Feature Image: Mark Avellino
Box Hill United have continued to shape their senior squad for 2017 with the addition of four new players headlined by former Kingston City midfielder Deniz Sabanovski.
He is joined at Wembley Park by Madit Kot Job, Andre McNamara and Baley Row while 20s youngster Lachlan Cho has been added into the senior squad after making his debut this year.
Sabanovski made his senior debut in 2011 for the Dandenong Thunder, going onto make six appearances in the VPL as a teenager.
A lack of game time in a star-studded Thunder squad saw the now 22-year-old make a mid-season switch to Clifton Hill the following year, earning greater playing time in State League Two.
The central midfielder moved to The Grange Reserve at the start of the NPL era and in total, made 67 appearances under Nick Tolios, scoring one goal.
While he lost his place in the starting eleven in 2016, Sabanovski still played a vital role in City’s promotion to the top flight by making 23 appearances over the course of the campaign.
Kot Job joins Pythagoras after spending the last six months of this year at regional outfit Bendigo City, with the 20-year-old making 12 appearances under Jose Santamarta.
After making his senior debut for second tier Sydney-based side Granville Rage in 2013, the defensive midfielder subsequently moved down to Victoria and joined City mid-season from Diamond Valley United.
Teenager Andre McNamara joins Greg Kassidas’ side after a frustrating two years at Melbourne Victory Youth which was curtailed by injury.
The flying winger made his senior debut in 2014 for the Bentleigh Greens, making 10 senior league appearances as well as starting for the side in the 2-1 away win over Sydney Olympic in the FFA Cup Round of 16 tie.
Injuries disrupted the 18-year-old’s progress from there onwards as he made the move to Victory Youth and only got back on the park this year, making 15 league appearances under Vaughan Coveny.
Former Box Hill junior Baley Row returns to the club having spent the last two years with the Melbourne City Youth Team.
Hailing from Morwell, the 18-year-old featured for United’s 20s side in 2014 before being recruited by Joe Palatsides as he went onto make 22 league appearances for City Youth, scoring one goal.
Teenage midfielder Lachlan Cho has been promoted into the first-team after breaking into the senior side towards the latter end of the season, where he made five league appearances, scoring once against Melbourne City Youth.
Cho spent 2014 with the Bentleigh Greens 18s side before making his senior debut in 2015 in State League Three with the Croydon City Arrows under Marcus Stergiopoulos.
Experienced defender Adrian Del Monaco has re-committed for 2017, after making 21 appearances over the course of the season following his return to the club following a spell with the Melbourne Knights in 2015.
Full-back Nikola Surdoski, who has featured 43 times for United since making his senior debut for the club in 2014 has also re-joined taking the total number of players from the 2016 squad to re-sign to 12 with the four new additions joining Ollie Paterno and Lewis Waddell as new members of the side.
Two players who won’t be at Box Hill next year are Japanese attacking midfielder Kazuki Okada and winger Benjamin Osei-Safo who both depart after a season with the club.
Okada joined United from Manningham United and scored three goals in 26 matches while 24-year-old Osei-Safo arrived from Kingston and scored five goals in 26 games for Pythagoras.