CLUB FOCUS: APIA LEICHHARDT TIGERS
John Carnevale has taken the reins at APIA Leichhardt Tigers and he might just have the deepest, strongest squad to work with.
The Tigers have put in a massive off-season signing some of the best players in the league while keeping hold of players that took them so close to glory last season.
The mid-season loss of Blake Powell, who moved to A-League outfit Wellington Phoenix, was a bittersweet blow for the side but they’ve left very little to chance this time around.
Japanese imports Tasuku Sekiya and Kenta Hasegawa have impressed during pre-season, while the club is also excited by Jordan Murray who signed on from Wollongong Wolves after netting 10 goals in each of his last two campaigns at the club.
Murray has his eyes set on the A-League, but after a horror pre-season in which he has had to recover from a broken foot.
“My preseason has been absolutely terrible watching all the trial games but I’m better off taking the time to recover now than coming back too early,” Murray told Football NSW in February.
“I spent three weeks running my way back to fitness and started training with the team at the end of February. Now I’m touching the ball and getting into passing drills, so there’s definitely been some progress.”
Murray, Sekiya and Hasegawa are joined at Lambert Park by Tonu Liiband, Sean O’Connell, Brendan Hooper and Dominic Cox.
2015 NPL NSW Gold Medal winner Franco Parisi also returns alongside Ryan Norval, Nathan Millgate, Brad Bartelz, David D’Apuzzo and Nathan Elasi ensuring the team is poised to for great things this season.
And club president Tony Raciti made no attempts to shy away from the expectation that comes with such a strong side.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say the club’s aim was to take the title,” he told Football NSW in January.
“We have given a young coach an opportunity this year in John Carnevale and the squad we have is quite strong.
“Our two Japanese imports have been quite impressive so far and Jordan Murray who we signed from Wollongong will play in the A-League one day.”
PLAYER TO WATCH: Franco Parisi
There might be a lot to look forward to looking at the exciting names arriving at Lambert Park, but that should not distract from the immense talents of the reigning PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Gold Medallist Franco Parisi.
SQUAD: Tonu Liiband, Nathan Millgate, Matthew Fsadni, Bradley Bartels, Brendan Hooper, Luke Austin, Sean O’Connell, Corey Biczo, Nathan Elasi, Franco Parisi, Jordan Murray, Dominic Cox, David D’Apuzzo, Brett Studman, Sean Symons, Adrian Vlastelica, Adrian Ucchino, Kenta Hasegawa, Tasuku Sekiya, Themba Muata Marlow, Nicholas Olsen, Ryan Norval
