Image: David Mullins
If one was to rewind the clock back a year, the footballing career of Jonathan Voulgaris was seemingly at the crossroads. The then 23-year-old had just departed former club Northcote City without making a single competitive appearance for Hercules after a disrupted 2015 which saw him move clubs three times.
That being said, it might have been easy to dismiss his move to Werribee City as another temporary stopover in the winger’s attempts to rejuvenate a once promising career. But 12 months on and the former Northcote prodigy is back on track after a confidence-boosting year at Galvin Park that has seen him remain with the Bees ahead of the upcoming season.
However, the early days at City were far from rosy, as Werribee began life back in the second tier on the back foot by failing to claim a win in their opening 12 league games of the season. A coaching change in Round 8 saw the departure of Domenico Gangemi, with former Bulleen manager and technical director Sergio Sabbadini hired as his replacement.
Sabbadini’s first game in charge saw the Bees claim a valiant point away at Melbourne City in a thrilling 3-3 draw, with Voulgaris pulling the strings in attack. Nine wins and two draws from their remaining 14 league games saw Werribee finish the year as the most in-form team in the conference behind the promoted St Albans, whose only defeat under Kruni Razov was a 1-0 home loss to Werribee.
“After about nine rounds into the season we brought in a new coach and since that moment when he came in the whole season turned around,” Voulgaris said. “It’s been good as we’ve kept the core together while also adding a bit more quality – in addition to the coaching panel staying on. Given all that, we’ll be looking to get promoted this year.”
The 24-year-old did his part in attack by recording numerous assists throughout the campaign, while also chipping in with six league goals across 24 matches.
“On a personal level, I will look to build on what I did last year. Personally it was a pretty successful year,” beamed the ex-Pascoe Vale winger.
With the likes of Voulgaris and several other key players re-committing, hopes are high at Galvin Park that 2017 could see the club make a return to the upper echelons of Victorian football, having been relegated from the NPL at the end of the 2015 season.
“The hierarchy at Werribee have said we’re looking to push this year. In saying that, I think the whole West is tough and any one of eight teams can go up, so although it’s going to be tough, we’ll give it a red hot crack,” he added.
After making his VPL debut as a teenager with Northcote in 2010, Voulgaris spent three and a half years at John Cain Memorial Reserve, netting a total of four goals in 61 league appearances while also winning the Dockerty Cup in 2011.
A mid-season switch to second-tier Bulleen followed, with Voulgaris netting a further three goals in 12 games under John Waddell, who was recently appointed as Werribee’s technical director, having served as Sabbadini’s assistant last term.
A return to the top flight with Pascoe Vale saw the wide forward-come-winger add another three strikes in 19 league appearances before making the move to Heidelberg United ahead of the 2015 season.
However, his switch to Olympic Village saw him fail to cement a place in George Katsakis’ starting XI and prompted a mid-year move to State League One side Clifton Hill for the remainder of the season.
An initial move back to Northcote did not eventuate, with Voulgaris opting to join Werribee in a move aimed at securing increased game time.
“The main thing for me in dropping back a division to NPL2 was to play regularly and just enjoy my football again. I find that when I’m enjoying my football I am playing better football, so it’s good to get some stability by staying at Werribee.
“I’m looking forward to this season and am really enjoying things at Werribee, and the results show.”
Voulgaris has high hopes that the class of 2017 will be a more solid unit than last year and spoke of his fondness of playing alongside forward Domenico Marafioti up top.
“There’s Dom, Ben Mammone, Damien Peters and a couple of other midfielders in Rob Naumoski and Brad Murray that make us an all-round good unit in general. I enjoy playing alongside Dom as he’s got a beautiful left foot and complements me well given I’m a right footer, so I’m really looking forward to playing with him again.”
While the likes of Voulgaris, Marafioti, Naumoski and Captain Angus Martin are considered to be part of the club’s experienced vanguard, the 24-year-old also heaped praise on the club’s exciting young prospects who got their first taste of senior NPL football last term when promoted into the first team by Sabbadini.
“Three boys in particular standout. Zach Ahmad, Ben Mammone and Ibrahim Mohamed will be pushing for senior selection again and look to build on from last year. That’s the great thing about the coaching panel at Werribee as they are looking to promote homegrown talent, and those three are prime examples – as well as Yasin Nur, who has now moved onto Melbourne City.”
In addition to those youngsters Voulgaris shares a dressing room with, there is another emerging prospect who he will be keeping close tabs on over the course of the coming year.
Jonathan’s younger brother Nicholas has been promoted into the Bulleen Lions senior squad, having thrived in the 20s last year and impressed a number of onlookers in pre-season friendly games, including his older brother and mentor, who believes Voulgaris junior is a lot more grounded than himself.
“He’s actually a different type of player as he can play as a defender or centre-mid, but he’s going to be a champion. He’s a lot more humble then I was, so I think he’ll do a whole lot better than me and the coach seems to like him up at Bulleen.
“He’s a nice enough kid so the world’s his oyster. He’s only 16 and I’m looking forward to heading down there to watch his games.”
Whatever the year holds for both players, there is no doubt that the name Voulgaris will once more cause headaches for opponents throughout the course of the season – whether that be at Galvin Park or across the Ring Road at David Barro Stadium.