The Melbourne Derby. It creates moments that last a lifetime. It also provides a platform for stars to emerge.
Enter, Peter Antoniou.
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After fellow young gun and academy graduate Max Caputo broke the deadlock inside two minutes, Antoniou came off the bench to seal more derby delight for City.
It was an unforgettable moment for the highly-rated versatile defender, who can also play in midfield. It also highlighted the club’s proven pathway.
Antoniou signed his first pro contract last year, having joined City aged 11.
He is just one of five players in City’s history to have progressed through the entirety of their Player Development Pathway through to the first team.
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“He has a bright future ahead of him, and with hard work and a commitment to constantly improve, we believe he can become an important player for our squad in the years to come,” director of football Michael Petrillo said in August last year.
“Not many players have worked as hard and deserve this opportunity more than Peter,” said Melbourne City’s senior academy manager Simon Zappia at the time. “From a young age, he has been a constant role model for others in our Academy with his professionalism and general approach to development.”
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It is a pipeline that continues to produce for the reigning champions, who also earned promotion to NPLM VIC for the first time in their history.
Teenage Melbourne City academy product Mathew Baker is the latest to have emerged in the off-season, signing his first pro deal and joining that special five-player club.
In Saturday’s Grand Final rematch, academy graduates Kavian Rahmani, Besian Kutleshi, Harrison Shillington and Emin Durakovic also featured.
The future is bright for the titleholders.
