CLUB FOCUS: ROCKDALE CITY SUNS
The Rockdale City Suns are looking to fly even higher this season after a disruptive start to last year’s campaign.
The Suns finished in sixth place at the end of last season’s PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s campaign.
Playing-coach Paul Reid proved a hit since taking over the first team last season and he will be hopeful of taking the club further this season.
Reid told Football NSW in January that his biggest triumph over the off-season was retaining the core of his squad.
“We started a bit earlier than most clubs as we played in the Maso Cup which we won,” he said.
“Normally in the Premier League there is a big turnover of players but we have kept most of our boys and hopefully we can do something this year.”
Tolgay Ozbey headlines a raft of new signings.
Ozbey arrived back in the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s last season when he arrived at Sydney Olympic only for a knee injury to ruin his return.
But a fit and firing Ozbey could just be what the Suns need to take them to the next level and the former Gold Medal winner will be looking to make an instant impact after several seasons in India.
Ozbey will be hoping to form a dangerous strike partnership with Dylan Macallister and is joined at the club by Peter Makrillos who has been playing in the Stoke City youth academy for the last three years.
In his first four pre-season games for the club he scored three goals and notched two assists and told Football NSW he has his sights on the A-League, but is full of respect for coach Reid and hopes to serve him well this season.
“He called me and I think being a player himself he understands everything,” he said in February.
“I explained my story to him and we got on very well and he basically told me that he wanted to give me a chance and I have taken it up.
“I am happy with my football but it is all about the team.
“The important thing is we have a good connection in the squad and we are about doing everything as a group.”
PLAYER TO WATCH: Peter Makrillos
Tolgay Ozbey might be a known quantity to those who have seen him tear up the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s before, but Peter Makrillos is something of an unknown quantity and if his pre-season form is anything to go by, he might just be the signing of the season.
SQUAD: David Bradasevic, Daniel Petkovski, Steven Hesketh, Trent McClenahan, Paul Reid, Blake Ricciuto, Alec Urosevski, Alex Canak, Dylan Macallister, Peter Makrillos, Hristijan Tanoski, Idriss El- Hafiane, Alek Lekoski, Nicholas Petrillo, Isaac Savor, Toufic Allamaddene, David Dascal, Patrick Savor, Stefan Dubocanin, Andrew Bazi, Tolgay Ozbey
