TRANSCRIPT 🔗
00:00:00
Speaker 1: I want to start, you know, we'll get into the Socceroos, the World Cup, we'll get into all of that kind of later. But I kind of wanted to start where your career started, which was here, Melbourne, Green Gully, I believe. The NPR won, yeah?
00:00:14
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:00:16
Speaker 3: Then was VPL VPL so this is before wow this is before the whole was that national league not NSL after that ok so you're not that generation you're the generation after that just after.
00:00:30
Speaker 2: Yep now there's a good ball through though for Behik into the box Behik oh what a finish bottom corner for the Green Gully youngster And.
00:00:37
Speaker 1: What was that like for you? So, you know, you go for trials, you just go to that club and then you end up, you know, playing for the first team.
00:00:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was there from under 16s and then reserves as well. And then I think I was about 16 or 17. Ian Dobson was the coach at the time. He was like a legend at Green Gully, won a lot of titles as a coach. And he brought me up. And obviously at the time, a lot of NSL players were still there, like Andy Vargas, Jeff Fleming, Dean Fack was the captain. So I grew up with all these older generation guys. Yeah, pretty hard nut guys. So I'm grateful for that. But yeah, it was a great environment for me to come in as a 16-year-old.
00:01:15
Speaker 1: At what point did you think, you know, you could have a crack at this going professional and playing at the level that you've gone on to play at? Was it from early you kind of had that or was it just tricking it along, seeing how it was going?
00:01:28
Speaker 2: Yeah, a bit of both really. I think at the start when you're really young, you just enjoy it. You know, you don't think too far ahead. But then obviously once I went into the first team system at Green Gully and I seen the level and the players and what they've done in their careers and I started getting some game time exposed off the bench at the time because I was so young and I scored a couple of goals and I really thought, oh, okay, I could give this a proper crack.
00:01:53
Speaker 1: And were you, you weren't always a left back, were you?
00:01:56
Speaker 2: No, I was a winger.
00:01:57
Speaker 1: I knew it.
00:01:58
Speaker 2: I was a winger.
00:01:58
Speaker 1: I found a winger like me, man. Yeah, pretty much.
00:02:00
Speaker 2: It was actually John Van Scoop at Melbourne Heart.
00:02:03
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:02:04
Speaker 2: Transform me.
00:02:05
Speaker 1: Transform me. So when you were a winger and then what age were you in Melbourne Heart? What was that?
00:02:10
Speaker 2: I think I was around 21.
00:02:11
Speaker 1: And you were adjusting in first team level. That's pretty hard to do.
00:02:16
Speaker 2: He actually threw me in. My first time playing was the derby. First ever derby. The Melbourne derby. He told me at pre-match meal.
00:02:24
Speaker 1: Oh my God. Talk about throwing you in the deep end.
00:02:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, but it's probably better he did it that way because he didn't have time to think about it.
00:02:30
Speaker 1: Because you're just playing.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: You're reacting. It was the first ever derby, so... And I was the first player to cross over. And I knew what was coming. But I didn't have time to think about the game or playing as a left back. Yeah.
00:02:41
Speaker 1: What was the biggest adjustment going from winger to left back? Is it the defensive side of the game? Or do you think it's, you know, in today's world overlapping, they're going forward again.
00:02:50
Speaker 2: I think at the time it was the defensive side. It's the positioning. Always have to look over your shoulder. Where's my winger? Or players running in between, keeping distances with the centre back. Before I didn't have to really do that, you know. um, And it's so much better now also because no one's hitting me from behind.
00:03:08
Speaker 1: You're doing the whacking.
00:03:13
Speaker 2: So the attacking part was always fine. Obviously, as time, as I've gotten older, I'm a bit more mature on the pitch where I pick my times when to overlap. Whereas before, I was just full energy. You just keep going. Even when I didn't have to go.
00:03:26
Speaker 1: I feel like you're still like that now. I watch you in Socceroos now and you're just gone. Every time you can go, you go. Creating space is good.
00:03:35
Speaker 2: I'm a bit more smarter, but yeah, it was more the defensive side, learning that aspect of the game.
00:03:41
Speaker 1: Okay, so you're playing in Oz at the moment. I mean, back then you were playing in Oz and you get a deal to go overseas. When was the first time?
00:03:49
Speaker 2: No, so from Green Gully.
00:03:50
Speaker 1: Green Gully.
00:03:51
Speaker 2: We had a friendly game with Victory and that was going to be the first year of the National Youth League.
00:03:54
Speaker 1: The National League's transition.
00:03:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I got offered to go play there and I took it because that was the only Melbourne team at the time. So it was a good opportunity. Ended up playing about five senior games, I think it was, and then got told that I'm no longer needed or I'm not going to get offered a senior contract.
00:04:12
Speaker 1: Oh, I didn't know that.
00:04:12
Speaker 2: Yeah, and that was the year Hart was coming in. Oh.
00:04:16
Speaker 1: So from you not getting offered that contract.
00:04:19
Speaker 2: I actually got told at an airport, believe it or not. What?
00:04:22
Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
00:04:23
Speaker 1: Can you tell us this story?
00:04:26
Speaker 2: So we had played a grand final. Yeah.
00:04:28
Speaker 1: You played in it.
00:04:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, I came on and missed a real good sitter. Okay. probably seen it yeah everyone's seen it yes on set piece duty flicked onto the near.
00:04:38
Speaker 1: Person oh almost bungled home by Ozzie's Bay at Sydney all over the place at set.
00:04:45
Speaker 2: Pieces
Load full transcript
the play is almost exclusively down at this end of the park.
00:04:51
Speaker 1: What was Bay thinking there he just needed to volley that home he's completely on his own Just hit it across your body with your right foot and you're the hero.
00:04:59
Speaker 2: But I always say it was probably a blessing in disguise because one door closed and another opened. But I was a young guy then. I was 18, I think, at the time. So it was tough. We were in Champions League and then I got told on the way home at the airport that I'm not going to get offered and I should just stay in the youth league again. But at that point, I was 18. I'm like, I need to be exposed more. So I said, I don't want to do that. So I said, I'll be happy to go back to the VPL and play, which is what I did. And then that's when Hart were coming into the league and had a meeting with JD and Scott Munn at the time. And I was just happy to get a trial. I said, I'm not asking for it. I said, just give me a good trial. And Van Skipper agreed because they didn't have players at the time. So I traveled, I think, I don't know if it was Bendigo or Ballarat for a week. I couldn't stay with the team because I wasn't contracted. So I traveled every morning. get my trial in.
00:05:56
Speaker 1: And how long were you on trial for?
00:05:58
Speaker 2: I think it was about two weeks. So we did a trial here and then I think we went to Brisbane or Gold Coast and it was another week and Christian Sarkis was injured at the time. So I ended up getting an injury replacement contract four weeks, then got extended to six weeks. And then after the Derby, I had a good game. It got my first year, two years.
00:06:17
Speaker 1: And that trial period, I think we spoke about it with Cole when we had Cole on and he said this wasn't a good trial. It's like he went to a couple of teams trialed and like just didn't work out well for him. Is there any advice you have for like kind of a young player going into that trial period or going into your first week in the trial? Because it's kind of nerve wracking, you know, I always think trials are, it's like you're basically put in a position where you have to shine because you've got to be better than the guy that you're trying to replace, right? But then also, the people there, like the teammates, know that you're taking Thomas' position. So they don't actually want to play to you or let you do too much because they're like, this guy's taking Thomas' position.
00:06:56
Speaker 2: It was tough. It was probably the only time I've really had to trial. And I walked in the changing room, I remember, and it was like players like Colosimo was there at the time and John Aloisi. So I'm walking into a changing room like.
00:07:06
Speaker 1: Big players.
00:07:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, like big players in Australian football and everything they've done. But I think the mentality I had was I have nothing to lose. I already had it. taken away from me and after that I did try to get trials
at other A-League teams because I wasn't it wasn't really 100% that heart was coming into the league and I remember I think it was like Gold Coast Miron close the phone like all Newcastle I think all these every team didn't just said no no trial so I don't know if it was the back of the miss in the grand final or whatever I was just a 17 18 year old kid you know you.
00:07:39
Speaker 1: Think they see potential yeah.
00:07:41
Speaker 2: So literally I got knocked back from trials and heart was the only one that yeah took me in so I had it taken away from me. So my mentality was, what's the worst that can happen? Again, is I get knocked back again? So I just went in there, just being myself and pretty much fearless, I think, is the easy word to put.
00:07:58
Speaker 1: And so you signed for how long? How long were you there? Two years?
00:08:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, so my second year, it all happened pretty quick. So I think it was 2010. And then 2012, I went overseas straight away.
00:08:11
Speaker 1: Is that when you went to Turkey?
00:08:12
Speaker 2: Yeah, straight to Turkey.
00:08:14
Speaker 1: And you went to Turkey, a few teams in Turkey.
00:08:17
Speaker 2: At the start, it was only Bursa.
00:08:19
Speaker 1: Bursa. How would you compare the Turkish league to other leagues that you've played in? I know the fans are super passionate. What's the standard of football like?
00:08:28
Speaker 2: It's high, very high. It's demanding. I always say after about 60, 70 minutes, if you can't play 1v1, it's a difficult league to be in because it's so open. You're always exposed to one-on-one football. It's probably changed a bit now, a bit more tactical than that, but there's always top-quality players. Players I've had to mark throughout my career over there, the list goes very deep.
00:08:54
Speaker 1: Speaking of players that you've... I did want to ask you this question later on, but speaking of players that you've marked, I mean, you've come up against Mbappe... Dembele Seung Yong Ming that's how you say his name do you say his name I always fuck up his name Seung Yong Ming you've played against some top top quality wingers out there obviously Messi as well who would you say is the most difficult person that you've you've had to mask where you've you've defended against them and you're like oh god it's going to be a long 90 minutes yeah.
00:09:24
Speaker 2: Probably all those guys it's hard to put apart but one I always refer back to I think because it was My first year's in Turkey. And I realized over time versing him, because it happened a fair few times, I kind of earned his respect because I was getting better every year. And I think he then shaked my hand, I reckon, to about my second or third season in Turkey. It was Khorezma.
00:09:47
Speaker 1: Ah, Khorezma.
00:09:47
Speaker 2: Yeah. And obviously, ones that know him, he does have that arrogance.
00:09:52
Speaker 1: Where he doesn't care who you are. Yeah.
00:09:55
Speaker 2: And obviously, me
being a young guy coming into the league, I was only like 21, 22.
00:09:57
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:10:00
Speaker 2: So i knew it was always tough to play against him but i think it was after about two years i realized like i've earned this guy's respect because he would actually shake my hand.
00:10:10
Speaker 1: Now after the game yeah you know whereas before he wouldn't give you just walk off wouldn't care you know.
00:10:14
Speaker 2: That's kind of crazy but he was one player that I've always been like, okay, I've got to be on today. And obviously being a younger guy in the league, he was difficult too.
00:10:25
Speaker 1: I also wanted to ask you about the left-back position and the evolution of the left-back position from when you first started playing to how it is now. How do you think the positions change? You know, you have... your Alexander Trent, you know, that kind of right back where they are delivering balls, they're more attacking. And then, you know, you've got, on the other hand, you might have the defensive kind of fullback. But yeah, how do you see how that position's changed? Because you've experienced it first hand.
00:10:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think depending on the team, you know, you see, like we said before, inverting. Then you have the ones like Trent. He can do a bit of both, get forward, invert. He's like a playmaker almost. then you have someone like Robertson just gets down the wing, old school, get the balls in. So it just really depends on the tactic. But I was fortunate enough when I was in Başakşehir, Istanbul, to work with Gael Klişi. So we were competing for the left-back position the year we won the league. And that was just after City he came there. So they were already doing the inverting on the pep and that. And we were doing a little bit of that there at the time. So I got to learn a lot off him. And obviously when I came to City... at Melbourne and we were doing it under Viddy a bit as well so there was games if you see where I'm inverting a lot or Nate's inverting so I had the luxury of learning of one of the best to do it at the time City with probably only.
00:11:48
Speaker 1: Teams inverting yeah he was way ahead of everyone with that.
00:11:51
Speaker 2: Yeah I had the I was fortunate enough to learn under Gale a lot yeah so I got to stay with him after training and obviously would watch clips at training or after games and he would explain to me why he's doing it or when he would go in. So I got to learn a lot off him, yeah.
00:12:06
Speaker 1: And the wingback position as well for me, I mean fullback is one thing but I think wingback's probably the most difficult position in football for me.
00:12:13
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:12:14
Speaker 1: Because I'm just like, you're basically a winger and a fullback.
00:12:18
Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty much.
00:12:19
Speaker 1: And it's just you on that side.
00:12:21
Speaker 2: Sometimes you do feel isolated.
00:12:22
Speaker 1: You're basically by yourself. It's just, if
anything goes past you that way, it's your fault. Anything going forward, it's also your fault. You're the fittest guy on the pitch.
00:12:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty much. Like you said, you do feel alone sometimes. You know, if you're number 10 or your striker's caught on the other side and the ball's been switched here, you feel like, oh, there's no one around me. It's demanding, that's for sure. But I think football, the way football's gone in the last few years, it is a very demanding sport physically. And if you can't keep up, you do get exposed.
00:12:53
Speaker 1: You said before, you're always learning and you're always changing and evolving. Now, I do want to touch on Socceroos stuff. Now, you came into the Socceroos at the under 23s, I believe.
00:13:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, under Viddy.
00:13:03
Speaker 1: In the Viddy.
00:13:04
Speaker 2: First time.
00:13:04
Speaker 1: Yeah. Talk to us about your whole Socceroos journey because I want to dive a little bit more deeper into that. So, under 23s, what's your first game? What's your memory of it? And how do you take it on board to where you are now?
00:13:17
Speaker 2: First game. I think our first game was in Central Coast. I can't remember who we played. Just friendly games. Then we had Olympic qualifiers, which we didn't qualify for. We lost to Uzbekistan. away and then the UAE away. So that was pretty gut wrench because it's an Olympic chance and you only get one shot at it with 23. But then not long after that, I made my debut under Holger against Korea and we ended up beating Korea in Korea 2-1. So that's a good memory for you. Yeah, that's a great memory. And I got to debut for a few players. Ali Babal, who was with me at Melbourne Heart, debuted. I think Lex debuted that game. Tommy Rogic debuted. So there was a couple of us.
00:13:58
Speaker 1: Coming through.
00:13:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, so there was a couple of us that debuted that game. So it was a nice one to be a part of because I think we hadn't won in Korea in a very long time as well.
00:14:06
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was a tough place to go.
00:14:06
Speaker 2: You should watch the golf famous Robbie Cornthwaite tap in on the line.
00:14:10
Speaker 1: Right now I'm down, Tony. We'll give it a reaction afterwards. This is before my time in Oz, so I'm going to have to do a bit more research into that.
00:14:18
Speaker 2: But then it was a difficult period because straight after my debut, I went overseas. In the first six months, I wasn't playing. Obviously, a young Aussie boy, going to Turkey. Bursa just won the league two years prior, Champions League. So I was coming into a team that was already solid, established, fighting for Europe all the time. So the first six months I didn't play, so I was out of the national team again. So it took me a while to get back in under Ange.
00:14:44
Speaker 1: Do you find, and I think this is good for young players listening and stuff, what's your kind of mindset when you're not playing? and basically you're doing everything you can to play. And as a position, as a defender, I feel like it's a little bit harder sometimes to break back into a squad that's winning. What's your mindset around when you're not playing?
00:15:06
Speaker 2: I've had it, to be honest, I've had it at the start of my career, like I just mentioned, when I first moved to Bursa, and that went for a long time. It was pretty much the whole first six months I was there. I couldn't break into the team. It was difficult. But then I had it back into my career when I thought I was going to high after Russia World Cup. signed at PSV and wasn't getting the games that I wanted because the team was just winning and I couldn't break in. So I've had it at both ends of my career almost. I was 28, I think, at the time when I went to PSV. But my mentality has always been you can be upset, you can be angry, but you still got to do the work. Because at the end of the day, you don't do the work. You're the only one that's going to suffer the consequences because when you do get a chance, you ain't ready. And then you're going to be out again, you know. So that's always been my mentality. There was times where I'd stay after the games in PSV in the stadium. And even if the lights were off, I'd do my runs. Asian Cup was around the corner. So I'd be like, if I'm selected, I want to be ready. So I've always had the mentality. If I don't play, it was like the work. I'd let my anger out on the work that I'm going to do. Yeah. And I always said, I don't do the work for the coach or the person next to me. I do it for myself. then that's my career. So what I put in is what I'm going to get out of it. So that's always been the mindset I've had, even if I'm angry.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a great mindset to have and a great point to make as well. So the World Cups that you featured in, if I'm correct, so you said Russia. What was the one with Qatar? And then obviously this one just gone. Out of those three... What's your most fondest memory? I know it's kind of hard to pick out. That's like every guy's dream growing up in order to play for their country so many times and go to World Cups and do what you've done.
00:16:58
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think each one is like a moment you can pick out. Russia, I always say it kind of came and went pretty quick because I was young as well. It was my first World Cup. I think I kind of didn't really... live each day as it was.
00:17:13
Speaker 1: And soak it in properly.
00:17:15
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, you kind of reflect on it later and you're like, holy crap, it's already finished. You know, but obviously the first game there against France and I was looking in the stadium and my wife, my parents were there, my sister. It was a special time because I'm like, I'm at a World Cup. You kind of don't believe it. But that one kind of flew by me and I said, I'm not going to let that happen in Qatar. It happened a little bit but not as much. Obviously,
the game against Denmark. Wow.
00:17:41
Speaker 1: You know what a moment yeah.
00:17:43
Speaker 2: You know obviously the way we so i remember that the way we started that game well i said this could be a long night for us because we couldn't.
00:17:50
Speaker 1: Get they started heavy yeah we couldn't get out of the pressure was on you guys.
00:17:54
Speaker 2: But the way we stuck through it and the longer the game went i'm like you know we're still in it and then obviously lex has that moment um and then if i go to now It was almost similar. You know, people, I think.
00:18:07
Speaker 1: Well, even in that, you almost had a crazy moment in that World Cup as well. You know, the moment against Argentina, you went on that run.
00:18:15
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:18:15
Speaker 1: What was going through your head at that moment? Should I cut it back? No, I don't watch it.
00:18:20
Speaker 2: I don't watch it anymore. I watched it a little bit, but it always gets brought up. Yeah, look, to be honest with you.
00:18:28
Speaker 1: What a run.
00:18:29
Speaker 2: To be honest, I really didn't see Martinez come across. I actually thought, okay... Because I think I wanted to go near.
00:18:37
Speaker 1: Post.
00:18:38
Speaker 2: And I think you can already see the keeper going the other way. But, yeah, he did unbelievable. I think he was on McLaren at the time and he just took a gamble.
00:18:46
Speaker 1: He was on fire that game anyway. He made some unbelievable saves.
00:18:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, what could have been, it always haunts me a bit. I know.
00:18:50
Speaker 1: I mean, it's one of them things where … But I made up.
00:18:52
Speaker 2: For it against Japan, so it's all right. Oh, definitely.
00:18:55
Speaker 1: 110% made up for it, right?
00:18:56
Speaker 2: Similar. But if I go to the USA World Cup, I think people don't realize that game against … Paraguay, how important it was.
00:19:06
Speaker 1: That was a huge game.
00:19:07
Speaker 2: I think because we didn't win or the way the game was going, the scoreline, I don't think people realise that we lost that game. We're going home. We weren't going through. So I think the importance of that and the way we performed and because we just lost to the US as well.
00:19:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, off the back of that.
00:19:23
Speaker 2: And the reaction we showed as a group, I think that game was massive.
00:19:29
Speaker 1: Do you feel like in comparison to other squads... that you've been a part of this current Socceroos squad, there's a little bit more pressure from the outside media? Do you feel like, you know, you got the young generation that's coming through that, you know, people are shouting about, screaming about, saying they're gonna be, huge and they are huge right now do you feel like that adds a little bit more pressure to that playing group or you guys in that group you're tight and secure you don't see that kind of outside noise as.
00:20:00
Speaker 2: Much as you say you don't see the outside
noise you do and especially now social media it's difficult and these young guys are You know, it could go both ways. They could either get to him or not get to him, you know. So you've got to be careful with that. And I think sometimes our media, in all honesty, do get carried away, you know. And, you know, they've got to realise that a lot of these guys played their first World Cup. That was their first major tournament. And then, obviously, you know, you've got a boy like Lucas stepping up, taking a pen, misses. So be it. Now he's in the Prem. And here's one kid where I can see that, I can tell, social media is not something that would get to him. But I think sometimes our media do get carried away, and I've seen it in the past. Even with my generation coming up, oh, you have to go there, and we've got to do this. It's not as easy as people think it is. So I think our media do sometimes need to settle down and be realistic. Let the kids just get better. Let them play regular at their clubs for a long period of time, not just six months to a year. Let them have an extended career abroad, playing consistent, and then you'll see what they'll do in the national team.
00:21:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, this is great. I love that. And we spoke to Irvine a couple of weeks ago, and he said that you were the most underrated Australian footballer that he's ever played with. And I want to ask you the same question. Who's the most underrated... Australian footballer in your eyes. Other than Irvine. You can't go back on Irvine because then you're going.
00:21:43
Speaker 2: So what am I basing this off? Someone that hasn't.
00:21:45
Speaker 1: Been spoken about? No, not spoken about enough. Not even spoken about, but just talent-wise doesn't get maybe enough attention that you see that you're thinking, oh, this guy should.
00:21:54
Speaker 2: Current players?
00:21:55
Speaker 1: Could be that, could be current, could be any soccerer ever. He said you were the most underrated soccerer ever.
00:22:01
Speaker 2: Yeah. Any soccerer ever, yeah. You put me under the pump here. Ever. I'll try to go with someone that I played with, just to make it a bit easier. I'll say one, Josip Skoko. Because I got to play with him at heart. And I seen really how good he was as a player. And obviously, I was at the back end of his career. But growing up, you really didn't hear much about Josip. Because obviously, I kill the dude.
00:22:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, he was one of the ones that wasn't shone as much light on because of those big names.
00:22:31
Speaker 2: I think he's one that, After playing with him for a year, I was like, oh, he's a baller. And another one, just because I played with him a lot, and I think he got criticized unfairly at times in his career, was Robbie Cruz. And I think if you ask any teammate of his, maybe goals and assists might not show it. I'm not sure what his stats are. Because he was obviously left wing in front of me a lot. What he did for the team, probably people that Don't really know football. Don't realise. They just watch and see what, oh, he did a dribble or something. But the amount of work and defensive work he would put in for the team, I think every teammate would appreciate that.
00:23:13
Speaker 1: One of those players that you don't really, you wouldn't notice unless you're playing in the squad.
00:23:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think so.
00:23:17
Speaker 1: When he doesn't play, you notice. You're like, oh, he's not playing.
00:23:20
Speaker 2: And I think he got criticised a lot during his time. But I think injuries let him down also because I think he would have been up there for a lot of caps for the Socceroos. I think if he didn't have the injuries, he did. But yeah, I used to love playing with Kruse because he would just work. and work and work and help me out as a defender as well. So I think as a teammate, I just appreciated having a player like him.
00:23:39
Speaker 1: And as a left back, because I'm a defender as well, I played left back as well. So do you feel like the left backs are underappreciated a little bit as well?
00:23:49
Speaker 2: I think it's just our position.
00:23:50
Speaker 1: We're not decoy runners at times, you know.
00:23:52
Speaker 2: No, no.
00:23:53
Speaker 1: I mean, you've got to get up and down. You whip the ball in. You've got to defend this guy. Your wing is not tracking back. You've got to defend. You know what I mean? You're getting double teamed by the other fullback, you know, sometimes.
00:24:02
Speaker 2: I think we get more recognition now in football.
00:24:04
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:24:04
Speaker 2: But I think before, not so much. But it is what it is, you know. I've always said, like, you know, obviously you said, Jaco said I'm the most. For me, I've always said in my career I'd like to hear that. I wouldn't care if coaches or no district to anyone, but I've always wanted to leave the game where my players have really appreciated what I've done. And they've seen that I do my job for the team and do the best I can for the team. So that's, you know, to hear someone like Jack that I've played with for so long in the Socceroos, it's actually, you know, it makes me feel happy that, okay, if he recognizes it, then other teammates will as well.
00:24:41
Speaker 1: That's good. And we'll finish up with a few. what do you do mentally outside of football? You've been doing this for the last 30 years or so, right? And a lot of people base their worth off, you know, athletes in particular, your worth might be based off, you know, you playing the game and that's when you feel like you're important and that kind of thing, right? So mentally, what kind of stuff do you do when you're away from the game that keeps you mentally in tune so that say football's not going well, you still can find your kind of your self-worth there?
00:25:12
Speaker 2: Family, my wife, my parents. I've got four sisters, you know, and I'm the only boy. And now, obviously, I've
got so many nieces and nephews. So, you know, when I'm down, you know, my wife's the first one I go home to, and she knows that, you know, I've had a bad day or a bad game. She knows not to speak about football, so we start speaking. So it takes my mind. Obviously, when I was younger, it was a lot more difficult. Yeah. Because being overseas, it's different to Australia. The pressure's more, you walk outside the door and there's someone there that knows that you're a footballer. And everything was 24-7 football. Whereas as I've gotten older, I've tried to keep work away. It's hard. It's still hard because I'll watch football 24-7 at home.
00:25:58
Speaker 1: So even when you're away, you're watching it. So it's hard. Just stick on the highlights or something like that.
00:26:04
Speaker 2: Even when I'm at home, like, I could have my old team playing with mates, and I would have two games on. I'd have one on the TV, one on my laptop. Yeah, my wife hates it when I do that. She's like, which one are you watching? Because I just love football. It's what I grew up with. My dad played as well. So I just love the game. And as I've gotten older, I've kind of watched games to analyze more because I'm much more experienced. But for me, to get away from football, I've always said it's family. It's the easiest way for me to escape football completely. Nice.
00:26:35
Speaker 1: And one question to finish off with. The A-League at the moment, I feel like it's in a hard spot a little bit with, you know, fans and, you know, where the league's going. Is there any ways where you could see, you know, you haven't played abroad, playing for Socceroos, you know, you're in a good position where I feel like you could offer or just say what you think, how the league could improve in any way as a player. I'd love to know that.
00:27:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's, you know, the A-League's had its periods. It's always been spiking and then it drops, spikes, it drops, you know.
00:27:08
Speaker 1: Because everyone tells me about what era was it. Like, before I came, like, I think it was like 2010, 12. Everyone tells me about that era.
00:27:17
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:27:17
Speaker 1: And, like, every game was packed. You had, you know, it was like with Del Piero's and all of that era.
00:27:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.
00:27:23
Speaker 1: Everyone tells me about that era and I'm like, ah, I missed that era.
00:27:26
Speaker 2: I remember the first derby. Like, we used to do derbies at Marvel now, but Eddie had it back then and we'll pretty nearly sell it out. Obviously, I was away during COVID, so I think that could have had an impact as well. But I think if you see what we've done with the national team in Qatar and obviously now in the US and you see what the Matildas have done in their competitions and you see a lot of the national team players now in both women and women are from the A-League. So if you're filling stadiums to come watch them play for the national team at home, I think it should be no different coming to an A-League game. And I think the competition last year was as even as you're going to get. And I think it's just getting more and more even now. Obviously, the investment, how each club does it, is their own. But obviously, like you mentioned before, I think getting those more experienced players in, those names, I think does play a big effect. Everyone wants to watch Del Piero. See, we had Harry Kuehl. Everyone wants to watch Harry Kuehl. Even if it's at the back end of their career, it doesn't matter. You had Heskey at one point in the league. I remember that, yeah. Just these players that put bums on seats you need. But I think if you look at the competition, it's great.
00:28:46
Speaker 1: The quality of the game is.
00:28:47
Speaker 2: The quality is good. And each game is so competitive. And me being a player, you feel that anyone can beat anyone at any time. And that's the type of league you want to be in. You don't want a team... Just blitzing everyone at the top, you know. So hopefully this year we can, you know, obviously with the games, you know, we've got the derby round two. I think Sydney derby round one. You know, there's no better way.
00:29:09
Speaker 1: Kick it off.
00:29:10
Speaker 2: Kick the season off. And, you know, we go back to Auckland after we just got eliminated in penalties.
00:29:15
Speaker 1: I mean, Auckland just came in last year. Was it last year or the year before? The year before. The year before. And their fan base is through the roof.
00:29:22
Speaker 2: I love playing. It's so difficult. But the atmosphere is great. Great. So I think if we can get that at much more stadiums, I think the league's... It's there. Yeah, the quality's there.
00:29:33
Speaker 1: The players are there.
00:29:34
Speaker 2: The quality's there. The players are there. You know, I think the clubs are starting to get run a bit better, majority of them anyway. So I think it's heading in the right direction. It just needs that extra push.
00:29:45
Speaker 1: Yeah, a little kick, man. Anyway, thank you for joining us. We really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to join us on the podcast.
00:29:51
Speaker 2: Thanks for having me.
00:29:52
Speaker 1: We'll be following your journey of Socceroos and with Melbourne City as well, man. So I appreciate it.
00:29:56
Speaker 2: Thank you.
00:29:56
Speaker 1: Thanks, brother.
00:29:56
Speaker 2: Appreciate it.
00:29:57
Speaker 1: Thank you so much.