North Geelong Warriors FC

North Geelong Warriors FC
Full name North Geelong Warriors
Football Club
Nickname(s) North, Warriors, Croatia
Founded December 1967 (1967-12)
Ground Australian–Croatian Sporting Centre, Elcho Park, Lara
Ground Capacity 5,000 (200 Seating Capacity)
Captain Matthew Townley
Chairman Vlado Džajkić
Coach Micky Čolina
League NPL Victoria 2
2015 12th (relegated)
Website Club home page

North Geelong Warriors Football Club, previously known as North Geelong Croatia, is an Australian semi-professional football club from the regional Victorian city of Geelong. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 2, Australia's joint third division in the country's league system. The club was founded in 1967 by the large contingent of ethnic Croatians in the city of Geelong[1] and is a regular participant in the Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament, which it has hosted four times and won for the first time in 2014. North Geelong's home base is Elcho Park in the northern Geelong suburb of Lara, Victoria. The club's biggest achievement is winning the 1992 Victorian Premier League title – becoming the first promoted side to ever achieve such a feat.[2]

History

Early Beginnings

North Geelong Warriors FC was formed in 1967 as North Geelong Croatia by newly arrived Croatian migrants; namely Joe Radojevic, Vinko Radojevic, Aldo Siketa, Ivan Sesar and Mirko Hrkac.[3]

Twenty-first century

After an inconsistent 2010 season, the club finished in 8th spot, well clear of relegation, but also lower than expectations. In the summer of 2011, Vinko Buljubasic was relieved of his duties as manager[4] and replaced by Ante Skoko with his brother, a recently retired professional footballer, Josip Skoko, as his assistant.[5]

After a restructuring of football in Victoria in 2014, North Geelong found their bid for a place in the National Premier Leagues accepted, therefore avoiding relegation and remaining in the second tier of football in Victoria, now known as the National Premier Leagues Victoria 1.[6] In North Geelong's first ever NPL1 contest, goals from Matthew Townley and Vito Cichello saw the club come away with a 2–1 away from home win over sister club Dandenong City SC.[7] Ante Skoko resigned from his post three months into the new season, with the club in 11th place in the new 14 team league. Former St Albans Saints SC manager Micky Čolina took over.[8]

The club sealed their promotion to the 2015 National Premier Leagues Victoria on 13 September 2014, with a 1–0 win over rivals St. Albans,[9] ending the season in second place, three points adrift of league champions Avondale Heights SC. The club also won the pre-season Geelong Cup and Victorian Croatian Cup and achieved promotion by winning the Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament for the first time in early October.

Ahead of the 2015 season, the club re-signed head manager Čolina to a two-year deal and retained the core of the promoted 2014 squad. The season started with a 0–2 loss to eventual champions Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, followed up by a 0–3 loss to eventual premiers South Melbourne FC at Elcho Park, but Round 3 saw the Warriors record their first points of the season with a 6–1 victory over Green Gully SC, with winger Robbie Zadworny scoring a hattrick.[10] However, after 14 rounds of the 2015 NPL Victoria season, the club were in last place with just five points but they earned 16 points in the last 11 rounds of the season, including two wins in the last two games of the season against Dandenong Thunder SC and Werribee City FC. The club finished in 12th place and qualified for a playoff spot against Melbourne Victory FC Youth, losing 2–0 in front of over 1,000 at J L Murphy Reserve in Port Melbourne, confirming relegation to NPL2 for the 2016 season.[11]

During the off-season there were a number of departures, including 2015 Fan's Player of the Year Michael Grgić, who returned to former club St Albans, Nikola Jurković, who joined the Melbourne Knights, Reardo Luka, who left the country to pursue a career opportunity and Juso Julardžija, who joined NPL2 rivals Sunshine Georgies, among others.[12] The club signed Burakhan Koca, who had been released from Avondale FC at the end of the 2015 season. Matthew Thorne, who previously played for Larkhall Athletic F.C. in the Southern Football League, and Kene Eze, an American striker who previously turned out for Pittsburgh Riverhounds.[13][14] North Geelong also announced that a partnership had been formed with NPL South Australia side Adelaide Raiders, a fellow Croatian-Australian founded football side.[15] North Geelong travelled to the Croatian Sports Centre in Gepps Cross and, on the 6th of February, won the first ever Friendship Cup 2-1, with new signing Matt Thorne and vice-captain Vito Cichello the scorers in South Australia. The season started with a trip to sister-club St Albans Saints SC where the club drew, captain Matthew Townley converting a penalty after Dinamo's Joey Monek opened up the scoring in the 70th minute for the Saints.[16]

Notable coaches

Players

International representatives

Current squad

First-team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Australia GK Daniel Žilić
2 Australia DF Darren Lewis
3 Australia DF Matthew Townley (Captain)
4 Australia MF Michael Simms
5 Australia DF Anthony Banovac
6 Australia DF Josh Pugh
7 Australia MF Burakhan Koca
8 Australia MF Vito Cichello
9 Australia FW Gareth Richards
10 Australia MF Rudi Saglam
No. Position Player
11 United States FW Kene Eze
12 Australia DF Billy Argyros
14 United Kingdom FW Matthew Thorne
17 Australia DF Nicholas Jurčić
20 Australia GK Hamish Flavell
22 Australia FW Alessandro Stefano
23 Australia FW Micheal Anderson
99 Australia DF Nathan Long
Australia MF Nathan Munoz
Australia MF Darcy Rapa

Presidential History

 
Name Years
Mirko Hrkač 1967–1968
Aldo Siketa 1969–1970
Vinko Radojevic 1971–1972
Aldo Siketa 1973
Mirko Hrkač 1974
Vinko Radojević 1975
Ivan Mrkogača 1976–1977
Pero Juran 1978
Mirko Hrkač 1979–1981
  
Name Years
Vinko Radojević 1982
Marijan Demo 1982
Ivan Mrkogača 1983
Martin Groher 1984–1985
George Steinbruckner 1986
Martin Groher 1986–1987
Marijan Demo 1988
Mirko Hrkač 1989
Drago Vlahović 1990
  
Name Years
Nikola Jurčić 1990
Stjepan Horvat 1991–1992
Pejo Marić 1993
Stjepan Horvat 1994
Steve Perinac 1995
Stjepan Horvat 1996
Drago Čosić 1997–1998
Branko Matijević 1999
Duro Tilinger 2000–2003
  
Name Years
Vlado Džajkić 2004
Ivan Perše 2005–2006
Stanko Demo 2007–2008
Josip Žilić 2009–2011
Daniel Deša 2012–2013
Božo Sesar 2013
Ivi Deak 2014
Andro Jurković 2015
Vlado Džajkić 2016-

Managerial History

Honours

State

Other

Individual Honours

Victorian Premier League Gold Medal – VPL Player of the Year

Bill Fleming Medal – Media voted VPL Player of the Year

Victorian Premier league Coach of the Year

Victorian Premier League Under 21 Player of the Year

Victorian Premier League Jim Rooney Medal – Grand Final Man of the Match

Weinstein Medal Junior Player of the Year

Divisional History

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Diversitat – Geelong Community Services – Croatian Community". diversitat.org.au. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "North Geelong celebrations | Sports & Editorial Services Australia". sesasport.com. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "North Geelong Social Club » Unsung hero of local soccer for nearly 50 years". northgeelongsc.com.au. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "North Geelong Social Club » North Geelong Warriors have parted ways with first team coach Vinko Buljubasic". northgeelongsc.com.au. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "North Geelong Social Club » New Season brings on changes at North Geelong Warriors". northgeelongsc.com.au. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "FFV announces NPL structure for 2014". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  7. ↑ Jukic, Ante. "Warriors claim three points in NPL1 debut". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  8. ↑ Zilic, Josip. "Warriors Meet Sister Club With New Coach". GeelongIndy. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Woodger, Rusty. "Warriors sink Saints to seal promotion". Football Federation Victoria. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  10. ↑ Willoughby, James. "North Geelong Warriors hand Green Gully 6–1 smashing". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  11. ↑ Manuca, David. "Victory wins promotion at North Geelong's expense". Football Federation Victoria. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  12. ↑ Kounelis, Jordan. "Emotional farewell for Luka, North Geelong part with seven". MFootball. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  13. ↑ Federico, Tom. "Warriors scoop Burakhan Koca from Avondale". MFootball. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "CONFIRMED: Kene Eze On Trial With North Geelong Warriors". SoccerViza. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "North Geelong Warriors and Adelaide Raiders Announce Partnership". North Geelong Warriors FC. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  16. ↑ "Match Report: NPL2 R1: St Albans Saints 1-1 North Geelong". www.ngwfc.com.au. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  17. ↑ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/1996A.html
  18. ↑ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/A/AU.html
  19. ↑ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/H/HO.html
  20. ↑ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Olympics/1994.html
  21. ↑ http://matildas.footballaustralia.com.au/article/qantas-young-socceroos-win-weifang-cup/iq4k2189adh211p5mp9gyol2w
  22. ↑ http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/article/qantas-young-socceroos-well-placed-to-claim-weifang-cup/16mmv3kt5i8zi128ghsp7a8inr

External links

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