Foschini to A-League: Give this kid a shot!

Epifano has Youth League experience with Melbourne Heart (now City) under his belt and subsequently played for Dandenong Thunder before being snapped up by South in 2013.

The 22-year-old was linked with Perth Glory and Adelaide United in 2015 and continues to turn heads in grassroots football.

It is Foschini’s second season with South after departing Oakleigh Cannons in 2015, and he wanted to deliver a personal message to A-League clubs believing Epifano should be playing at a higher level.

“He tears it up week-in and week-out. I’m frustrated for him. I’ve had my go and I did OK and it didn’t really work out but give some other kids a go. It won’t cost you a lot of money and they’ll give you a lot of reward.

“It’s beyond me, I scratch my head at training. Some of the things he does, makes people look like witches hats.

“In games he’s explosive, he’s match winner.. what more do you want? In Australia we love players that can run at people and take people on, he’s exactly that.”

He also made correlation with the expansion issue, believing opportunities and quality will improve vastly for young players if there were more teams in the A-League.

South have received strong backing in the past few months to be inducted into the A-League.

“You come and watch a game of NPL -  there's quality players on both teams who wouldn’t look out of place in the A-League,” he said.

“With the rostering, it’s pretty difficult and not a lot of coaches are willing to take a risk from the NPL.

“Expanding the competition by four or five teams, it gives young players an opportunity and a pathway from their juniors to their NPL to the A-League to the national team to growing the game in this country.  

“A 10-team league is not sustainable if you want Australia to progress as a footballing nation.

“If It was South Melbourne that would be amazing, but just anywhere. Everyone get behind it. Don’t be hating on another bid, get behind the football and we want it to progress in Australia.”

He also said adding more local derbies around the country was necessary to create rivalry.

“The biggest games of the season are the Sydney and Melbourne derbies. The buzz is fantastic, the city’s alive. Even when other codes are on at the same time, everyone is focused on the derbies,” he said.

“If you can get a viable option in Brisbane and other cities or a third team in Melbourne. Having another three to six derbies in a year, that’s fantastic.

“They’re the games that’ll push Australia onwards and upwards. Overseas will start televising ‘geez, AAMI Park is packed out… Lakeside Stadium is packed out’, the derbies are games we want.”

Foschini spoke of the tumultuous years he had after being released by Victory in 2013, conceding did not watch an A-League game for two years.

He now has a second job and is studying commerce, as well as getting married to wife Linda in the end of 2015.

Foschini playing for Victory in 2012

The 26-year-old said he was still hopeful of one day returning to the A-League.

“To be honest my phone never rang once. I thought maybe I was naïve my phone would be going off the hook when I left Victory,” Foschini conceded.

“I cut my contract off a year short, lack of opportunity and I thought I’d move on somewhere else and I haven’t had a phone call from an A-League team in five years. It is what it is.

“Simon Colosimo rang me saying ‘look I’m playing in India, another team needs a player. Are you interested?’ and I said ‘OK… India? Alright, sure… let’s give it a crack’.

“I still have aspirations of doing well, I put in the extra training away from South Melbourne, I’m still dedicated hoping one day it might happen but if it’s not to be it’s not to be. I’ll never stop giving up.

“I’ve had to get a nine to five job and I’ve gone back to Uni, it’s a harsh reality, as a young pro footballer you think the sky’s the limit and you come crashing down to earth. You have your dark days, falling in and out of bad times.”

Foschini playing in the FFA Cup for former club Oakleigh Cannons

And after pouring his heart out, the defender is prioritising his loved ones before making any rash decisions.

“I never spoke to anyone about the A-League after, It just broke my heart. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me, I’m just saying it’s what happens,” he said.

“It’s a stark reality a lot of young footballers and they think it’s going to last forever. Then you get a tap on the shoulder and next thing you know you’re working nine to five and it’s a tough grind sometimes.

“But you learn there’s more important things than football. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the game but my family is No.1 now and I put them first before anything.”

(MAIN PHOTO: Epifano in action against Melbourne Victory NPL. Ashley Perez Photography)