Revamped Rockdale Ready To Go Big in 2022

Rockdale Ilinden FC coach Steve Zoric has high hopes for the upcoming National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s season, and has recruited his squad with depth in mind to hopefully come out on top at the end of the competition.

With nine new additions to the squad, there is a good balance of familiar faces and fresh talent that will be able to bring Zoric’s vision to fruition.

“From last year we’ve sort of evolved to squad, that was our plan,” Zoric explained.

“Back in the COVID season in 2020, we started with sort of a revamped squad, we brought youngsters in and integrated a few of the core players that we kept with the new players and we started to build on that last season.

“It was evident last season when we had a few injuries and a couple of players leave for the A- League midseason, that it sort of hurt us a little bit.

“We went from just one defeat all the way to the halfway mark and then we had a month that we didn’t win a game – we had a few draws and a couple of losses so we had to readjust and find solutions.

“It was evidence if we want to win the title and maintain that and evolve as a team and as a club we need to bring in some more depth to the squad and we’ve certainly done that this year in spades.”

With a squad full of talent all over the park and a strong bench to back it up, Rockdale will have plenty of assets to lean on in the upcoming season.

“I think we’ve bolstered our defence even more, and we’ve always had a strong defence, but our defence this year is even stronger,” Zoric said.

“We only really had Urosevski as a goal getter and at the moment now we’ve got a few players around the park that can bag some of those goals, so you can come from anywhere up in the front third so that’s where our biggest strength now lies.

“We’ve added speed there as well, extreme speed and good ballplayers as well so that’s where our X-factor is going to be.”

With the rejuvenated squad and sense of direction comes big ambitions and Zoric hasn’t shied away from letting everyone know that he wants to be on top at the conclusion of the 2022 competition.

“We’re looking to win everything that possibly can be won,” he said.

“We’ve got the depth now, we’ve got real big depth in our midfield which is important to our game, we’re extremely mobile this year and we’ve got speed all across the park.”