Update – young midfielder George Mihailidis (2006) signed with FK Austria Wien earlier this year. George is currently playing in FK Austria Wien II, which is the clubs reserve team.
FK Austria Wien is one of the biggest clubs in Austria, having won 24 titles, and well established in European football due to its long history of playing in European competitions.
Just like the young 100m sprinter dreams of competing at the Olympic Games, the young basketballer playing in the NBA, the young tennis player competing at a Grand Slam event, it is important to remember that young footballers in Australia dream of playing for a team in the Top 5 Leagues in Europe i.e. English Premier League (England), Bundesliga (Germany), Ligue 1 (France), LaLiga (Spain) & Serie A (Italy).
You are starting to see the flow of young Australian players into Europe. This is an exciting time for Australian football. A pattern is starting to emerge with respect to how players are heading to Europe. One option is via the professional competition i.e. A-League, and the other is by bypassing the A-League and heading directly to Europe. Both have plenty of pros and cons, and there is also constant debate as to what age a player should head to Europe. However it is nice to get to a position where there is consensus as to the direction that players are heading and that clubs and programs here in Australia are stepping stones towards bigger clubs and competitions world wide as players continue to chase their dreams.
George Mihailidis and his family navigated their own pathway, after spending 5 years at FTS, George shifted into the MVFC Academy setup with an eye on making the jump into senior football via the A-League. However, in early 2024, he changed strategy and made the jump directly to Austria, which is a country with a well established football culture and recognised for providing opportunities to young talented footballers.
George is an exciting talent, he is a technically gifted midfielder with an ability to impose himself on a match. He can break lines and can find forward passes, and is dangerous around the box, whilst also remaining calm in tight areas under pressure. George is intelligent with his positioning and movement, and has the mentality to overcome adversities and keep himself moving forward. George has fantastic support and guidance from his family.
You can keep an eye on George’s progress here at transfermarkt.
We are sincerely proud of George, he has worked extremely hard to get this opportunity and we will watch his progress closely.
An exciting opportunity for Parker Williams has opened up at Central Coast Mariners. After spending 5 years at FTS when he was younger, he moved to Western United in 2022. He will now shift to Central Coast Mariners U21s as he transitions into senior professional football.
On behalf of FTS coaches and staff, it’s time to say goodbye and best wishes to Harrison Rowse, Sohail Mohammadi & Mikey Cohen – leaving FTS to join Melbourne City in 2024.
On behalf of FTS coaches and staff, it’s time to say goodbye and best wishes to Cade Segar – leaving FTS to join Melbourne City U18s in 2023 to begin the transition into senior professional football.
On behalf of FTS coaches and staff, it’s time to say goodbye and best wishes to James Georgiou – leaving FTS to join Melbourne City U21s in 2023 to begin the transition into senior professional football.
On behalf of FTS coaches and staff, it’s time to say goodbye and best wishes to Mikey Ghossaini – leaving FTS to join Melbourne City U18s in 2023 to begin the transition into senior professional football.
Best wishes to George Karvounis (2004) – joining back up with Melbourne Victory U21s.
Everyone here at FTS is behind George as he enters the next phase of development and strives for senior professional experiences in the Aleague. Goodluck!
On behalf of FTS coaches and staff, it’s time to say goodbye and best wishes to Parker Williams, Josh Francou, Jack Mihailidis & Matthew Lichtenstein – joining Aleague clubs Melbourne Victory & Western United in 2022.
