Photo: Green Gully
Green Gully have snared 25-year-old former Melbourne Victory youth Steve Hatzikostas from South Melbourne, the club’s seventh signing of the pre-season.
It marks a re-uniting of player and coach, with Arthur Papas mentoring the industrious midfielder at the Oakleigh Cannons in 2011, the club which helped launched his senior career.
Handed a senior debut by John Anastasiadis in 2009, Hatzikostas totalled 31 appearances, returning two goals during his time at the Cannons.
A move to Bentleigh Greens followed midway through the 2012 VPL season, for whom he featured 36 times, scoring the one goal.
Although Premiership success evaded the hard-working midfielder in 2013 with the Greens – who featured in the 3-2 extra-time loss to Northcote City in the final iteration of the VPL – Hatzikostas saw considerably more success after completing a move to South Melbourne midway through 2014, where he played a part in two NPL Premierships, one Championship, as well as a Dockerty Cup and Community Shield triumph.
The VIS graduate spent four seasons in the Melbourne Victory Youth set-up in his formative years, although he saw a promising career stagnate due to a succession of major knee injuries, the latest of which came at the back end of the 2014 NPL Victoria season with South.
Hatzikostas will look to add tenacity and bite to the engine room of Arthur Papas’ side, a coach that he is excited to work alongside once again.
“I’m happy to be a part of the club, I’ve worked with Arthur in the past and it just seemed right to me,” Hatzikostas said.
“Gully has had such a great history and reputation for a number of years, I’m excited and look forward to success in 2017.”
He was drawn in by the strength of the squad assembled for 2017, with the club one of the busiest dealers in the transfer window.
“It is a really strong squad, which appealed to me. All things considered I think we’re going to be very competitive this year and hopefully can go all the way.
“I want to contribute as much as I can toward the team and club’s success.”
He joins a plethora of talent to have signed on for the 2017 season, with established names such as Jeremy Walker, Alex Caniglia, Jonathan Bounas, Josh Brindell-South, Sami Nour and Wade Dekker all committing to the Keilor-based outfit.
Bulleen Lions attacking midfielder Joshua Barresi also signed for the club, but is set to miss a large chunk of the season with injury, opening the door for Hatzikostas’ move.