Hume City plans to take the game to its National Premier League rivals in search of maiden title

HUME City is set to unleash an attacking brand of soccer it hopes will be the catalyst for a maiden National Premier League title this year.

The club has experienced a host of changes since it bowed out of last year’s NPL finals series after a 3-0 loss to champions South Melbourne.

Midfielder Wayne Wallace (Bentleigh Greens), goalkeeper Gian Tapia (Richmond), Kris Kioussis (Richmond) and striker Liam Boland (Green Gully) have moved to Broadmeadows Valley Park from rival NPL clubs.

Former Melbourne Knights midfielder James McGarry, ex-Whittlesea striker Atilla Ofli and FC Bulleen Lions defender Ersin Kaya have also put pen to paper with Hume.

Promising goalkeeper Michael Weier will fill the role left vacant by Chris Oldfield, who has crossed to Avondale FC after five years at Hume.

“I think the minimum requirement for us is finals football,” captain Nick Hegarty said.

“You’re going to see a lot of attacking football, hopefully a lot of goals.

“That’s the plan, to get in and amongst teams, make a lot of chances and score hopefully a lot of goals.”

Hume City finished sixth on the NPL table last year, netting 47 goals to rank as the fifth-most prolific strike force in the top flight.

“Regardless of what team we have, Hume City has to play finals football,” Hegarty said.

“We set ourselves in there as a top team in Victoria and for us to be that top team we have to play finals.”

Hegarty said the biggest challenge for Dean Hennessey, who is preparing for his first full season as Hume coach, would be integrating so many new faces.

“The work that we have done in training has been hard, but it’s been calculated, it’s been scientific,” he said.

“It’s been based on stats from all over the world.

“Hopefully the players that we have got in jell. That’s going to be our biggest thing.

“We know the calibre of players is there, we have just got to make sure they get together and push forward in the same direction.”

Boland, who shot to prominence after scoring a wonder strike to earn Green Gully a pulsating FFA Cup win over A-League club Central Coast last year, said he had joined Hume to achieve the ultimate success.

“They’ve made some big signings and there’s a lot of ambition to win things,” Boland said.

“That’s what I want. I haven’t won any silverware since my first year of senior football in WA.”

Hume City opens its campaign on Saturday, February 11 against Melbourne Knights.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north-west/sport/hume-city-plans-to-take-the-game-to-its-national-premier-league-rivals-in-search-of-maiden-title/news-story/7a8d30ec454769a7c6dbbee0fcf71022