Photo: Kevin Juggins
South Melbourne have rung in the new year with the re-signing of seven first team players, highlighted by four-time Golden Boot winner Milos Lujic.
Re-affirming their commitment to last year’s Premiers are attacking midfielder Marcus Schroen, winger Nick Epifano, reigning Theo Marmaras Medallist Matthew Foschini, versatile defender Kristian Konstantinidis as well as goalkeeping duo Nikola Roganovic and Zaim Zeneli.
26-year-old Lujic is one of Victoria’s most prolific strikers of the past decade, enjoying stints with the Bentleigh Greens, AIS, Oakleigh Cannons, Richmond SC, Springvale White Eagles and Altona Magic in a glistening State League career to date.
A stellar two season stint with Northcote City saw the towering striker win the 2013 VPL Premiership as well as the Jimmy Rooney Medal for his best on ground performance in the 3-2 extra time win over Bentleigh Greens.
His goal in the Grand Final was his 21st of a Golden Boot winning season, as Lujic netted a total of 29 times in his 43 league appearances for the club.
Lujic made the switch to South for their inaugural NPL Victoria campaign, for whom he has netted a staggering 72 league goals at just under a goal a game, claiming three consecutive Golden Boots and two titles during his time at Lakeside Stadium.
Schroen extends his stay into a second consecutive season at the club after a season that yielded considerable success for the young midfielder.
The 23-year-old former South junior made two senior appearances as a 17-year-old under the care of Vaughan Coveny in 2010, before a stint overseas and a return to Australia with Dandenong Thunder.
Schroen battled injuries in his first season back in Victoria, but managed two goals from 11 appearances in 2014 for Dean Hennessey’s youthful Dandenong Thunder outfit, which boasted the bright talents of Kieran Dover, Kris Kioussis and Matt Millar.
The attacking midfielder made a name for himself at Hume City, where his exploits in the FFA Cup earned him plaudits and many potential suitors for the bright prospect.
He found the back of the net seven times in 26 league games as Hume City finished fifth in the league and made the NPL Victoria Semi-Finals.
Schroen continued his upwards trajectory with a solid season at South Melbourne, bookmarked with two particulalry good spells at the start and end of the 2016 NPL Victoria season.
He made a total of 28 appearances and scored eight goals across the span of the season, which included a memorable double in the Grand Final victory over Oakleigh Cannons that earned him the Jimmy Rooney Medal.
Epifano will look to bring up his 100th league appearance for Hellas this season having signed on for a fifth season with the club.
The winger made the move to Lakeside from Dandenong Thunder alongside coach Chris Taylor mid-2013, where he has since flourished, notching up 23 goals and earning trials with Scottish Premier League outfit Dundee United as well as Perth Glory.
Former Melbourne Victory utility Matthew Foschini also re-signs with the club after a stellar season in Blue.
Capable at playing a myriad of roles – featuring at right-back, centre-back and central midfield for South across the span of the 2016 NPL season – Foschini backed up a promising return to Victorian football in 2015 by playing a lynchpin role in South’s Premiership success.
The 26-year-old began his senior career with the Oakleigh Cannons in 2008, the club he later went on to represent in the 2015 NPL season under the stewardship of Arthur Papas, who he’d known from a two-year stint in India in 2013-14.
Foschini had earlier spent five seasons with the Melbourne Victory, where he featured 53 times before his release.
The goalkeeping pair of Roganovic and Zeneli will once again compete for the starting jersey in net for South.
Roganovic has been a crucial figure since his return to football in 2015, where he has kept 24 clean sheets his 64 games for the club in all competitions.
The 31-year-old former South junior began his senior career with Springvale White Eagles, before progressing to the Frankston Pines and then Altona Magic, where he aided the club in their 2008 and 2009 VPL Premiership triumphs.
Roganovic won a third Premiership with Green Gully in 2011 before signing with the Melbourne Heart, for whom he made two appearances for in the 2011-12 A-League season.
A two-year hiatus from the game to focus on business ventures did a world of good for the imposing shot-stopper who has returned to the game in inspired form.
Providing able back-up throughout the 2016 season was Zeneli, who signed from Dandenong Thunder at the beginning of last campaign.
The 27-year-old was restricted mainly to Cup football, although he did make one appearance in the league as a 44th minute substitute for the injured Nikola Roganovic in a 3-1 loss to Avondale FC in Round 23.
Zeneli begun his senior career with South, where he assumed the number one jersey with 19 league appearances in the 2011 VPL campaign.
He then departed for Dandenong Thunder in 2012, a year in which he sat in reserve for Stuart Webster as they claimed the VPL Premiership.
In total, Zeneli made a total of 58 league appearances in his four seasons at the club.
Finally Konstantinidis has also re-affirmed his commitment to the club, having enjoyed a strong 2016 campaign after making his return from an ACL injury.
The mobile right/centre-back has made 16 appearances, scoring twice since making the switch from Northcote City in 2015.
There, he scored 11 times in 80 appearances and formed part of a formidable defensive structure alongside Adrian Chiappetta, winning the 2013 VPL Premiership in the process.
The seven players join new signings Liam McCormick, Jesse Daley, Ajdin Fetahagic, Luke Pavlou, Francesco Stella, Stefan Zinni and the promoted Josh Hodes as a part of the senior set-up for 2017, while Iqi jawadi (Oakleigh Cannons), Chris Irwin (Kingston City), Amadu Koroma (Altona Magic), Manolo (return from loan) and Matthew Theodore (retired) have all departed.
In other news, South Melbourne WFC skipper Alex Cheal has also re-signed with the club, while they also announced the return of American midfielder Jamie Pollock after a season with FC Bulleen Lions.
Cheal remained with South despite missing out on NPLW entry in its inaugural season, but her form throughout their State League One Premiership winning season drew the ire of Melbourne Victory, who signed her for the 2016-17 W-League campaign.
The 23-year-old defender has plenty of experience in the Victorian top flight, having made her debut as a 14-year-old with the Bendigo Vipers in the 2008 WPL season.
A stint with the Emerging Athletes Program/NTC followed before making the move to Lakeside for the 2013 WPL season, where as captain, Cheal led her charges to three consecutive Premierships between 2014-2016.
Pollock enjoyed a prolific spell for South having joined mid-way through the 2015 WPL campaign, netting a stunning 13 times as South claimed the Premiership over top-of-the-table Boroondara Eagles.
Her standout performances saw her earn selection in the Victory’s 2015-16 W-League campaign, where the American made 10 appearances as they finished bottom of the ladder.
A move to Bulleen Lions followed in 2016, where Pollock showcased her versatility with stints at centre-back as well as her favoured central midfield role.