| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carlo Villani Junior | ||
| Date of birth | 1 September 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Albury, New South Wales | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Wodonga Diamonds | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Wodonga Diamonds | |||
| 1993 | Canberra Deakin | 21 | (10) |
| 1993–1997 | Morwell Falcons | 38 | (5) |
| 1994 | → Albion Redsox (loan) | 11 | (3) |
| 1995 | → Albion Redsox (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 1998–1999 | South Dandenong | 44 | (10) |
| 2000–2002 | Morwell Pegasus | (39) | |
| 2013 | Falcons 2000 | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2013 | Falcons 2000 (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Carlo Villani (born 1 September 1970) is an Australian former soccer player and coach. A forward, he played in the National Soccer League and Victorian state competitions for clubs including Morwell Falcons, Canberra Deakin, Albion Redsox, South Dandenong and Morwell Pegasus.
After retiring as a player, Villani served as assistant coach at Falcons 2000 during the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Hailing from Albury - where he was the son of legendary Albury Wodonga Football Association player and coach Carlo Villani Senior - Villani Junior began his career with Wodonga Diamonds in the Albury Wodonga Football Association. [1]
Villani had a short but brilliant career with the Diamonds and was named as a starting forward in their 1984-1993 'Team of the Decade', with his father named as coach. [2]
His raw talent was quickly noticed, winning selection in the NSW Country Under 15 team in 1985. [3]
After bursting through with Wodonga Diamonds' seniors team, he moved to Canberra to join the under-21 side of NSW State League Canberra Deakin. There he had an immediate impact, scoring five goals in one of his first few matches. [4]
Villani began his senior career in 1993 with Canberra Deakin in the NSW Super League, scoring 10 goals in 21 appearances. [5]
He quickly established himself as a capable forward at state league level, drawing attention from National Soccer League clubs. [6]
Later in 1993, Villani joined Morwell Falcons in the National Soccer League, making his NSL debut on November 3, 1993, in a 0–1 loss against West Adelaide at Falcons Park in Round 4, coming on as a substitute. [7] He went on to make four appearances in the 1993–94 season.
Over the next three NSL seasons, he reached a total of five goals across 38 appearances, proving himself as a dangerous threat, often coming off the bench and affecting games with his pace and guile. [8]
Whilst big name strikers like John Markovski and Warren Spink were the nominal first choice strikers ahead of Villani, he gradually grew in stature and had his best season in 1995–96, scoring 3 goals from 21 games. [9]
Villani played a key hand in the Morwell Falcons' 1994 Dockerty Cup triumph, starting in the semi-final victory over South Melbourne and the final against Melbourne Zebras. [10]
During his NSL tenure with Morwell Falcons, Villani had two loan spells at Albion Redsox in the Victorian Premier League. In 1994 he made 11 appearances, scoring three goals, and in 1995 he added three appearances with one goal. These loan periods allowed him to maintain form and continue contributing at state league level while under NSL contract. [11]
In 1998 and 1999, Villani played for South Dandenong in the Victorian Premier League. Across two seasons, he scored 10 goals in 44 appearances and was recognised for his consistent attacking contributions in state league football. He sits 10th on their all-time number of goals scored at the Victorian level. [12]
Villani concluded his playing career with Morwell Pegasus, joining the club in 2000. He had a sensational first-up season, scoring 17 goals to top the league's scoring charts. [13]
He played in the Victorian State League Division Three South-East and Victorian State League Division Two South-East until 2002, scoring 39 goals across three seasons. His experience provided leadership and attacking quality to the club at regional league level. [14]
After retiring from senior playing, Villani served as assistant coach at Falcons 2000 during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, where he was also registered as a player. [15] [16]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Canberra Deakin | 1993 | NSW Super League | 21 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 10 |
| Morwell Falcons | 1993–94 | National Soccer League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1994–95 | National Soccer League | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | |
| 1995–96 | National Soccer League | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 3 | |
| 1996–97 | National Soccer League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 38 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 5 | ||
| Albion Redsox (loan) | 1994 | Victorian Premier League | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| 1995 | Victorian Premier League | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 | ||
| South Dandenong | 1998 | Victorian Premier League | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 4 |
| 1999 | Victorian Premier League | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 6 | |
| Total | 44 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 10 | ||
| Morwell Pegasus | 2000 | Victorian State League Division Three South-East | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 | ||
| 2001 | Victorian State League Division Two South-East | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |||
| 2002 | Victorian State League Division Two South-East | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |||
| Total | 39 | 0 | 0 | 39 | ||||
| Falcons 2000 | 2013 | Latrobe Valley Soccer League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 117 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 68 | ||