SUNSHINE George Cross has taken a step back in the number of overseas imports it has signed for the Football Federation Victoria men’s state league 1 this season.
The Georgies opted for quality over quantity with club president Darren Farrugia telling the Weekly the days of targeting international imports for stopgap measures are over at Chaplin Reserve. “We’ve cut down on them from the past,” he said. “We just want the odd one or two from now on.”
The Georgies have three on the books this season – two of those are players who have stuck around from previous seasons, settled on the Australian lifestyle and avoided the temptation to go home.
Barry Devlin is a success story for the Georgies, having played with the club for four seasons and building such a great reputation that he now wears the captain’s armband.
Michael Kelly is the other existing import to stay on for a second season and his value was underlined with a goal in the Georgies’ opening round win over local rivals Western Suburbs.
The newest member of the overseas crew is Tom Cahill. The 25-year-old striker could turn out to be the most valuable acquisitions of the lot and he landed at the Georgies by luck.
Cahill arrived in Melbourne with a view to earning a contract in the Victorian Premier League but arrived too late in the preseason to state his case. “He went to trial with one of the Premier League sides and he got there a bit late,” Farrugia said. “They recommended he come to George Cross and he came.”
Cahill found the back of the net on debut for the Georgies. From what Farrugia has seen of him in his short time with the club, the Englishman should take to the level like a duck to water.
The Georgies have also not totally closed the door on former Socceroo Kevin Muscat making more appearances for the club this season.
“There might be a chance,” Farrugia said. “We’ll see what happens with his commitments at Victory. I’d say it will be harder to get him this year than it was last year, but you never know with ‘Musky’.”
