D’Agostino is enjoying Royals role

By Teo Pellizzeri

July 4 2007

Shepparton News

Hayden D'Agostino is only 17, but the defender is already a key member of State League soccer team Essendon, keeping the Royals above the relegation dogfight and still in contention for a surprise finals berth.

D'Agostino played his junior soccer for Murray Border Cobram United (now Cobram Victory) in the Albury-Wodonga association and spent one season learning the ropes of senior football before being tempted down to Melbourne.

"I got itchy feet," D'Agostino said.

"I got a phone call last year to come down to Melbourne and have a trial at Heidelberg United."

The phone call came from then Heidelberg assistant coach Gary Groenewald, who is now D'Agostino's coach at Essendon.

"I thought I'd done all right in the trial, but Heidelberg didn't want me," he said.

"When Gary moved to Essendon as the senior coach he was keen to bring me to the club.

"Moving down hasn't been hard, there are a lot of guys from the Goulburn Valley in the team."

Former North Eastern Soccer League players Frankie Lagana (Shepparton South) and Fahed Alghazaly (Shepparton) also play senior football for the Royals.

"We always talk about home," D'Agostino said.

"The northern boys always like to muck around a bit."

D'Agostino made his first team debut for Essendon against Heidelberg in March, stepping into a void left by an injury to veteran defender Cameron Miles.

He shone as the Royals won 2-0.

"It was hard at the start," D'Agostino said.

"But now I feel like I'm a part of the team, I'm always pushing myself."

D'Agostino returned to Essendon's starting line-up against Heidelberg last Friday after a three-game suspension for a red card, his first of the season.

The Royals suffered a 1-0 defeat, however, and have now gone four matches without a win.