other clubs, or perhaps less money to play for a geographically more suitable team, or any of the myriad options possible, how much would it take to tip them over the edge one way or another? If a player came out and said, 'I'm mostly about the money', would we all break out in shock, or applaud their honesty? Would other players follow suit? I'm not holding my breath for it to happen, nor do I suggest that a thought process is that rational... but players, coaches and clubs all make financial decisions which are not exclusively decided by money, and only hindsight, such as every payment cleared or a new trophy in the cabinet, gives us perhaps any clue if it was the right choice.

Michalakopoulos re-appointed; Scotty Mac, Van Dominator gone

Michalakopoulos Re-appointed Coach for 2009/10

Great to Micky M have his contract renewed after an apparently tense and not well handled negitiatian process. The departure of Scot MacNicol and Adam Van Domelle for various reasons is not a surprise to those in the know, but its confirmation now let's people's jubilation and/or despair kick in all legit like.

South of the Border welcomes Steven A McDonald

So you thought that was Scot MacNicol running out there on Sunday in the no. 6 shirt? Well, you'd be wrong.



FFV, going from strength to strength, with everyone else along for the ride. Thanks to John Punshon for alerting us to this latest piece of creativity by the dreamers of dreams.

Scotty Mac... back! Plus 1!

So you type up the news and get it out there all for it to be made irrelevant just hours later. Anyway Oakleigh gave up on the tribunal, and released Scotty MacNicol from his contract. Also one Stuart Kelly, also of the Cannons, will crossing over from the industrial backblocks to sunny Lakeside. Two central midfielders, who could be lining uo this week, just in time to fill in some injury gaps.

Scotty Mac vs Fat Aki

Now I don't normally go searching through the FFV's rubbish bin, looking for free stuff. Thankyou to George for having absolutely nothing better to do. Will this be resolved tonight?

Scotty MacNicol vs Oakleigh Cannons

Zois to South, done and dusted, apparently

I was told this early in the 2nd half by one of my loyal readers, and had it confirmed by the person who was supposed to do my blog logo, and more or less confirmed by the non-comment stylings of a certain suave and sophisticated director - or at least that's the way I'm choosing to interpret that discussion. Now you may have read it earlier on smfcboard, or soccer forum, but it is my exclusive, you hear? I just wasn't near enough to a computer to post it. Still awaiting the arrival of Scotty MacNicol as well, I assume he's still coming.

Scotty Mac, coming back?

South of the Border has overheard, or even perhaps been told directly, that 2006 South championship player and current Oakleigh Cannons mercenary Scot MacNicol may be on his way back to Lakeside. Unhappy with the limited game time he's been getting, there's apparently an offer to come back during the midseason transfer window. Indeed the deal may already be done. I'd welcome him back to be honest, despite the obvious reservations one has about players who leave for certain reasons that certain people construe as being against the spirit of the game, even in a (semi) professional age. In 2006, he worked hard, scored some goals at crucial, and was obviously an important part of that team. And South certainly needs that kind of grunt man on the middle. We'll see if this comes true.