Zois aims for greater heights

Damen Francis

May 9 2014

Shepparton News

Newly installed Goulburn Valley Suns coach Peter Zois says the squad is capable of much more than its league position indicates.

The ex-Melbourne Heart goalkeeper coach and Oakleigh Cannons senior coach takes charge of his first National Premier Leagues game, when the Suns travel to Broadmeadows Valley Park to take on Hume City on Sunday.

The Suns remain rooted to the bottom of the ladder, two points behind 13th-placed Pascoe Vale.

Zois, 36, saw the Suns record their maiden win against Werribee City last week and has taken two training sessions since his appointment this week.

‘‘The ladder doesn’t necessarily lie, but seeing the players and the quality of the team and watching them against Werribee they definitely should be above where we are at the moment,’’ Zois said.

‘‘Apart from round three they’ve only lost by one goal and we need to understand why that was and rectify that and improve on it.’’

Zois said it was important to be realistic, but set his sights beyond top flight survival.

‘‘Where we are to where we want to be is a long way off. Everyone would love to win the league and I would never take that out of the equation down the track, but come this weekend it’s the first game,’’ he said.

‘‘I have a certain way I like to do things, so sometimes that transition takes some time.

‘‘Our initial situation is we require points, so the short term goal is the weekend. The mid-term goal is to build on and get the team playing a certain way that is effective for the group of players we have and the long-term goal is to finish as high up the league as we can and beyond that build a team that is going to be able to compete with the higher teams up the ladder.’’

Zois came into contact with the Suns through an association with board member Jimmy Kalafatis during the clash between the Suns and Green Gully Cavaliers.

Initially he had no intention of coaching in NPL this season, but said he was drawn to the challenge of turning the Suns’ passion into success.

The presence of former teammate Frankie Lagana at the club was another plus, while he is also acquainted with talented young players Hernan Espindola, Stipo Andrijasevic and Phil Petrovski.

Under Zois the Suns will train three times a week, including one session in Melbourne, but the coach said the club remained firmly committed to its base in Shepparton.

‘‘What was enticing about the move to the Suns is you’re going to a community, you’re not just going to a club,’’ Zois said.

‘‘We do have a proportion of our players from Melbourne . . . but we are a Goulburn Valley-based team, we represent that community and our loyalties are to that community, we play under the GV Suns logo and that’s who we are.

‘‘My commitment at the moment is to stay as long as the Suns want me and I have to do my job as a coach to make sure the team I put out on the park and the team I coach gets results.’’