Image: Smile for Peter
St Albans Saints’ mid-season turnover has gotten into full swing with the arrivals and departures of a handful of players.
In come Jay Kelly, Rodrigo Covarrubias, James Goulopoulos and Moustapha Quaynor, while the club confirmed the departures of Daniel Slovacek, Barry Devlin, Konrad Dobraszkiewicz and Teddy Yabio.
Kelly is reunited with Kuzman, who was assitant at Richmond last season. He featured 31 times for the club, with the winger netting three times.
Covarrubias moves from Bulleen this season, where he made 10 appearances.
The former River Plate academy player was also at the Knights between 2014 and 2015, netting four times in 20 games, Pascoe Vale in 2013 for three goals in eight games, and Northcote in 2011 (one goal in five games).
Goulopoulos is a 22-year-old striker who previously was on the books of Heidelberg United and Dandenong Thunder. He has 11 top-flight games to his name, scoring two goals.
Most intrigue surrounds Quaynor, a Ghanaian midfielder who last played in the Cypriot First Division for Ermis Aradippou, on loan from AEL Limassol.
Meanwhile, Daniel Slovacek, Barry Devlin, Konrad Dobraszkiewicz and Teddy Yabio were the most recently released players announced, following Ante Kozul (North Geelong Warriors) and Josip Hercog (FC Strathmore) as mid-season departures.
Dobraszkiewicz leaves the club after four years of service. Having joined in 2012, he played 83 league games for three goals.
Irishaman Devlin, a versatile player who featured at centre-back, midfield and a centre-forward, joined St Albans in 2014.
Previously having a lengthy spell at nearby Sunshine, Devlin scored a memorable winner against Parramatta in the FFA Cup Round of 32 in 2014.
The 31-year-old leaves after 68 games and 26 goals – a prolific rate for the versatile big man.
Yabio had also been at the club since mid-2014. The wide forward played 49 league games for 12 goals, scoring a crucial strike in the club’s Round 4 FFA Cup tie against Northcote City.
Slovacek meanwhile joined from Avondale this year, with the winger featuring in nine league games.
Meanwhile, the club is also linked with former A-League man Nick Kalmar, who was released from Thai club Osotspa Samut Prakan F.C.
Should the previous Melbourne City and Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder sign, he would be re-joining the club he played at in 2006, with the former Knights junior having also featured for Altona East Phoenix, Preston Lions, Sunshine Georgies, Altona Magic and Oakleigh Cannons during his time in Victorian football before the A-League.