About this time every year the same thing happens. The return of the A-League is so close you can smell it, and it’s just about now when the hype and expectation surrounding Melbourne Victory really kicks into gear.

This year is of course no different. A new marquee in Pablo Contreras and new skipper Mark Milligan, plus the addition of a couple of old Brisbane Roar boys are the big talking points in this season’s Victory squad. Will the hype be justified?



Last Season

rd A-League: 3

Finals: Preliminary Final exit





They’ll win the league because…





…big Ange. Postecoglou has proven back in the NSL days and in the A-League era that winning championships is his thing. Victory finished third last season in a year that was meant to be a rebuilding season with a raft of changes in the playing roster and a new managerial team. With the benefit of getting through the first year in charge, another preseason calling the shots and the continuation of shipping out some dead weight in the playing squad, you can expect further improvement from Victory this year.





Postecoglou has brought in two player he knows very well and who have done the job for him in the past. Former Roar championship winner’s Mitch Nichols and Kosta Barbarosuses will team up again with their former mentor in Melbourne. Barbarouses had a break out year in 2010-11 under the tutelage of Postecoglou and will be keen to replicate that form for his new club. Mitch Nichols is a proven A-League performer and became a mainstay in the all-conquering Roar side of the past three seasons.





The Postecoglou revolution is in full swing





They’ll be cellar dwellers because…





…lack of flair. Melbourne Victory’s biggest asset last season was their flair and creativity in the final third, thanks largely to star players Marco Rojas and Marcos Flores. Rojas in particular was a major part in Victory claiming third position. The boy they call the “Kiwi Messi” had a standout season, picking up both the Johnny Warren Medal and the Young Player of the Year award. Rojas’ combination last year with Argentinian marquee Marcos Flores was vital in Victory’s run towards the Preliminary Final.





With both players no longer at the club the big question mark hanging around Victory this year is if they have adequately replaced the personal lost over the offseason. On paper Victory have recouped well with the additions of attacking players Barbarouses, Nichols and James Troisi. Whether the new boys can gel with their teammates from the offset will be interesting to see.





If the demotion of former captain and long serving player Adrian Leijer will have a negative effect on the defender himself and the playing squad is also still yet to be seen. Unrest in the playing squad is the last thing anyone at Victory needs this year.





Talk around the water cooler… look smart in front of your colleagues with this valuable piece of information.

There has been a revolving door of players coming and going at AAMI Park in the past two seasons. Only four senior players, Archie Thompson, Leigh Broxham, Adrian Leijer and Lawrence Thomas remain at the club since the short lived reign of Mehmet Durakovic began at the start of the 2011/12 campaign. Mark Milligan joined the squad during that season but was never coached by Durakovic, being brought in by caretaker Jim Magilton in his just as short lived reign as head coach of Melbourne Victory.





The offseason brought…





…waiting, speculation and one mother of a crowd. It seems as though the entire A-League offseason for Victory has been spent on speculation regarding the vacant marquee position. Ever since it was announced in June that Marcos Flores would not be returning to the club to see out his contract, a bevy of big names had been rumoured to fill the position. You could almost make a whole starting XI with na mes linked to be the new marquee man and it would be a pretty tidy team too. First, Greek legend Giorgos Karagounis was strongly linked to the club, apparently coming very close to signing until deciding to stay at Fulham. Same with Fabio Miccoli and then Carlton Cole. William Gallas had hearts racing by giving Victory a cheeky follow on Twitter until the madness was over with Chilean defender Pablo Contreras signing on the dotted line. Contreras is one experienced campaigner having played all across South America and Europe. Whilst not a massive name, Contreras is exactly what Victory is in dire need of and have done good business in making this happen.





The offseason also saw the club host one of the biggest teams in world football in Liverpool in front of a monster crowd at the MCG. While Victory definitely wasn’t the main drawcard that evening it was still a massive event for the club. Over 95,000 spectators and a worldwide audience watched them run around; Victory’s exposure certainly took a big jump that night.





Key Player…

…Mark Milligan. It’s hard to decide what was more important during the offseason, the players Victory managed to bring in or keeping hold of midfielder Mark Milligan. Victory held firm in rebuffing some serious bids from Premier League outfit Crystal Palace for their main midfield man. The temptation to cash in on the reputed million dollar plus bids for the current Socceroo would have been there for Postecoglou but he managed to stay strong and will still have Milligan running the show in the middle of the park for another year. Milligan was huge for Melbourne last season and will once again be in navy blue, this time with the added pressure and expectation of the captain’s armband.





One to watch…





…Connor Pain. Pain came into the senior side midway through last season and didn’t look out of place at all. He has impressed many in his fledgling career, being called up to the Young Socceroos squad for the recent FIFA U20 World Cup for his debut senior Socceroos debut at the recent East Asian Cup. He also played a starring role in the Victory v Liverpool friendly, earning special praise by Liverpool gaffer Brendan Rodgers. With a full season to look forward to the star that is Connor Pain is expected to shine even brighter.





Full Squad List… 1. Nathan COE, 2. Pablo CONTRERAS, 3. Adama TRAORE, 4. Nick ANSELL, 5. Mark MILLIGAN, 6. Leigh BROXHAM, 7. Guilherme FINKLER, 8. Jonathan BRU, 9, Kosta BARBAROUSES, 10. Archie THOMPSON, 11. Connor Pain, 13, Andrew NABBOUT, 14. James TROISI, 15. Mitch NICHOLS, 17. James JEGGO, 18. Francesco STELLA, 20. Lawrence THOMAS, 22. Jesse MAKAROUNAS, 23. Adrian LEIJER, 24. Scott GALLOWAY, 25. Jason GERIA, 27. Christopher CRISTALDO, 31. Dylan MURNANE