Young Knights trio depart club, find new NPL homes

by Damir Kulas 0

Photo: Steve Starek

The Melbourne Knights have parted company with three youngsters from their senior squad who have since all found new homes in NPL and NPL2 respectively.

Anthony Katiforis and Caleb Mikulic have made the short move to sister club St Albans Saints, while defender Tomislav Fadljevic makes the switch to NPL2 West front-runners Northcote City.

All three players featured in the youth set-up at the Knights before graduating into the senior team with the latter also enjoying a two-year stay at Melbourne City Youth.

The versatile Katiforis made his Knights first-team debut in 2015, making a total of five appearances that term before gaining greater playing time the following season.

In total, he made 16 league appearances under Andrew Marth and featured primarily at left back as he followed in the footsteps of older brother Michael by playing for the club.

Forward Mikulic broke into the first-team last year, featuring primarily as an impact substitute having made 12 league appearances over the course of the season as well as featuring in the FFA Cup.

He scored his goal for the senior side in the Knights 3-1 away win over the Bentleigh Greens last month with a sublime finish before making another two appearances of the bench.

The 19-year-old pair both featured for the Saints in their 3-0 loss to the Greens last Friday night, with Katiforis starting as Mikulic entered the game as a half-time substitute for the ineffective Jean Carlos Solórzano, with Dinamo only scoring once in six matches so far this campaign.

20-year-old Fadljevic moves to Northcote having featured twice at Somers Street this season to compliment his three other appearances for the club in 2014.

He also made 23 league appearances at City over the course of two years, which also included a National Youth League Championship in 2014/15 under Joe Palatsides.