Green Gully’s 2024 National Premier Leagues Victoria campaign will finally get underway this Friday night, as the long pre-season comes to an end with a visit from Moreland City.
Gully Head Coach Stephen Downes has spent the off-season completing a freshening up of the squad, with a new fresh-faced Gully outfit prime and ready onwards and upward this season.
With a host of exciting young talent injected into the squad, including returning junior Adisu Bayew, Luca Tevere, Jamie Latham, Jalil Regague, Dalibor Markovic, Lucas Derrick and Ashton Ahluwalia, Gully have been one of the most exciting teams in the competition in pre-season, showcasing an eye for goal from a wide range of goalscorers.
New acquisition Latham will be taking on his old club, having been a major part of their promotion to NPL Victoria and a key part of their survival.
Friday night’s opponents Moreland City are entering their second campaign at this level, having narrowly survived relegation last season and remain somewhat of an unknown quantity with a much-changed coaching line up and squad respectively.
The two games the teams played last season were vastly different affairs.
Green Gully romped to a 6-2 win in Round 8 at Green Gully Reserve, however they found a much improved Moreland City awaiting them at CB Smith, having to settle for a 1-1 draw in Round 21.
Speaking to Gully Media prior to the game, Downes said round one of any competition was an exciting one, but it was also a round where complacency is not an option.
“These games are played at a completely different pace to anything in pre-season, so it’s not a game we take lightly,” he said.
“We prepare and do our due diligence and respect every opponent.
“We hope to see everyone get down for the game.”
