FFA likely to stick with controversial transfer rules

Football Federation Australia has no plans to change the A-League’s controversial injury replacement rule despite the furore surrounding Nik Mrdja’s late-season switch from Central Coast to Melbourne Victory.

Mrdja made his first appearance for the Victory in Friday night’s 2-0 win over North Queensland after he was signed as an injury replacement for Billy Celeski, who has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury against Newcastle in September.

After his contract with the Mariners was mutually terminated, Mrdja will play in the finals with title contenders Melbourne and the Asian Champions League before re-joining the Mariners for the start of next season.

The transfer, although completely within the rules, has sparked controversy due to its timing so close to the finals and has prompted calls for a cut-off date for injury replacements.

Gold Coast captain Jason Culina described the move as weird and strange, his father Newcastle Jets coach Branko said it made a mockery of the competition, while former Socceroos midfielder Ross Aloisi labelled it a joke.

FFA will review the transfer rules at season’s end but has indicated in won’t be making any changes to the regulations, which have stood since the inception of the A-League.

“At the end of the season all rules and regulations will be reviewed by FFA but at this stage there’s no plans to change injury replacement rules or any other rules,” an FFA spokesman said.

The transfer is completely within A-League regulations.

Mrdja, who scored six goals in 17 matches with the Mariners this season, is not the first player to cause controversy with a late-season switch.

Newcastle’s recruiting of Korean Jin-Hyung Song two years ago and Brisbane’s signing of Brazilian Henrique a year ago were both done very late in the season, although they were not signed from other A-League clubs.

Henrique’s move to the Roar and subsequent appearance in their 2-1 minor semi final win over Central Coast prompted criticism from Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna at the time.

“It seems strange that you can strengthen your team for the finals series,” he said after that match.

“Maybe I’m old fashioned … but I don’t think you should be strengthening your squad for the finals – simple as that.

“But that’s the rules. If you can exploit it and get away with it well … ”

Charlie Miller and Daniel McBreen are other players to have switched A-League clubs during this season under the regulations.

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