Vourgaslis aims to help Ibises fly

By Teo Pellizzeri

July 27 2007

Shepparton News

He's juggling two sports right now but soccer is where Spiro Vourgaslis is looking to make his mark.

The Tatura striker is enjoying a good personal start to his season with the Ibises, scoring three goals since returning to the club from a stint with Northcote City in the second division of the state league.

Vourgaslis splits his weekends between Australian Rules and the round ball, but despite dominating for Mooroopna under-18s in the past two weeks his focus is firmly on soccer.

Tatura is yet to win a game this season, but with Vourgaslis in the forward line there is a feeling that the club can punch above its weight in the final five weeks of the season.

Cobram hosts Tatura this weekend and the struggling Tigers are in Vourgaslis's sights.

"I think we can win our first game this weekend," Vourgaslis said.

"Every week I've been here we've been getting better and better.

"This weekend my aim is to score my first hat-trick."

Last Sunday Vourgaslis came as close to scoring against Shepparton United as any player in the past eight weeks when he had a header cleared off the line.

"I was shattered," he said.

"The club is going in the right direction with the young players in the team."

Vourgaslis, 17, is one of four brothers, putting his competitive ability down to being the youngest.

"They weren't tough on me, they were fair," he said.

Playing for Tatura was a decision made easy by the rigors of travel, but Vourgaslis did impress in his time with Northcote City with two goals.

"I was getting game time there, things were going well," he said.

"Hopefully next year I'll go down there and play for Essendon in the top state league.

"I know the coach Gary Groenewald, I've played under him at South Melbourne and Northcote."

The travel to Melbourne won't be so hard in future; Vourgaslis turns 18 next week and will be able to drive himself.