North Geelong Warriors have clinched promotion back to the Victorian football top tier after a 3-0 win over Bulleen Lions at Elcho Park.
They will now be playing in NPL1 in 2023 for the first time since 2017.
Warriors football director Josip Skoko paid tribute to the players, coaching staff, including head coach Stuart Begg, as well as junior football operations manager Joey Didulica.
“Amazing effort by all. Really great to be back in the NPL 1,” he said.
“The club has put in a lot of work over the last three years at the ground level, and results now showing both at junior and senior level.”
The Warriors have also seen three players move to Croatia this year to play professional football.
Josip’s son Luka Skoko, 19, won a contract at the start of the year with Croatian second division club Dugopolje while younger brother Noa, 16, will play with Croatian powerhouse Hajduk Split.
Nicholas Volarevic, 19, will play for Primorac Stobrec in the Croatian third division.
The Warriors have been a benchmark club for the NPL system in Australia, with a playing squad made up of predominantly local home grown talent, who have taken all before them in 2022.
There have been no less than 20 out of 28 players who have featured in the senior team this year, who have gone through Warriors‘ excellent youth setup.
The Warriors have a proud history in Australian football, producing a number of Socceroos and professional footballers over the years.
Noa Skoko in particular has progressed well this season.
“Noa is doing well,” Skoko senior said.
“At the moment he has only signed as an amateur so that he is good to play when the league starts in two weeks’ time,” explained Skoko, who was capped 51 times by Australia.
“In the meantime we will be discussing terms of a contract and he will hopefully sign this over the next few weeks.”
Skoko, who played 415 senior games across five countries, admits he is excited about the opportunities that will now present for his son.
“I think it is a good step in his development, where he will be in a professional environment giving him the best possible chance to improve,” Skoko senior said.
“I am happy with the way he is currently progressing.”
