Forum Phoenix
Well-Known Member
On balance I feel our ins and outs are solid to better in relation to the other clubs. Combined with the improvements of players like Posc and Rose... not unrealistic to be a little optimistic.
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A-League Transfers and Rumours
- Thread starter Andy
- Start date
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
Bray set to join Melbourne Victory:
Melbourne Victory are set to pounce on former Central Coast Mariners and NPL Victoria product Alastair Bray to fill the vacant goalkeeping role left by the departing Danny Vukovic.
Bray was found kitted out in a recent promotional piece with the Melbourne Victory squad for the TAC’s Towards Zero campaign, and the keeper has been training with the club over the past few weeks to provide competition to current number one Lawrence Thomas.
The 23-year-old has spent the last six months at Gosford under coach Tony Walmsley who opted to sign the former Bentleigh Greens shot-stopper as a replacement for Liam Reddy, who was released from the club in early-December, 2015.
Bray was put through a gruelling trial process where he competed with Hume City’s Chris Oldfield for a spot on the A-League franchise’s roster, eventually signing last January.
His six-month spell saw him make one league appearance for the club, coming in a 3-1 away loss to Adelaide United, where he was one of five goalkeepers utilised throughout a tumultuous 2015-16 campaign, which saw them finish bottom of the A-League ladder for the first time in their 11-year history.
Bray established himself as one of the NPL’s premier custodians, having displaced Stuart Webster for a starting berth with the Bentleigh Greens in 2014, then playing a large role in their march to the FFA Cup Semi-Finals.
The keeper moved to Green Gully ahead of the 2016 NPL Victoria season but signed with the Mariners before the State League season had commenced.
Bray suffered a knee injury (torn meniscus) during training in April 2016, & was released by the Mariners in June 2016, at the end of his six month deal.
Melbourne Victory are set to pounce on former Central Coast Mariners and NPL Victoria product Alastair Bray to fill the vacant goalkeeping role left by the departing Danny Vukovic.
Bray was found kitted out in a recent promotional piece with the Melbourne Victory squad for the TAC’s Towards Zero campaign, and the keeper has been training with the club over the past few weeks to provide competition to current number one Lawrence Thomas.
The 23-year-old has spent the last six months at Gosford under coach Tony Walmsley who opted to sign the former Bentleigh Greens shot-stopper as a replacement for Liam Reddy, who was released from the club in early-December, 2015.
Bray was put through a gruelling trial process where he competed with Hume City’s Chris Oldfield for a spot on the A-League franchise’s roster, eventually signing last January.
His six-month spell saw him make one league appearance for the club, coming in a 3-1 away loss to Adelaide United, where he was one of five goalkeepers utilised throughout a tumultuous 2015-16 campaign, which saw them finish bottom of the A-League ladder for the first time in their 11-year history.
Bray established himself as one of the NPL’s premier custodians, having displaced Stuart Webster for a starting berth with the Bentleigh Greens in 2014, then playing a large role in their march to the FFA Cup Semi-Finals.
The keeper moved to Green Gully ahead of the 2016 NPL Victoria season but signed with the Mariners before the State League season had commenced.
Bray suffered a knee injury (torn meniscus) during training in April 2016, & was released by the Mariners in June 2016, at the end of his six month deal.
FFC Mariner
Well-Known Member
A mistake by us I fear.
JoyfulPenguin
Well-Known Member
Victory pouncing on our mistake, good luck to him at Victory has put in the hard yards and deserves a real crack.
Forum Phoenix
Well-Known Member
You have to think the knee injury was the decider, but agree, was disappointed to see him go, (even when I misread his age of 23 as 28 somewhere) thought he was the best of the three. He looked to have the attitude and ability to be able to go a long way and looked far more well rounded than Izzo.
In terms of a mistake... we had three young keepers on the books and the club realised they needed someone experienced... THB is very young and showed great promise and Izzo is/was deemed to be the future of Australian goal keeping stocks... so with an injury Bray is cut, easy to see the logic.
But yeah, should have cut Izzo (to the outrage of the football fraternity) and kept Bray.
Very happy for him getting a shot at MV now.
In terms of a mistake... we had three young keepers on the books and the club realised they needed someone experienced... THB is very young and showed great promise and Izzo is/was deemed to be the future of Australian goal keeping stocks... so with an injury Bray is cut, easy to see the logic.
But yeah, should have cut Izzo (to the outrage of the football fraternity) and kept Bray.
Very happy for him getting a shot at MV now.
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Rowdy
Well-Known Member
Ex Liverpool youth Chris Oldfield, who trialled with Bray in pre-season 2015/16 & we overlooked at the time, was reportedly a certainty to be signed by Arnie as the 2nd GK behind Janjetovic - before Vukovic became available.
Oldfield's playing for Hume City FC in the next round of the FFA Cup, he would of been my pick instead of Necevski.
Oldfield recently got his citizenship January 2016 so that squashes the 'visa-spot' worry thst most A-League clubs were not willing to gamble on, hence Arnie's recent consideration.
Oldfield's playing for Hume City FC in the next round of the FFA Cup, he would of been my pick instead of Necevski.
Oldfield recently got his citizenship January 2016 so that squashes the 'visa-spot' worry thst most A-League clubs were not willing to gamble on, hence Arnie's recent consideration.
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
As I expected ....
Asian Cup hero back for more at Victory:
James Troisi will once again grace the Hyundai A-League after signing a one-year deal with former club Melbourne Victory.
The defensive midfielder had been linked to both Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United in recent months, but returns to Victory after stints abroad with Al-Ittihad, Zulte Wagerem and an ill-fated stint at Liaoning Whowin in the Chinese Super League.
The Socceroo is also most well known for scoring the decisive goal in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup final against Korea Republic.
Troisi has previously made 29 appearances and scored 12 goals for Victory in 2013/14.
Asian Cup hero back for more at Victory:
James Troisi will once again grace the Hyundai A-League after signing a one-year deal with former club Melbourne Victory.
The defensive midfielder had been linked to both Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United in recent months, but returns to Victory after stints abroad with Al-Ittihad, Zulte Wagerem and an ill-fated stint at Liaoning Whowin in the Chinese Super League.
The Socceroo is also most well known for scoring the decisive goal in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup final against Korea Republic.
Troisi has previously made 29 appearances and scored 12 goals for Victory in 2013/14.
JoyfulPenguin
Well-Known Member
Troisi is an interesting one, a star on his day but how often can produce that? Seems like Bret Holman is running out of clubs to go to in the A-League.
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
I expect him to sign with his old Socceroo team mate ..... Aloisi
Not that Poppa couldnt also use a #10, but Aloisi offers 'likeminded' attacking familiarity.
Despite also playing together - Poppa is known to be a hard arse Coach & one to be feared as a player.
Holman's a pretty quiet laid back guy
Last edited:
Forum Phoenix
Well-Known Member
May eat these words, followed Troisi closely since he was young like others I'm sure, lot of promise, but his passing, final ball and his finishing never went up the gear to match his energy and touch imo. Kosta is a better winger imo - but Bozanic, Valeri, Troisi, Austin, Khalfallah, Berisha... will be a force to be reckoned with.
JoyfulPenguin
Well-Known Member
Kerem Bulut trialling this week for the Wanderers according to Ray Gatt on Twitter. A hell of a player when he wants to be but I think he's a tad too insane for even Popa to control.
Capn Gus Bloodbeard
Well-Known Member
Multiple outlets reporting that Cahill is pretty much confirmed for city with official announcement in a day or two...
2 year deal, 3.5mil per season, with assistance from FFA's marquee fund. This should be huge - he's still exciting to watch, so could be a good grab for City and the FFA. Of course it does go back to the criticism of City 'buying the league', but he should be a good drawcard.
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/blog/2016/08/08/cahill-giant-leap-forward-city
It’s been a brutal, savage and drawn out set of negotiations - and I know none of them will want to go through it again. But it was worth it in the end.
Since The World Game exclusively broke the story that Cahill had agreed to join City last month, there’s been plenty of pushing and pulling on all sides. Everyone wants a pound of flesh and then some and that that's no surprise given all parties - player, club, federation - have so much on the line.
At the time, we were told it should take no more than a week to tidy it all up. In fact, one week has stretched to four, and, officially, we’re still waiting.
But all that stands between Cahill and an AAMI Park next season is finding him a spot in the Etihad Airways first class cabin for the flight from New York to Melbourne.
He’s done his medical, curiously, with New York City FC - the arch-rivals of New York Red Bulls, who he starred with during his spell in Major League Soccer.
But these are the tentacles of the City Football Group, ones which stretch so far and wide that even Frank Lampard was coaxed into a season in Manchester before heading across the Atlantic.
My sources tell me that Cahill’s exact arrival date here is a mystery but that his uneviling will be “smartly timed”. The FFA will push for that it lands on a date when there is little media traffic.
One insider even noted that the AFL will lose considerable traction in their “rest week” before the finals, when no game will be played for at least 12 days.
The FFA and City may push for the last Monday in August - the day after the final round of the AFL season - to unveil Cahill in his new city.
The extra beauty of that is that with the Olympics over, there will be a real opportunity to create an enormous groundswell of interest, not just in the media, but in selling sponsorships and memberships.
However, that’s still another few weeks away, and they may not have the luxury of waiting until then. Can they keep the lid on that long?
The other question worth pondering is about Cahill’s future striker partner - or rival - Bruno Fornaroli.
It would seem unlikely the two could play in the same team and even less likely that coach John van’t Schip would deploy a 4-4-2 to accommodate them both. It will be an intriguing tactical question as the season nears.
Still, it’s one step ahead of ourselves for now. That Cahill is coming back is a massive feather in the cap for the A-League.
For all the naysayers out there, I hear you. Your point is valid, too. There is a lot that can go wrong with this deal and plenty of questionable logic has seen it get to this point.
But those unhappy need to look at the bigger picture. Cahill is big business and - this is a line I continue to maintain - the only Australian footballer with mainstream cut-through.
Every man, woman and child knows "our Tim". And if he’s playing here, that’s buying real estate on mainstream national news bulletins right around the country.
If he actually does quite well, it could have a game-changing impact on City. They’ll be able to attract the support they clearly lack and hopefully convert those curious onlookers into rusted-on fans.
It is worth noting that Sydney FC achieved record membership when Alessandro Del Piero first signed - and have duly broken it every year after. Don’t underestimate the residual staying power of the big names.
And as we all know, this is the year the A-League has to make a splash on TV. The rights are up for grabs at the end of the year and the FFA is banking on making a huge sum of money. Cahill gives them that clout at the table.
Some will be unhappy at seeing him here - the perceived "special treatment" in particular - but I urge everyone to give him a chance. Our most famous Socceroos is coming home to play in our league. It's been too long since we could say that.
2 year deal, 3.5mil per season, with assistance from FFA's marquee fund. This should be huge - he's still exciting to watch, so could be a good grab for City and the FFA. Of course it does go back to the criticism of City 'buying the league', but he should be a good drawcard.
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/blog/2016/08/08/cahill-giant-leap-forward-city
It’s been a brutal, savage and drawn out set of negotiations - and I know none of them will want to go through it again. But it was worth it in the end.
Since The World Game exclusively broke the story that Cahill had agreed to join City last month, there’s been plenty of pushing and pulling on all sides. Everyone wants a pound of flesh and then some and that that's no surprise given all parties - player, club, federation - have so much on the line.
At the time, we were told it should take no more than a week to tidy it all up. In fact, one week has stretched to four, and, officially, we’re still waiting.
But all that stands between Cahill and an AAMI Park next season is finding him a spot in the Etihad Airways first class cabin for the flight from New York to Melbourne.
He’s done his medical, curiously, with New York City FC - the arch-rivals of New York Red Bulls, who he starred with during his spell in Major League Soccer.
But these are the tentacles of the City Football Group, ones which stretch so far and wide that even Frank Lampard was coaxed into a season in Manchester before heading across the Atlantic.
My sources tell me that Cahill’s exact arrival date here is a mystery but that his uneviling will be “smartly timed”. The FFA will push for that it lands on a date when there is little media traffic.
One insider even noted that the AFL will lose considerable traction in their “rest week” before the finals, when no game will be played for at least 12 days.
The FFA and City may push for the last Monday in August - the day after the final round of the AFL season - to unveil Cahill in his new city.
The extra beauty of that is that with the Olympics over, there will be a real opportunity to create an enormous groundswell of interest, not just in the media, but in selling sponsorships and memberships.
However, that’s still another few weeks away, and they may not have the luxury of waiting until then. Can they keep the lid on that long?
The other question worth pondering is about Cahill’s future striker partner - or rival - Bruno Fornaroli.
It would seem unlikely the two could play in the same team and even less likely that coach John van’t Schip would deploy a 4-4-2 to accommodate them both. It will be an intriguing tactical question as the season nears.
Still, it’s one step ahead of ourselves for now. That Cahill is coming back is a massive feather in the cap for the A-League.
For all the naysayers out there, I hear you. Your point is valid, too. There is a lot that can go wrong with this deal and plenty of questionable logic has seen it get to this point.
But those unhappy need to look at the bigger picture. Cahill is big business and - this is a line I continue to maintain - the only Australian footballer with mainstream cut-through.
Every man, woman and child knows "our Tim". And if he’s playing here, that’s buying real estate on mainstream national news bulletins right around the country.
If he actually does quite well, it could have a game-changing impact on City. They’ll be able to attract the support they clearly lack and hopefully convert those curious onlookers into rusted-on fans.
It is worth noting that Sydney FC achieved record membership when Alessandro Del Piero first signed - and have duly broken it every year after. Don’t underestimate the residual staying power of the big names.
And as we all know, this is the year the A-League has to make a splash on TV. The rights are up for grabs at the end of the year and the FFA is banking on making a huge sum of money. Cahill gives them that clout at the table.
Some will be unhappy at seeing him here - the perceived "special treatment" in particular - but I urge everyone to give him a chance. Our most famous Socceroos is coming home to play in our league. It's been too long since we could say that.
Last edited:
Luca Brasi
Well-Known Member
Scum have Kokko, SFC have Bobo, first job for the new gaffer is to sign a striker with a stupid name.
This looks a decent signing for Phoenix.
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2016/08/09/phoenix-sign-former-serie-defender-rossi
This looks a decent signing for Phoenix.
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2016/08/09/phoenix-sign-former-serie-defender-rossi
JoyfulPenguin
Well-Known Member
They all look like pretty good signings especially Rossi. Can't wait to see them in action.
FFC Mariner
Well-Known Member
Sadder for them he was awful last year
Forum Phoenix
Well-Known Member
They keep signing quality south americans. I'm jelly.
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