Image: Graeme Furlong
As the storms broke out at Jack Edwards Reserve on Sunday evening, so too did Northcote hearts as Oakleigh Cannons dashed any hopes of survival with a 3-0 defeat.
The pouring rain characterised the mood in the dressing rooms as the reality sunk in that Northcote were relegated to the NPL2.
However, long-time servant to the club and championship-winning coach Goran Lozanovski stressed the club, with a rich history of success and producing high-profile Victorian players, would remain determined to bounce straight back up.
Lozanovski remained positive his outfit prepared as best they could for the fixture, before praising both the new, crucial signings and the veterans which fought a war in turning around a side which saw dead bottom before Lozanovski’s takeover.
“We prepared as best we can today and throughout the week, and we thought with the week we had we thought you know what we’d give this a good shake and pregame I did say to the boys we gotta show up today,” the manager said.
“Unfortunately for us we didn’t really show up today, so it’s disappointing in that respect.
“I can’t credit the lads enough, all of them. New inclusions throughout the season, the guys who have been here from the start.
“But the turnaround was massive in itself, and to be here in the last day is a great achievement for the club and the playing group and the coaching staff and I couldn’t have asked for anything more besides us staying up.”
Lozanovski appeared deflated after the relegation confirmation, but also expressed optimism to the Northcote faithful after advocated his preparation for the following seasons.
“There are some amazing people at the club, and obviously a few people will be tearing up today and unfortunately it’s a terrible situation, but it’s football,” he said.
“Unfortunately, when you’re in a game that we play in with promotion and relegation it’s gonna happen sometime in life, and we should accept it and move on and prepare for what’s coming up in the following years.
“Unfortunately there was no guarantee to stay up this year, but we did give it a good crack and I think I’m happy with the outcome bar us going down.”
Lozanovski expressed nostalgia to his first appearance at Northcote, where he thanked his club for allowing him the opportunity to be head manager after Peter Tsolakis moved on. He also appeared thankful for the fresh manager opportunity given eight rounds in, although stated the turnaround period was a couple of weeks too short to escape relegation.
“At the end of the day I came into Northcote in unfortunate circumstances where I was assistant coach and Peter Tsolakis moved on, but I was more than happy to take that challenge on and they gave me the opportunity and I thank them for it.
“In my respect, we had some great times at the club and there’s no reason why we can’t get those great times back again.”
“It’s always key as a club when administrators run the club and makes those right choices. It was obviously a tough choice they made last year and obviously they had to make a tough choice eight rounds in and they did.
“So I came back and gave it a crack, but like I said there was no guarantees and we got the ball rolling in the right direction but it was probably a couple of weeks too short.
The manager was also positive of a quick bounce back to the NPL top flight, attributing the possible return to the club’s ability to develop home grown players into top quality players.
19-year-old Braedyn Crowley spent the season under Lozanovski, where he netted 13 times and eventually landed a contract with A-League outfit Melbourne City, which only consolidates on Lozanovski’s philosophy of running a young, developing squad.
“We’ve had some times where we’ve had players come through the system who nobody knew. Braedyn Crowley for example, is on the Melbourne City books,” the manager said.
“We’re always going to develop players, and that’s the type of club Northcote City’s always been, it’s not about purchasing high-profile individuals.
“As long as I’ve been there, I’ve always had a young group and it’s never been a very experienced group, and it probably shows why sometimes we’re inconsistent, but at the same time we are developing footballers and I’m always for that and so is the club.
“At the same time, no matter what you’re developing you want to stay in the top flight for as long as you can for and like I said, Northcote worked their way up the league in 2010.
“Since then they’ve had an amazing ride, and unfortunately the circumstances have changed this year but there’s no reason why we can’t bounce back.”