Melbourne celebrate after beating Sydney 5- 0 in the A-League Football match between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC, Olympic Park, Melbourne Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005. AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
Last night’s Victorian Bushfire Appeal match between Melbourne Victory and the Victorian Premier League select was a chance for football in the state to show its support for those affected by the tragedy. As it turned out, it was also a chance for the VPL’s elite to put themselves in the A-League shop window.
If the players hadn’t known it already, it was made abundantly clear prior to the match.
Melbourne coach Ernie Merrick said that, with a few spots still open in the Victory squad, an impressive performance could thrust their name into the reckoning.
He even handed the coaching reins to number two Aaron Healey so he could scrutinise the VPL players closely.
Of course, plumbing the depths of the country’s state leagues has proven to be a fruitful pursuit.
The fact that Australian-born players can be signed for just $3000 helps. And while some players inevitably fail to make the step up to A-League, there are plenty of success stories.
Former Green Gully star Rody Vargas has been a lynchpin of the Victory defence since the league’s inception. Sasa Ognenovski became integral at Adelaide United after moving from Preston Lions.
And who could forget Shannon Cole’s mercurial rise from Sydney Olympic to the fringes of the Socceroo squad?
The end result last night was predictable: a 2-0 win for the Victory, with goals from Ney Fabiano and Nathan Elasi (although the latter could have also been deemed an own goal).
VPL coach Chris Taylor spoke upon release of his squad that he had settled for players in form. But his side struggled to show much of that during the game, though not for lack of trying.
Of course, it was always going to be tough. Up against a squad that train together daily, the VPL side undoubtedly had had little time together.
But there was a bit for the Victory hierarchy to ponder, as Aaron Healey admitted after the game: “There were several (that impressed). I think it’s been shown over the last couple of years that the VPL has been a great source of talented players for the A-League,” he said.
“There was probably a spread of guys across the park … when they came on in the second half, a couple of guys impressed.”
He could have been referring to 19-year-old Melbourne Knights midfielder Dugandzic, a 58th-minute entry for the VPL side.
Dugandzic returned from a spell in Croatian football in 2008, and is highly rated by many.
Introduced to the left-hand side of midfield, the slight, softly-spoken Dugandzic did show some classy touches that had been otherwise missing from the game. His turning of Vargas soon after arriving was particularly promising.
There were others to show promise. Graham Hockless displayed glimpses of why he was judged the VPL’s premier player in 2008 and Frank Lagana endeavoured to add creativity.
When the VPL did go forward, the lion’s share of the VPL’s scoring chances fell to lively African striker Osagie Edararo – a name which will be familiar to football fans further north after a productive spell with Wollongong and a brief trial at Sydney FC under Branko Culina.
The VPL squad could have claimed to have been more well-travelled than their Victory opponents.
Dugandzic’s spell in Croatia, left back Erhan Karahan spent time in Turkey, Netherlands outfit Willem II was once home for keeper Peter Zois and Lagana was on the books of Empoli.
Captain Hockless plugged away in the lower leagues of his native England before coming to Australia.
They’ll be hoping the next part of their footballing journey includes a stop in the A-League.
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