Photos (Top to Bottom): Taroona keeper pulls off a save against Glenorchy Knights in last night's practice match; Local boy Amadu Koroma will play with Melbourne Knights against his former club; Things could get physical, as they did last night between Glenorchy Knights and Taroona [PlessPix]
Melbourne Knights arrive in Hobart at 8am on Saturday and will have breakfast at the Australian-Croatian Club in Glenorchy before relaxing at their motel in preparation for the game against Glenorchy Knights at 6pm at KGV Park the same day.
The visitors will also play a select XI comprising players from the Glenorchy Knights and the Tasmanian Institute of Sport at KGV Park at 4pm on Sunday before returning to Victoria on a 10pm flight.
Melbourne Knights coach, Ivan Duzel, 46, who is in his second year with the club, said he will bring a strong squad of 20 players to Tasmania.
It will include local youngster Amadu Koroma, who was with Glenorchy Knights last season but was signed by the Melbourne Knights a couple of weeks ago after a second trial with the club.
Duzel said he had been impressed by Koroma at the trial and was happy to sign him as the club enters a rebuilding phase.
He said last season was a difficult year for the club, which finished 9th in the Victorian Premier League, but things were going well and several new players had been signed from overseas, including a Brazilian, an Italian central defender, and two Croatians - a striker and an attacking midfielder - from that country’s second division.
They were not expected until the end of January and would, therefore, not be included in the squad coming to Tasmania.
“We’re bringing about 20 players, all of whom are under contract,” said Duzel, who was an attacking midfielder in his playing days.
“We have information about Glenorchy Knights from your local boy, Amadu Koroma, who played with Glenorchy last year and is with us now.
“He told us they finished third last year and he has been able to give us a comparison of the two sides.
“Obviously, we have more quality, but you never know.
“But, we are coming to show our quality and to win the game.”
The squad will include striker Jean Dubois, a Frenchmen, who scored 15 goals for Knights last season. He is not fully fit yet and may not complete the two games on this tour.
Duzel said the club’s pre-season preparations were going well, three or four weeks out from the season.
“When our four overseas signings arrive, we should have a quality squad,” said Duzel, who has been a coach for the past six years.
“The Victorian title is not one of our priorities this year because we aren’t in the financial situation where we can pay too much to players.
“What we are doing is developing again the Melbourne Knights and putting the club back on its feet.
“We are developing our young players and all the rest is a bonus.
“We had a very hard season last year. When I took over at the club, we had lost 22 players and we had to start again from scratch.
“We did a good job at the end of the day and had some quality in the team. Adrian Zahra, for example, went to Melbourne Heart.
“That’s a good sign for the future of the club and it shows we are a good place for youngsters to develop.”
Duzel said he had been told that the KGV Park ground had an excellent surface.
“That will enable us to play a quality game, with the ball to feet, quick passing and an attacking 4-3-3 style,” Duzel said.
“Let’s hope it’s going to work for us.”
The likely Melbourne Knights squad is: Ante Loncaric, Matthew Vrbec, Ryan Filipovic, Scott Lucas, Ben Surey, Bryan Bran, Daniel Rocco, Tomislav Skara, Liam Cannell, Josip Magdic, Ivica Pratz, Daniel Gleize, Gazmend Hajdini, Tiago Rodriques, Amadu Koroma, Tomislav Ples, Kevin Townson, Jean Dubois, Jacob Colosimo, Anthony Colosimo.
11 comments:
Walter,
How did glenorchy knights line up?
Anon 12:03
They played a mixed line up which rotated, but was mostly seen at
Peter
Huigsloot and Holmes CB.
Full backs?? randoms??
Russell, Griffin
Smith
Garth and Robb
Nowicki
formation was a 4 5 1, 4 2 3 1 system
rubbish line up. really could do with some quality in midfield and forward line
they were missing 5 starting players from midfield and attack, I wouldn't say they are rubbish when they beat taroona (who were much stronger than they were against zebras) 5-0 in a canter with a half baked squad. nowicki looks lively and if you add jade clay in they will threaten with smithers pulling the strings in the middle
Hopefully the Knights will have a few more players to come back before the start of the season.
Huigsloot is becoming a very good player
South are way in front and the team to beat and everyone else will be a lot closer than expected.
The Eagles and Lions to cause some upsets during the year
Sunday will be the player to watch out for this year.
The Zebras will be the Zebras great one week shocking the next
Anon 5:48, i agree. The line up isn't just young, but a lot of those players shouldn't be playing seniors for one of the better clubs in the South. As you state, midfield and forward really lacks quality.
Back 3 are quality, in Peter, Huigsloot and Holmes. However, full backs and holding midfielders might become the weakness to the Knights. Players like Jankovic would really come in handy for them, and would strengthen them quite substantually. Knights supports will be hoping their club has a little more quality to come into their squad before the season, i for one, do not.
Maybe they shouldn't be, but they are.. In the end Knights won 5-0 and it's their first game.. Half their seniors weren't there. Didn't zebras only win 1-0 Against Taroona? Forgive me if i'm mistaken, but Taroona also beat Beachside 2-1. If Knights only have a reserves team out there basically, they aren't doing too bad..surely. Maybe it's a chance to step up and show they can have a crack.
Knights won't be one of the better teams in the VPL this season. I think the game will be closer than people expect. A strong SPL select 11 would deal with them comfortable. Would love to see Glenorchy do well here.
Yoda, are you referring to Melb Knights? They are still quality
Anon. Yes I am. Honestly I don't think they are. Would love to be proven wrong. However they have a poor squad it showed last year they weren't safe from the drop until the last month of the season. I can't see the 4 foreign players doing it either they never do. I like how the club is going about this season financially but that's why they won't be quality! Because they'll be un reliable with wages and they'll be low wages!
Plus they lost Adrian Zahra.
That is pretty much Melbourne Knights' first team from last season, Glenorchy will struggle.
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