Image: Mark Avellino
A number of transfers and debuts took place in NPL’s Round 16 and NPL2’s Round 17 across the weekend, with the mid-season window approaching its latter stages.
Bulleen made a third mid-season transfer, nabbing Pablo Caceres from Malvern City.
The 28-year-old Chilean midfielder is technically gifted, one of the standout foreigners in State League One, and made his debut against Green Gully on the weekend. He doesn’t count as a visa player, however, with those two spots taken up by Oliver White and Lewis Hawke.
Kingston City have also strengthened with the addition of Taban Makoi.
The winger makes the move from Petone FC in New Zealand, where he scored nine times in as many matches. He has previously plied his trade at Bayswater SC in Western Australia’s NPL and Perth Glory’s Youth squad.
His form earned a South Sudan national team call-up in June 2016 during their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, where he was a substitute against Mali, but is yet to make his international debut.
Makoi replaces Rowan McNamee, who becomes a new signing for Brian Vanega at Richmond.
The 21-year-old forward helped Kingston claim the 2016 NPL2 Championship after joining prior to the start of last campaign. In total he netted seven goals in 31 league games for Nick Tolios’ side.
Prior to that he made seven senior NPL appearances for Oakleigh in 2014-15, winning the U20 Championship in 2014.
Another signing at Richmond is Green Gully’s Dion Paola.
The 19 year-old midfielder spent two years at Victory Youth (2015-16), scoring once in 22 league appearances. He moved to Gully earlier this year, making a solitary league appearance, and is reunited with former coach Brian Vanega at KB Reserve.
Following Paola’s departure from Gully is the arrival of Dylan Smith from Adelaide City.
He is a 21-year-old winger who graduated from the AIS in 2013. Smith scored 29 goals in 48 games for Adelaide United’s NPL team and made one A-League appearance for the Reds. He made his debut alongside Nathan Cook for Gully on the weekend.
Finally, Calvin Mbarga follows Port Melbourne teammate Chris Cristaldo to St Albans.
The Cameroonian forward turns 30 at the end of the month made 10 league appearances for the Sharks, scoring once.
His previous stints in Victorian football saw him feature for both Hume City (nine games, no goals) and Northcote (14 games, five goals) in 2015. Mbarga has also previously plied his trade in South Australia and India.