Photo: Mark Avellino
Box Hill United have all but completed their squad for their 2017 NPL2 campaign with the addition of four players, headlined by former captain Nick Kokolakis.
Joining the former Richmond SC defensive midfielder is Todd Dekker from Green Gully, Nunawading City’s David Antequera and striker Joshua Calle who comes with a good pedigree in the State Leagues.
Having skippered Pythagoras in their inaugural NPL campaign, Kokolakis then spent the last two years away from Wembley Park, appearing 20 times for Northcote City in the 2015 season, then featuring a further 20 times in Richmond’s relegation-suffering 2016 season.
He adds some much needed leadership to Greg Kassidas’ squad after the departure of former captain Michael Godfrey, and will help fill the void of the departed Rinor Muriqi and Kobbie Boahene.
Teenager Dekker joins after a half a season stint with Green Gully, in which the forward made seven appearances after making the switch from Northcote City, where he had appeared 14 times in 2016.
He spent his formative years at John Cain Memorial Reserve alongside older brother and former Melbourne City man Wade Dekker and made his league debut in 2015.
Antequera joins from NPL2 East wooden spooners Nunawading City having secured a return of four goals to finish as the club’s top scorer.
The forward was one of Nuna’s early standouts with three of his goals coming in the first month of the season and proved capable of matching it with the best having scored against all three promoted NPL2 sides in St Albans Saints, Kingston City and North Geelong Warriors.
Josh Calle is a lesser-known entity to Victorian football but joins from Frankston Pines after a four-season stint with Langwarrin SC and boasts plenty of experience in the top-tier of the State Leagues.
The club also confirmed the departures of powerful forwards Michael Kariuki and Travis Chalk-Hatton, who join Kazuki Okada, Benjamin Osei-Safo as well as the aforementioned Muriqi, Boahene and Godfrey as exiting players.
Ollie Paterno, Madit Kot Job, Andre McNamara and Baley Row have signed for the club while United have retained the services of Keegan Coulter, Thomas Lakic, Caleb Ludlow, Alex Schroen, Lachlan Cho, Jack Gow, Thomas Simos, Lorenzo Tarzia, Steve Hrgota and Chris Heckenberg for the upcoming season, taking their senior squad to 18 players.