The NPL Victoria has missed out on the services of Nick Kalmar, with the Victorian-born mdifielder signing on with State League Two side Geelong SC.
Amidst reported interest from clubs in the NPL, an eventual deal for Kalmar failed to materialise, after his release from Thai Premier League outfit Super Power Samut Prakan earlier this year.
Kalmar is no stranger to the Victorian State League football, having featured for clubs such as Altona Magic, Preston Lions, St Albans Saints, Sunshine George Cross and Oakleigh Cannons in his early career.
A move to the A-League eventuated in 2010, when he became a foundation member for Melbourne Heart’s inaugural season as one of John van ‘t Schip’s final squad signings of the window, the midfielder making 29 appearances in his debut season after joining from Oakleigh.
Kalmar went on to make 69 appearances for the club, scoring six times, before being released from his City contract in 2014 to join Western Sydney Wanderers, who had just come off the back of a landmark Asian Champions League triumph.
He made 10 appearances scattered across the 2014-15 A-League season, scoring twice, but was not kept on for another season as the club endured a tough domestic campaign, finishing ninth.
The 28-year-old was one of 11 players released by coach Tony Popovic that season, before making a move to South-East Asia to join Samut Prakan in February this year.
The signature of Kalmar, an 80 capped A-League player marks a considerable coup for the regional club as they push for promotion to State League One.
The high-flying outfit – who sit 11 points clear top of the SL2NW ladder – have a number of high-profile players on their books after a strong pre-season recruitment drive, including Sean McIlroy, Tom Matthews, Isyan Erdogan, Ross Harvey and Brodie Patterson.