Mr Versatile chalks up milestone
FOOTBALL: As recycling becomes more prevalent in the A-League, Leigh Broxham’s swelling Melbourne Victory tenure becomes more inspiring.
Broxham will line up for his 250th A-League game tonight when the Victory host the Perth Glory at AAMI Park and, in typical fashion, Mr Versatile could fill any one of three roles – stopper, left-back or midfield.
The veteran has a cult status among Victory fans since being plucked from kit man and training add-on to three-time title winner and 4000 Broxham face masks will adorn the AAMI Park terraces tonight.
“Individual accolades I’m not completely comfortable with,” Broxham said.
“I’ll look back and enjoy it a bit more when I’m finished, hopefully there’s a few more milestones to come.
“I’ve recovered fairly well (from Wednesday’s Wellington loss). We need three points. We’ve put some good results together, but we need to stay on top of it now.”
In a salary and squad-cap environment, Broxham’s versatility and loyalty (50 per cent of his salary is outside the cap under A-League rules under the Loyalty Player Allowance) are literally priceless.
“It (regular player movement) is a byproduct of what the league is,” said Broxham (pictured), who turns 30 today.
“Some players get their noses out of joint pretty easy and would rather move than stick it out for a month or two.
“I do see a lot of successful players who just needed a change and it made a big difference. Sometimes it’s not so negative.”
Phoenix v Wanderers 4.35pm, Victory v Glory 6.50pm (AEST)