The final ball has just been kicked on Perth Glory’s miserable 2021/22 season but focus has already shifted to the next campaign, with youngsters Stefan Colakovski and Patrick Wood set to join the club.
Colakovski came through the Melbourne City set up, having supported Melbourne Heart as a kid, and has represented North Macedonia at under-21 level. Following a strong 2020/21 campaign, he has been a bit-part player for the reigning Premiers this time round but played a role in their recent Asian Champions League games, scoring in the 3-0 win over United City.
The 22-year-old can play anywhere across the front line and will be looking to earn a regular starting spot in Perth.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Patrick Wood has been highly rated for a few years but found game time hard to come by at Sydney FC this year, with coach Steve Corica opting instead for experienced campaigners like Adam Le Fondre and Bobo.
Wood has just one start (and one goal) to his name in the ISUZU Ute A-League Men’s competition in 2021/22 but has been in form in the National Premier League New South Wales (NPL NSW) top flight, bagging six goals in just four games.
In October 2021, Wood was called up to the Australian under-23 side for the first time and scored in the 3-2 win over Indonesia in the 2022 AFC under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers.
He followed that up with another goal three days later in the second leg as Australia secured its spot in the AFC under-23 Asian Cup that will take place next month.
As Colakovski and Wood join an already exciting crop of youngsters, other players look set to move on over the next few weeks.
Daniel Stynes is one of those who is free to explore other opportunities. The 23-year-old has been in and out of the team this year and while he is something of a fan favourite, it is likely that Stynes will be playing elsewhere next season.
Jonathan Aspropotamitis was a mainstay in defence under Richard Garcia, however he has fallen off the face of the earth since Ruben Zadkovich stepped into the head coaching role.
The 25-year-old is contracted for next season but in a recent press conference, Zadkovich addressed the situation and said that there was a matter he was working through with the player which needed to be addressed before he would play again. A mutual termination may be on the cards.
Joshua Rawlins’ departure to FC Utrecht was confirmed yesterday, with Glory set to receive a development fee believed to be in the region of $400,000 for the 18-year-old.
Darko Stanojevic’s brief spell at the club should end with just 17 minutes of game time and Osama Malik has been in talks elsewhere with his contract set to expire too.
Glory Chief Executive Officer Tony Pignata said it’s very unlikely that Daniel Sturridge will be offered a new deal. The Englishman’s season was a massive disappointment, with a return on investment of 163 total minutes for 0 goals. He failed to make it off the bench in the final game win over Melbourne City at HBF Park.
Amongst the senior players contacted for next season are Brad Jones, Liam Reddy, Kesuke Ota, Jack Clisby, Antonee Burke-Gilroy, Bruno Fornaroli, and captain Brandon O’Neill.
Winger Carlo Armiento has stepped up his recovery from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury that sidelined him for the season, while other youngsters will be hoping to secure new deals having shown plenty of promise in the first team recently.
The club are believed to be in talks with a number of experienced players, both domestically and overseas, as they work towards a July 1 date for preseason training at a revamped Fremantle Oval.
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