Author: George Kouroumalis

South Melbourne FC would like to announce the re-signing of Senior Women’s Coach Socrates Nicolaides for the 2017 NPL Victoria Season.

Nicolaides has played a large part in the club’s success over recent seasons, with the Senior Women winning three titles in a row. The success and style of football that Nicolaides has implemented into our senior women’s team has also filtered down to the youngest female teams and he can be attributed with the progress of our football throughout all of our age groups.

With this in mind, the Club is excited to have Socrates launch us into the new era as our inaugural Women’s PS4 National Premier Leagues Senior Coach.

Many South fans will remember Nicolaides in his time as a young footballer at our club, playing mainly as an attacking fullback. He was the youngest player to make his first-team debut for SMFC in the NSL (two days shy of his 16th birthday), coming off the bench to replace George Campbell against Adelaide City at Middle Park on 13 August 1978. ‘Soc’ made 37 NSL appearances for SMFC and scored two goals but unfortunately his time on the pitch was restricted due to injuries.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Head of Women’s Football Gabrielle Giuliano was excited to have Socrates lead the club during this exciting period. “Socrates has been not just an outstanding coach but a wonderful person leading our club over the past few years and we are once again extremely pleased to have as senior team coach. With a strong squad being formed in the background, we are excited about returning to the top level of Victorian football in 2017.”

We wish Socrates all the best for 2017 and beyond.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of Liam McCormick from NPL Victoria club, Bentleigh Greens.

McCormick joins the club following an extremely successful period with the Greens, where the tough and hard working utility played an integral role in the club’s Championship success in 2015, as well two large FFA Cup performances in 2014 and 2016. He also won the Dockerty Cup in 2016.

Many Football fans would also be familiar with McCormick through Reality TV show Football Superstar, where at the time he won a Youth Team contract with A-League outfit Brisbane Roar.

Speaking to smfc.com.au. Football Director Nicholas Maikousis was excited with our new midfielder. “Liam is a versatile and tough midfielder who will add a large amount to our squad. He was always a tough opponent whenever we played Bentleigh, so its fantastic to have him come to the Club ahead of the 2017 season. As a natural born winner and a ruthless competitor, we can’t wait to see him play in our shirt.”

We welcome Liam to the Club and look forward to seeing him in 2017.

South Melbourne FC would like to confirm its senior coaching structure alongside Chris Taylor for the 2017 NPL Men’s Season.

Chris Marshall will continue his role as the Club’s Senior Adviser, providing Taylor with trusted support both during the week’s training, game day preparation and on match days in the same manner as 2016. Despite the role formally being created in 2016, Marshall has been valuable support for Taylor and the Senior Squad for the past four seasons.

Sasa Kolman will join the Senior Coaching Team for 2017, having returned to the Club following a stint working in Europe. Kolman will be responsible for opposition and match day analysis and assist the club throughout the week also at training. Given his strong connection with our Youth Program, Kolman will also be involved developing our Youth Team players who are making the transition to the Senior Team.

John Kobiela will continue as the Club’s High-Performance Manager in the same manner as last season. John has previously worked with Melbourne Heart, Central Coast, Cricket Victoria, Fremantle Football Club and the Young Socceroos in maintaining elite athlete performance. He will once again work with our players throughout pre-season and throughout 2017.

Bojo Jevdjevic will continue as the Club’s Goalkeeping Coach for a third consecutive season. The former NSL Player will once again work with Nikola Roganovic and Zaim Zeneli in the upcoming season.

The coaches will be assisted by Frank Piccione, who will continue as the Club’s Senior Operations and Team Manager for a ninth season in a row.

James Cole and the team at Kieser Training will once again oversee the medical side of the club in 2017 also. Kieser have been a tremendous supporter of the Club through their Corporate Partnership for the past 3 seasons and we once again look forward to having them a part of the club this season.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nicholas Maikousis welcomed the off-field team for 2017. “We are happy to retain all of our off-field football staff for 2017 and given the way we have operated in 2016, we are pleased with the outcome. We’d also like to welcome Sasa Kolman to the Senior Operations following his stint overseas. Sasa has had a large impact on our Youth Program to date, so we are pleased to have him come across and assist with both the senior and youth sides of the club.”

We wish all of our Senior Men’s coaches the best for the 2017 season.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of Francesco Stella for the 2017 NPL Victoria season, with the midfielder joining from Norwegian Second Division Club Nest Sotra.

Stella re-joins South 8 years following his initial debut with the club, with the former SMFC Under 21 Player of the Year having already played 19 matches across two seasons in a SMFC shirt. His attacking flair and speed saw him move overseas at the end of the 2009 season, signing for Italian Club Siena.

In recent seasons, Stella has spent time with A-League teams Melbourne Victory and Central Coast, Scottish giants Rangers, as well as Avondale in the NPL Victoria competition.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nicholas Maikousis welcome Stella back to Lakeside Stadium. “We’d like to welcome Francesco back to the club and are excited that we have a player with A-League and International experience join the club for the upcoming season. As someone who understands what it means to play for the club, we hope we can see the best of him throughout the upcoming season.”

We would like to wish Francesco all the best for the 2017 season.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of Stefan Zinni from Melbourne City for the 2017 NPL Victoria season.

In his three seasons with City, Zinni took part in four senior matches throughout the A-League and FFA Cup competitions, whilst mainly featuring in their youth and NPL team. Throughout this period, the quick winger managed seven goals and provided a threat every time he went forward.

However, Zinni is remembered around South for his commitment to the club through the SMFC Youth Program. This includes previously playing as a South Junior for eleven seasons, as well as also playing a lead role in our Under 20s in 2014 prior to his A-League move.

The signing of the dynamic 20-year-old ensures that Chris Taylor has another attacking option for the 2017 season, where he is expected to add some speed and quality down the right-hand side of the park. He’s also following in the footsteps of his father, possessing similar traits that Andrew Zinni had when playing NSL football for Brunswick Juventus and Preston as well as the Socceroos.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Zinni was excited to return home. “There is no other way to put it, I’m happy to be home and at a club that has played a large part in my life for over a decade. While I enjoyed my time in the A-League and thank City for the opportunity, there is something exciting about putting on the South shirt and the badge that is familiar with most of my football to date. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully I will be able to add something different to the team. My dream was always to be a South senior player, so to have that chance is extremely exciting.”

Football Director Nicholas Maikousis also shared Zinni’s excitement. “Stefan is a South boy, who has made his way through our ranks and into our Senior Squad. He commenced his football at the club in the Under 8’s, so it’s fantastic to see products of our youth setup beginning to make their way into the first team and forming a large part of our future. We wish him all the best for 2017 and beyond.”

We’d like to welcome Stefan back home to Lakeside Stadium and look forward to seeing him in a senior shirt throughout the season.

South Melbourne FC is proud to announce that it has promoted Youth player Joshua Hodes to the Senior Roster for the 2017 NPL Victoria season.

Hodes was identified by Sasa Kolman three years ago during Pre-Season and has been a standout performer, including winning the Club’s Under 20s Player of the Year in 2016. His performance was also rewarded during the 2016 season by being selected and playing in a senior team match, as well as training with the seniors on a full-time basis.

Hodes is a composed and talented right-back, with not only the ability to shut his opponent down, but to also push forward and attack down the right-hand side of the park. Through the tutorage of his coaches throughout his time with the club, Josh has also gained the confidence to do this at a higher senior level at a young age through his interaction with the senior team.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Youth Director Andrew Mesourouni was elated to see Joshua formally join the Senior Team. “We are all extremely excited to see Joshua formally join the Senior Squad for the upcoming season. While Joshua has joined on a full-time basis, there are also many of our Under 20s players from 2016 who have already joined the Senior Squad for the Pre-Season and will also be pushing for senior team selection throughout 2017. The Club is focussed on its youth and will be giving them every opportunity to experience life as a senior footballer wherever possible. It is a very exciting time for our club, with 5 members of our senior team to date under the age of 20, with Chris Taylor a firm believer also of giving our youth products an opportunity”

When interviewed, Hodes was equally excited. “I can’t thank the club enough for the amazing opportunity. To firstly be given the chance to train with the club in 2016 and then to receive a senior team appearance was phenomenal, but to now be a senior player is surreal. Though the hard work starts now, I’ve extremely grateful and excited to be working with Chris Taylor, Sasa Kolman and the Senior Team.

We welcome Josh to the Senior Team and look forward to seeing him in our shirt once again in 2017.

South Melbourne is pleased to confirm that Ajdin Fetahagić has become Chris Taylor’s third signing ahead of the 2017 NPL season.

The tough centre-back began his senior career with Queensland side Western Pride before signing his first professional contract with FK Velez Mostar in Bosnia. Having spent time abroad, Fetahagić returned home to play with Queensland Lions last season, making 23 appearances and scoring two goals in all competitions.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nicholas Maikousis was pleased to have Fetahagić sign for the club. “AJ is the third Queenslander to join the club for the 2017 season and we believe he will add something significant to our defensive stocks. He’s a big and effective central defender and we hope he can work well with our existing defenders to form a solid unit.”

The 19-year-old arrives at Lakeside Stadium with a winning mentality, having been an integral part of the Lions team who were crowned 2016 Brisbane Premier League Champions.

We welcome Ajdin to the club and wish him the best for 2017 and beyond.

South Melbourne are delighted to announce the signing of Luke Pavlou for the upcoming 2017 NPL season.

The 19-year-old, who plays as a central midfielder, began his Senior career with Queensland side Eastern Suburbs before moving onto the Brisbane Roar youth team, where he made 19 appearances.

After impressing Interim Coach at the time Frans Thijssen, Pavlou was drafted into the Roar’s senior squad, making his debut as a second-half substitute against Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium. He then went on to play with Brisbane City for the 2016 season.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nick Maikousis was pleased with the acquisition. “We would like to welcome Luke to the club and look forward to him adding some quality in the middle of the park for us. He comes to the club with national league experience, so we look forward to having him part of the club”.

The Queenslander becomes our second signing of the summer following the arrival of Jesse Daley.

South Melbourne FC is excited to unveil Luvarc as the club’s Major Partner for the 2017 National Premier Leagues season.

As part of the agreement, the Luvarc logo will be proudly displayed on all of the club’s Puma attire (Male and Female), including on the front of the home and away playing shirt of all ages and teams.

Luvarc is driven to create landmark projects and undertake development opportunities that offer compelling investment potential. Luvarc’s developments are marked by an astute response to their environment, providing stylish and serene homes for those who inhabit them. They are always well considered and finished in every detail from concept to completion.

Working with leading architects and consultants who share the Luvarc passion for quality, Luvarc are dedicated to designing inspiring homes that represent the finest examples of contemporary living.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Luvarc Managing Director Louisa Chen was excited for the upcoming season and partnership with the club.. “We would like to thank SMFC President Leo Athanasakis for this opportunity. It is a huge honour for Luvarc to be the next Major Sponsor of a club that is so committed and so passionate in pursuing football excellence. The Luvarc team is excited and overwhelmed by the warmest welcome into the South Melbourne FC family”

South Melbourne FC President Leo Athanasakis was also pleased with the new partnership. “Louisa and her team at Luvarc have shown considerable faith in our club and the South Melbourne brand. We’re excited to welcome our new Major Partner to the SMFC family and we are equally excited to see the Luvarc brand appear on the front of our shirt. On behalf of the entire club, we would like to thank them for their incredible support to date.”

Stay tuned to our website and social media in the coming months for further details regarding the partnership, including unveiling our 2017 Puma apparel range.