Avondale FC made big splashes in mid-2015 with the signing of two former A-League players in Massimo Murdocca and Francesco Stella.
It was a massive statement of intent for a club on a continual rise from the state leagues, promoted to the top flight of Victorian football from the NPL1 – as it was back then – at the first time of asking.
After easily sealing survival the season prior, 2016 brought even bigger names to the club. The Melbourne City connection especially ran deep, with the further additions of Jonatan Germano and James Brown.
It was reported that Patrick Kisnorbo was the initial name to be linked with the club, but after opting for one more year in the A-League, he referred Avondale to Massimo Murdocca, who is now enjoying his second campaign with the club. The other dominoes began to fall after that.
But of the players from Melbourne City to be brought to Avondale, one name has flown under the radar despite perhaps trumping all of his higher-profile teammates for consistency and performance – Nick Symeoy.
The youngster has played all 13 league games this season, most notably scoring a memorable double in a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Melbourne Knights last week.
After sitting last after five weeks with zero points, only one defeat since then has seen the side rise to 10th on the NPL ladder, with bigger scalps in their sights.
“We’re just all flowing and sticking to the game plan, where earlier in the season we were all doing our individual thing,” Symeoy said.
“We all know what we have to do and what our jobs are, and it’s just a shame we’re not always putting away chances in the back of the net as often as we can, but we’re creating our chances and we’re beating teams by playing football.”
Given his role at right-back, it’s a position that often fails to attract the same amount of attention as a star striker, a central midfielder pulling the strings in the middle, or a big centre back outmuscling their direct opponent at the back.
But Symeoy’s exploits – a combined ability to shut out his opposing winger while marauding forward to add another dimension to his side’s attack – continue to impress coach Anthony Barbieri, who rewards the 21-year-old with regular selection.
“When Barbs [Barbieri] said to me to come to Avondale, I asked what my role was going to be and he said to do what I do, which is attack and defend at the same time,” he said.
“He knows I’ve got an engine so I can run all day, and he said just work hard.”
“At the start of the year I was a bit here and there, but now I’m getting into the rhythm and starting to get freedom and starting to understand how players work.
“I’m a confidence player, so I’ve learnt how players around me work and I can work off them, and I just go out and enjoy my time with the boys.
Symeoy’s goalscoring exploits of last week bring back memories of his time at junior club Moreland Zebras, where the versatile wide man’s form culminated in a 2014 season that caught the attention of A-League outfit Melbourne City.
That year he backed up a Best and Fairest award by winning the NPL 1 Rising Star, having scored 12 goals.
“I still keep in touch with the club, they’ll always be close to my heart,” Symeoy said.
“Just being part of a club that was so family oriented, I’ll never saying anything bad about them, they’re probably the most favourite club I’ve been at.”
Symeoy’s A-League debut came in 2015, making two appearances off the bench against Adelaide United and Sydney FC.
While he was released from the club prior to this season, he says being able to play with a number of former City teammates – alongside Baki Efe at the back, and most recently linking up with and overlapping James Brown on the right wing – has enabled him to maintain his motivation and high level of performance.
“They’re quality players and you look at their resumes, in the NPL you’re not going to have [as high a] quality of standard, but they’ll all tell you the same it’s still hard, it’s not an easy competition” he said.
“I’ve played with them before and linking up with them was like at training with them at City, but even playing now we understand each other better and break lines.”
And while he admits it’s been difficult trying to get back into the A-League fold since his release, he believes Avondale FC is a club that can help him fulfil his potential.
“Not much [interest] at the moment, I’m just waiting to see when they [A-League clubs] all start up again, and all I can say is I’m enjoying it in the NPL.
“The professionalism [between A-League and NPL] you can obviously see the difference. But Avondale’s a very professional club, they try do things that other A-League clubs do.”
Image: Jason Heidrich