Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – Sometimes a cold call works out nicely.

That's the origin story for how Griffins men's soccer head coach Adam Loga came to know about Djordje Drljevic – the second of three centre-backs he's added to his 2024 recruiting class.

"I had a friend in Calgary and Djordje's mom reached out to him when they were moving from Serbia to Canada," he explained. "She reached out asking about soccer here and she didn't realize she e-mailed someone from Calgary when she was moving to Edmonton, so he connected us."

In Grade 11 at the time he immigrated to Canada, Drljevic has fit right in since, joining the Whitecaps academy program that Loga coaches and following his bench boss to League 1 with Edmonton Scottish. 

Now they'll continue that player-coach relationship on the Griffins, where Drljevic will be ready to make an impact starting in the 2024-25 Canada West season.

"He was with us for League 1 the last two seasons with Scottish," said Loga. "He's fit in with the boys. He's taken well and we enjoy having him. Since the moment he stepped foot in Edmonton, we've linked. It's been a good story for him and for us. Hopefully we can keep it moving forward."

Drljevic, who also has the capability of playing the centre defensive midfielder role, played for FK Cukaricki Youth Academy and FK Zemun Youth Academy in Serbia before moving to Canada. While here, he was a part of the Edmonton Scottish Youth U17 PDP program last season, as well as League 1, where he played against men as a 16-year-old.

Not an easy job when you are tasked with shutting down the best players on the opposition. But Drljevic has the skills to thrive in the position.

"Calm demeanour, his left foot is great," said Loga. "He can play out the back extremely well. I think with most young players, they just need to bridge that gap, find that consistency. But he's super talented. He played with men in Serbia, he's playing with men now in League 1 and has since he was 16. 

"He loves the game, which I think is huge," he continued. "I think that's sometimes overlooked. It's so demanding what we ask of these student-athletes, so if they don't love the game, it just won't work. 

"It won't be enjoyable for them, so the fact all these players have proven they do is a huge upside for the staff."