Winning Edge Presentations NPL Player of the Month (Rounds 1-4) - Dusan Bosnjak (Oakleigh Cannons)

Dusan Bosnjak is a high flyer not just on the field, but also off it.

The 23-year-old midfielder balances his football commitments with a full time job as a civil engineer, but football is his greatest passion and he one day hopes to grab an A-League contract.

With three goals already to his name this season and now an award to boot, Bosnjak is edging closer to his dream.

FFV's Julian Trantino caught up with the inaugural NPL Player of the Month to learn more about his journey and gain an insight into his and Oakleigh's blistering start to the season.

JT: Congratulations Dusan. How does it feel to be the inaugural NPL Player of the Month?
DB: It’s a great feeling actually. It feels even better when your team’s doing well.

What would you put your fast start down to?
A lot of it comes from the team itself. We work for each other and work to each other’s strengths, and if the coach allows that then it makes it a lot easier for each player and gives you a lot of confidence, which I think I’m high on.

This is your second season with Oakleigh. Can you take me through your journey to the Cannons?
I was the captain of the Melbourne Heart youth team for the 2011/2012 season. I went back to Bulleen (in 2012), played a pre-season game before the winter season and broke my leg. I was 21 at the time and it was a big hit. I came back to play the last three games for Bulleen that season and then went to Oakleigh last year.

What’s it like playing under Miron Bleiberg?
He’s probably one of the best coaches I’ve ever had, in terms of giving me confidence. When a coach trusts you, it makes you do things that not even you thought you were capable of doing.

You were the hero against Heidelberg United in Round 2, scoring a free kick in the final minute of injury time to hand Oakleigh the win. Can you run me through what was going through your head when you were lining up that free kick?
Well I saw where the ball was and knew deep down that I was never going to cross the ball. Players were going into the box and thought I was going to cross it. Miron [Bleiberg] was behind me and I turned to him and he just said ‘shoot’. So I tried it, it went in and I went straight to him (Miron).

How does this year’s Oakleigh squad compare to last year’s?
It’s a different team, a much younger team this year. We’ve got new players and I think more exciting players. Last year’s team had a lot of experience and there were great players, but I think this year there is a different factor.

What do you do outside of football?
I’m a civil engineer. I graduated from RMIT University last year and this is my first year as a civil engineer, but I’m hoping for an A-League contract. Soccer has always been my passion.

You copped a heavy hit last Friday and had to be subbed off. How have you pulled up?
I got a good knock to the knee, but I did the right thing by the physios and it’s fine now. I’m back and I’ll be out there on Thursday (against Dandenong Thunder).

The NPL Player of the Month is voted by FFV's match reporters in a 3-2-1 voting system for each match.

Image credit: Graeme Furlong

NPL 1 Player of the Month - Simon Tolli (Moreland Zebras)

Rising Star of the Month - Matt Millar (Dandenong Thunder)

Coach of the Month - Chris Taylor