Melbourne Victory begins its 2022 NPL 3 Victoria campaign against Whittlesea Ranges on Saturday.
Preview
After two seasons impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Victory’s Under-23s start 2022 at Epping Stadium under new Head Coach Joe Palatsides.
Palatsides was appointed the Club’s Head of Academy Coaching in November, with the role including leading the senior NPL side.
Victory played 14 NPL games last season, sitting sixth on the table before the campaign was cut short due to COVID-19.
In a promising sign, Victory’s youngsters played a key role in helping the Club win the Australia Cup.
Lleyton Brooks, Birkan Kirdar, Jay Barnett, Zaydan Bello, Aaron Anderson, Luis Lawrie-Lattanzio, Ryan Lethlean, Thomas Lambiris, Anthony Leban, William Wilson, Aisen Ishak and Edmond Lupancu all played parts.
Nishan Velupillay, 20, was also influential and has been playing a role in the Isuzu UTE A-League for Victory.
Victory and Whittlesea last met in July last year, playing out a 1-1 draw in a game in which Wilson was on the scoresheet.
Player in focus
Wilson is part of Victory’s NPL 3 Victoria squad and has enjoyed a fine few months. As well as scoring a brilliant winner against the Gold Coast Knights in December, the midfielder also made his Isuzu UTE A-League debut against the Western Sydney Wanderers in February.
This week
NPL 3 Victoria: Melbourne Victory U23s v Whittlesea Ranges (Saturday, March 19 at 3.00pm AEDT at Epping Stadium, Melbourne)
U21 NPL 3 Victoria: Melbourne Victory v Whittlesea Ranges (Saturday, March 19 at 12.30pm AEDT at Epping Stadium, Melbourne)
U18 NPL North Victoria: Hume City v Melbourne Victory (Sunday, March 20 at 3.00pm AEDT at ABD Stadium, Broadmeadows)
U16 NPL North Victoria: Hume City v Melbourne Victory (Sunday, March 20 at 1.00pm AEDT at ABD Stadium, Broadmeadows)
U15 NPL North Victoria: Hume City v Melbourne Victory (Sunday, March 20 at 11.10am AEDT at ABD Stadium, Broadmeadows)
U14 NPL North Victoria: Hume City v Melbourne Victory (Sunday, March 20 at 9.30am AEDT at ABD Stadium, Broadmeadows)
Last week
U18 NPL North Victoria: Victory 1 (Brown 30′) Heidelberg United 0
U18 NPL North Victoria: Pascoe Vale 1 Victory 3 (Mensink 30′, McCloskey 58′, Bozinovski 68′)
U16 NPL North Victoria: Victory 10 (Paikopoulos 5′, Weerasinghe 7’/24′, Lazarevski 11′, Hoey 37′, Sultan 43’/52′, Magarelli 50′, Bouman 64′, Mihailidis 79′) Heidelberg United 0
U16 NPL North Victoria: Pascoe Vale 0 Victory 6 (Kennedy 10′, Del Mastro 20′ og, Hoey 36′, Polimenakos 60’/68′, Tafunai 66′)
U15 NPL North Victoria: Victory 11 (Atanasovski x2, Limberis x2, Jackson x2, Harris, Polyzoudis, Gorevski, Radimisis) Heidelberg United 0
U15 NPL North Victoria: Pascoe Vale 0 Victory 9 (Harris 17′, Tasevski 25′, Marmura 35′, Gorevski 41′, Tongzon 47′, Jackson 48′, Atanasovski 57’/58′, Limberis 65′)
U14 NPL North Victoria: Pascoe Vale 0 Victory 5 (Dinca 2′, Romanovski 34’/39’/54′, Emtsis 35′)
