By Tony Tannous
July 6th 2009 @ 6:16am
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The best and worst A-League imports
Melbourne Victory foward Carlos Hernandez is challenged by Adelaide United midfielder Jonas Salley and Lucas Pantelis, during their A-League round 4 match, at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne, Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. AAP Image/Joe Castro
Exactly a month out from the start of A-League season five and with the number of imports from Asia steadily increasing through the likes of Surat Sukha, Shin In Sup and Byun Sung-Hwan, it’s time to take a trip down memory lane and reflect on the best and worst of the league’s imports over its first four seasons.
Like any start-up competition, mistakes had to be made, and it’s fair to say in terms of overseas recruitment there have been a few. In the main, there’s been more misses than hits.
First there was a wave of third-rate British imports delivered by the New Zealand Knights. Remember the names Ronnie Bull, Darren Bazeley, Sean Devine, Simon Yeo, Neil Emblen and Scot Gemmill?
The most tragic, in my opinion, was the striker Devine, all hustle and bustle but undoubtedly one of the worst technicians to hit our shores.
Not far behind the Knights were Perth Glory, who delivered the washed up Brian Deane and the son of the manager, Steve McMahon Jr, surely one of the worst midfielders you are likely to see.
Later, there was the much hyped striker Mate Dragicevic.
Finally, last season, the Glory had some success through Eugene Dadi and to a lesser extent Brazilian veteran Amaral, who impressed but ultimately broke down.
Another club that has really struggled to get its formula right is the Roar.
In the first season they delivered the Swiss left sided defender Remo Buess, followed by equally underwhelming performers in Marcus Wedau, Simon Lynch and Marcinho.
Fortunately Hyuk-Su Seo has been a mainstay, Reinaldo showed signs in the third season, while Charlie Miller and Sergio van Dijk did well last season.
Another club that has really struggled, especially in the marquee space, is the Jets, who have brought over such tragedies as Mario Jardel, Edmundo Zura, Jorge Drovandi, Denni and Mateo Corbo.
Oh for the days of Milton Rodriguez, Jets fans must be thinking.
Melbourne has been a bit of a yo-yo club, down one season, up the next, a bit like their recruitment. Remember Geoffrey Claeys and Richard Kitzbichler in season one? One average, one good.
Then the three Brazilians and Grant Brebner in season two. Fred and Brebner were obvious hits, but Claudinho and Alessandro were not.
The venture to Costa Rica proved half-successful, with Hernandez a hit, Lopez a miss, while the jury is still out on Ney Fabiano given his suspension last season. Meanwhile, Leandro Love flopped, while Joe Kennan was anything but a cracker.
Indeed, the left side of defence, a traditional development weakness in Australia, is one area clubs have targeted, without much luck it seems.
Kennan, Buess, Alessandro and Corbo have already been mentioned, but another struggler you may remember is the Knights’ Gregory Duruz.
Only Cassio has really made an impression of the left-sided imports, and given Sydney’s struggles to find a left back since Alvin Ceccoli, there will be much attention on Byun.
Ditto at Melbourne, where Sukha will be expected to deliver some balance (good defending and a contribution in attack). After Alessandro and Kennan, Victory fans will be hoping it’s third time lucky as far as left-sided imports is concerned.
Freds success in season two lead to an inevitable influx of Brazilian for season three, but not surprisingly, many couldn’t cope with the physicality of the league.
Remember Denni at Newcastle, who was smashed about in the centre of midfield, forcing Gary van Egmond to shift him out wide, before shifting him out of the country.
There have been some admirably decisions to bring in technicians like Denni, Jin-Hyung Song, Daniel, Juninho, Adrian Trinidad and Felipe, but there is still a big question mark as to whether the league, with it emphasis on the physical, is ready for such artisans.
Too often they have been smashed, and offered little protection by referees like Ben Williams who are happy to reward the ball-and-man tackles, much to the detriment of the overall spectacle.
Perhaps more of the referees should take the lead of Strebre Delovski, who calls a foul a foul, yet still manages to keep a game flowing, and rarely gets noticed.
Hopefully, as the league matures and more managers start to value the technical over the physical, there will be more room for such players.
Who knows, maybe the Brazilians at the Gold Coast will lead the way this season.
One club leading the way with Brazilians is Adelaide, who had some success with Fernando Rech, Diego and Cassio, while Cristiano and Alemao are still on the books.
Interestingly, they have shown patience with Alemao, who failed to impress last season. If he does come good, it will be a reward for their patience.
Certainly, Jonas Salley proved last season you can improve if given time to settle-in.
Another unheralded arrival who has matured with his time here and is now one of the most crucial players for his side is Sydney’s Terry McFlynn.
While Dwight Yorke and Juninho had their high moments, and Kazu Miura, Benito Carbone and Michael Bridges did well on short term stints, McFlynn has been the one Sydney import that has stood the test of time.
As we look forward to the start of the latest season, let’s hope the list of A-League import hits continues to grow.
Excluding guest players of the ilk of Carbone, Miura and Bridges, here are my top 10 imports: Fred, Yorke, McFlynn, Hernandez, Miller, Rodriguez, Cassio, Diego, Dadi and Qu.
And here, excluding guests like Romario, are my 10 worst imports; Jardel, McMahon Jr, Devine, Wedau, Bull, Buess, Lynch, Gemmill, Deane and Corbo.
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(32)
MVDave said | July 6th 2009 @ 8:03am | Report comment
Worst 10…where’s the ‘Love machine’? Leandro Love for Melbourne Victory…one of those rare players that when he got the ball not only did the fans and opposition not know what he was going to do but even he didnt know what he was going to do…subsequently most of the time the ball was lost.
mahony said | July 6th 2009 @ 9:46am | Report comment
What about Aloisi? – oh thats right…….
Ryan Steele said | July 6th 2009 @ 10:25am | Report comment
I’m disappointed that the A-League hasn’t seen enough of Alemao. He’s a very versatile player – being able to play as a full back, midfielder, and even centre back – and has fantastic attacking flair. He’s been showing a lot of promise in the recent off-season, so I’m hoping he can break into a more regular position.
I’m hoping for a lot from the new imports – Shin, Owusu, Sukha, and the Gold Coast Gang – this season. The more successful we are with our imports, the better our league can become.
Epi said | July 6th 2009 @ 10:30am | Report comment
Not sure the jury’s out on Ney Fabiano. He is a match winner for the Victory.
Chop said | July 6th 2009 @ 10:39am | Report comment
Mahony Aloisi was sensational for the Mariners, his lack of goals in SFC must be partially to do with how they deliver him the ball….As a Mariners fan I wish he’d move back up the F3….
Colin N said | July 6th 2009 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Someone signed Sean Devine!!! I still have nightmares with that name, when he scored in the 94th minute with a wonderfully struck left foot volley, against my local side. Fortunately, we managed to avoid relegation, but I was simply inconsolible for around three days afterwards. Apart from that, he was crap, so I can see why he failed.
Simon Yeo’s also a name familiar with me and he had a good last season before hanging up his boots in May. A great guy as well, who always talked to the fans and when he was not involved in the first team squad, joined the fans in the away stand.
Koala Bear said | July 6th 2009 @ 11:05am | Report comment
Aloisi was great for CCM and would have been for SFC but for a freak injury at the beginning of the season that left him struggle for the rest of it … Everything that could have gone wrong for Aloisi at SFC did go wrong… But knowing Aloisi’s character he will make this seasons his… He is too good a player to have two miserable seasons in a row…
~~~~~~~
KB
sledgeross said | July 6th 2009 @ 11:11am | Report comment
Tony, I felt sorry for Brian Deane. I believe his was mis-used by a poor manager, and the structure of the team didnt suit him. As a Leeds fan I remember him banging in a hat-trick only 6 months before in the Championship.
David V. said | July 6th 2009 @ 11:38am | Report comment
The Knights player failures can be mitigated by the fact that the club was appallingly managed and many players evidently were only there for a holiday.
Jardel takes the cake. Everybody knew he was going to be a failure on account of his poor record over 5 years previous yet Con thought he’d actually work in this league?!?
I never, ever rated Brian Deane. That he was an effective striker in his prime shows how a team can play to his strengths.
Finno said | July 6th 2009 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
Without a doubt the worst import is the Chinese ‘David Beckham’ for the roar
Yuning Zhang
what a waste of money and time. He was injured, fat and had no interest in playing football.
Followed by Simon (i want to walk the ball into the goal) Lynch. what a galah can t remember any one have more opportunities to shoot but never pull the trigger.
I dont even want to talk about Buess and Wedau. bloody germans/ swiss i would take a young State league player who is full on energy and a will to play any day.
Hyuk-Su Seo – got 2.5 good seasons out of him but age and calf injury caught up with him, great solid player
Reinaldo neh signed him on a free tranfer but still cost 100K a year for a injury prone player, He was signed with out a medical
what Lawrence Oudendyk what was thinking. Osteitis pubis is doesnt mean hes fit, club dont give free tranfers because they are feelign nice you know
Charlie Miller looks 40 has a brillant touch and even if we get 1/2 season out of him, great player. physical wreck, talented player with out a doubt, crowd favourite and he gives his all.
Sergio van Dijk jurys out, can finish, but last 10 games of the season were fantastic after a poor start , hopefully has a good start this season put 3 away in a trail match the other day. Hits the ball harder than any one else in the Roar.
GeneralAshnak said | July 6th 2009 @ 1:03pm | Report comment
Talking of Strebre (who is by far the best ref in the HAL) here is a bot of news about him: http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/2009InsideFFA/default.aspx?s=insideffa_newsfeatures_newsitem_new&id=27986
Brett McKay said | July 6th 2009 @ 1:52pm | Report comment
didn’t Sean Devine play scrum-half for the All Blacks a few years ago?? That might explain why he couldn’t play football…
Albert Ross said | July 6th 2009 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
Why would anyone with Devine’s record have been signed by anyone particularly at age 33?
Even Mick McCarthy didn’t want to have anything to do with him.
Midfielder said | July 6th 2009 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
The best IMO All Night Dwright … the worst by a country mile LLLLLLLLardel
md said | July 6th 2009 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
I think you have to count Fernando Rech in there somewhere, although admittedly more for what he did in the NSL rather than at Adelaide. Great import who gave a lot to Australian football.
Cheers
md
Adam said | July 6th 2009 @ 4:24pm | Report comment
Great article as always TT, looking forward to seeing some of the asian players that have been brought in this season
mcxd said | July 7th 2009 @ 1:25am | Report comment
Brett, that was Steve Devine from Boggabri (Central nsw…which turns out is somewhere near New Zealand)..hes retired now due to injuries, but then again looks like he changed his name to Sean and given the A-League a go.
Ben of Phnom Penh said | July 7th 2009 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
What I’ve found interesting is that generally the Asian imports have proved to be useful players yet we are only slowly coming around to the idea of sourcing talent from the region. Hats off to Melbourne for their recruitment of Sukha, hopefully the first South East Asian of many.
Greg Russell said | July 7th 2009 @ 4:06pm | Report comment
Isn’t it the same with imports everywhere that they are hit and miss, and it’s very hard to predict which they will be?
Same with coaches too. My favourite in this regard was Bayern Munich’s experiment with Trapattoni … an abject failure apart from an indescribably hilarious press conference that John Cleese would be proud to claim as amongst his best life-work.
I’m interested that Tony is only lukewarm on Reinaldo. In July 2008 Les Murray wrote an article entitled “Dukes, our last number nine”, in which he wrote:
“Reinaldo came into the A-League as its first direct import from Brazil, a brave step by then Roar boss Miron Bleiberg, contracted at $40,000 per season.
He was an eminent success, played and adapted well, worked hard, loved living here, but, squeezed either by the restrictions of the salary cap or the tight fists of the Roar bean counters, he opted to go abroad.
Suddenly, and obtusely, he was forgotten. Since then a number of A-League forwards have been given their international debuts: Burns, Djite, Griffiths, Bridge, Holland.
Why not Reinaldo, if he can be persuaded to take up Australian citizenship? I assume this may not be impossible, given that his first child was born here.
Reinaldo, I accept, is no Viduka who, at his career peak, was a world class centre forward. But he may be the best we can get our hands on for the modern centre forward role.”
Whatever one’s opinion on what Les wrote here, he is undeniably correct on one thing: that the Socceroos still lack for a Viduka. But hey, I don’t want to open that can of worms!
md said | July 7th 2009 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
Ben – Would be interested in a list of Asian imports and how they have gone here to date. My initial impression is that for every Qu, there is a Zhang and a Li-Yan who came with big reps and left with hopeless results. Finding Asian and SE Asian players with the right mentality is really the key. Not sure that many have picked up the fact that Surat is the “other” Sukha (say it with a Mr T accent) though and not the one of Man City/Grasshoppers fame (but his twin brother). My guess is that he might feel he has something to prove – which would be precisely the right mentality to succeed in the A-league.
Cheers
md.
md said | July 7th 2009 @ 4:18pm | Report comment
I also appreciate the entire pointlessness and absurdity of suggesting that we should be hiring “Asian” players, as though there are no differences whatsoever between the people or footballing styles of the world’s biggest and most populous continent. Thinking about it a bit more, we really should be looking to good pros from the J&K leagues, and outside of that really only national team players from the other Asian countries.
Cheers
md
Andrew said | July 7th 2009 @ 4:23pm | Report comment
The A league is still a developing league and so your going to get misses (well you always get misses but more than normal). The Korean kid that came to newcastle is a great sign, he was told he was crazy for going to Australia but I bet it’s made him a better player by giving himself a different challenge.
By the time your 17/18 most of your technical development is complete except for a bit of polish. If he goes back to Korea he would have improved mentally and physically and I think if I was a european club I would see him as less of a risk because he has allready shown he can adapt to a completely different culture.
If an Asian player is as good as a European player I would much prefer the A League clubs to buy Asian as it helps Australia integrate into the AFC. If the Thai experiment pays of for Melbourne and we have 2 or 3 thais come over to help add a couple of players to rosters who are good technically (while the game expands there should be heaps of oppurtuniities) then when they help there National team get better results. It goes the other way too with loan deals out during the A league off season.
David V. said | July 7th 2009 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
md exactly right but it follows the habit we have of nationality-based cliches. People think Asia is a goldmine, but there’s no guarantee of quality considering the vast gap in quality that really exists in Asia.
md said | July 8th 2009 @ 9:20am | Report comment
Right on cue: Errol Iba to NUJ : http://bit.ly/13FsQO
I know Culina rated him from SFC’s Asian Cup campaign.
Cheers
md
Kazama said | July 8th 2009 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Or maybe Wang Dong:
http://www.theworldgame.com.au/a-league/jets-to-trial-china-star-202557
I think he would be an excellent addition to the A-League.
Pippinu said | July 8th 2009 @ 9:30am | Report comment
Good article Tony.
I noticed you spelt Keenan’s name incorrectly twice – which is strange because the word “cracker” was actually used correctly.
I understand that our list of import flops in our short history is a very long one – but no list can be complete without the inclusion of Cleberson (started in the Nix’s first two or three games the season before).
It underscores a favourite maxim of mine – if you are going to import 3rd and 4th tier Brazilians – make sure they’re not centre-backs!!
Kazama said | July 8th 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Don’t forget the other rubbish Brazilian the Nix signed, George Paladini. What a gun he was.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dos_Santos_Paladini
Andrew said | July 8th 2009 @ 9:42am | Report comment
Hmm but he only has one import slot left and two players… reading the articles it sounds like the move for the Chinese player is more advanced.
Finno said | July 8th 2009 @ 10:37am | Report comment
Greg
Reinaldo??????
no way he has a constant injury that is continuing to plauge him, he was ok the first season, bulked up the nest but acnt shake the groin injury, its a real concern and with Sergio playing well he simply wont get a run.
And im fairly sure hes on about 100K a year
Finno said | July 8th 2009 @ 10:50am | Report comment
it hurt because out side the marquee players each player on average get 78K a year. obviously Miller, Tiato, Malcolm are on more. But we are better off with out him
Robbos said | July 8th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Has Malcolm signed for Brisbane roar yet?
MD, interesting stoey on the the Indonesian player Errol Iba, I hope he joins NJ.
Finno said | July 8th 2009 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
yep Malcolm has signed and is living a Craigs place for a couple of months to settle in