Tara Murray
There’s a new coach and new look playing group, but the aim remains the same for Sydenham Park in the FV state league 1 this season.
After finishing third last season, the Reds are keen to be among the contenders this season under new coach Goran Lozanovski.
Lozanovski replaces Denii Lisolajski, who stood down at the end of last season.
Lozanovski said he was looking forward to the season and what it may bring.
“We had a bit of an overhaul,” he said. “We had a few older boys last year who have left.
“We’re still trialling some players and we’ll have some new heads.
“It’s just the way it panned out. We wanted to get a few young boys in the squad and importantly get a bit more depth.”
Lozanovski said they had added some guys with some higher level experience to the squad. He said they were hoping that experience would help them win a title.
Chris Davies returns to the club having played at Preston Lions last season with the club hoping he’ll score a few goals this season.
Lee Mottershead, who was Werribee City captain last season, joins the club along with his Bees’ teammate Michael Yoseki.
Daniel Sweeney and Ethan Gage also join the club, adding some more experience.
“We’ve also still got some of the older heads from last year,” Lozanovski said. “Hopefully they’ll continue to serve the club well.
“Some of them have played at a higher level. They’re experience is crucial in our push to win the title.”
Having been in promotion contention until late in the season last year, Lozanovski knows that they need to improve.
He said in state league 1, consistency was the biggest thing.
“We want to have a good solid foundation in the first 11 and show consistently even on bad days, that we can still come away with points.
“We especially need to do this for tough away games from home. We need to be a bit more resilient than we have in past years.”
The Reds were set to play their first official match of 2023 on Saturday against the Templestowe Wolves in the third round of the Australia Cup, losing 1-0.
With a different squad, Lozanovski said the Australia Cup was important in their preparation for the season as a whole.
“It’s really exciting,” he said. ”It will help us work out our best 11 and every game is a chance to benefit us.
“Whether it’s one, two or three games, every game helps us.”
Lozanovski.,who coached in state league 2 early last season before a stint at National Premier League club Hume City, said he was enjoying his time at Sydenham Park.
“I love being a coach of an ambitious club aiming to win the title,” he said. “It keeps me on my toes and the boys on their toes
