Watching Harry Kewell returning to vintage form was the highlight of another enjoyable contest between the Victory and Adelaide, as was the impressive manner in which the Reds wrested control of the match and proved the better team in a second half in which they better combated the counter-attack. However, the real interest came off the pitch.

The signing of Jim Magilton is an interesting choice, to say the least, not only because Victory fans expected a candidate with better credentials, as did the rest of us, but also because it represents a return to the direction of yesteryear.

Vintage form … Harry Kewell takes on Adelaide United. Credit:Sebastian Costanzo

It hearks to both the historical reliance on Britons who built and quickly populated the coach education ranks in Australia and the beginnings of the A-League, when the immediate reaction of clubs was to import at a feverish rate from the mother country.

Richard Money at the Jets, Steve McMahon at the Glory and Terry Butcher at Sydney brought deeply entrenched views of how the game should be played and all showed that Australia had moved on, as their tactical and managerial approaches were clearly out of date.