Last year we tipped Michael Zullo as one of the 10 best players outside the A-League. Check out who made the list this year after we scoured the state leagues and junior competitions last summer...
Editor's Note - This article was published three months ago in the May edition of FourFourTwo before the State League season began. Subsequently some of the players have already been picked up by A-League clubs for the upcoming season
Tallan Martin
Age 25
Club Marconi Stallions
League NSW Premier League
Position Striker
Tallan Martin – it seems to be a name that’s been on the radar for years, even though the striker is still only 25. In a nomadic career, Martin has had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus. Newcastle United in 2001 was followed by stints with other NSL clubs Wollongong and the Football Kingz.
He’s also plied his trade for four NSW Premier League clubs. However, a brief stint with Sydney FC in January 2007 showed that the striker was still on the A-League radar.
Martin’s better known these days as a NSW Premier League sharpshooter. He joined Marconi from Bankstown City after last season in which the former Westfield Sports High, NSWIS and AIS student was City’s top scorer with 11 goals.
At Marconi, with the likes of former A-League players Tolgay Ozbey and Vuko Tomasevic, as well as former Southampton youth player Jay Lucas, the goal poacher should benefit from coach David Barrett’s mentoring and a quality squad.
The forward, who cites Gary Lineker, Raul and Alan Shearer as his role models, has been on the periphery of the A-League since it began. His constant moving and untimely injuries have not helped his cause but there’s no doubt he has a goal poacher’s instinct.
“I’m at a good age and I’ve matured as a striker,” Martin tells FourFourTwo. “ I’ve had to deal with disappointments in my career which have made me stronger as well.”
“My plan is to break into the A-League for at least one full season or possibly two then maybe look to move overseas.
Perhaps in the Scandinavian or Asian markets – if not, stick with the A-League.”
Martin still has youth on his side and considerable experience. If he can stay at one club for a good spell he could develop into an A-League goal scorer of some note.
Aidan Ormond
Tommy Oar
Age 16
Club Queensland Academy of Sport
Position Winger
Watch this space. 16-year-old Tommy Oar has been widely tipped as a star of the future, in Australia, for Australia and abroad – big accolades for a kid who was only born in the 1990s.
After nabbing a scholarship at the Queensland Academy of Sport last year, the Gold Coast Palm Beach junior has caused a stir among industry insiders with his rapid improvement.
Head of football at the QAS Mike Mulvey is unwavering in his belief that the young left-footer could one day become a household name, admitting that he was hopeful that the winger’s style of play would see a resurgence in the future of Australian football.
“He’s clever, skilful and a traditional winger which is something that I’d like to see more of in the game – there’s no doubt he could play in the A-League one day, no doubt whatsoever,” Mulvey tells FourFourTwo.
“He can beat players in very tight areas, deliver dangerous crosses and can also score goals. In the last seven months at the QAS, Tommy has learned an awful lot about the game and improved out of sight. If he shows that level of improvement in the next 12 months, then I have no doubts that we have a serious footballer on our hands.
“We saw with Michael Zullo and Robbie Kruse at the Roar this season, how exciting it is when young players run at people and Tommy does it very well – he’s capable of playing for Australia right now at under-20 level and that’s his immediate goal.”
And who would his two favourite players at Queensland Roar happen to be? Yes, that’s right, it’s Frank Farina’s stellar young attacking duo.
“Robbie Kruse and Michael Zullo are probably my favourite players at the Roar. They’ve been really exciting this season and they are local boys as well,” Oar says of the pair. Queenslanders should cross their fingers.
Michelle FowlerJoel Allwright
Age 20
Club Para Hills Knights
League South Australian Super League
Position Attacking midfielder
There’s a lot to love about the way Cristiano Ronaldo plays his football. He’s fearless, side-steps defenders at will, and carries a bag full of tricks everywhere he goes. There’s also a lot to love about the way teenage sensation Joel Allwright goes about his football. He shares that passion and flair for running at defenders and making their life hell.
“I don’t have the array of skills that Ronaldo has, but I do try to play a bit like him because he’s so good,” says Allwright. “Ronaldo can pretty much do anything he wants with the ball.”
Allwright also appears destined to do anything he wants, too. Touted as perhaps South Australia’s best “untapped” young talent, he has several tickets on him from Scotland and the A-League.
The former South Australian Institute of Sport member was handed a four-week trial with Scottish Premier League club Dundee United last April. And shortly before he left for Scotland, Allwright was inundated with calls from Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory.
The electric 20-year-old reveals there’s still interest from some A-League clubs.
“There has been a little bit,” he says. “I went to Perth Glory at the start of this year on January 2 for two weeks on trial.”
Allwright is no stranger to the big time, having graced the world stage with the Joeys at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005. He also trained with Adelaide United for three years, as well as Dundee, so the player is fully aware of what’s required to make it to the big time.
“It was very hard [in Scotland] and very physical and that’s where people have said I have to improve, and that’s what I’m starting to do this year, trying to strengthen up a bit more,” he says.
“They said technically, I’m ready to play, just physically I need to get that little bit stronger.”
John Iannantuono
Hamlet Armenian
Age 21
Club South Melbourne FC
League Victorian Foxtel Cup
Position Striker
For those outside Victoria who may not have heard of Hamlet Armenian, you might like to pay YouTube a quick visit. When you’re done, there’s a good chance you’ll be asking yourself why the South Melbourne striker hasn’t yet been snapped up by an A-League club.
There was some interest expressed by A-League outfits last season, “a couple of things fell through”, remarks the 21-year-old. Instead, Armenian’s tally of nine goals for the season saw the unfancied Whittlesea Zebras trot all the way to the Foxtel Cup Grand Final.
Goals may be Armenian’s bread and butter, however his work ethic and awareness of his surroundings see him rack up as many assists as goals scored.
It’s no surprise Armenian can virtually out-last, out-muscle, out-sprint, and out-jump many of his opponents. Ever since the 182cm South Melbourne striker made his Victorian Premier League debut at the young age of 16 for Bentleigh Greens, Armenian has worked to better himself in every facet of his game, never quite content to rest on his explosive speed, gazelle-like leap or prowess in front of goal.
“If I’m not training with the club, I’m at the gym or with my private coach. And the days that I have training, I do something in the morning, like a gym session, and then I’ll go to training at night,” he says.
“I’ve been doing it for the last few of years. As soon as I got into the Premier League I wanted to go higher, I had the vision and the drive and wanted to push it as far as I could go, to get the best out of myself. The only thing that holds you back is yourself.”
John Iannantuono
Lachlan Cahill
Age 22
Club Wollongong Wolves
League NSW Premier League
Position Left-sided midfielder/defender
A natural left footer? That’s akin to discovering gold in the current Aussie football landscape. And according to Wolves coach John Turner, Cahill is also good enough for the A-League.
“He’s the first one on the teamsheet,” the long-time NSW Premier League coach tells FourFourTwo. And as well as sharing the same surname as Socceroo royalty, Cahill also has an interesting background. He was part of a very good Joeys squad of 2003 before returning to Australia in the dying days of the NSL.
Cahill briefly joined Sydney Olympic playing alongside Iain Fyfe and Troy Halpin but the long wait for the A-League prompted some drastic action. A two week trial at Dundee didn’t work out but an offer of a scholarship to a US University was a different challenge. It was the best thing he ever did.
“My game’s improved incredibly in the three years over there. It is extremely competitive,” the 22-year-old stresses. “After a few months, I became like the Americans. They say in America, if you’re second, you’re a loser and it’s this attitude throughout the NCAA Division.
“I was coached by Shaun Docking at Coastal Carolina University, who’s this tough British coach. There are a lot of foreign players in the league and it’s very structured. It’s like playing for a professional club with training and the games.”
Cahill suggests the best collegiate teams would challenge the best in the state leagues. However, he returned to his hometown Wollongong to play for the Wolves earlier this year. In the back of his mind though was the hope of something bigger.
“I just need a chance. I’m pretty confident I can do it but I just need that chance to prove myself in the A-League.”
Oh, and did we mention he’s a natural leftie? Form an orderly queue here A-League scouts.
Aidan Ormond
Shannon Cole
Age 23
Club Sydney Olympic FC
League NSW Premier League
Position Wide midfielder/fullback
FourFourTwo checked out a recent NSW Premier League game to scout a player for this feature. But a shaggy-haired midfielder with a Beckham-like touch also caught our eye. His name is Shannon Cole and he plays for Sydney Olympic.
The midfielder scored two beautiful free kicks that night as “Oh-lym-pic” romped to a 4-0 win.
Like many players at this level, says his coach and former Socceroo Milan Blagojevic, they can fly under the radar of the A-League simply because state leagues are a second tier competition that receive little publicity.
“Shannon’s certainly been on the radar in terms of the Premier League but with the A-League it’s pretty much a revolving door. One player will go to Central Coast, one to Perth, one to Victory and so on. So there is a need of an injection of new blood,” says the 1992 Olympian.
“Outside of those stop gap solutions where some Premier League footballers have come in, it’s been hard for them to get on the A-League radar. And on top of that, if your side isn’t doing well, you’re not going to attract too much attention from the A-League clubs.”
Cole is in his third season of NSW Premier League football and, like Lachlan Cahill, he’s had a stint, albeit a shorter one, at a US university. “He definitely can make it,” Blagojevic adds of Cole. “He’s certainly got the right attitude.
He’s a hard worker and can use both feet. He’s a dead ball specialist. He’s also versatile. He’s got prowess but also a bit of mongrel in him to defend when necessary. I think it’s only a matter of time before he gets snapped up. And obviously the expansion of the A-League in the future will obviously lead to some door opening for him.”
For Cole at least, he’s playing for one of the most progressive footballing sides in the NSW Premier League – “and one of the most professional” Cole adds – under a sharp young Aussie coach.
The 23-year-old has become somewhat of a pin up boy. Could the A-League be ready for some “Bend It Like Shannon” magic?
Aidan OrmondRobbie Cattanach
Age 23
Club Manly United FC
League NSW Premier League
Position Striker
One man who knows “Catto” well is his coach in the NSW Premier League Phil Moss. The Manly United boss says his striker has recognised the areas he has needed to work on – and has started 2008 a much better player as a result.
“The things that have probably held him back from making the A-League have been [a lack of] aggression and strength as well as his aerial power. But to be fair, we had a chat at the end of last season and he’s gone away and worked hard on those three aspects of his game,” Moss explains to FourFourTwo.
“I think he’s one of the best finishers in the NSW Premier League and he’ll be hard for A-League coaches to ignore.”
Cattanach – the 2005 and 2007 NSW Gold Medal Winner as the Premier League’s Player of the Year – briefly played for Sydney FC last season as short-term cover – ironically on the same teamsheet as Matt Nash, who’s also in this feature.
And Cattanach reminded us of his talent on the opening day of the 2008 NSW Premier League season when he nabbed a hat-trick on the road at Bankstown.
The Canberra-born 23-year-old played in the ACT Premier League before moving to the NSW competition. He had a successful year with the Belconnen Blue Devils then joined Manly – both former clubs of Nikolai Topor-Stanley. Cattanach is in his third year at Manly and is now a matured talent.
“He’s technically very good and quick,” adds Moss, a former Northern Spirit player. “He can score but also create goals. He’s one of those players who’s knocking on the door of the A-League.
“When the new clubs finally come in it’s the age old argument, where are they going to get the players from? They’ll have to look at the state leagues and if you look at our state league – which I think is the strongest in Australia – Robbie Cattanach is the pick of the crop.”
Aidan Ormand
Matthew Nash
Age 26
Club Apia Leichhardt Tigers
League NSW Premier League
Position Goalkeeper
Sydney FC fans may remember Matthew Nash. The unknown keeper was thrown into the fray in round two last season and turned in an A-1 performance between the sticks against Glory in Perth.
With Clint Bolton on international duty and back-up goalkeeper Ivan Necevski out injured – Necevski was also named in last year’s FourFourTwo 10 Best Players Outside the A-League feature [May 2007, page 40] – Nash introduced himself to A-League fans with an assured performance in the West.
“I was pretty nervous before the game but I knew about two weeks before that I’d be playing. When I got back to Sydney and training, it gave me real confidence that I could do it at that level,” Nash tells FourFourTwo.
Since the return of the two regular FC keepers, Nash continued his development in the NSW Premier League at APIA’s Lambert Park, where his burgeoning reputation as a commanding shot stopper has continued with the Tigers.
“It was great at Sydney because it [training and playing] was the only thing you had to concentrate on and I learned so much from Clint Bolton too. Just the way he conducts himself.
“For me a good keeper is all about cutting out the errors as much as possible and being consistent because one mistake and you could cost your team."
Will the former Illawarra League player be back in the A-League? Well, that’s the plan. “I moved up to Sydney to pretty much just play soccer,” explains the former NSWIS student.
“My goal is to do well and try to make it in the A-League. If not the A-League then I’d still want to play – it’s a long time in-between Premier League seasons too.”
Aidan Ormond
Fabio DiLizia
Age 17
Club Victorian Institute of Sport
League Victorian Foxtel Cup Under-21
Position Defender
DiLizia isn’t your ordinary 17-year-old. The Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder has already captained both the VIS and the Qantas Joeys and enjoyed trials with European heavyweights AS Roma and Liverpool – although the latter was more of a training session with the club’s youth team while the VIS was on a tour of England last year.
His vast achievements and ability have also led many to label DiLizia as Australia’s best player in his age-group – a belief that was given some extra credence when he was named the Best Junior Male by Football Federation Victoria in late 2007.
VIS coach Ian Greener is another singing the praises of his captain, who he believes has what it takes to make the leap into the A-League.
“At this stage, Fab is focused and certainly working hard to make that jump [into the A-League] and hopefully if given the chance, I think he can certainly do it,” he says.
“He’s an outstanding talent. He’s a very astute player and reads the game very, very well. He may not be one of the quickest but he’s certainly very sharp in reading situations.”
DiLizia has become a regular train-on member with Melbourne Victory – one of the perks emanating from the relationship between the VIS and the Victory – and he would love nothing more than to don the big white “V” at the Telstra Dome in the near future alongside the likes of Kevin Muscat and Roddy Vargas.
“For sure,” DiLizia exclaims. “Hopefully in the next couple of years something happens and we’ll take it from there. With the new National Youth League starting in August, hopefully I’ll get in somewhere and next year or the year after I make my senior debut.”
With Victory coach Ernie Merrick’s penchant for developing talent, it seems only a matter of time before this young gem is snapped up.
John Iannantuono
Adam Sarota
Age 19
Club Brisbane Strikers
League Brisbane Premier League
Position Attacking midfielder
Brisbane product Adam Sarota has already attracted the attention of Queensland coach Frank Farina, spending two months training with the Roar. And the attacking midfielder is currently cooling his heels in the Brisbane Premier League under ex-Roar defender and Brisbane Strikers’ coach Stuart McLaren, who tipped young flyer Michael Zullo as the next big thing this time last year.
“The kid has as much potential as any of the young players that we’ve seen burst onto the scene in the A-League. He’s the same vintage as Robbie Kruse and grew up playing with both him and Zullo. He’s slightly different though to those two – more central and unique in that sense,” says McLaren.
“He’s got a wonderful first touch, very nimble feet on the ball and great awareness of the game and other players about him – it’s why he suits an attacking midfield role.”
The mild-mannered teenager has just returned from Germany where he refined his skills with FC Köln youth academy Taxofit during a two-year scholarship deal that saw him take off at only 15.
“When I got the scholarship, that was when I thought, ‘I could actually make this a career.’ It was the turning point for me,” says Sarota. “It was difficult at first being away from my family, but after learning the language it got easier. I’ve always dreamed of playing football for a living and hopefully I’ll get the chance to try and match it with the A-League players.”
Michelle Fowler
Tallan Martin
Age 25
Club Marconi Stallions
League NSW Premier League
Position Striker
Tallan Martin – it seems to be a name that’s been on the radar for years, even though the striker is still only 25. In a nomadic career, Martin has had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus. Newcastle United in 2001 was followed by stints with other NSL clubs Wollongong and the Football Kingz.
He’s also plied his trade for four NSW Premier League clubs. However, a brief stint with Sydney FC in January 2007 showed that the striker was still on the A-League radar.
Martin’s better known these days as a NSW Premier League sharpshooter. He joined Marconi from Bankstown City after last season in which the former Westfield Sports High, NSWIS and AIS student was City’s top scorer with 11 goals.
At Marconi, with the likes of former A-League players Tolgay Ozbey and Vuko Tomasevic, as well as former Southampton youth player Jay Lucas, the goal poacher should benefit from coach David Barrett’s mentoring and a quality squad.
The forward, who cites Gary Lineker, Raul and Alan Shearer as his role models, has been on the periphery of the A-League since it began. His constant moving and untimely injuries have not helped his cause but there’s no doubt he has a goal poacher’s instinct.
“I’m at a good age and I’ve matured as a striker,” Martin tells FourFourTwo. “ I’ve had to deal with disappointments in my career which have made me stronger as well.”
“My plan is to break into the A-League for at least one full season or possibly two then maybe look to move overseas.
Perhaps in the Scandinavian or Asian markets – if not, stick with the A-League.”
Martin still has youth on his side and considerable experience. If he can stay at one club for a good spell he could develop into an A-League goal scorer of some note.
Aidan Ormond
Tommy Oar
Age 16
Club Queensland Academy of Sport
Position Winger
Watch this space. 16-year-old Tommy Oar has been widely tipped as a star of the future, in Australia, for Australia and abroad – big accolades for a kid who was only born in the 1990s.
After nabbing a scholarship at the Queensland Academy of Sport last year, the Gold Coast Palm Beach junior has caused a stir among industry insiders with his rapid improvement.
Head of football at the QAS Mike Mulvey is unwavering in his belief that the young left-footer could one day become a household name, admitting that he was hopeful that the winger’s style of play would see a resurgence in the future of Australian football.
“He’s clever, skilful and a traditional winger which is something that I’d like to see more of in the game – there’s no doubt he could play in the A-League one day, no doubt whatsoever,” Mulvey tells FourFourTwo.
“He can beat players in very tight areas, deliver dangerous crosses and can also score goals. In the last seven months at the QAS, Tommy has learned an awful lot about the game and improved out of sight. If he shows that level of improvement in the next 12 months, then I have no doubts that we have a serious footballer on our hands.
“We saw with Michael Zullo and Robbie Kruse at the Roar this season, how exciting it is when young players run at people and Tommy does it very well – he’s capable of playing for Australia right now at under-20 level and that’s his immediate goal.”
And who would his two favourite players at Queensland Roar happen to be? Yes, that’s right, it’s Frank Farina’s stellar young attacking duo.
“Robbie Kruse and Michael Zullo are probably my favourite players at the Roar. They’ve been really exciting this season and they are local boys as well,” Oar says of the pair. Queenslanders should cross their fingers.
Michelle FowlerJoel Allwright
Age 20
Club Para Hills Knights
League South Australian Super League
Position Attacking midfielder
There’s a lot to love about the way Cristiano Ronaldo plays his football. He’s fearless, side-steps defenders at will, and carries a bag full of tricks everywhere he goes. There’s also a lot to love about the way teenage sensation Joel Allwright goes about his football. He shares that passion and flair for running at defenders and making their life hell.
“I don’t have the array of skills that Ronaldo has, but I do try to play a bit like him because he’s so good,” says Allwright. “Ronaldo can pretty much do anything he wants with the ball.”
Allwright also appears destined to do anything he wants, too. Touted as perhaps South Australia’s best “untapped” young talent, he has several tickets on him from Scotland and the A-League.
The former South Australian Institute of Sport member was handed a four-week trial with Scottish Premier League club Dundee United last April. And shortly before he left for Scotland, Allwright was inundated with calls from Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory.
The electric 20-year-old reveals there’s still interest from some A-League clubs.
“There has been a little bit,” he says. “I went to Perth Glory at the start of this year on January 2 for two weeks on trial.”
Allwright is no stranger to the big time, having graced the world stage with the Joeys at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005. He also trained with Adelaide United for three years, as well as Dundee, so the player is fully aware of what’s required to make it to the big time.
“It was very hard [in Scotland] and very physical and that’s where people have said I have to improve, and that’s what I’m starting to do this year, trying to strengthen up a bit more,” he says.
“They said technically, I’m ready to play, just physically I need to get that little bit stronger.”
John Iannantuono
Hamlet Armenian
Age 21
Club South Melbourne FC
League Victorian Foxtel Cup
Position Striker
For those outside Victoria who may not have heard of Hamlet Armenian, you might like to pay YouTube a quick visit. When you’re done, there’s a good chance you’ll be asking yourself why the South Melbourne striker hasn’t yet been snapped up by an A-League club.
There was some interest expressed by A-League outfits last season, “a couple of things fell through”, remarks the 21-year-old. Instead, Armenian’s tally of nine goals for the season saw the unfancied Whittlesea Zebras trot all the way to the Foxtel Cup Grand Final.
Goals may be Armenian’s bread and butter, however his work ethic and awareness of his surroundings see him rack up as many assists as goals scored.
It’s no surprise Armenian can virtually out-last, out-muscle, out-sprint, and out-jump many of his opponents. Ever since the 182cm South Melbourne striker made his Victorian Premier League debut at the young age of 16 for Bentleigh Greens, Armenian has worked to better himself in every facet of his game, never quite content to rest on his explosive speed, gazelle-like leap or prowess in front of goal.
“If I’m not training with the club, I’m at the gym or with my private coach. And the days that I have training, I do something in the morning, like a gym session, and then I’ll go to training at night,” he says.
“I’ve been doing it for the last few of years. As soon as I got into the Premier League I wanted to go higher, I had the vision and the drive and wanted to push it as far as I could go, to get the best out of myself. The only thing that holds you back is yourself.”
John Iannantuono
Lachlan Cahill
Age 22
Club Wollongong Wolves
League NSW Premier League
Position Left-sided midfielder/defender
A natural left footer? That’s akin to discovering gold in the current Aussie football landscape. And according to Wolves coach John Turner, Cahill is also good enough for the A-League.
“He’s the first one on the teamsheet,” the long-time NSW Premier League coach tells FourFourTwo. And as well as sharing the same surname as Socceroo royalty, Cahill also has an interesting background. He was part of a very good Joeys squad of 2003 before returning to Australia in the dying days of the NSL.
Cahill briefly joined Sydney Olympic playing alongside Iain Fyfe and Troy Halpin but the long wait for the A-League prompted some drastic action. A two week trial at Dundee didn’t work out but an offer of a scholarship to a US University was a different challenge. It was the best thing he ever did.
“My game’s improved incredibly in the three years over there. It is extremely competitive,” the 22-year-old stresses. “After a few months, I became like the Americans. They say in America, if you’re second, you’re a loser and it’s this attitude throughout the NCAA Division.
“I was coached by Shaun Docking at Coastal Carolina University, who’s this tough British coach. There are a lot of foreign players in the league and it’s very structured. It’s like playing for a professional club with training and the games.”
Cahill suggests the best collegiate teams would challenge the best in the state leagues. However, he returned to his hometown Wollongong to play for the Wolves earlier this year. In the back of his mind though was the hope of something bigger.
“I just need a chance. I’m pretty confident I can do it but I just need that chance to prove myself in the A-League.”
Oh, and did we mention he’s a natural leftie? Form an orderly queue here A-League scouts.
Aidan Ormond
Shannon Cole
Age 23
Club Sydney Olympic FC
League NSW Premier League
Position Wide midfielder/fullback
FourFourTwo checked out a recent NSW Premier League game to scout a player for this feature. But a shaggy-haired midfielder with a Beckham-like touch also caught our eye. His name is Shannon Cole and he plays for Sydney Olympic.
The midfielder scored two beautiful free kicks that night as “Oh-lym-pic” romped to a 4-0 win.
Like many players at this level, says his coach and former Socceroo Milan Blagojevic, they can fly under the radar of the A-League simply because state leagues are a second tier competition that receive little publicity.
“Shannon’s certainly been on the radar in terms of the Premier League but with the A-League it’s pretty much a revolving door. One player will go to Central Coast, one to Perth, one to Victory and so on. So there is a need of an injection of new blood,” says the 1992 Olympian.
“Outside of those stop gap solutions where some Premier League footballers have come in, it’s been hard for them to get on the A-League radar. And on top of that, if your side isn’t doing well, you’re not going to attract too much attention from the A-League clubs.”
Cole is in his third season of NSW Premier League football and, like Lachlan Cahill, he’s had a stint, albeit a shorter one, at a US university. “He definitely can make it,” Blagojevic adds of Cole. “He’s certainly got the right attitude.
He’s a hard worker and can use both feet. He’s a dead ball specialist. He’s also versatile. He’s got prowess but also a bit of mongrel in him to defend when necessary. I think it’s only a matter of time before he gets snapped up. And obviously the expansion of the A-League in the future will obviously lead to some door opening for him.”
For Cole at least, he’s playing for one of the most progressive footballing sides in the NSW Premier League – “and one of the most professional” Cole adds – under a sharp young Aussie coach.
The 23-year-old has become somewhat of a pin up boy. Could the A-League be ready for some “Bend It Like Shannon” magic?
Aidan OrmondRobbie Cattanach
Age 23
Club Manly United FC
League NSW Premier League
Position Striker
One man who knows “Catto” well is his coach in the NSW Premier League Phil Moss. The Manly United boss says his striker has recognised the areas he has needed to work on – and has started 2008 a much better player as a result.
“The things that have probably held him back from making the A-League have been [a lack of] aggression and strength as well as his aerial power. But to be fair, we had a chat at the end of last season and he’s gone away and worked hard on those three aspects of his game,” Moss explains to FourFourTwo.
“I think he’s one of the best finishers in the NSW Premier League and he’ll be hard for A-League coaches to ignore.”
Cattanach – the 2005 and 2007 NSW Gold Medal Winner as the Premier League’s Player of the Year – briefly played for Sydney FC last season as short-term cover – ironically on the same teamsheet as Matt Nash, who’s also in this feature.
And Cattanach reminded us of his talent on the opening day of the 2008 NSW Premier League season when he nabbed a hat-trick on the road at Bankstown.
The Canberra-born 23-year-old played in the ACT Premier League before moving to the NSW competition. He had a successful year with the Belconnen Blue Devils then joined Manly – both former clubs of Nikolai Topor-Stanley. Cattanach is in his third year at Manly and is now a matured talent.
“He’s technically very good and quick,” adds Moss, a former Northern Spirit player. “He can score but also create goals. He’s one of those players who’s knocking on the door of the A-League.
“When the new clubs finally come in it’s the age old argument, where are they going to get the players from? They’ll have to look at the state leagues and if you look at our state league – which I think is the strongest in Australia – Robbie Cattanach is the pick of the crop.”
Aidan Ormand
Matthew Nash
Age 26
Club Apia Leichhardt Tigers
League NSW Premier League
Position Goalkeeper
Sydney FC fans may remember Matthew Nash. The unknown keeper was thrown into the fray in round two last season and turned in an A-1 performance between the sticks against Glory in Perth.
With Clint Bolton on international duty and back-up goalkeeper Ivan Necevski out injured – Necevski was also named in last year’s FourFourTwo 10 Best Players Outside the A-League feature [May 2007, page 40] – Nash introduced himself to A-League fans with an assured performance in the West.
“I was pretty nervous before the game but I knew about two weeks before that I’d be playing. When I got back to Sydney and training, it gave me real confidence that I could do it at that level,” Nash tells FourFourTwo.
Since the return of the two regular FC keepers, Nash continued his development in the NSW Premier League at APIA’s Lambert Park, where his burgeoning reputation as a commanding shot stopper has continued with the Tigers.
“It was great at Sydney because it [training and playing] was the only thing you had to concentrate on and I learned so much from Clint Bolton too. Just the way he conducts himself.
“For me a good keeper is all about cutting out the errors as much as possible and being consistent because one mistake and you could cost your team."
Will the former Illawarra League player be back in the A-League? Well, that’s the plan. “I moved up to Sydney to pretty much just play soccer,” explains the former NSWIS student.
“My goal is to do well and try to make it in the A-League. If not the A-League then I’d still want to play – it’s a long time in-between Premier League seasons too.”
Aidan Ormond
Fabio DiLizia
Age 17
Club Victorian Institute of Sport
League Victorian Foxtel Cup Under-21
Position Defender
DiLizia isn’t your ordinary 17-year-old. The Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder has already captained both the VIS and the Qantas Joeys and enjoyed trials with European heavyweights AS Roma and Liverpool – although the latter was more of a training session with the club’s youth team while the VIS was on a tour of England last year.
His vast achievements and ability have also led many to label DiLizia as Australia’s best player in his age-group – a belief that was given some extra credence when he was named the Best Junior Male by Football Federation Victoria in late 2007.
VIS coach Ian Greener is another singing the praises of his captain, who he believes has what it takes to make the leap into the A-League.
“At this stage, Fab is focused and certainly working hard to make that jump [into the A-League] and hopefully if given the chance, I think he can certainly do it,” he says.
“He’s an outstanding talent. He’s a very astute player and reads the game very, very well. He may not be one of the quickest but he’s certainly very sharp in reading situations.”
DiLizia has become a regular train-on member with Melbourne Victory – one of the perks emanating from the relationship between the VIS and the Victory – and he would love nothing more than to don the big white “V” at the Telstra Dome in the near future alongside the likes of Kevin Muscat and Roddy Vargas.
“For sure,” DiLizia exclaims. “Hopefully in the next couple of years something happens and we’ll take it from there. With the new National Youth League starting in August, hopefully I’ll get in somewhere and next year or the year after I make my senior debut.”
With Victory coach Ernie Merrick’s penchant for developing talent, it seems only a matter of time before this young gem is snapped up.
John Iannantuono
Adam Sarota
Age 19
Club Brisbane Strikers
League Brisbane Premier League
Position Attacking midfielder
Brisbane product Adam Sarota has already attracted the attention of Queensland coach Frank Farina, spending two months training with the Roar. And the attacking midfielder is currently cooling his heels in the Brisbane Premier League under ex-Roar defender and Brisbane Strikers’ coach Stuart McLaren, who tipped young flyer Michael Zullo as the next big thing this time last year.
“The kid has as much potential as any of the young players that we’ve seen burst onto the scene in the A-League. He’s the same vintage as Robbie Kruse and grew up playing with both him and Zullo. He’s slightly different though to those two – more central and unique in that sense,” says McLaren.
“He’s got a wonderful first touch, very nimble feet on the ball and great awareness of the game and other players about him – it’s why he suits an attacking midfield role.”
The mild-mannered teenager has just returned from Germany where he refined his skills with FC Köln youth academy Taxofit during a two-year scholarship deal that saw him take off at only 15.
“When I got the scholarship, that was when I thought, ‘I could actually make this a career.’ It was the turning point for me,” says Sarota. “It was difficult at first being away from my family, but after learning the language it got easier. I’ve always dreamed of playing football for a living and hopefully I’ll get the chance to try and match it with the A-League players.”
Michelle Fowler
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