The cloud of Northcote City’s relegation season has a silver lining for striker Braedyn Crowley, who has joined A-League club Melbourne City on a scholarship, where he’ll be an understudy to such talent as Golden Boot winner Bruno Fornaroli and Socceroos all-time highest scorer Tim Cahill.
The 19-year-old North Queenslander joined Northcote after the club’s dreadful start to the season when it had difficulty finding the net. His arrival brought with it goals − 13 in 19 matches − and helped give Northcote a fighting chance of survival until the last game of the season.
Speaking on the Melbourne City website, Crowley was excited by the opportunity of training and learning from some of the best forwards in the country.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s a dream come true to sign with a club like this,” he said.
“To train with players like Tim Cahill and Bruno Fornaroli, it’s definitely up there. I’m going to learn so much from them and hopefully I can improve my game.”
He says his decision to come to Melbourne to join an NPL club earlier this season has been well worth it. The exposure in Melbourne and his goal-scoring
feats with Northcote have earned him another shot at the A-League. He was previously at Newcastle Jets in the 2015-2016 season, where he made nine appearances and one start.
“My dad told me we might have to step back a bit to step forward,” he said.
“I went to Melbourne and played in the NPL. A few people told me stepping out of the A-League system was dangerous. I was confident if I went down there and did my thing, I would secure a move like this.”