LEBAN’S TASTE OF VICTORY
ANTHONY Leban couldn’t believe his luck.
In the blink of an eye, he was a Melbourne Victory player.
But the news was immediately tempered by the realisation he would have to leave his beloved North Geelong.
“It’s pretty sad to leave North. I’ve been there since I was a child,” Leban said.
“It’s pretty hard to let go, but then again, I’ve got a big opportunity at a prestigious club like Melbourne Victory.
“Being in the academy it’s a pathway to the A-League team, but it takes a lot of hard work.”
Leban, a gifted midfielder, has settled into life as a Melbourne Victory academy player.
The 15-year-old has entered his second week of training with the under-20s squad and is preparing for the coming season in the National Premier League. He said the call to join the academy came in the middle of last season, but he was unable to make the move.
“There was a bit of a problem,” Leban said.
“They called me just after the transfer period and I wasn’t able to move because I was listed as a senior player at North.
“So I had to wait until the end of the year and I thought maybe they will just forget. I just kept working, waiting for that call.”
Grant Brebner, Victory’s development coach, eventually contacted Leban’s father Stan, confirming he had made the academy.
“Dad told me when I got home from school and it was just excitement,” the St Joseph’s College student said.
“I started on Monday, but it was pretty nerve-racking. I’m playing with a new bunch of boys and I’m only in my second week of training, but it’s great.”
Leban will train four days a week at Maribyrnong College and line-up for Victory on weekends in the NPL West league. And he continues to pinch himself.
“I’ll get the chance to go into AAMI Park, which is exciting, and it’s pretty full-on,” Leban said.
“It would be great to meet Kevin Muscat. There will be a presentation of our tops and it will feel real then.
“Until I play my first game, it won’t feel like I’m playing for the Melbourne Victory under-20s. It’s pretty special.”
A talented junior, Leban has represented the Skillaroos in three national championships.
He also travelled the globe recently, completing a threeweek trial at Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb and a two-week stint at Netherlands outfit Heerenveen.
The playmaker is also a chance to feature in Australia’s under-17 squad at the World Cup in Peru, having been named as an emergency for the tournament in Malaysia last season.
“I know I’m close,” Leban said. “If someone gets injured, hopefully I get a chance.”