Declan “Vexite” Portelli has joined Order’s CSGO line-up following the departure of Alistair “AliStair” Johnston. It’s the first roster move for Order in nearly 12 months, but Vexite is ready to show he can fill those big shoes.
Despite only recently turning 16, Vexite has been turning heads with his performances while playing in Vertex and most recently, Chiefs. The move to Order only marks the next step in his career as he fills the shoes of Order veteran “AliStair”.
While not a one-for-one trade in terms of roles, Vexite will bring a skill set that is strong in rifling as the AWP role will transition to Ricardo “Rickeh” Mulholland. The move also will see Vexite in the server with veteran Aussie players such as Rickeh and Karlo “USTILO” Pivac, an opportunity not yet available outside his time with his former coach Yaman “yam” Ergenekon.
While the team is yet to see an official match, Order is expected to continue on their form from 2020 as a top team. The timing of the move comes as the 2021 season begins in Australia with ESEA Premier and leaves Order a matter of weeks to get in their practice.
“Even though it sucked leaving the Chiefs boys, I’m very excited to see what this team is capable of in terms of results. In the little amount of practice we’ve had, it’s felt really good and I’m super excited to see it transfer into official matches,” he said.
The pressure will be on Vexite to perform. Losing Alistair is a big deal, a top AWP player in Australia and a player who saw three years of play on the team. Order’s ability to adapt and work with new pieces will be put to the test.
“Despite the fact that Alistair is a great player, I’m pretty confident in my own and the team’s ability to do even better than the previous lineup,” he stated.
“Our goal as a team is to prove that we can be the best team in OCE and consistently beat the other top teams. Individually, I am aiming to improve as a player and show I can perform against top teams consistently.”
With Vexite’s transfer from the Chiefs, they are now left with an incomplete roster, alongside many teams in the region who are still yet to fill out their rosters from the end of the 2020 season or have been impacted from the ESIC sanctions targeting match-fixing and betting.
“Although the whole ESIC situation is very unfortunate for the entire OCE scene, both Avant and Chiefs are good teams. I don’t know what their plans are, but I’m sure they’ll both be able to find fit players to complete their rosters,” Vexite added.
Nevertheless, this roster move is an upgrade for Vexite who, despite his age, is already shaping up to become one of Australia’s best new talents.
Time will tell throughout 2021 as to whether Vexite can continue to build on his form and abilities, as well as how well Order can adapt and overcome new challenges.
