www.goalweekly.com $3 Season 4: Issue 2 Monday 18th February 2008 Supporting all colours and reporting in black and white CRUNCH TIME Captains of the respective Foxtel championship. Cup sides prepare for the the commencement of the 2008 VPL ARRIVES! Photo: Steve Starek Back row, Left to right, Michael Bosevski (Fawkner Blues), Felix Rosman (Oakleigh Cannons), Steven Mrkela (Altona Magic), GeorgeBack row, Goutzioulis (Richmond Eagles), Tony Ouliaris (Heidelberg United), Terry Antoniadis (Western Suburbs), Craig Elvin (Melbourne Knights). Antoniadis (Western Ouliaris (Heidelberg United), Terry Goutzioulis (Richmond Eagles), Tony Front row, left to right, Tony Sterjovski (Preston Lions), Dean Anastasiadis (South Melb), Cameron Leopold (Frankston Pines), Dean Fak (Green Gully). Sterjovski (Preston Lions), Dean left to right, Tony Front row, Photo by Daniel Flis Daniel by Photo SUPPORTING ALL COLOURS Goal! Weekly FOOTBALL FEATURE 23 Adrian Cagalj CANNONS’ KEEPER COUP Second time lucky for Cagalj? hen Adrian Cagalj and Mel- game against Eagles. Two weeks later we say that he was pretty unorthodox. He could Zlatko Vego was in charge of the bourne Knights abruptly and played against Altona Magic and Eddie get the best out of lots of players but he was Knights when Cagalj finally made his first Wsurprisingly parted company Krncevic (Carlton coach) was there. Eddie like a hand grenade and when he went off appearance as first-choice keeper for the less than a fortnight ago, little did the for- went to North Geelong to watch me as well he really went off. Some players couldn’t opening of the 2005 season but a 1–0 home mer National League goalkeeper realise and that’s how my move to Carlton came handle the mental pressure. But he taught loss to Fawkner-Whittlesea in Round 17 that he’d be immediately thrown a lifeline about.” me a lot about positioning.” saw Vego dumped and replaced by club by Oakleigh Cannons coach and former Cagalj’s experience at Carlton had Although Cagalj maintained his legend and former star winger Josip Biskic. Rangers star Stuart Munro. a profound effect upon him. “It changes status at the club during the 2001/02 season, But things were to turn decidedly sour for But it’s a move that makes sense you forever in a way. Eddie had brought the Adelaide had a poor year, finishing second Biskic the following season. Cagalj takes up as this is the second time that the pair’s foot- same philosophies to Carlton that he’d been last, just six points above New Zealand’s the story: ball paths have crossed. Their link first was part of as a successful player overseas so in Football Kingz. It was to be Cagalj’s last “Look, people at the club had formed at Carlton in the National League a way it was like being in Europe. A lot of season in South Australia. tremendous respect for Josip Biskic and it’s in 1999 and Cagalj already had had a stint us were sore and tired every day at the start “By the time I headed back to just a pity that a lot of political stuff got in as the No. 1 custodian at Jack Edwards Re- because we were virtually full-timers but af- Victoria the National League had lost lots the way during that season. I really believe serve a few seasons back, winning the 2003 ter two months you were absolutely flying.” of its quality and I couldn’t see the point of that if the political guys had left us alone First Division championship and helping to Cagalj was with Carlton for two staying there. I’d also got my qualifications that we could have done some really big cement the club’s Premier League status. and a half seasons, making 12 senior ap- as a personal trainer so I came back here things that year. The reverberations of the Cagalj– pearances in the 1998/99 season. Munro re- and joined Port Melbourne for the first half “Eventually all the things that were Knights split are still being felt in some placed Krncevic as coach for the 1999/2000 of the 2003 season. going on off the field affected the players. quarters. It was the suddenness of the break- They became unsettled. In the end some of up that caught most observers off guard. our fans were coming to our games wanting On 5 February, local paper ‘The us to lose; that’s how bad it became. Advocate’ quoted Cagalj as being really “When Biskic resigned he said to pumped up for the coming season, deter- the players that he knew what was going on mined to see the Knights make up for the off the field and that he didn’t want to be a disappointment of their 2007 finals cam- part of it. The players had meetings and a paign. Cagalj was “adamant the players are few of us said ‘if we leave and the Knights hungry for the flag” and added that “the get relegated what will happen to the club?’ boys are looking forward to going a little bit I was the captain and there was better than we did last year”. no way that we were going to get relegated While a week is a long time in on my beat. As it turned out there was just another code, a matter of hours can usher one goal that saved us from relegation that in massive upheaval in the world game. season. Knights offered Cagalj contract terms that “Look, it’s very hard to play when he believed breached a previous agreement you lose friends that you play with. Some of and he refused to accept them. us don’t just have friendships on the field, It was a tough call for the 31-year- we have very close friendships off the field old as being the No. 1 keeper at the Knights as well. In the end, what happened in 2006 was the achievement of a cherished ambi- really tested people’s loyalty and you felt tion. “I supported the Knights from just split between sticking by your friends and about when I started to walk,” said Cagalj. sticking by the club. It was very hard.” His parents are Croatian, father George ar- The club’s onfield fortunes riving here in 1958 and Maria, his mother, changed dramatically last year under new in 1975. senior coach Chris Taylor who guided the Cagalj’s career kicked off at Altona side to a second-placed finish at the end of City juniors when he was just eight years the regular season only to suffer a heart- old. He made his senior debut in Second breaking 2-1 preliminary final loss after Division when he was 16, thanks to coach playing half the game with 10 men (star Billy Hamill. striker Anthony Pelikan was sent off in the “Our regular keeper was also a 47th minute). wicketkeeper and his cricket involvement “We had some strong characters gave me a chance, but Billy also was good in that side, a really strong defence and it with youngsters that had talent. He always was our mental toughness that helped us encouraged us at a time when a lot of senior when the going got tough last year. We just coaches were reticent to do that,” said couldn’t put teams away and that’s what bit Cagalj. us on the arse in the finals.” “I was all over the place at first but, Safe hands: Adrian makes his debut for the second time around But it’s a new phase in Cagalj’s Nike Australia sponsors the Socceroos & Matildas once I settled down, in the 10 weeks that I for Oakleigh Cannons on Saturday. career now and although much has been played in the seniors I learned so much.” written about Oakleigh’s change of direction Nike is the official ball of the A-League Cagalj then switched to Melbourne with a focus on promoting younger players, Knights as a youth team player under Zveto season and Cagalj found his opportunities “The club wasn’t really going to do any Cagalj still sees plenty of experience in the Rastocic but a year later he decided that be- limited. “We had a pretty experienced team good though and it didn’t really matter Cannons’ line-up and is confident that the Nike has a range of football strips and balls ing the fourth-choice keeper at the club was and it was pretty hard for me to sneak in to whether we got beat 1-0 or 6-0, we were side can make the finals. available for juniors & seniors doing little for his development. He joined that top spot.” still going to get relegated. I spoke to the “There’s a lot of experience in the Essendon Royals in Division Two with the But Cagalj was to discover that president and explained the situation and we spine of our team and even out wide. And Ask your local Nike stockist for details explicit aim of gaining a senior spot, which during his stint at North Geelong his talents struck up a deal with Oakleigh.” there’s a lot of talent in the squad. Frank he did under then coach Ralph Barba. had attracted interest from outside the state It was a successful switch as the Lagana (from Essendon Royals) looks “For some players the National borders. Greek-backed Cannons, under coach Mike pretty special. Youth League was a good grounding but “It turned out that Zoran Matic Chatzitrifonas, won the First Division title “I get the feeling that there’s a it didn’t do a lot for me.