Michaela Meade
Hume City has been busy trying to strengthen its squad ahead of the National Premier League season.
The side is set to have a different look this season with a number of changes to the squad.
In 2021, Hume was fourth on the NPL ladder when the season was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The club made the final of the Dockerty Cup, but was unable to defend its title.
The club also made the round of 16 in the national FFA Cup competition.
In a post to the Hume City Facebook page, the club said that Brandon Lauton, Paul Kuol and Ali Turgut have joined the club.
Lauton is joining having most recently played with Melbourne Victory.
The 21-year-old spent four years with the Victory and made 24 appearances in the A-League, before being let go at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Kuol has previously played for NPL team Dandenong Thunder and state league 1 south-east club Warragul United.
Coach Nick Hegarty said he was excited about the new talent coming in for the side.
He said the club was pretty confident with the group and that the new players were able to have time to gel with the pre-existing team.
“Lauton is a young, pretty exciting midfielder,” Hegarty said.
“We expect big things from him. There’s a good chance people will see him on the national stage again.
“Until then, he’ll be putting in the work with us.
“[Kuol] has come in on a different trajectory… from a less professional environment.
“He’s got an exciting raw ability, which needs to be honed in.
“We’re excited for him to have the opportunity to showcase that.”
Turgut is no stranger to the club having played his junior football there.
He left in 2014 and has since played with NPL clubs Altona Magic, Brunswick City and the Whittlesea Ranges.
Hegarty said the whole club was looking forward to seeing Turgut rejoin the ranks.
He said as a player who had come through the club’s youth system, Turgut had gone on to do the hard yards in terms of development.
Hegarty said he looked forward to bringing Turgut “back home”.
Ben Bowler, Mark Ochieng, Josh Bingham, Mitch Cooper, Lucas Trenkovski, Birhan Elibol, Matthew Lazarides, Alex Walter, Aden Gardner, Lachlan Weier, Koray Cekic, Hayden Tennant, and Umut Bozdugan have all re-signed with the club.
Trenkovski and Elibol had made their senior debuts during Hume’s round of 32 match in the FFA Cup against Port Melbourne.
Hegarty said at the time they were keen to bring players through the youth system.
Fan favourite Theo Markelis is one key member of the squad who is on the move. He made his final appearance in the Dockerty Cup final.
“Joining the club in 2015, Theo produced many memorable moments and will be remembered fondly in our club’s history,” the club said on social media.
“We wish Theo all the very best as he starts a new chapter and we look forward to watching him in his new colours.”
Jordan Maricic, Danny Dixon, John McGuigan, Ebu Bekir Capar and Patrick Langlois have also departed.
