After finishing just four points adrift of the NPLM finals last year, momentum and a strong off-season has Thunder Head Coach David Chick believing the Club can take the next step in 2023.
“The club hasn’t played finals football for a long time. But we can only compare ourselves to ourselves and I think we will be a better team than we were last year,” Chick said.
“Hopefully that is good enough to bring finals football to Dandenong for the first time.”
Thunder fans will be full of optimism heading into the new season, but there will be plenty of anticipation on who can fill the void left by two of the side's key attacking weapons.
After experiencing a long-term injury, Brayden Mann has parted with the Club to focus on his recovery. The striker bagged eight goals in 17 appearances last season, most notably this stupendous acrobatic effort against Hume City.
Another key loss heading into the new campaign is the mercurial Ali Sulemani, who made the switch to South Melbourne. Six goals and five assists marked an impressive campaign last time out.
But with change comes opportunity - the Club has focused on recruiting creative talent and there will be plenty of opportunities for the new signings to make an impression.
“There has been a fair amount of turnover from last season and in terms of improvement, we are really happy with the quality we have been able to bring into the squad. We believe we are on course to bridge that gap,” Chick explained.
“Our defensive record was up there with anyone in the league but our goals scored weren’t as strong as the teams around us that were creating more chances.”
“We were good in possession but we didn’t necessarily hurt teams as much as we wanted to so we focused our recruitment around increasing that area.”
“We needed to get better at our entries into the box so we recruited players who we thought could be a little bit more dangerous. Players that could bring some more creativity and win some one-on-ones”.
The statistics firmly support Chick. Other than Sulemani (6) and Mann (8), no other Thunder player struck more than twice in the 2022 NPLM season.
Among the new recruits to watch is 25-year-old Dutch central midfielder Grad Damen. After spending four years with NAC Breda, Damen went on to represent TOP Oss and ASWH. The midfielder arrives in Melbourne with serious pedigree and has impressed in the pre-season.
“Grad has been very good since coming over, we expect him to have a major impact,” Chick said.
Sunderland youth product Kieran Dover will be a familiar face to Thunder fans, rejoining the Club after stints with Bentleigh Greens and Langwarrin. The midfielder cut his teeth at George Andrews way back in 2013 and most recently represented the Club in 2019-20, where he scored five goals in 24 appearances.
Geoffry Lino is another who will generate some excitement among the George Andrews faithful, after successful stints at Marconi Stallions, NWS Spirit and Hellenic FC.
Further bolstering the squad’s front third is youngster Kasper Hallam. The versatile winger looks full of potential and was a part of Melbourne City’s youth setup before gaining senior experience at South Hobart FC.
Midfielder Josh Karantz arrives via NPL NSW and local product Halil Reci has earned his spot in Victoria's top level after impressing with Dandenong South.
“Trying to get everyone in and implement the system that we want is challenging but we are coming along with that," Chick added.
Although the Head Coach expressed his pride in the team’s defensive record, the Club has also beefed up its backline. Experienced defender Luke Adams has joined from Green Gully and been appointed vice-captain, while South Sudanese international keeper Majak Mawaith arrives from the Sharks.
The Thunder kick off their campaign against Heidelberg at Olympic Village followed by clashes against St Albans and reigning champs Oakleigh Cannons.
“Getting off to a good start will release those early pressures, nerves, and anticipation. There are good teams in the league and it takes time to get the right players in the right system and get everything to click, it doesn’t happen overnight, you have to earn it," Chick said.
“As a club, we are always ambitious and our expectation will always be to get into the finals series, the club hasn’t done that yet and we didn’t achieve that last season but we are building towards that."
OPENING FIXTURES
Round 1: Heidelberg United v Dandenong Thunder
Round 2: Dandenong Thunder v St Albans Saints
Round 3: Dandenong Thunder v Oakleigh Cannons