Image: Green Gully
Green Gully has wasted no time in strengthening their squad for the 2017 National Premier League season. Arthur Papas’s men finished 5th in the Victorian NPL which saw them string together some impressive performances along the way. The Cavaliers excelled in the cup competitions, reaching the final of the Dockerty Cup and the Quarter Final of the FFA Cup, which saw them knock off A-League side Central Coast Mariners.
The two players brought in by Gully are Jeremy Walker from Hume City, Josh Barresi from Bulleen Lions.
Former Melbourne City right-back Walker enjoyed a solid season at Hume City and was one of their best performers throughout the year. The 23-year-old has experience in the top tier of Victorian football having previously played for Oakleigh in 2016 at the tender age of 16. Walker also enjoyed a spell in the English Conference prior to his Hume City move.
“I’ve known Arthur previously, he’s been a big influence on me. I need a fresh start and new challenge for myself, and that really appealed to me. It’s been a big club, and I’d like to be part of something strong again,” Walker told the club.
“I’d like to win something here, I just want to be part of a good environment and challenging environment where everyone in the team is going out and giving 100%, and that’s the biggest standard for me.”
Another player who will feature for Gully in 2017 is Joshua Barresi. The attacking midfielder was part of the youth setup and Western Sydney Wanderers before signing a senior contract for the Newcastle Jets under Phil Stubbins.
Unfortunately for Barresi, his time at the Newcastle Jets was cut short after a serious knee injury. The former Wanderers and Jets midfielder joined the newly promoted Bulleen Lions, enjoying a 10-game spell in which he scored three goals and helped the Lions sustain top flight football.
“I heard about the professionalism of training, I had chats with Arthur and he was really positive in trying to get my career back on track. With just the plans going forward that Arthur has in plan is perfect. The professionalism made it somewhere I want to be,” Barresi told the club.
“Most definitely I got the sense that this is a big club that wants success, the ultimate goal is to win the league. We’ve talked about wanting to play football, be competitive. And all this is appealing, having the ambitions to win things.”
Barresi and Walker join exciting winger Sami Nour at Gully, who signed on the eve of the club’s FFA Cup quarter-final from Bulleen Lions.
As well as bringing in fresh talent, Papas and Gully have also re-signed 11 current players who were crucial to their domestic and cup campaigns in 2016.
Callum Richardson played 18 games for the Cavaliers. He has previously been on the books of Melbourne City and Burnley in the United Kingdom.
Veteran defensive midfielder Luke Walker first featured for Papas at Oakleigh in 2011 and joined Gully from New South Wales NPL club Edgeworth Eagles. His performances have been typified by a physical and commanding presence in the middle of the park for Gully.
Aaron Ward is a versatile midfielder who was a mid-season addition from Northcote City, who made a total of five appearances for Gully since his switch.
George Lambadaridis worked with Papas in his mid-teens at Altona Magic and was reunited with his mentor this year after spending four injury-plagued years at Brisbane Roar. The young Socceroo played 24 games and scored two goals this season.
2009 Jimmy Rooney Medallist kliment Taseski joined Gully after a stint in Sweden’s lower leagues, making 23 appearances and scoring three goals. Taseski also worked with Papas at Melbourne Heart Youth.
Jay Davies, the midfielder who joined the club mid-season from SL1 side Cairnlea as an injury replacement for compatriot Breeze, made 12 appearances, netting two goals as well as a goal of the season contender against Hume in the Dockerty Cup semi-final.
Attacking winger Matthew Breeze tore his ACL in the side’s opening game against Melbourne Knights, in which he scored. He joined Gully in 2015 from Bendigo and has netted nine goals in 22 league appearances at Gully, with the Englishman returning to full fitness ahead of the 2017 campaign.
22-year-old versatile attacker Nick Krousoratis scored eight times in 15 games this term despite having his season restricted by injury. Krousoratis joined the club this year from Port Melbourne Sharks and was one of the side’s brightest attacking sparks when fit, with a central role for him now up for grabs following Boland’s departure.
Veteran centre-back Daniel Jones is retained after taking out the club’s best and fairest for 2016 after enjoying fine form in his 26 league appearances and cup campaigns. The former Heidelberg man has been a long-serving Gully servant, championship winner and familiar face in Victorian football since arriving from England over a decade ago.
Rani Dowisha took responsibility between the sticks in 2016 following Alastair Bray’s arrival and departure and took up where he left off since joining in 2015. The former Melbourne Victory youth and South Springvale custodian played a full season in goals, making 27 league appearances.
Young defender Matthew Reid rose through Gully’s ranks and became a defensive utility by the end of the season, used across the backline including left fullback in Yohei Iwasaki’s injury absence. He signs on after 24 appearances in the league.
An integral part of their season in 2016 was Western Australian striker Liam Boland, who scored 12 goals in Gully’s domestic campaign and made headlines in the FFA Cup. Boland departed Gully for Hume City, who have been extremely active in the window thus far.
Also having departed the club was veteran defender and former Socceroo Roddy Vargas. Alongside Jones, the Melbourne Victory stalwart provided a calming presence at the back but now moves on to aid Dandenong Thunder’s promotion push in 2017.
Attacking midfielder Evan Christodoulou also departed Gully to sign with Avondale, after netting 14 goals in 39 games across a season and a half.
Papas and his men are building towards the 2017 NPL season. With Gully already showing impressive signs last campaign, the foundations are being put in place for an even more successful year, with further signings expected to be announce in the near future.