Perth Glory have probably had the biggest recruiting drive of the already existing A-League teams this pre-season. Dave Mitchell has managed to bring in three Socceroos to his squad - former Derby County forward Mile Sterjovski, midfielder Jacob Burns and central defender Chris Coyne - along with ex-Blackburn Rovers and Derby County defender Andy Todd and Serbian striker Branko Jesic.
Those five are expected to slot straight into the starting line-up along with last term's leading goal scorer Eugene Dadi and Dutchman Victor Sikora which looks like the making of a very solid team on paper.
The loss of young striker Nikita Rukavytsya to FC Twente may prove costly but with the addition of Sterjovski, it seems as though Mitchell has that position covered.
Key defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley has left for the Newcastle Jets and may leave a hole in the defence that copped the most goals in the competition last season but with the arrivals of such quality players, the Glory are on the right track to again experiencing their halcyon days in the old National Soccer League.
Arrivals: Jacob Burns (FC Unirea Urziceni, Romania), Chris Coyne (Colchester United, England), Howard Fondyke (Perth Glory NYL), Brent Griffiths (Perth Glory NYL), Branko Jelic (Energie Cottbus, Germany), Andrija Jukic (Perth Glory NYL), Scott Neville (Perth Glory NYL), Anthony Skorich (Perth Glory NYL) , Mile Sterjovski (Derby County, England), Andy Todd (Derby County, England), Aleks Vrteski (FK Pobeda, Macedonia).
Departures: Jason Petkovic (retired), Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Newcastle Jets), David Tarka (released), Dino Djulbic (Rot Weiss Ahlen, Germany), Nick Rizzo (Sydney Tigers), James Robinson (North Queensland Fury), Adrian Trinidad (Persiba Balikpapan, Indonesia), Amaral (released), Josip Magdic (released), Nikita Rukavytsya (FC Twente, Netherlands), Hayden Doyle (Perth Glory NYL), Hayden Foxe (released), Mark Lee (released).
Biggest signing:Mile Sterjovski
Biggest loss: Nikolai Topor-Stanley
Key men:Mile Sterjovski (Socceroos forward), Jacob Burns (captain/midfielder), Chris Coyne (Socceroos defender), Andy Todd (former EPL defender)
Team list:Goalkeepers - Tando Velaphi, Aleks Vrteski
Defenders - Jimmy Downey, Chris Coyne, Jamie Coyne, Brent Griffiths, Jamie Harnwell, Naum Sekulovski, Scott Neville, Andy Todd
Midfielders - Scott Bulloch, Jacob Burns, Howard Fondyke, Adriano Pellegrino, Andrija Jukic, Wayne Srhoj
Forwards - Eugene Dadi, Branko Jelic, Victor Sikora, Anthony Skorich, Mile Sterjovski
