Harper Sercombe
Williamstown has announced Steve Iosifidis as its coach for the FV state league 3 north-west season.
Iosifidis comes with a wealth of experience with over 20 years around senior soccer. He predominantly played in the Victorian Premier League and National Soccer League level with Heidelberg United, Essendon Royals, Kingston City and Melbourne Knights.
However, potentially his most notable achievements came during his six-year spell at South Melbourne, claiming back-to-back NSL championships under Ange Postecoglou.
Following his playing days Iosifidis quickly transitioned into coaching with success with the Caulfield Cobras and Hoppers Crossing to championship winning seasons in 2013 and 2015, as well as Altona Magic in 2018 in an assistant role which resulted in their return to National Premier League 1.
Football director Jason Drozdek said he couldn’t be happier with the appointment.
“It’s a pretty big coup for our club to bring in someone of Steve’s pedigree and his experience,” Drozdek said.
“He’s also a local which very much aligns with our club, we’re very much a community club, we do want to try and professionalise ourselves a little bit but we also want to maintain our community and family values.
“So Steve really ticks all of those boxes.”
Iosifidis replaces former coach Dushan Nikolic who had to give up the role due to personal reasons.
“Our preference was for Dush to continue, but due to family and work commitments, it made that almost impossible for him,” Drozdek said.
“It was very much an amicable split.”
Nikolic was able to take the squad to third last season, just a point of promotion, something that Iosifidis is hoping to build on.
“We had a very good season,” Drozdek said.
“We’ve got a pretty strong squad, and we’ve also got quite a few young boys coming in.
“Our reserve team has won the championship two years on the bounce and they’re a very young team.
“What we want to do next year will encompass the same core group of players and then we might need to top up here and there.
“But there won’t be wholesale changes, we’re not looking for Steve to bring in too many players.”
The club has been in the top four of state 3, since the 2019 season, without managing to get promoted, however, with the club settled on and off the field, Drozdek said the club is ready to take the leap.
“It (promotion) has been the club’s objective for the last four or five years,” he said.
“It’s just taking that next step, but I think we’re in a much better place now.
“With the completion of our new facilities, a much more comprehensive junior structure, we’re ready to take that next step and hopefully that translates to our senior team next year.”
The junior structure at the club has seen massive growth and improvement as of late, and is something that Drozdek thinks will continue to keep growing.
“It’s been huge,” he said.
“We’re back up to pre Covid levels of about 550 players total, club wide.
“We want to be the club for Williamstown… we want to represent the local community and the surrounding suburbs.
“That’s reflected in our membership numbers and that growth will continue next year, we’re already looking at a minimum of 10 to 15 per cent growth again.”
