Image: Drazen Jurina
Promotion-chasing State League Two outfit Berwick City have secured the services of three former Dandenong City players following the NPL mid-season transfer window.
The highest profile of those is Hajduk captain John Carroll, who ends his six-and-a-half year spell at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex after originally arriving from Doncaster Rovers.
A member of City’s promotion-winning campaign from the third tier in both 2011 and 2013, the 34-year-old Queenslander established himself as a fulcrum of the side in the NPL era.
Five goals in 87 league appearances since 2014 has followed, with Carroll himself featuring in just under 150 league games for the club and decided to part ways with Hajduk last week.
Club president Tony Dorotic thanked Carroll for his services to the club but also expressed disappointment in losing a player of his calibre and experience.
“From a club perspective we are pretty upset that he chose to go after numerous attempts to keep him because he has been a great contributor to the cause over the last seven seasons,” Dorotic said.
“Having said that I’d like to formally thank him for being such an amazing captain, player and person who always gave 100% both on and off the field and was a great representative of the club,” he added.
Carroll made a great start to his Berwick career by netting a second half double against local rivals Doveton at Waratah Reserve last week as City moved into fourth on the ladder.
He joins former Hajduk teammate Andy Jerez at Jack Thomas Reserve after the former Joeys representative joined City a fortnight ago and scored on his debut in a 2-1 triumph over Doncaster.
The VIS product moved to Frank Holohan Soccer Complex in 2013 after previously plying his trade for the likes of Kingston City, Malvern City, Springvale White Eagles and Mornington respectively.
Jerez featured 80 times for Dandenong over the course of the last four campaigns, netting six goals and is reunited at Berwick with good friend and former teammate Christian Morales.
Another former Hajduk player to move down the Monash Freeway is 19-year-old striker Jarod Blackbourn who departs after a season and half, with Hajduk having initially made his senior debut with Dandenong Thunder in 2014.
The trio join former Dandenong City teammates Erkan Filiz and Denilson Noronha at promotion hopefuls Berwick who were relegated from State League One last year.