Altona Magic Soccer Club will be coached by Stuart McCloskey for the rest of the State League 1 season.
The appointment of McCloskey was announced on Thursday.
Former coach Pece Stojcevski parted ways with Altona after three consecutive losses, the last of which was against Sunbury United in round nine.
Magic secretary Zoran Milenkovski said it had been a disappointing start to the season for the club.
“We’re sitting second-bottom on the ladder and that’s a place we don’t want to be,” he said.
“He [Stojcevski] felt it was time to move on for the best interests of the club; he resigned after the Sunbury game.”
McCloskey brings a wealth of experience, having played in the Scottish Premier League with Dundee United and St Johns in the early 2000s.
He moved to Australia in 2007 and started playing with Richmond Soccer Club.
Milenkovski said it was great to secure someone with McCloskey’s experience.
“We heard he was available and had a meeting with him on the Sunday. It sounded good and promising and we believed it was an opportunity to pounce on,” he said.
“Hopefully, he can bring us to where we need to get to.
“He took his first training session last Tuesday. The atmosphere among the players has already changed.
“The players have an opportunity to redeem themselves from all the bad results of
recent times.”
McCloskey has been signed for the rest of the season, with the two parties to review things after the final home and away match.
The Magic will look to get off to the perfect start under its new coach when it takes on Westgate FC at Paisley Park this Saturday.
Milenkovski said the club was looking to have an impact this season and beyond.
“We want to finish as high as possible because we do have ambitions to rejoin top-flight football at state level, which is the National Premier League. That’s our main aim.’’
