How Preston Lions will manage players, expectations after off-season recruiting spree

Arguably Victoria’s busiest club this off-season, VPL1 power and National Second Division member Preston Lions has high expectations for 2024 and beyond.

Preston Lions have made major moves in the off-season.

If they were handing out silverware in the off-season, Preston Lions would be a runaway winner.

The reigning NPL WA Gold Medallist and South Sudan international, an Australian under-17 and under-20 representative and French Martinique and Afghanistan internationals.

Players with Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City, Central Coast Mariners, Newcastle Jets and Brisbane Roar pedigree, experience in the Scottish league and, to top it off, a NPL Victoria champion and Jimmy Rooney Medallist who spent time in Holland.

The Lions recruiting campaign has been eye-catching.

It comes on the back of a strong first season back at VPL1 level and confirmation the club will be a foundation member of the incoming National Second Division.

Preston coach Louis Acevski said the super-charged squad was assembled with an eye on both this season and the future.

“We’ve had to bring in a few new faces, which is a combination of playing for this season in VPL1 and then obviously the B-League coming up next year,” Acevski said.

“We’re trying to put a squad together that can realistically keep together and move onto the B-League.

“We’ve got some really good characters here, good strong personalities and a blend of talented young players.

“Definitely, when you’ve got 22 or 23 good footballers to pick from, it is a good headache.

“Every single player will play a part this year, there’s always injuries, suspensions or drops in form.”

The inclusions are headlined by Chok Dau, who claimed player of the year honours in Western Australia last season with Perth RedStar, and Wesley Jobello who has played for Marseille and Coventry City.

The list of local stars is just as impressive, Marcus Schroen from South Melbourne, Luc Jeggo from Green Gully, Bentleigh goalkeeper Bon Scott, Alec Mills and Adrian Valenti.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson, Preston Lions president David Cvetkovski and Football Australia head of competitions Natalie Lutz.

“Wes, I’d been in communication with his manager in France for a couple of years, and he offered him to me,” Acevski said.

“Chok, through my contacts in Perth, the kid is obviously very talented and played overseas.

“The majority of the players that we signed, your Marcus Schroens – I’ve worked with Marcus before – and Luc Jeggos, these boys will play a big part.

“Aaron Anderson has been at Melbourne Victory, Alec Mills played at Melbourne City, Jakob Cresnar played at Sydney Olympic and Adrian Valenti played at Marconi – these boys have come from good, strong clubs.”

After winning the VPL2 title in 2022, Preston was a VPL1 premiership challenger for much of last season.

However, the Lions went winless in their final 10 games and slid to eighth, eight points behind promotion-winner Manningham United.

Connor Bell and Delarno Pharoe led the club’s scoring with six goals each as the club ranked 10th for goals scored but, critically, third for goals conceded.

An impressive off-season has led to an impressive set of friendly results, Preston knocking off the likes of Dandenong City and Port Melbourne Sharks and losing to Avondale 2-1.

Expectations are high ahead of a Round 1 clash with Bulleen Lions on Monday, February 11.

“It starts with our own expectations, we want to do the best for the club,” Acevski said.

“We’re not thinking too far ahead because if you do that you fall on your face, so to speak.

“We’ll go out and try to win every game that we play.

“We had a fair bit of depth last year but unfortunately had a lot of major injuries.

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“I think about seven footballers from our first XI that would start week-in, week-out had long-term injuries.

“A couple of season-ending injuries before the season even started and then three shoulder reconstructions, broken tibia, damaged ankle ligaments, injuries you can’t recover from.

“We got through in the first half of the year but then I think it did hurt us in the second half of the year significantly.”

Preston Lions first home game of the season will be in Round 2 against promotion-winner Melbourne Victory on Friday, February 16.