By Nick Creely
Passionate local coach Dean Alburey is well on his way to living his dream as a professional coach after recently signing on with NPL powerhouse Dandenong City for the 2018 season.
The UK born 26-year-old, who has been coaching senior soccer clubs such as Pakenham United and Bunyip since arriving in Australia in July 2004, will finally get his first look at the elite young talent in the area.
Alburey has been appointed the club’s Under-13 coach after City underwent some significant changes in the aftermath of a fairly strong NPL season.
“I made a decision, probably midway through last season, that I wanted to make a real push into an NPL club,” he said.
“Initially, it looked like it might be Bentleigh Greens, so I got in contact with them, and a couple of days later I was on LinkedIn and the technical director from Dandenong City posted they were looking for coaches as well,” he said.
“They asked me to send across my football resume, and a couple of sessions that I had planned, and they were happy with that so invited me for a face-to-face chat, and from there I got the position.”
Alburey harbors strong ambitions of the talent within the region and strongly believes that, in one of the fastest growth corridors in Australia, a professional team would do wonders for kids with ambitions to make it to the highest level.
“If I look at it from when I first got here, the growth (of soccer) has been fantastic – the talent coming through is a lot better, and the youth are really buying into it and it’s paying off,” he said.
“At the top level, there is a lot of improvement left.
“From what I’ve witnessed and people I’ve spoken to, the kids who do have ambitions to become professionals have a lack of an academy system.”
With the Dandenong area emerging as a possible destination for the expansion of the A-League in the near future, Alburey believes the time is right as the area continues to grow in numbers.
“It’d be brilliant (getting an A-League team).
“Football’s already been announced as the most participated sport in the country at club level, and it’ll keep growing.
“It would make sense having an A-League side in the fastest growth corridor in the country.”
