NPL Victoria: Avondale FC coach Zoran Markovski ponders attacking options for new campaign
New Avondale FC coach Zoran Markovski has spent the NPL off-season plotting for life without two of the players who were integral to the club’s maiden grand final appearance.
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New Avondale FC coach Zoran Markovski has spent the NPL off-season plotting for life without two of the players who were integral to the club’s maiden grand final appearance.
Clever winger Elvis Kamsoba has joined Melbourne Victory after scoring eight goals last season, while striker Kaine Sheppard (14 goals) has linked with Newcastle Jets.
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The prolific duo netted 22 of the 62 goals scored by Avondale last year, leaving Markovski with significant holes to plug in the attacking third.
Markovski said target man Liam Boland, a proven NPL scorer, was capable of matching his output from last season of 16 goals and alleviating some of the concerns regarding the departure of Kamsoba and Sheppard to the A-League.
“He will score his 10-15, he averages that every season in the NPL,” Markovski said.
“The other guys in behind Liam, if they can chip in with eight to 10 each, it will be good. That’s where we can fix the problem with Elvis and Sheppard.”
The Avengers have so far kept their off-season additions secret but six players have been added to complement their re-signings.
Defender Ross Archibald (Altona Magic), veteran Jeff Fleming (retired) and Anthony Strano (retired from NPL) are the other first-team omissions.
Avondale FC finished third after the league campaign last year, progressing to the grand final where it lost 2-1 to Heidelberg United.
“We failed at the last hurdle, so if we can try and go one better and try and achieve a trophy this season, it would be good,” Markovski said.
“It’s going to be hard to replicate it but we are still going to push for the FFA Cup, as far as we can get. Finals is another big target.”
Markovski spent four and a half years as an assistant coach at Hume City and was in charge at Whittlesea Ranges before joining Avondale FC as Anthony Barbieri’s right-hand man.
“Defences win championships and I think we conceded too many goals last year,” he said.
“If you can concede under 26 in 26 rounds, you go close to winning the league.”
He said the Avengers, who kick-off their NPL campaign against promoted Dandenong City on February 15, were preparing for “one of the toughest NPL seasons”.
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