Photo: Pourya Kish/Bentleigh Greens
Kingston Heath Soccer Complex has been the port of call for many of Queenslander’s best footballers in recent years.
The likes of Liam McCormick, Ross Archibald, Tyson Holmes, Matt Thurtell, Chris Lucas, Troy Ruthven, Ryan Love and Josh Brindell-South have all called the Bentleigh Greens home with each of the eight men earning silverware during their time at the club.
While five of those names still remain at the club, the off-season has seen two more players from the Sunshine State pack their bags and move down to Victoria.
While 30-year-old attacker Trent Clulow is a well-known face following his time with the Brisbane Strikers – which yielded three successive FFA Cup campaigns – the same cannot be said of young midfielder Marco Jankovic.
However dig a little deeper and you’ll find that the fresh-faced 21-year-old is the son of former Red Star Belgrade, Real Madrid and Yugoslavia midfielder Milan Jankovic, who relocated to Cairns upon the end of playing career in the early 90s.
While his son’s playing career might not reach such heights, the central midfielder is brimming with confidence following his move interstate after a successful 2016 with Lions FC.
Jankovic was instrumental as Warren Moon’s side stormed to the Brisbane Premier League title which was followed up by a Grand Final victory over Mitchelton with personal accolades following after earning selection in the BPL Select Side and finishing second in the Player of the Year voting.
“It was a good year as we had a very good squad and very good coach. It was a very professional environment and had a very good team so it was just for myself playing really well every week and being a standout”, he said.
“We won the league and Grand Final convincingly so it was a very good year for myself and the team as well.”
The culmination of the season saw Jankovic and teammate Ajdin Fetahagic earn moves to Victoria with the latter joining South Melbourne as the two youngsters sought to test themselves at the higher level.
“Basically I moved down here to better myself as a footballer – it’s a whole lot more professional here and the league is of a higher standard. For me, it wasn’t really a hard decision moving from Brisbane to Melbourne because I know I’ll improve regardless.”
While Jankovic admits that Bentleigh wasn’t the only club who enquired about his services, he had no hesitation in joining the 2016 NPL Premiers, and cited the Queensland influence at Cheltenham as making the decision an easy one.
“There were a couple of other clubs interested but as soon as I got the call from Bentleigh I knew this was where I wanted to come because they’ve been so successful in the past few years. Additionally they have a lot of Queensland boys who have helped me settle in a lot quicker so it was never a hard decision for me.”
Born in Cairns, Jankovic moved to Brisbane in his mid-teens before departing Australia upon the completion of his high school studies and moving to his father’s homeland Serbia.
A spell with Belgrade-based sides Cukaricki and BASK followed before his return home last year proved fruitful on all fronts.
“I’m originally from Cairns and played in the FNQ development system there when I was in my early teens. Then I moved down to Brisbane where I played for Olympic aged 16 and 17.
“After completing high school, I moved to Serbia and played professionally for two years in the second division before moving back to Brisbane and playing out at Lions.”
Jankovic has fitted in well to the Greens dressing room culture but admits that the first initial weeks were a struggle with the midfielder having to adapt to the increased level of quality and heightened physicality.
“The intensity is definitely a whole lot higher in both training and in games. The first two-three weeks after I got I was struggling a bit physically and to get into the training mode as well as the technical aspects of it.
“Even the friendlies we have played against Oakleigh and Heidelberg the other day show that there a lot of better players technically and also physically.”
Just like his distinguished dad, Jankovic junior is a central midfielder and credits his father’s influence throughout his career so far.
“It’s been amazing as he’s been so helpful to me and it’s like having an extra coach. Obviously he has played at the highest level and any bit of advice he can give me improves me a lot.”
A Red Star Belgrade academy product who earned his senior breakthrough with Slovenian side Maribor, Jankovic senior returned to Belgrade in 1980 where he won two league titles and two domestic cups in a seven year stint which consequently paved the way for his move to the Spanish capital where he joined then-six-time European Cup winners Real Madrid.
Jankovic spent a year at the Santiago Bernebau, helping Los Blancos win the La Liga title and partnering club legend Michel in midfielder in a team which was spearheaded up top by Mexican goal machine Hugo Sanchez and home-grown hero Emilio Butragueno.
Two years in Belgium with Anderlecht followed before his retirement and relocation to Far North Queensland with son Marco born in 1995.
Two decades on and Jankovic junior is bracing himself to take his game to the next level much like his father did 30 years ago when replacing the home comforts of Belgrade for the bright lights of Madrid.
While the young midfielder’s move might not be as drastic as that one, he is certainly well prepared to face up to the challenges that await him and the title-chasing Greens this campaign.