Melbourne Heart FC’s worldwide recruitment campaign is set to move to the Pacific region with Assistant Coach Ante Milicic attending the second leg of the O-League final in Waitakere, New Zealand.
Melbourne Heart FC-s worldwide recruitment campaign is set to move to the Pacific region with Assistant Coach Ante Milicic attending the second leg of the O-League final in Waitakere, New Zealand.
Milicic will be out to assess the leading footballers in the Oceania Football Confederation, casting his eye across the available talent as Melbourne Heart seeks to unearth an untapped jewel of the Pacific.
While the region has been largely overlooked throughout the short history of the Hyundai A-League, Milicic is optimistic the O-League boasts the potential to become a leading source of footballers in the coming years.
“Since Australia left the OFC, the smaller nations have really had an opportunity to shine at international level with the likes of Tahiti and the Solomon Islands representing the region at FIFA events,” he said.
“There-s a few players in Oceania who have been catching the eye so it-s the perfect opportunity to see them in a match with massive importance. It will help us see what their quality is like under pressure in a big occasion.”
GM of Football Operations John Didulica believes it is critical the Hyundai A-League engages players within the OFC, saying the competition can be a valuable tool in improving the overall quality of football in FIFA-s smallest confederation.
“The expansion of the Hyundai A-League creates the challenge of improving the quality of football while offering more jobs. Accordingly, it-s incumbent on all clubs to have greater breadth, width and astuteness in their recruiting.”
“Oceania is a great place to track players because their best assets are still untapped yet they have demonstrated a great pedigree.
“Christian Karembeu and Tim Cahill both have roots firmly in Oceania while at the other end, players like Esala Masi, Commins Menapi and Manis Lamond proved very effective in the NSL.”
With the countdown to the club-s competition debut well underway, Melbourne Heart FC invites you to register for priority access and become a member at the Hyundai A-League-s newest football club.
Click here for a registration form.
