Ante Cicak - following in the footsteps of Skoko, Didulica, Spiranovic, Horvat....

Ante LONCARIC

The production line that is North Geelong Soccer Club is showing no signs of slowing down in its ability to produce quality players as its latest product, Ante Cicak, is destined to follow in the footsteps of other successful club graduates such as Josip Skoko, Joey Didulica, Matthew Spiranovic and one-time Socceroos captain Steve Horvat.

Cicak, 17, has played most of his career for the Croatian backed Victorian country town club, but has had to move on in order to fine-tune his footballing skills.

The obvious talent and determination that Cicak possessed as a junior has been recognised by Victorian Institute of Sport head coach Ian Greener who showed no hesitation in offering him a scholarship to the elite development program.

Cicak's decision to join the program has paid dividends as his game flourished under Greener's tutelage where he was converted from a left-sided midfielder into a better suited attacking left back.

"I enjoy playing a more defensive role because I can read the game better from the back", he says.

Cicak models his game on Manchester City and Croatian national team star Vedran Corluka who puts in a strong defensive and attacking performance for club and country from the right-back position. Interestingly, Corluka hails from the northern Bosanska Posavina region, the area from which young Cicak's parents come from. 

"Corluka reads the game so well and he is always a threat to his opponents because he attacks from a deep position", he says. Cicak's solid performances for the VIS have not gone unnoticed, as he has been rewarded with a place at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra where he can take his game to a higher level.

The recent admittance of the AIS into the Victorian Premier League senior competition stands to improve Cicak's chances of realising his dream, as he is able to strut his stuff against quality opposition from week to week.

Indeed his goals for the season are to play as many games as possible at a consistent level, so that come selection time for the Australian U20's Asian Cup squad his name will be one of the first on the list.

Unlike most players his age, who see playing in the A-league as the best way to further their careers, Cicak has his sights firmly set on landing a playing gig in Europe.

In similar fashion to close friend and fellow Aussie-Croat Matthew Spiranovic, Cicak feels the German Bundesliga would best suit his style of football and help in furthering his development as a player.

''I would love to go over at the end of the year and hopefully land a contract at any German club'', states a determined Cicak.

His rapid progression through state and national institutes suggests his highly ambitious dreams may well become reality and with his idol and close friend Joey Didulica giving him constant advice and support it seems he is destined to go a long, long way.