Moreland City coach David Ostojic discusses relegation and the club’s future

While relegation remains unconfirmed, Moreland City coach David Ostojic believes stepping back to VPL1 can help the club come back stronger.

Kur Arob in action for Moreland City. Picture: Hamish Blair

Moreland City coach David Ostojic says the club can come back stronger after suffering NPL Victoria relegation.

The club’s two-year stay in the state’s top flight looks to be over after a 6-3 loss to Altona Magic confirmed a wooden spoon finish.

With major doubt now hanging over the proposed National Second Division, relegation is expected to be reinstated by Football Victoria.

Moreland will look to bounce back quickly, hopeful of replicating its VPL1 premiership campaign of 2022.

Ostojic said it was devastating for the club but was confident it could rebuild.

Apai Ukuno in action for Moreland City. Picture: Hamish Blair

“Even if the B-League goes ahead I believe there’ll still be one going down,” Ostojic said.

“It is what it is.

“We went out there and gave it a good, hard belt but came up short.

“What can you do? That’s the nature of the beast. It’s not what we wanted to happen.

“It’s a time to regroup and get our things together and make sure the next time we get back up we have a good tilt at it.”

After avoiding the drop last year by a single point, Moreland has won just three and drawn two of 24 matches this season.

One win awarded to the club after Avondale played an unregistered player in Round 17.

The club has let a number of potential results slip in the final minutes this season.

Only a late penalty denied City a draw against South Melbourne in Round 2, it also held Avondale to one goal in Round 4.

Corey Thomas in action for Moreland City. Picture: Hamish Blair

It’s suffered heart-breaking last-gasp losses to Heidelberg United twice, Altona Magic and Hume City and conceded stoppage time equaliser to Port Melbourne.

Ostojic praised his players commitment this season.

“We went into (Saturday’s) game with eight of our starters not there,” he said.

“The back-end of the season has been difficult to get them all on the park.

“A club of our stature, our depth isn’t fantastic, we don’t have players that can walk into the starting XI and we have to rely on young guns.

“In fairness to them, they did a pretty good job.

“Looking at the season as a whole, there’s five games we’ve been out of it, five games that we’ve lost points in the last 10 minutes and then the other 10 or so we’ve competed with the best of them.

“All in all, I think we’ve played better football this year but the inexperience has hurt us.”

Off-season recruit Jose Sanz has been a mainstay, playing all 24 matches and scoring nine goals, while fellow summer addition Deane Watters is the only other player to feature in every game.

Fletcher Fulton has been restricted to 16 games and Michael Tzoutzidis to 15, while Diego Cuba has shown promise in his first season down from Queensland.

If Moreland can retain a core group of players it should be well positioned to bounce back next year.

“Every team’s goal is to play as high as they can,” Ostojic said.

“We’re already talking about it, started making plans (for 2025).

“We’re sitting down over the next couple of weeks to talk to the players.

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“We’ll take a bit of a break and reset and then get stuck back into it.”

Ostojic is weighing up whether he too remains at the club next year, waiting until after the season to make a final decision.

With two games remaining, Manningham United is in the hot seat to join Moreland in VPL1.

The Blues are four points behind St Albans needing to win games against Heidelberg United and Altona Magic and hope the Saints lose to Green Gully and South Melbourne.