Winners on every line for Victory
IF tomorrow’s A-League grand final comes down to experience, then consider Melbourne Victory champion.
Led by three-time ALeague winner Besart Berisha, Victory has the edge on Newcastle when it comes to on-field winners.
Kosta Barbarouses and Leigh Broxham are looking for a third title, while Carl Valeri, James Donachie and goalkeeping pair Lawrence Thomas and Matt Acton are all looking for their second.
The Jets are not starved of experience — Daniel Georgievski (Victory in 2015), Jason Hoffman (Newcastle in 2008) and Dimitri Petratos (Brisbane in 2014) — have won titles.
But Barbarouses says there is a strong feeling among the travelling Victorians that they know what is required on the biggest stage.
“Experience is massive and the more the better come finals time,” he said. “We’ve got behind in both finals games and you’ve got to know not to panic. We haven’t.
“If we’re on song and we start to do things the way were supposed to, we’re going to hurt them.”
No one has stood up more for Victory in this year’s finals than Barbarouses. The New Zealand international set up both goals in Victory’s 2-1 elimination final win and scored Victory’s reply when down 1-0 against Sydney FC.
He also hit the post at Allianz Stadium, though he was overshadowed by heroics from Terry Antonis and Lawrence Thomas.
“I couldn’t tell you what it is that’s clicked for me,” he said. “This year has been pretty good year personally and for the team.”
Barbarouses has recent ties with Jets coach Ernie Merrick, signing for him at Wellington Phoenix last season.
With the returning international, Gui Finkler, Marco Rossi and Roy Krishna, it was supposed to be the season the Nix went bang. Instead, Merrick packed his bags after six losses in their opening eight games.
“He’s doing a similar sort of thing at the Jets. Last year we tried to do it. It just didn’t go so well,” he said. “They try to play the ball forward quickly.
“But this is a grand final. It will be tight. No one will give each other space.
“If you lose the ball both teams will put the pressure right on. It’ll be high speed, high pressure.” Runner-up in the Johnny Warren medal, it’s been a career-best campaign from the former Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar prospect. He took Newcastle’s playmaking reins when marquee man Ronald Vargas went down with an ugly broken leg in Round 3, embraced the extra responsibility and finally blossomed into the kind of player he always promised to be. Another strong showing in the grand final could go a long way towards booking his ticket to Russia with the Socceroos. Nobody likes getting written off quite like this man. Just when you think he might be starting to lose his predator’s instincts, the Albanian sharpshooter pulls out something remarkable - like the bicycle kick goal that kept Melbourne’s finals charge alive two weeks ago. He’s never failed to score in a grand final, but only has two goals in 10 appearances in Newcastle. Which Berisha shows up tomorrow night? The fading star, or the hitman with ice in his veins?