Strikers News 2005

We thought that Brisbane Strikers supporters and the Brisbane football community in general would find the following article, which appeared in Tuesday’s Courier-Mail, to be of interest. It provides further details on plans hinted at by the club on the day that the composition of the A-League was announced.

Soccer academy nearer kick-off 
By: Chris Griffith 

FORMER lord mayor Clem Jones's plan to build an international soccer academy has moved a step closer with his purchase of an 8091sq m site on the city's north side.

Mr Jones paid $6 million for the cash-strapped Endeavour Foundation's property in Jordan Tce, Bowen Hills. It was owned by Watpac Developments, BMD Properties and KS2, a firm associated with Mr Jones' long-time friend, developer Kevin Seymour.

Mr Jones, the lord mayor from 1961 to 1975, said he would notify
soccer federations around the world that the new academy would be open for business some time after December next year, when the Endeavour Foundation's lease expired.

``We particularly hope we can make a contribution to all soccer
youth, not only in Queensland and Australia but in Asia and afar,'' he said. Soccer Queensland chief executive officer David Kay said Mr Jones's plan was ``fantastic''. ``It's a flow-on from what he's done for the game over the past 30-40 years,'' Mr Kay said.

Queensland Academy of Sport executive director Alex Baumann said Mr Jones had assured him that his plan would not duplicate or usurp the QAS's role to train Queensland's elite teenage athletes.
Under Mr Jones's plan, more than 100 young soccer devotees will be housed in existing Endeavour Foundation buildings and will learn the theory of soccer in on-site classrooms. ``We hope to use what's there. I was the vice-president of the Endeavour Foundation, I know the buildings very well. I think they are entirely suited,'' Mr Jones said.

Students would put theory into practice at nearby Perry Park, which Mr Jones and his associates have leased from Brisbane City Council for $3000 a year. Mr Jones, 86, said the purchase would be funded from the redirecting of $7.5 million of bank guarantees the Brisbane Strikers Soccer Club had obtained to finance their now defunct bid to enter the new Australian premier league soccer competition.

``Perhaps the development of this international academy will be
better for Queensland in the long term than being in the national league,'' Mr Jones said. He said the enthusiasm of young soccer aspirants would make the academy a success.

``We have 85,000 juniors playing soccer under the control of the
soccer federation and the schools,'' he said. He said the plan was still subject to council approval. Hamilton ward councillor Tim Nicholls said Mr Jones's plan posed many questions.
He said the Strikers Sport Recreation and Welfare Association
connected to Mr Jones had obtained council's approval to use Perry Park as a not-for-profit organisation promoting junior soccer in Queensland and ``now they're looking for other reasons to hang on to it''.

Cr Nicholls said he questioned whether it was appropriate to have a
soccer academy in a residential area. 

We would like to ask you what you think of the plans announced in this article. Is a football academy based around Perry Park a worthy concept on which to spend the money that otherwise would have been spent on an A-League team? Will it benefit Queensland football? Will it work to the advantage of the Brisbane Strikers or other football clubs? Is it appropriate for a residential area? What is your opinion about the concerns expressed by Councillor Nicholls?

If you have a view on these questions or on any other aspect of the Courier-Mail article, please go to the Thunder Box (linked to this website, not your back yard) and leave your thoughts there.

The Brisbane Strikers will live on after they ASA announced Queensland Lions would be the Brisbane representative at the A-League launch on Monday.

Strikers CEO Steve Wilson said the club would concentrate on youth development and upgrading its facilities at Perry Park and Meakin Park.

“At this moment we feel there is a demand for youth to play at the highest possible level,” Mr Wilson said.

Mr Wilson also said the Strikers had two main priorities for the future.

“Firstly that young players receive the coaching they should be receiving and secondly that there is an opportunity for them to play,” Mr Wilson said.

Mr Wilson denied the Strikers would take legal action against the ASA about the bid process.

“Certainly the board and myself have disappointed with some of the processes along the way, but we are not looking at taking any legal action at this stage,” Mr Wilson said.

They were numerous points were Mr Wilson felt the ASA had gotten wrong, such as the salary cap being too low, there were not enough games, and the 20 team roster would be too small.

“If you are the head of a club and you put 5 million dollars into it, would you risk taking a chance with youth, I think not.  It doesn’t give the opportunity for young players,” Mr Wilson said.

Following the ASA decision the Strikers will be looking to the future, which includes upgrading Perry Park.

“You’ll see how Perry Park will play an important role and how it will be developed further when the chairman releases a statement on November 30,” Mr Wilson said.

As for Mr Wilson’s future, it still remains unclear.

“I’m always looking for new opportunities, but at the moment it’s a hard decision to make, so I will leave that one open,” Mr Wilson said.

Stuart McLaren has announced he would like to continue playing in the new national competition and he would like to stay in Brisbane.

This would mean he would have to move to Queensland Lions to do so and McLaren is just waiting for a phone call.

“If other opportunities arise I will have to study each one on their merits but I would like to stay in Brisbane,” McLaren said.

McLaren would like to keep his coaching career going but playing would be the priority.

“If the Lions see me as having some involvement in coaching, whether that be a reserve team or a youth side that would be great,” McLaren said.

McLaren was optimistic about the new league but did have some reservations about the amount of games that will be played.

“21 games is nowhere near enough, I just hope they have talked to people for a technical point of view to increase the number of games in the future,” McLaren said.

The salary cap was another point of important aspect for McLaren.

“Being realistic that’s not a bad figure,” McLaren said.

“It will be interesting to see how teams go about figuring out the salary cap.

“If players don’t come back in the first year it should be the second one.”

McLaren is happy with Miron Bleiberg’s policy on having a team based on Queensland players.

“If you look at national talent identification results from the past few years you’ll see Queensland has done really well, so I think we can do well with a Queensland based team,” McLaren said.

McLaren would now like to get fit for the new league by playing in a strong competition.  

Wonder of wonders, the Socceroos made a very rare foray into Brisbane this week, with Suncorp Stadium playing host to a couple of training sessions.

No doubt, coach Frank Farina is using the gradually increasing heat of Brisbane's spring (temperatures have been in the low thirties this week) to acclimatise his primarily European-based players for the cauldron they will face in tropical Honiara when they take on the Solomon Islands on Saturday.

With former Brisbane Strikers Steve Laybutt and Jon McKain in the squad, and the opportunity to take a peek at how the national team is preparing for the two-leg Confederations Cup qualifier against the islanders, curiosity got the better of us. The BSSA's Vitor Sobral took the opportunity to get along to Suncorp Stadium and "file" a report. Here it is:


Frank Farina tried out a new Socceroos' 4-3-3 formation, without the injured Harry Kewell, at Suncorp Stadium today.

Farina is likely to use the formation, and a high pressing game in the first leg, to stamp the Socceroos' authority on the tie.

Kewell, John Aloisi, and Tony Popovic were all absent from the session and all are in doubt for Saturday’s match against the Solomon Islands.

In place of the three were Ahmed Elrich, Ante Milicic and Steve Laybutt as the team ran through their final training session at home, in the afternoon Brisbane heat.

A spokesperson for the Socceroos said Harry Kewell had a groin problem and possibility would not play until the return match on Tuesday.

He also said Aloisi had just arrived from Spain and might start the first leg in Honiara.

The likely starting team for the first leg is: Mark Schwarzer (goalkeeper), Kevin Muscat, Tomy Vidmar, Steve Laybutt, Lucas Neil, Simon Colosimo, Vince Grella, Josip Skoko, Brett Emerton, Ahmed Elrich; and Ante Milicic (or Aloisi).

The team trained with Colisimo and Grella in defensive midfield roles while Emerton and Elrich were on the wings, putting plenty of good balls into the area.

Farina also got the team to defend high up the field when possession was lost, and Kevin Muscat could be heard shouting, “Stay up! Stay Up!” from the stands.

The session started in the afternoon with some ball juggling for the
photographers. The team then went for a quick warm-up jog and settled into some stretches.

As the goalkeepers warmed up with some shots, the rest of the team got into a quick possession game in a very confined area with Graeme Arnold shouting instructions.

After a quick break and drink, Farina got the starting team sorted and worked on attacking and defensive movements.

To end the session, the attacking players let loose on the goalkeepers, with Brett Emerton in fine shooting form.

The midfielders and defenders worked on some possession before they hit the showers.

The team flew out at a 6pm and will take on the Solomon Islands on Saturday 2pm local time, with the return leg in Sydney on Tuesday at 7:30pm.

No, folks, you don’t have to pinch yourselves or rub your eyes - you read it correctly!

Footballers and dancing generally go together like beer and strawberries, but in a couple of weeks the Brisbane Strikers’ intrepid football explorer will partake in what surely must rank as one of the more bizarre experiences that his nomadic life in football has brought him. He will dance for the Crown Prince of Brunei.

What the....?

It’s all true. Shortly after we posted our story earlier this week on Grierson’s recent football exploits in Brunei for DPMM FC, the player dropped us a line to inform us of a bit of, err...good fortune.

The Crown Prince, you see, is the owner of DPMM and is obviously rather fond of his players. So fond, in fact, that he wants them not only to entertain him on the football field but also on the dance floor for one of the biggest events of his life - his wedding.

And not just any dance, mind you. It seems Grierson will not be getting away with the shambolic nightclub goose-step or shuffling waltz that form the dance repertoire of so many western footballers and, well...blokes in general, really.

"The Crown Prince gets married in a couple of weeks and myself and the (rest of) the players have to learn a traditional Malay dance, dressed in traditional Malay dress, to perform for the prince" Grierson said.

"It should be pretty embarrassing. I bet a few of the (Brisbane Strikers) boys would like to get a look at that".

You bet they would, Super Pete. Not to mention a few thousand supporters in Brisbane and sundry other people, including family, on the Gold Coast and in Liverpool, England just to mention a few places that would have more than a passing interest. Wouldn’t it be nice if Clem Jones could pull a few strings and get someone to smuggle a camera in there?

Then again, maybe not.

Best of luck, Peter.

Most of the players who figured in the last NSL campaign for the Brisbane Strikers decided to venture back into the Queensland Premier League to ‘keep their feet in’ during the long wait to find out if the Strikers will continue playing at the national league level next year.

One player, however, eschewed the local league (where he had previously performed with distinction over a number of years) to try something a bit more exotic - and he is doing just fine, thank you very much.

As previously reported on this website, Strikers skipper Peter Grierson made a snap decision at the end of the NSL season to venture to the unknown (to Australians) tropical frontier of Brunei’s B-League. He has been there since April and has been a runaway success for his new club, DPMM FC.

With seven games left in the season, DPMM were apparently finding life in the B-League rather enjoyable when we checked on Grierson’s progress last week. "We are currently five points clear at the top", Grierson said, "with ten wins, 1 draw, no losses, 51 goals scored and 5 against. Not bad, hey?"

Not bad, indeed. And it seems Grierson’s own form has been more than a little significant in the club’s successful run. Having begun the season as a centre back, the versatile Grierson has now moved into the "holding" role in midfield that he played for the Strikers last season - and has turned it into a conduit for goals!

When asked, Grierson confirmed that he had so far netted twelve goals for his team (almost a quarter of its total, you might notice) - but that almost immediately afterwards swelled to fifteen, with Grierson bagging a hat-trick as his team put eleven goals past an obviously outclassed Kota Ranger FC the day after we contacted him.

Grierson put in the kind of performance in this game that had the local press in raptures, with one report waxing lyrical about the "maestro Peter Gary Grierson....creating chances with his defence-splitting passes", whilst apparently scoring goals for fun. It sounds like "Roy of the Rovers" stuff.

However, Grierson is realist enough to suggest that perhaps the standard of the B-League is providing him with a little flattery.

"The standard is not that good, to be honest", he said. "The teams are very physical, but with no discipline. Our team has improved a lot, though, and we play some good football at times. There needs to be more good coaches here for the progression of the game, and youth systems set up, so the kids can learn from good coaches at an early age".

Grierson said his goals had come in "all kinds of ways, a few from outside the box, a few headers".

"My own form has been OK", he said. "It has to be, though, because there is a lot of pressure on the import players to perform. Basically, if they don’t think you are playing well they will get rid of you and bring someone else in.

"I’m told it’s the same all over Asia. But, in saying that, whenever and wherever you play you are playing with pressure, because one bad game could lose you your spot and, in turn, you might not get a contract at the end of the season".

While it is still a little way off, it seems the end of the Brunei season is now exercising Grierson’s thoughts to some extent, particularly as he awaits news from Australia of the announcement of the successful bids to enter next year’s new national league. It appears that the month of October could present Grierson with some thorny problems to resolve.

"There is a cup competition starting next week, and the season finishes here at the start of November", he said. "Obviously, I’m hoping the Strikers will get in the new league and I would love to come back and play for them. But that is out of my hands. The coach wants me here for next season, so I’m trying to keep my options open".

The Brisbane Strikers are lacking opportunities to play football right now, but that is not stopping the club from hosting a busy month of football at Perry Park.

The Strikers’ home ground is set to be the venue for some of the best local football on offer over the next few weeks, with action on three weekends beginning this Saturday and concluding on the weekend of 25 and 26 September.

This Saturday night will see the last home match of the season for Perry Park’s adopted Queensland Premier League team, North Star, as they take on Rochedale Rovers. This match, which kicks off at 7.00 pm, will be preceded by a curtain raiser in the form of an "Old Boys" match between the same two clubs (who contested the 1992 State League Grand Final), and earlier games at 2.00 pm and 4.00 pm.

The following Sunday, 5 September will see the Premier Cup Final preceded by promotion and relegation matches and one of the State League semi-finals in a day which is bound to have far more than its share of drama, joy and heartache.

Then, on the last weekend of September, the piece de resistance will be served up with the traditional Grand Finals day, culminating with the Queensland Premier League Grand Final.

It all sounds like an excellent time for football fans who have not been along to Perry Park since the conclusion of the Brisbane Strikers NSL season, way back in March, to dust off the cobwebs and get along to see the best the local leagues have to offer.

The Queensland Strikers officially opened their new social club and youth training centre at Meakin Park on Saturday.

With over $100 000 spent on renovating the social club and bringing the three playing fields up to scratch, Strikers chairman Dr Clem Jones was very happy with the facility.

"We want to provide a facility for young people to occupy their leisure time," Dr Jones said.

Meakin Park will be home for the Queensland Strikers on the south side and club director Robert Gibson said there were plenty of options the facility could provide to the club and soccer in Brisbane.

"We primarily want this to be a youth development centre for soccer," Mr Gibson said.

"But it is really open ended in what we can do here. If we are in the new league this venue could be a good place to have training sessions and play promotional games."

The Strikers will also encourage both Brisbane North and Brisbane South junior representative teams to use Perry Park and Meakin Park as bases for their representative squads.

The Strikers however would not themselves be starting junior teams yet as Mr Gibson said they wanted to be a "supporter not competitor to local clubs."

The club will keep their Youth team even if there is no national youth competition by playing them in the state league.

Strikers CEO Steve Wilson said "We would like to have a team at Perry Park and a team at Meakin Park playing in the state competition."

Robert Gibson did not believe Meakin Park would help the Strikers bid for the new league a great deal except in "adding credibility."

He also played down expectation that the Strikers would be in the new competition.

"The meeting we had with the ASA went extremely well, but we don’t want to get too confident. We have a 50-50 chance." Mr Gibson said.

Meakin Park is situated at Meakin Road Slacks Creek and is open to all members of the public.

Every footballer’s career is sure to have its ups and downs, but young Brisbane Strikers midfielder Matthew McKay could justifiably claim to have viewed the game from both the summit and the valley in just eight short months.

Back in December last year, McKay was on top of the world for a brief moment as a member of the Australian team that beat the mighty Brazil in a 3-2 thriller in the World Youth Championships in Dubai. He was also in Frank Farina’s thoughts for his Olympic Games squad and looking forward to the thrill of taking part in the last NSL finals series as a key player in Stuart McLaren’s Brisbane Strikers team, which was riding high in the top six.

Now, McKay’s Olympic Games hopes have evaporated and he is riding out a national league off-season of indeterminate length by playing for Eastern Suburbs in the Queensland Premier League.

Along the way from Dubai to Heath Park there was a brief, impressive but ultimately fruitless excursion to trial with Scottish Premier League club Motherwell - an opportunity that McKay says arose very suddenly after the conclusion of the NSL season.

"It was a spur of the moment thing", he said when we contacted him a few days ago. "I had been in the Olympic camp and was planning to go on a Contiki tour when it finished and have a bit of fun, but I got it (the Motherwell trial) organised through a mate so I packed my bags and went".

McKay found the trip to Motherwell a positive experience. "It was good - a different culture. Everything is about sport and soccer and it’s all top quality stuff that I really miss now that I’m back.

"The facilities were not the best, and the football was not the best, but it’s a different style - very competitive and passionate".

We put it to McKay that playing competitive and passionate football would not have been a problem at all for a young man whose ‘up-and-at-’em’ style has made him a favourite among Brisbane Strikers fans, and he confirmed that he had found it to his liking. "I did well, but in the end they were looking at a winger, not a midfielder".

So why, if Motherwell were looking for a genuine wing man, did they ask McKay, a central midfielder, all the way from Australia to Scotland to trial with them? The answer lay in Dubai, and the videotape of that epic encounter with Brazil.

"Against Brazil I played wide on the left and did really well, and everyone who has seen the tape thinks I’m a winger", he explained.

While the match and videotape might have inaccurately typecast McKay, it is obvious the game will occupy a favourite place amongst his treasure trove of memories long after that day, in the long-distant future, when he gives the game away.

"It was unbelievable", said McKay when asked to recall the experience. "It was like everything came together. We had some luck and took our chances well, and then defended like you’d never believe".

It was a result that was not taken well by the Brazilians. "Half of them were off the pitch before we could shake hands with them. They weren’t happy at all", McKay said.

But, as has so often happened to Australian teams of all age levels in international tournaments, the euphoric high gained by a great performance against a top-ranked nation (in this case, the eventual tournament winners) was followed immediately by the hollow despair of a loss to lesser opponents. On this occasion, the party poopers were the home team, the United Arab Emirates. A 1-0 loss to the Emirates in the Round of 16 saw the Australians bundled out of the tournament - an especially bitter pill to swallow after they had topped their group which also included the Czech Republic and Canada.

It was a loss that McKay put down to having a long break (by tournament standards) of five days between games, and by the different nature of the home team’s support. He said the break allowed the high energy levels generated by the victory over Brazil to ebb away, leaving the team feeling flat as they went into the game against the Emirates. And McKay also said that he found the experience of playing before 14,000 white-robed and vocal Arabs a strangely disconcerting and intimidating experience - coming as it did during a period of high international tension in the region after the end of the "combat phase" of the Iraq War.

A couple of months later, McKay found himself in the Brisbane Strikers team that played Adelaide United in an insanely fluctuating home and away tie in the NSL finals.

"It was really weird", McKay recalled. "We went down there (to play United in the first leg) to give it our all. Then we lost Josh McCloughan (sent off) early on and we couldn’t recover. We felt gutted after the third goal went in".

United took a 3-0 advantage into the second leg, meaning that the Strikers had to win the second leg by four clear goals to advance further in the finals.

"We came back to Brisbane and were quite relaxed all week, because we thought we didn’t have a chance and wouldn’t get the result we needed", McKay continued. "And then, to play so well and to realise we should have won - we should have gone through. We felt gutted again!

In the final analysis, of course, Brisbane’s 4-1 win was not quite enough, allowing Adelaide to scrape through on the away goals rule. But it was a match which made the hair of everyone who saw it stand on end.

"It was by far the most exciting game I’ve ever played in at club level, and was also the best win by far", McKay said. "The game in Perth the previous season when we beat Perth Glory 4-3 was also good, but not as good as that one against Adelaide".

With the NSL finals series over and an endless off-season looming, McKay found himself in the awkward situation of trying to juggle his Olympic Games aspirations with the need to tie up a club deal that would enable him to stay fit and keep playing at the highest level possible. Surely it must have been doubly frustrating, then, that after the Motherwell venture ran down a dry gully, McKay heard last week that he had not won selection in Frank Farina’s squad for the Athens Olympic Games.

On the contrary, the player said he was not surprised by the news, and copped it on the chin. "I didn’t make the squad. That’s disappointing, but I went to Spain and Greece (for preparation matches) and didn’t get on. There was not enough game time to impress. It’s Frank Farina’s decision, but it (getting selected) would have been a bonus because I was competing with guys who are mostly two years older".

For now, McKay is biding his time, turning out for Eastern Suburbs to keep fit and sharp. "It’s good to get back and play and train", he said. "It’s a lot slower, but that’s understandable. We’re struggling a bit, but we just need a couple of results. It’s a tough run home, though. But I just get on with it, keep fit and, if the opportunity comes up to go overseas or play in the APL, I’ll be ready".

At Heath Park, McKay has renewed acquaintances with coach Col Bennet, who was a member of the 1974 Socceroos team that is still the only team of Australians to have played in the Word Cup finals.

"He was actually my under-11s coach", McKay said. "Back then I was playing up front with Nathan Coe (who has since become a goalkeeper and is playing abroad). He’s a good coach and knows his stuff, and I’m learning from him".

When not playing, McKay has been helping the Brisbane Strikers to conduct junior coaching clinics and assisting McLaren in the Brisbane Strikers office - while keeping one eye trained on the turbulent transition towards next year’s new national league. He admits that he finds the jockeying for positions over who will represent Brisbane in the national league to be unsettling, but hopes the pain will be worth it in the end.

"I hope in the future it works out for everyone" he said. "It’s just this teething period for the first two or three years that’s going to be difficult". He says that if he plays in the new national league there is only one place for him. "I would like to stay in Brisbane, preferable to playing interstate for an APL club", he said.

But if McKay truly has his way, he might not be in Australia to see this happen. When asked where, in his wildest dreams, he imagined himself playing in two or three years time he answered in terms very familiar to Australian football followers.

"I’d like to be in Europe, in one of the top leagues, in the first team week in, week out and playing well" he said. He added that by "Europe" he meant the Continent, because his Australian passport would make it difficult for him to overcome the work permit restrictions that apply in England.

Right now, with his career in limbo, McKay’s European dreams might seem fanciful. But don’t write them off. There would be very few people who, having witnessed McKay’s determination on the football field, would doubt that the roller coaster that has taken him from Dubai to Heath Park in eight months could indeed take him to the football stadia of Italy, Spain or Germany within two or three years.

The deadline for interested parties to submit their full applications for entry to the new men’s national competition was extended today by the Australian Soccer Association - for two further weeks.

Submissions had been due by 5 July, but the ASA today advised its applicants that it would now give them until 19 July.

Brisbane Strikers CEO Steve Wilson, when asked about the selection process today, advised the BSSA of the blowout in the ASA’s timetable. However, Wilson said that his club was not perturbed about the latest development, for which no reason had yet been given.

Wilson said the deferral would merely give the Strikers a better opportunity to fine-tune their application, which would benefit from having external consultants given more time to get thoroughly acquainted with the task.

"We are calling on a number of qualified people to assist", he said.

While the majority of Australia’s football fans are fixated on the unfolding dramas of the Euro 2004 tournament half the world away in Portugal, the most significant developments in the game in Australia for thirty years are happening right under their noses, virtually unreported.

On the available evidence, perhaps that’s exactly how the governing body of the game in this country, the Australian Soccer Association, prefers things to be while it goes about replacing the old National Soccer League with a new national football competition to kick off next year.

The ASA has apparently given applicants to join the new league until 10.00 am on 5 July to submit documentation outlining how they will meet the ASA’s full set of criteria for entry to the league. But, as reported previously on this website, and in a move that has been viewed by some supporters to be evocative of the late and unlamented Soccer Australia, the head body has forbidden its applicants to release details of the criteria.

When asked today to confirm that the Brisbane Strikers are preparing a formal submission, Strikers CEO Steve Wilson was happy to do so, but would not say anything more than the club was "in the midst of completing an exhaustive submission" and "going hell-for-leather" on it. Wilson said that the ASA’s criteria "require a detailed application".

So that’s it, Strikers fans! It isn’t much, but at a time when football fans are effectively starved of information about the direction of the game and the fate of aspiring football clubs, we suppose that at least it’s ‘something’. You can at least be confident that the club considers itself capable of meeting the ASA’s criteria and is determined to forge ahead with a serious and comprehensive effort to be part of the new league.

More information on this matter will, of course, appear on this website as soon as we are in a position to provide it.

After an absence of many years this week-end will see a return of Premier League Soccer to Perry Park.

On receiving an approach from the Board of Premier League Club, North Star to play their round 11 fixture against Souths United at Perry Park, Chairman of the Strikers Dr Clem Jones stated ‘”that the Strikers would be pleased to assist”, adding “that it has always been the aim of the Strikers to use our facilities to provide support for the soccer community at all levels.” 

Dr Jones went on to say that it’s also a great opportunity for every-one to come down and see the newly opened Strikers Club,offering a great Bistro Menu, Licensed Facilities, Pokies and  Function Rooms. 

Spectators have the opportunity to enjoy three games this Saturday, The Youth match will kick off at 3.00pm, the Reserves at 5.00pm and the main match at 7.00pm. 

Strikers fans will enjoy the return to Perry Park of a number of Strikers NSL AND Youth players including last year’s player/coach Stuart McLaren, and Olyroo Training Squad Member Luke Morley.  

The wheels of national league reform might be turning ever so slowly at Australian Soccer Association headquarters, but at least they continue to turn - if news from the Brisbane Strikers is anything to go by.

The Strikers’ Chief Executive Officer, Steve Wilson, confirmed today that the club had received an acknowledgement from the ASA in response to its lodgement of a "Registration of Interest" to enter the new league, and that the governing body had also asked the club to sign a "Deed of Confidentiality" agreeing not to divulge details of the ASA’s criteria for entry to the new national league - when they are provided!

It would appear that this cautious approach has replaced the "face to face" interviews with prospective applicants that the ASA had mooted a few weeks ago.

Southern media reports yesterday quoted the ASA’s Chief Executive Officer, John O’Neill, saying that the ASA had received registrations of interest from 19 applicants, and that the bids provided a "good spread nationally". O’Neill also said the ASA had held talks with all of Australia’s free-to-air television networks, and Fox Sports, offering a "bundled rights" package of the Socceroos and new national league.

Every year over the past twenty or so, a steadily growing stream of Australian football players has headed off to Europe. Generally, they have gone with dreams about playing professionally in countries where their game is adored above all others and where, if they are good and lucky enough, they can achieve earnings and fame that have always been beyond their reach in Australia.

This year, former Brisbane Strikers wing-back Shane Stefanutto joined them. He left the Brisbane club in January to take up a one year contract with Norwegian club Lillestrom SK, having given his utmost over more than 120 games and four seasons with the Strikers.

Perhaps it has become all too easy for Australian soccer fans, having witnessed so many of their favourite young players leaving for ‘greener’ pastures, to see the departure of yet another as all a bit ‘ho-hum’. But when you stop and think about it for a moment, nothing could really be further from the truth.

For every player who tries his luck, there are considerable challenges. Not only must he seek to establish himself amongst new team-mates of generally superior ability to what he is used to playing with and against at home, while seeking to impress a new coach and fans and to avoid the pitfalls of injury or ill luck, but he must also come to grips with adjusting to life in societies that are often markedly different from what he grew up in. Not to mention coping with climates that challenge both body and mind, usually without his family or a network of friends to support him when things get tough.

Stefanutto faced most of these challenges. But arguably he risked a bit more than most in doing so. In Brisbane he had established himself not only as a regular player at the top level in Australia but also as a vital cog in the off-field operations of the Brisbane Strikers (both as a junior development officer and a media performer). If the Brisbane Strikers have a future in the new national league, Stefanutto could reasonably have expected to be a major part of it. Chucking that in for the opportunity to play in Norway was arguably akin to taking a giant leap outside his comfort zone.

But it was a giant leap taken for disarmingly simple reasons. "My ambition was definitely to become a better player, and I hoped that I would be successful and play at a very high level", Stefanutto said from Norway this week.

It was no time at all, though, before Stefanutto began to realise that achieving those simple goals was going to take some guts and determination and a lot of hard work.

"Physically I was prepared quite well, but the pre season here was the toughest I had ever done and, I think, in my career I may not do another pre-season like it. My body was always tired and sore and when you’re not training you learn very quickly to take care of your body. Mentally I was probably not that well prepared because it´s a whole different world over
here, but it didn´t take me too long to adjust and fit in", he said.

"(There were) two sessions each day in the week and then a game on Saturday, and thankfully Sunday off. Every day we would do some form of fitness work, and that was after doing a very intense training session. Our pre-season runs from January to mid-April, so it’s a very, very, very long build up to the season. I think we also played about fifteen pre-season games. I reckon I played in about thirteen of them, and our results were fairly good although I can´t really remember all of them."

Yes, folks, that’s thirteen pre-season games out of fifteen! Perhaps it is hardly surprising that Stefanutto could not remember them all, because it must have seemed like his feet weren’t touching the ground. When you consider that the last few Australian NSL seasons have consisted of a total of around 24 games played over six months, it must have been quite mind-boggling to play thirteen games in just a couple of months - just to complete the ‘pre-season’.

Then there was the small matter of acclimatising and assimilating in Lillestrom, which is about 25 kilometres outside of the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Oslo, for those who are a little scratchy on their geography, is so far north that it is barely shy of the Arctic Circle - with a climate to match. It wasn’t exactly made to order for a boy who hailed from tropical north Queensland.

"The climate was the most difficult thing to get used to", Stefanutto admitted. "When I arrived in January it was the middle of their winter so I had come from thirty-five degrees
every day in Brisbane to a place that was snowing and constantly around minus five degrees.

"Language is no problem, as everyone speaks English, but I am starting to take Norwegian classes, (although) it’s only in the early stages. Lifestyle wasn’t a real problem either. Obviously you can’t go and get a five hundred gram steak every week, but you just get used to these things very quickly".

Stefanutto found his new surroundings in Lillestrom agreeable enough. "It’s a fairly small city of about 80,000 people", he explained. "It’s very friendly and it’s a very safe place....it is expanding very quickly with a great deal of housing development taking place".

It also helped that his new club was already the home of his former Brisbane Strikers team mate, Kasey Wehrmann, and that playing in Norway has also brought him into contact with Aussies Dylan McAllister and Clayton Zane.

While the young player was finding the pre-season to be tough going, it is obvious that he was swimming rather than sinking. That’s because, before it was over, Stefanutto found himself presented with an offer he was not about to refuse.

"From the first day I arrived in Norway, my aim was to work as hard as I could to prove to people that I am good enough to play in Europe", he said. "I knew, having only a one year contract, that I had to make the most of this year. (Then), after some good performances in pre-season the club came to me in March and said they wanted to extend my contract. Obviously, I was delighted to hear this news and by mid-April I had agreed on a new three-and-a-half year contract".

With his new contract under his belt and the pre-season behind him, Stefanutto was more than ready for the start of the Norwegian season. And he started with a bang - earning himself the man-of-the-match award for his efforts on debut. Oddly enough, this was a feat he had also achieved at the Brisbane Strikers.

"It gave me a great deal of confidence", Stefanutto said of his debut in Norway. "I just wanted to have a solid start to the season and I knew this first game was very important. Thankfully, everything went really well and I got voted best player. It made me very happy. It’s a game I will never forget - similar to my first games for the Brisbane Strikers".

Now that the season is in full swing, Stefanutto explained that the hectic fixtures list has partially replaced the concept of training.

"At the moment training is very light, as we've had seven games this month already and have another two or three to go - I think! But a normal week of training would have a recovery session on Monday, with Tuesday off. On Wednesday there are two training sessions - the first session is a football session and the second session is in the gym. On Thursday we train once, Friday once and Saturday once. And then on Sunday we have a game. In Norway, ninety percent of your games are on a Sunday. I guess we train a bit more than when I was playing in Brisbane, but the intensity of the training sessions is a great deal higher than I was used to.

"I think the Norwegian league is very under rated", he continued. "The pace of the game is very quick and its players are of a very high standard. It’s much more physical than the NSL, and the standard of play is higher as well. Our ground is fantastic. It holds maybe 12,000 people. This year, so far, our average crowd has been about 10,000. It’s a very new stadium and the atmosphere is unbelievable. Our fans are really good - they are always singing and help to lift the team".

Just like in Brisbane, then, Shane - except that there are a few more of them!

Stefanutto said that he has established himself in his new team in much the same role as he played for the Brisbane Strikers for the majority of his time under John Kosmina’s coaching.

And speaking of coaches...."My coach is a guy called Arne Erlandsen", Stefanutto said. "He is very well known in Norway from his playing career, and is very well respected because of this. His approach to the game is to always press and put as much pressure on our opposition as possible. We play a basic 4-4-2 formation and he loves the left and right backs to overlap. We play a very direct and attacking style of football. I have been playing left back in that 4-4-2 formation. My role is to be very offensive, overlapping at every chance".

Stefanutto rates his team quite highly, despite the fact that they probably have not begun the season as well as they would like.

"At the moment we’re tenth, which is not so good as we were tipped by a lot of people to finish in the top four teams. I believe we are amongst the best teams in Norway but we have many new faces and it will take time to gel. But, in saying that, we are only three points from fifth place and six points from second place, so it is very tight at the moment".

According to Stefanutto, there are a couple of stand-out players on his club’s roster.

"Our goalkeeper, Emille Baron, is from South Africa and he is a favourite of the fans - a real colourful character. You never know what to expect from him, which I guess makes him exciting.

"We also have a midfielder from Slovenia (named) Robert Koren. He’s only twenty-two, but is in their national team. He is our playmaker and is very talented. His vision on the ball is great - I think a European star in the making".

And what of the possibility of an Australian star in the making - by the name of Shane Stefanutto? Does he harbour any ambitions of catching Frank Farina’s attention and playing for the Socceroos now that he is establishing himself overseas?

"I really don’t think about playing for the Socceroos that much", the player answered. "Obviously, it’s a dream of mine to one day play for my country, but at the moment I just take things week to week. I know if I can keep improving and playing well anything can happen".

For the moment, Stefanutto seems focused on keeping his nose to the grindstone and repaying the faith of his new bosses. For anyone who has had the experience of both watching Stefanutto play and meeting him in person, this would come as no surprise. He has always impressed as a personality who, while strong willed and determined, is also well-grounded and loyal.

"I hope to become a better player, and hope to play at the highest possible level, whether that be in Norway or somewhere else in Europe", he said. "I want to make a huge contribution to Lillestrom and help them be as successful as possible".

Lucky Lillestrom! You can’t help but feel that they know they’re on to a good thing.

The Brisbane Strikers are out of the blocks in the race to become Queensland’s team in the new national league - but are facing competition from up to three other entrants.

Strikers’ chief executive, Steve Wilson yesterday confirmed that the club had lodged its registration of interest with the Australian Soccer Association, and had received an acknowledgement of receipt of its documents by the ASA last Thursday - the day before the deadline for all registrations of interest to be submitted to the head body.

Wilson said the registration of interest documentation had been prepared by Strikers director Robert Gibson, and that "a fair bit of additional information" had been provided with the standard forms submitted by the club.

"I’m very pleased with what Robert Gibson has done - it’s a very thorough registration of interest document", Wilson said.

While it has always been considered inevitable that the Strikers will face competition for Queensland’s sole guaranteed national league licence from the Queensland Lions, it will surprise some supporters of both clubs that two other contestants have entered the race with them.

Wilson said that one of these was an outfit calling themselves the Southport Sharks, while the other was a Cairns-based bid.

The next stage in the ASA’s selection process will involve the ASA’s consultants reviewing all registrations of interest received and following up with face-to-face discussions with the applicants. 

This will be done with a view to providing a full suite of documents containing the selection criteria that the ASA will use to determine its new national league clubs, upon the ASA being satisfied that the bona fides of the contestants are sufficiently robust and serious to warrant the documents being released to them. This will occur over the next two weeks.

Socceroos coach, Frank Farina, has named two former Brisbane Strikers in his squad to play 2002 World Cup third placegetters Turkey in friendly internationals scheduled for 21 and 24 May.

Jade North, who left the Strikers three years ago to play for Sydney Olympic and then Perth Glory has broken back into the national side for the first time since playing in Australia’s ill-fated Oceania Nations Cup campaign in 2002 and will earn his fifth cap. And Steve Laybutt, who has had two stints with the Strikers and left last year to play in Belgium will earn his thirteenth match, having last played as a substitute against Venezuela earlier this year.

The pair have been selected as defenders in a squad left short-changed at the back by the absences of regular Socceroo defenders Craig Moore, Lucas Neill and Tony Popovic and minus other big-name players such as Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka.

However, Farina has demonstrated the depth of quality at his disposal in the selection of his squad, which despite the absence of these players will still offer the Australian public the chance to see a number of foreign-based stars including Marco Bresciano, Scott Chipperfield, Brett Emerton, Vince Grella, Stan Lazaridis, Mark Schwarzer and Josip Skoko.

Goalkeeper Schwarzer is expected to be the Socceroos’ captain for the two games in the absence of the injured Moore.

The full squad is:

Marco Bresciano (Parma, Italy), Scott Chipperfield (FC Basel, Switzerland), Simon Colosimo (Parramatta Power, Australia), Ahmad Elrich (Parramatta Power, Australia), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England), Vince Grella (Empoli, Italy), Zeljko Kalac (Perugia, Italy), Patrick Kisnorbo (Heart of Midlothian, (Scotland), Steve Laybutt (Excelsior Mouscron, Belgium), Stan Lazaridis (Birmingham City, England), Adrian Madaschi (Partick Thistle, Scotland), Ante Milicic (Pahang, Malaysia), Jade North (Perth Glory, Australia), Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England), Josip Skoko (Genclerbirligi, Turkey), Mile Sterjovski (Lille, France), Danny Tiatto (Manchester City, England), Tony Vidmar (Cardiff City, Wales), Max Vieri (Napoli, Italy), David Zdrilic (Aberdeen, Scotland)

The Brisbane Strikers Social Club at Perry Park is finally open for business.

Being the tightly regulated and highly sought after commodity that they are, gaming and liquor licenses can take longer to conceive and give birth to than babies. True to form, the Strikers’ approval to open their social club has taken some nine months to obtain. But according to Strikers chief executive officer, Steve Wilson, the wait has been worth it.

"It took some time to get the relevant government approvals through and get everything in the shape we wanted it to be in ready for the opening - probably longer than we would have liked" he said today. "But it’s looking great now".

As you might expect, the club contains bar and restaurant facilities and ten poker machines have been installed for those who like a flutter. Membership is an absolute steal at $5.50, and confers upon its holders reciprocal rights with a number of similar clubs. And, in around four weeks’ time, one of those will be the Strikers’ other social club at Meakin Park, Slacks Creek.

Wilson said that the Perry Park social club will be open Mondays to Fridays. Opening hours are 12.00 noon until 8.00 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 12.00 noon until 11.00 pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The club will open on Saturdays and Sundays whenever it has bookings for seminars and events.

Being located at Abbotsford Road, Mayne at the heart of Brisbane’s inner northern suburban transport network, the social club is easily accessible by both road and rail, with the Bowen Hills railway station being only metres away. While those who live in the northern suburbs will find it most convenient, it is worth keeping in mind that it is only minutes away from the CBD and therefore a more than viable option for city workers wanting to grab a meal and a drink at lunchtime or after work.

Of course, if you are a Brisbane Strikers supporter (and, let’s face it, why else would you be visiting this website?), there is an added incentive to take out membership and use the club’s facilities, because a profitable social club can only help the Strikers’ cause in the future.

Membership enquiries can be made by phoning the strikers on 3257 2166, while conferences and seminars can also be booked by phoning that number and asking to speak to Graham Andrews.

Wilson said that getting the social club open for business was just the start of the hard work that was now needed to turn it into a success. "While we know the social club will enjoy the support of Brisbane Strikers supporters, some of whom are already members, we need to get the word out to other potential members", he said. "With that in mind, we’ve been organising an over-35’s football competition to be played at Perry Park on Wednesday and Friday nights. Players are still needed, and I would encourage anyone over 35 who is looking for an opportunity to get a regular game at a top class facility through the winter months to give us a call. Obviously, the social club will be available for the players after their game".

Matches are scheduled to kick off on both Wednesdays and Fridays at 6.20 pm and 8.00 pm. If you are interested in playing, the number to phone again is 3257 2166.

But regardless of whether you want to play or simply avail yourself of the facilities, Perry Park should be YOUR social club. Get along and make the most of it!

On a night held to celebrate the 2003/04 NSL season achievements of the Brisbane Strikers, it was perhaps ironic that the biggest winners were defenders.

A very well attended Brisbane Strikers presentation evening last night saw a swag of awards presented as the Brisbane Strikers National Youth League team shared the stage with the senior team for the first time, while speeches by the club’s administrators made it clear the club is determined to be around for a long time yet as a new era begins for Australian football.

The highlights of the night were, arguably, the presentations of the Brisbane Strikers Players’ Player of the Season, and the Brisbane Strikers Supporters’ Association’s Player of the Season Awards. And in an unusual twist, those awards went to two players who played their first season in the NSL and were both recruited from the Palm Beach Sharks.

Josh McCloughan was voted the best player by his team mates, while Karl Dodd took out the supporters’ award. But although the defenders took the senior squad’s spoils, there was perhaps a glimpse of the club’s future at the other end of the pitch when striker Dean Peltohaka was awarded the youth squad’s Players’ Player award as well as taking out its Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals in the season.

The full list of award winners is as follows:

Senior Squad:

Players’ Player of the Season - Josh McCloughan

BSSA Player of the Season - Karl Dodd

Golden Boot - Luke Morley and Joshua Rose (6 goals each)

Rookie of the Year - Warren Moon

Chaplain’s Award (for inspiring other players by personal example) - Peter Grierson

Youth Squad:

Players’ Player of the Season - Dean Peltohaka

Golden Boot - Dean Peltohaka (8 goals)

Other Awards:

Coach’s Choice (chosen by Stuart McLaren and Luciano Trani) - Steve Wilson, Chief Executive Officer.

Club Person of the Year - Charlie Harfield (long serving volunteers co-ordinator)

Appreciation Awards - Gordon Jarvis (Perry Park curator) and Jacqui Wright (former Director).

The opening and closing addresses, by Vice President Dell Townsend and Chairman Clem Jones respectively, were heavy on acknowledging the contributions of everyone connected with the club, from Directors to players, coaches, administrative staff and supporters - not only over season 2003/04 but over the whole of the club’s NSL history. Dr Jones said he was determined the club would put in the best and most professional application possible to join the new national league, but acknowledged that once again the club’s future was not entirely in its own hands.

He also said he felt confident that the club had a strong relationship with Soccer Queensland and would continue to do so, and that the strength of this relationship owed much to the strong focus the Strikers had always had on trying to provide a career path for young Queenslanders from football clubs throughout the State.

But while insisting that the Brisbane Strikers would give their application for entry into the new national league their very best shot, both Dr Jones and Ms Townsend made it obvious that even if the bid were to fail, the Brisbane Strikers would not be going away. They reminded their audience that the Strikers have a twenty year lease over Perry Park and Meakin Park and are determined to continue using these facilities to provide opportunities for young Queenslanders - come what may.

New Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman, also gave a short speech in which he said he had a genuine interest in the round ball code, having played it himself as a junior, and wished the Strikers luck.

The speeches were certainly not entirely focussed on the looming off-field dramas associated with football reform, significant though they are. Most presenters drew attention to the fact that, once again, an under-rated group of Queensland sportsmen had performed above the expectations of pundits and that, with just an ounce of luck, they might have gone all the way to the Grand Final.

It was particularly heartening to see the club’s senior coaching team of Stuart McLaren and Luciano Trani reunited for the evening, with both of them speaking in glowing terms of the efforts of the squad they built almost from scratch last season. Trani, who is currently coaching in Victoria, flew back especially for the event.

However, it was McCloughan who, in accepting his award, perhaps best summed up the tone of the evening and the season. In keeping with the selfless player that he is, McCloughan thanked his team mates for the award and said that in twenty years of playing football he had never played with a better bunch of characters.

We will keep our fingers crossed that they get the opportunity to again work and play together for the Brisbane Strikers next year. We might be biased, but we believe they deserve the opportunity to mature together and develop to their full potential.

With a seventeen month off-season stretching ahead of Australia’s home-based elite level footballers like a yawning chasm, it is perhaps not surprising that many of them would look towards Asia and other overseas destinations to help fill the gap.

Brisbane Strikers skipper Peter Grierson was one of the quickest out of the blocks, securing himself a contract in what must surely be one of football’s last frontiers - the oil-rich Islamic nation of Brunei, on the north-east coast of the massive tropical island of Borneo.

Grierson’s contract is with DPMM FC, a club owned by the Crown Prince of Brunei which plays in Brunei’s B-League Division 1.

But Grierson has not necessarily left the Brisbane Strikers for good. Importantly, for a player who has given five years of his career to the Brisbane club, the one-year contract he signed with DPMM has a release clause which will free him to resume his career in Australia at any time should the opportunity present itself.

But why Brunei? After all, most football supporters outside of Asia would be hard-pressed finding it on a globe, much less be aware that it has a football league. Well, as far as Grierson is concerned it represents a tremendous opportunity to add some new experiences to a varied football career that began in Liverpool, England and continued in the Channel Islands before transplanting itself to the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

"A friend of Louis Brain had a contact in Brunei and we both sent our resumes over and were offered a trial", he said on Thursday this week. "He (Brain) backed out because of his upcoming wedding, but I decided I had nothing to lose. The chance to play and live in a different country was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss, knowing the circumstances back in Oz.

"The league DPMM FC plays in is the top league in Brunei. The winner of the league qualifies for the Asian Champions League (and) the club is supposed to be entering a few other international competitions during the year".

In fact Grierson has just had his first taste of international club competition, Asian-style - playing in the Big Trumpet Cup in Singapore, where DPMM FC lost 2-1 to Singapore League leaders Woodlands Wellington FC.

Having also had a number of pre-season games with his new club, Grierson has had an opportunity to assess the standard of the B-League, which appears to be hamstrung by a lack of quality coaching for young local players.

"The standard is not so good, maybe a little bit behind the (Queensland) State League", he said. "There are no youth policies over here, so the players haven’t been coached properly from an early age. They are trying to put one in place in the near future".

But while the Brunei football authorities are obviously placing some faith in youth development as a long term fix for the standard of their league, in the shorter term they are trying to boost the quality of their teams by bringing in foreign coaches and players. Grierson’s club is getting in for its share.

"The coach is Amir Alagich, from Bosnia", Grierson said. "He has an Australian passport as he lived in Melbourne in the nineties, before coaching in Europe and America. The training is very hard, more so because of the tropical weather - (there’s) plenty of squelching in my own sweat at training. He is well qualified and is very professional in his approach, but he has a difficult job trying to change the mentality of players that have been semi-pro for so long and turn them into pros. He is very demanding, which is difficult when some players are not quite good enough".

Grierson, who is playing as a centre back in a 4-4-2 system ("it was one of the few positions I have never played, so it is another little challenge"), is one of three foreign players the club is allowed to have on its roster. The other foreigners are Oluseye Ajayi (Nigeria) and Florin Olimpiu (Romania), who play as a striker and a centre back respectively. "Both are good guys and I socialize a lot with them", Grierson said.

Not that the "socializing" necessarily bears much resemblance to the socializing that players from non-Islamic backgrounds might be used to.

"There are no bars or nightclubs here, but I suppose pro footballers are not meant to go to them anyway", said Grierson - surely with tongue in cheek. "The locals are all Muslims and very religious and we pray before every game".

The reverential mindset of the local players also extends, it seems, to the way they view their club’s royal owner, who attends matches and apparently sits on a throne near the touchline! "I’ve shaken his hand a couple of times but I haven’t actually spoken to him, but all the local boys worship him", Grierson said.

We reckon there’s every chance they’ll soon be holding 'Super Pete' in similar awe as the Brunei season progresses.

Brisbane Strikers supporters who are pondering the longest national league off-season in history will still be able to see most of their favourite players in action this winter.

While most of the NSL clubs and their players are still pondering their futures at the elite level during the long hiatus between the demise of the NSL and next year’s start-up of the new national competition, the Strikers are moving to give their players some certainty over the next six months.

Strikers chief executive, Steve Wilson, today provided details of plans for most of the club’s senior players, which are being laid with one eye on the future that the club continues to plan at the national level.

Wilson said that most players in the squad were being granted releases to clubs at State League level. "This has been done with a view to keeping them as close as possible to Queensland, and to keep them playing in the highest possible league- which in Queensland is the Premier League - while we are working through any exceptions", he said.

He also said that all available Strikers players would be called into a meeting on Monday to be given the results of assessments of "their physical and mental states" conducted by the YMCA. They would then be individually talked through the best approach for them to take through the off-season on the basis of those assessments.

In the meantime, the club was happy to give its players the opportunity to sign short-term contracts with other clubs, particularly those in the Queensland Premier League. Wilson said this would enable them to keep up their fitness levels while lifting the standard of the QPL and giving many of the QPL’s younger players the benefit of playing alongside, and learning from, Strikers players with experience at the elite level.

Not all is going to plan, however. In the case of young forward Luke Morley, a commitment to play with Taringa Rovers (the club from which he came to the Strikers) has already backfired on the player. Morley had received a call up from national team coach Frank Farina to go into camp with the Olyroos, only to have his representative hopes temporarily devastated when he twisted an ankle while training with the Rovers. The injury has ruled him out of the game for five weeks.

The following is a summary of the current situation or plans for each player in the Brisbane Strikers senior squad:

Jason Kearton - playing with Queensland Lions.

Scott Higgins - Wynnum Wolves

Karl Dodd - in rehabilitation (9 months) after his recent knee operation

Josh McCloughan - on holiday while recovering from a knee injury

Stuart McLaren - played his first game with North Star last weekend.

Peter Grierson - has signed a contract to play in Brunei until 31 October.

Steve Fitzsimmons - has not agreed a contract with any club to date.

Adam Webber - Wynnum Wolves

Matthew Hilton - currently in Sydney for a break, but trialing with clubs in the NSW Winter Super League

Royce Brownlie - spending time with family.

Louis Brain - has signed with Adelaide club Modbury FC, but is still very much in the Brisbane Strikers’ plans for next season.

David Pilic - Gold Coast Knights.

Wayne Heath - talking to Pine Rivers, North Star and Wynnum Wolves. No contract signed yet.

Daniel Dreger - recovering from a hernia operation.

Matthew McKay - has been training and playing with the Olyroos. Has not signed a contract to play with any club because of commitments with representative camps over the next few months.

Peter Clarke - Taringa Rovers.

Chris Scuderi - Wynnum Wolves.

Warren Moon - enjoying a rest after playing back-to-back seasons for two years.

Joshua Rose - Pine Rivers.

Wilson said that several players from the Strikers youth squad had signed with North Star, while Dean Peltohaka had signed with Pine Rivers, while Josh Evans and Josh Watson had gone to Taringa.

To complete the picture, assistant coach Luciano Trani has returned to Victoria to coach the Whittlesea Stallions in the Victorian Premier League, after coaching the Fawkner Blues in the same competition for two games. 

Wilson said the Strikers had released Trani for three months but were very keen to retain the services of the coach (who has impressed all and sundry connected with the Strikers) "in a number of roles" when his stint with Whittlesea ends.

Kosmina Kreamed Again In Perth

Not for the first time in his coaching career, Adelaide United (and former Brisbane Strikers) coach John Kosmina has taken a team to Perth and received a hiding - this time in the NSL Preliminary Final yesterday. Adelaide United were left in a crumpled heap by the reigning champions, going down 5-0 in a match which must have brought back unwanted memories of their match a fortnight ago against the Brisbane Strikers at Perry Park.

Down 1-0 at the break (as in Brisbane), United were given another second half bath as they conceded four goals without being able to reply. Damian Mori two second half goals, Nick Mrdja one, and Bobby Despotovski added one to the goal he got in the first half, to produce a cruel final curtain on the debut club’s first season at the elite level.

Adelaide United can, however, reflect on a sensational thrill ride of a season in which they became the best-supported club in the land and virtually guaranteed themselves a place in the new national league being planned by the Australian Soccer Association.

The NSL Grand Final will now be played next weekend between the two teams felt most likely to contest it before a ball was kicked this season. Perth Glory will travel to Sydney to play Parramatta Power next weekend.

There will be plenty of interest in the game for Brisbane Strikers supporters, with former Strikers lining up for both teams. For Parramatta Power, goalkeeper Clint Bolton and Brazilian forward Fernando Rech, both former winners of the Brisbane Brisbane Strikers Supporters Association Player of the Season award, are likely to be selected. Meanwhile, Perth Glory might take three former Brisbane players to Sydney - Jade North, Wayne Srhoj and Andrew Packer.

McLaren Vying For Coach Of The Year

Brisbane Strikers player-coach Stuart McLaren, having just completed his first year of coaching at the elite level, is one of three nominations for the ASA’s NSL Coach of the Season Award.

McLaren is up against his old gaffer, John Kosmina and Perth Glory’s Mitch D’Avray. With D’Avray having one of the most expensive squads in the country at his disposal with which to achieve success, Kosmina’s achievement in bringing together a hastily assembled squad at Adelaide and taking them to within 90 minutes of a grand final appearance deserves to make him favourite to win. However, Kosmina has never been the flavour of the month within some circles in the governing body, so McLaren’s feat in taking an unfancied (and also hastily assembled) squad into the final six at the ripe old age of 28 should not be underestimated when the votes are cast.

Farina To Speak At A Function Organised by the BSSA

While details are still to be confirmed, it seems likely that Socceroos coach Frank Farina will speak at a function organised by the Brisbane Strikers Supporters’ Association for the Queensland Cancer Fund next month. Farina, currently in England to prepare the Socceroos for their friendly match against South Africa on Wednesday morning (our time), has given his provisional OK to speak at the charity dinner at Perry Park on 16 April at a function to commence at 7.00 pm.

A word of caution for readers of this website, however: Farina’s appearance is NOT (repeat NOT) to be interpreted as an endorsement of support for an application by the Brisbane Strikers to join the new national league. Nor is his lack of endorsement to be seen as a sign of support for any other Queensland applicant. That would be quite improper of a person occupying the position of national team coach. Farina will simply be in Brisbane to talk about football to football supporters and to support fundraising efforts for the battle to beat the big "C".

Watch this (cyber) space for further details over the coming days.

Brisbane Strikers player-coach Stuart McLaren has urged supporters not to give up on his team and to turn out in numbers as his team prepares for a "death or glory" assault on Adelaide United in the second leg of their NSL elimination final at Perry Park on Saturday night.

The Strikers face a very challenging, but not impossible, task as they look to overturn the 0-3 deficit they brought back home with them from the first leg in Adelaide last Sunday.

"I really hope we can get large numbers of supporters to Perry Park, firstly for the noise they can generate and secondly for the pride it will give the players. The crowds at home have been great (at generating noise) and we need as much noise as possible to spur the boys on", he said today.

McLaren pledged a massive backs-to-the-wall effort by his beleaguered team. When asked how he would approach the job of lifting them for a huge effort against United on Saturday night he replied:

"Just, from our point of view, to really force the issue that we have to be positive. There is no point crying over spilt milk - we just have to go out there and do whatever it takes to score goals. It will take something special to do it (overturn the deficit), but we know we can produce it on the day. We’ve been strong at Perry Park this season, and scored four goals there against Parramatta. We know what’s required. We have to put everything we possibly can into it to make chances and get that first goal".

The first goal, if they get it, will be the first of at least three goals the Strikers will need to survive into the next round of the finals. A 3-0 scoreline to the Strikers after 90 minutes would send the tie into extra time and, if there were no further goals, the tie would have to be decided on a penalty shoot-out. If, however, Adelaide United can score one goal the Strikers would have to score five in order to overcome the away goals rule that would otherwise send United through.

That the Strikers are facing this difficult task owes much to a wretched series of circumstances that conspired to produce a nightmare Sunday night for them in Adelaide.

While not wishing to take credit away from the performance of the home team last Sunday, McLaren said "a lot of things worked against us. First there was the late withdrawal of (defender) Adam Webber with illness the day before the game. Then there was the injury to Josh McCloughan (which resulted in the player being replaced) after 25 minutes when I thought we had settled into the game a little bit better than Adelaide, to be honest. There had been no clear-cut openings, then their first goal came because of adjustments we had to make for a corner after Josh left the field. I had to cover Josh’s position and Warren Moon was supposed to cover mine, and something just fell between us".

McLaren said the run of calamities continued as Webber’s replacement, Wayne Heath, was sent off when he fouled Carl Veart and was adjudged to have tackled him from behind with Veart through on goal. McLaren said he had no issue with the referee adjudging Heath to have fouled the Adelaide striker, but thought that Heath had been level with Veart when he attempted his tackle, not behind him. "I didn’t really think it was a ‘professional foul’", he said.

"Then, for them to get that late goal (in the ninety-second minute) when I thought we had done well with ten men, was a bit cruel", he concluded.

But there will be no looking back for McLaren this week. He won’t have the time. As well as conducting the team’s training sessions and undergoing promotional activities ahead of the game, he and assistant coach Luciano Trani have to find a solution to the rapidly worsening ‘unavailable’ list amongst their defenders. Heath’s red card means he is suspended from Saturday’s game, while the club is sweating on the results of McCloughan’s knee scan. McLaren was prepared to concede, however, that the super-consistent defender's fitness to play was "doubtful at this stage", and he was likely to join his former Palm Beach team mate Karl Dodd on the injured list..

"We have very few options", McLaren said of his back line. On the positive side, he said that Adam Webber was over his virus, and that McLaren himself is fit and available. But that makes only two specialist defenders available for an encounter in which Brisbane can ill afford to concede a goal. "We might play someone slightly out of position from the midfield", he suggested.

Perhaps it is just as well, then, that the emphasis will be on playing the game in Adelaide’s half. With the odds stacked against them, the home team will need every ounce of fighting spirit and self-belief that Queenslanders have always prided themselves on. And they will need their supporters to be made of similar stuff.

Are you up for it, Strikers fans?

The Brisbane Strikers have returned to Brisbane from their latest outing against Parramatta Power in Sydney last night without so much as a point to show for an adventurous display against their highly fancied opponents.

In an apparently open and entertaining encounter, Parramatta prevailed 3-2 after leading 3-0 only two minutes into the second half. Two goals from Ante Milicic and one from Lucas Pantelis were enough to survive a late onslaught from the Strikers, who replied through Steve Fitzsimmons and Joshua Rose to force a nail-biting finish.

Brisbane’s assistant coach, Luciano Trani, today said the result had been frustrating, given the way his team had played and the fact that they knew what to expect from Parramatta but failed to deal with it effectively.

"We played some very good football in two thirds of the field, but in the final third we could have been better", Trani said, adding that perhaps the greasy nature of the Parramatta Stadium surface could have had something to do with the Brisbane players poorly executing some of their intended "final" passes, particularly in the early part of the game.

"Considering the conditions, the boys did quite well", he said. "If you take away their first goal, which was scored against the run of play, we had a good first 20 or 30 minutes. With Parramatta dropping off to the half way line we could come forward without any real resistance. But we were getting caught on the break, and you have to follow their runners very closely. The likes of Andre Gumprecht, Lucas Pantelis and Peter Zorbas move quite quickly from deep positions, and if you don’t match up with their speed they are two yards ahead of you before you know it".

The failure of some Brisbane players to react quickly enough on several occasions when they lost possession had, Trani said, been the main reason his team went into the break two goals down.

"It’s frustrating", he said. "It was not new to us - we knew the type of runs they were going to do - but you need to act quickly when you lose the ball. There is no time to delay any reaction".

While the Parramatta side is long on NSL experience, Trani said that several of the Brisbane players were "are still finding their feet at this level. The boys are learning from situations that happen when there are lapses in concentration". The majority of them, he said, had adapted their games, but a minority were not quite there yet.

Trani said there were no injury worries for his team after last night’s game and that defender Karl Dodd, who was uncharacteristically replaced in the second half, was merely sacrificed for an extra attacking player (Warren Moon) as the Strikers chased goals to pull the match out of the fire. It almost worked. "They (Parramatta) were pretty lucky to get away with it in the end", Trani said.

With three games left to play to secure a top six finish, Trani suggested that he and head coach Stuart McLaren would consider tinkering with their team to find its ideal combinations for the remainder of the season. Part of the motivation for considering this, he said, had to do with the difficulty the team has found in replacing left midfielder Shane Stefanutto, who departed in January to continue his playing career in Norway.

"With ‘Stef’ not being there, we’ve changed our approach. Stef ran the line, in it’s length, on a consistent basis. We’re not getting that at the moment. We might need to re-jig our formation to get the best out of the players we’ve got".

Trani said that solutions also needed to be found to get around the problem of a low rate of converting chances into goals. He pointed to the efforts of Parramatta last night, in which Ante Milicic was able in the first half to convert two of only four solid scoring chances, while the Strikers’ conversion rate currently obliges them to create many more chances in order to convert two.

Without wishing to give away any ‘trade secrets’ we can report that Trani believes the necessary solutions can be found, and that he is eyeing this Sunday’s away fixture against the Melbourne Knights as one in which the Brisbane Strikers can adopt an aggressive approach.

"From our point of view, I would encourage us to go out and win, to take the game up to them", he said. "They’ve conceded a lot of goals (41) and we need to use our presence up front where they are obviously going to be vulnerable. We shouldn’t be hesitant and conservative. We’ve got the chance to take three points and put pressure on Sydney United".

While Brisbane Strikers supporters might be inclined to wonder how far up the NSL table their team can finish, and what that might mean in terms of their finals opponents and chances, Trani insists that making the top six remains the Brisbane Strikers’ sole focus. "We want to make the ‘six’ first, and talk about everything else later", he said.

The Marconi Stallions trashed the Brisbane Strikers’ proud unbeaten Perry Park record last night with a 2-0 victory achieved with a workmanlike display over a strangely subdued home side.

Two second half goals - the first in the sixty-sixth minute to Brad Maloney, who tucked away a rebound after Brisbane goalkeeper Scott Higgins had produced a superb double save, the second to Nick Carle three minutes from the end, left the Strikers and their supporters with that unfamiliar empty feeling.

Few home supporters would deny, though, that the Stallions were worth the three points tonight, as they were the more positive and penetrative side in a match played in stifling late afternoon heat. The Strikers, however, produced a flat performance which lacked a sense of purpose and a cutting edge. If they are honest with themselves, they will admit it was a disappointing way to lose that home record.

With the other NSL match tonight resulting in a 2-0 win for Sydney United over Newcastle United, the Strikers now find themselves just two points ahead of Sydney United (who have a game in hand), and with Marconi joining a chasing pack for the top six. That makes this Wednesday night’s replay at Perry Park of last week’s abandoned match against Sydney United possibly the most crucial match in the Strikers’ season to date.

Brisbane supporters will be keeping their fingers crossed that their boys can put last night’s performance firmly behind them and dig deep for a result on Wednesday.

Shane Stefanutto has left the building.  Well, leaving the Strikers and Brisbane for the cold of Norway.  He will join Lillestrom for a pre-season camp on the 10^th January, with an ambition to “pressure and work hard to make the starting lineup”.

We spoke to Shane this evening (Wednesday) after a big couple of days doing interviews and answering the same questions regarding his future.   So where to from here?

“I am sad to be leaving Brisbane, but the challenges that lie ahead of me are very exciting.  The club and the team have been great.  The feeling in the team this year is fantastic and we are playing well.  So it will be tough to leave.”  Shane said.

Shane has played in a majority of games for the Brisbane Strikers over the last few years, where only injury seemed to keep him from playing. Every off season he would trial with clubs in Europe, trying to progress his career from the NSL.  Every off season he would be told that “I was an exciting player, but I never got a contract”. 

The same thing happened this April. He flew to Norway and Portugal to trial with Lillestrom.  “I was hoping something would happen” Shane said “but I returned to Brisbane, heard nothing, and signed for one season with the Strikers.  I let them know that my intention was to try overseas again and I was going to give it one more crack in the off season”

His agent in Europe contacted him a little while ago about a contract with Lillestrom, the same club Kasey Werhman plays for.  “Kasey has been really helpful over the last couple of weeks. It has been great to have someone who knows the system over there, and has really helped me out.”

Shane has no assurance or guarantees but will be working hard to prove that he deserves a first team position.  However, Lillestrom have recently released their left back and were looking for someone new. 

“I could not have seen myself playing for another NSL club” Shane stated. “Brisbane is my home.  My family and friends are here, and I have made some wonderful friendships through the Strikers as well.  Brisbane has been a great place to learn and play.  There are not many clubs in Australia who would give an untried player a start, even if they were talented.  But in the end, I need to look afer my career and improve my own ability, and this is a huge challenge for me.”

One of the things he had noticed was how hard the players work in Norway.  “Its not one of the strongest leagues, but it is a stepping stone and you have to work hard for that” explained Stefanutto.  “If I don’t work hard and play to my best they (Lillestrom) won’t offer me a contract, and neither will anyone else.”

Stefanutto has been released from his contract, which was due to expire in June, by the board of the Strikers. “The board was surprised when I asked for a release so that I could join Lillestrom and really pressure for a place in their starting squad.   But they were delighted for me and the chance to progress my career.”

Shane turns 24 on the 8^th of January next year, and under the Bosman rules, he could leave the club at the end of his contract and the club would receive nothing.  The club chose not to enforce his contract to give him the best possible chance to progress his career.

During his 6 years with the Strikers he has had a “real hands on approach with the club”.  Being Junior Development Officer, he has spent a lot of time in the office and on the road as well as on the park.  Shane has visited many schools and soccer clubs talking to them about development in football and in turn the Strikers.

So many kids and supporters will miss him, but I am sure they will wish this great and loyal servant of the club all the best in the challenges he faces ahead.

Shane Stefanutto plays his last game for the club on the 7^th of January, the day before his birthday and the day before he leaves for Lillestrom.  Lets make it a special day.

Brisbane Strikers player-coach Stuart McLaren has told his players not to let last Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Sydney United affect their confidence as they prepare for a testing fortnight involving fixtures against the in-form Marconi Stallions and Parramatta Power.

McLaren told the BSSA yesterday that the scoreline from Edensor Park had not been a fair reflection of the performance of his team.

"I had a word to them (after the match) and told them not to be too despondent", McLaren said. "Up to now I’ve been telling them that we’ve been getting our just rewards. Maybe someone was trying to shut me up, because we didn’t get our just rewards from this game".

While things did not go smoothly for his team, McLaren said he thought they played some good football.

"There was a big improvement in the quality of our passing and we created plenty of half-chances and got into good positions for shots on goal", he said.

The young coach had little time for one senior reporter’s assessment that his team would need to overcome some ‘defensive frailties’ if it is to finish in the top six.

"It was not our strongest showing of the season defensively", he acknowledged. "But it is difficult to maintain the level we’ve set so far. We have to work hard to maintain it. But there are no ‘frailties’ - that’s stretching it a bit".

McLaren said there were moments when his Brisbane players lapsed in concentration in their defending, which cost them dearly. One example was in defending the set piece that led to the opening goal, when a couple of Sydney United players were left unmarked including Anthony Doumanis, whose shot against the bar presented a rebound that was put away by Damon Collina.

The two penalties awarded against Brisbane were, according to McLaren, a little harsh. The first was given against Josh McCloughan when the player he was challenging in the penalty area received a pass and got a first touch which took the ball up in the air and over McCloughan’s foot, which clipped the attacker as he tried to bring the ball under control. The Sydney United player stayed on his feet, but was awarded a penalty nonetheless.

The second penalty was awarded for a handball against Steve Fitzsimmons who had made a lunging movement to block a shot, only to have the ball strike him on his trailing hand - a case of the player’s hand being hit by the ball, rather than the other way around. McLaren said that Fitzsimmons had been powerless to prevent the incident.

Debutant goalkeeper Scott Higgins, filling in for injured regular custodian Jason Kearton, pulled off a fine save of the first penalty kick but had been unable to prevent Doumanis converting the second. McLaren said that Higgins had performed very well, despite the scoreline.

"At 3-0, you’d (be entitled to) think ‘second-choice keeper, blah, blah’ - but he made some good saves and did well with the ball at his feet, with clearances etcetera. He had a good game", McLaren said.

Higgins’ stint in the side could become a longer term proposition than was initially suspected, if the advice available to McLaren yesterday about Kearton’s injury is anything to go by. While he was still waiting for confirmation from the experienced goalkeeper about the exact diagnosis of his injury (to the knee of his non-kicking leg), McLaren was preparing himself for a worst case scenario.

"There is the possibility of surgery, with an eight weeks timeframe for recovery", McLaren said. "There are tears in the fibre of his patella tendon - from the strain of explosive movement and planting his foot when taking kicks".

McLaren said that if this worst case scenario eventuated he would look to bring another goalkeeper into the senior squad as cover for Higgins, rather than throw the club’s youth team goalkeeper, Josh Watson, into the deep end so early in his development.

Ridiculous as it may seem when only six games have been played, the Brisbane Strikers are already one quarter of the way through their list of regular season fixtures.  A quick comparison of the situation in which they find themselves after the first quarter of this season, with the situation they found themselves in at the same stage last season, shows some startling differences.

Last season after six games the Strikers were sitting in twelfth spot (second last) on the NSL table, having triumphed only once, lost four times and drawn once for a total of four points.  This season, they are fourth, having won three times, drawn twice and lost once for a total of eleven points.  When you look at the players of quality and experience they lost during the last off-season - such as Fernando Rech, Steve Laybutt, Jon McKain, Richie Alagich and Anthony Roche, this improvement in the team's early season fortunes seems barely believable or possible.  What could be causing it?  Well, here are a few observations that might go some way towards explaining it.

Last season, a free-wheeling attacking approach using John Kosmina's favoured 4-4-2 formation had yielded eleven goals after six games, but conceded a whopping sixteen.  This season, Stuart McLaren and Luciano Trani have favoured a 3-5-2 formation with an emphasis on keeping things tight at the back as their first priority.  While their team is yet to set the world on fire in front of the opposition's goal, scoring only seven, it has been miserly at the back, conceding only four.  That's right - only one quarter of the goals have been conceded this season that Jason Kearton had plucked out of his net at the same stage last season.

The message is obvious, and is one that has been echoed by many a coach all around the world for decades - if you get it right at the back you will build the foundation for a successful football team.  It isn't always pretty or entertaining to play that way, but hardheaded pragmatism tends to bring success.

Last season the Strikers often seemed to play with the attitude that if the opposition scored twice, they would simply go about scoring three.  The opposition usually did just that, but the Strikers could not realise their end of the equation often enough to make the top six.  It seems hard lessons were learned from that, and perhaps they were learned most particularly by the two players who are now the coach and captain of the Brisbane Strikers - Stuart McLaren and Peter Grierson.  This season, McLaren and Grierson are both noticeably inclined to chant the mantra that, if they can keep things tight at the back, their team only needs to get one goal to win. 

Not that they are necessarily happy with just one - they are striving for a pattern of play going forward that will produce more - but if one is all it takes to get the three points, then they will take it.  For the time being, this philosophy has created a solid base from which to build.

Another statistical comparison, little remarked upon as yet but probably quite significant, concerns that of discipline.  After six games last season, the Brisbane Strikers squad had accumulated, between them, thirteen yellow cards and one red card.  In a massive contrast, after six games this season the squad has accumulated just two yellows and no reds – a commendable effort from the point of view of fair play, but also perhaps a strong influence on the confidence and consistency of the team.

A rapid accumulation of yellow cards can have surely have an unsettling influence - not only on the individuals who incur them and who must therefore play with the insecurity of knowing that the next one could lead to a send-off or a suspension - but on the team as a whole.  There can be few things more frustrating and potentially destructive for a football team than conceding too many free kicks in dangerous areas of the pitch and in crucial periods in a game.  Free kicks can, and often do, decide where the points end up. If they become habit forming, they can erode the confidence of players in each other and, in doing so, sap the team's morale and weaken its cohesiveness.

Little wonder, then, that with fourteen cards notched up the Brisbane Strikers were experiencing a great deal of frustration and doing it tough this time last year.  In contrast this season (and whatever the reason for improvement - be it better individual discipline or less pedantic refereeing), they are conceding very few free kicks in dangerous areas of the pitch and appear to be exuding more confidence as they go about their business.

Finally, there is perhaps another statistic that we can throw your way that might help explain the turnaround in the team's fortunes.  At this stage last season, the Strikers had given game time to eighteen players in their squad of twenty.  This season, McLaren and Trani have used fifteen from their squad of twenty-one.  While this might not be a happy situation for the six who have missed out, it means that those who have played consistently together have been able to work on developing their understanding of each other's games, and to build trust in each other.

Perhaps that tends to build a stronger and more effective team unit.  Those players currently on the fringes, if encouraged not to give up hope and to keep training as hard as possible, will eventually get their chance to merge into a team that is functioning well.