Burundi-born Angalikiyana has a turn of pace and foot skills to worry any centre-halves and he's been a major factor in the resurgence of Melrose as a force in Division 1.

The Murray High School student has already scored 10 league goals and Melrose coach Josh Fluss believes that figure could easily be higher.

"I've been really impressed with Dirck," he said.

"He's a quiet lad and when he gets the ball at his feet, he does have his head down a lot and wants to go through 10 players - but you can't complain when he does get away with it a lot of the time.

"You've got to let people like him express themselves and play with their personality, which can be a fine line sometimes.

"We talk about our structure, and there are 11 players on the park, so it's a balance between letting him be him and also developing him into not worrying about scoring goals every single time he gets his foot on the ball and getting himself into better positions where he can score more goals.

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"He's earned a lot of the goals he's scored off his own boot but with a little bit more smarts, he'd double that tally right now."

Angalikiyana has two hat-tricks to his name already and found the back of net against joint-champions Albury United and Wangaratta.

"The way we're playing is much better than last season so I'm very happy," Angalikiyana said.

"Flussy has been pushing everyone to do some good stuff.

"He has been telling me what I'm doing wrong and everyone else, the captain, they coach me even during the game, telling me what I can change.

"I don't feel any pressure.

"I try to see if there is someone open and if there is not, I know I can probably take on the defenders or find a way to finish."

Angalikiyana and fellow teenager Riley Broad have formed one of the division's most exciting attacking partnerships and they'll be looking to open up Myrtleford in a crucial game at Melrose Park on Sunday.

"I've tried not to over-complicate it with Dirck," Fluss said.

"When he turns it on, I don't think many players come near him, so you can't take that out of his game.

"He's a defender's nightmare and he's only going to get better and grow in confidence.

"He's still really raw, as a lot of our players are, but his potential's huge.

"I don't think he's played a massive amount of football but he's having a crack this year and really enjoying it."

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