By Nick Creely
The NPL Transfer mid-season deadline is officially over, with the three major Dandenong based clubs Dandenong Thunder, Dandenong City and Springvale White Eagles making some hefty changes to their roster for the remainder of 2017.
Thunder and City are jostling for promotion into the top tier of Victorian football and the two clubs have added a nice blend of youth and experience.
The Thunder has made perhaps the biggest acquisition of them all, with returning midfielder Iqi Jawadi signing on at George Andrews Reserve.
Jawadi, 23, played 36 matches for the Thunder from 2012 to 2013, before joining South Melbourne where he went on to play 79 matches and kick six goals from 2013 to 2016, winning two championships and a best and fairest. He has since played a handful of matches for Oakleigh Cannons in 2017 but now adds another dimension to the powerful Thunder side.
Following on from Jawadi, the Thunder has also added Jordan Seeto to its roster, a 24-year-old defender who moved to Victoria in 2015 and has been involved in college football in the US.
Originally from Bendigo City before joining Richmond, he made 25 senior appearances and was a part of the 2015 NPL2 Championship and promotion.He then departed mid-way through last year and joined Moreland City, playing 25 matches in an impressive season.
Dandenong City, the top of the class in NPL2 East in 2017, has also been fairly busy throughout the transfer period, bringing in former junior Damien Miskulin.
After making his debut with City in 2013, Miskulin was snared by Melbourne Victory where he played 29 games, netting three goals in a stint from 2015 to 2016, before joining Melbourne Knights in mid-2016. But souring the signing of Miskulin is the departure of reliable defender Luke Burgess who has signed with Whittlesea, bolstering its defensive four.
The 23-year-old, who has been impressive in his 24 games with City across a season and a half, will join Epping Stadium in a big change of environment.
Springvale White Eagles has also pulled off an impressive mid-season transfer coup, signing up Nate Foster from the Oakleigh Cannons.
Originally from Dandenong Thunder, the 27-year-old failed to fire with the Cannons, but now has another chance to resurrect his career.
At his damaging best, Foster is a notable goal scorer, as shown by his 13 goals in 23 games with the Thunder, but he has been hampered by form and injury since leaving George Andrews Reserve. Coincidentally Foster made his debut for the Eagles in last Saturday’s blockbuster derby clash against Dandenong Thunder.
