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These last twelve months have arguably been the most successful and satisfying of James Troisi’s career.
A surging return to domestic prominence at the Melbourne Victory, where his hugely compelling style of athletic, direct playmaking garnered not just high praise, but a grand final appearance. An equally vigorous return to the national set-up followed, and Troisi’s efforts in the past few World Cup Qualifiers – as well as the Confederations Cup – have made it comfortable to assume that, now, his name is one of the most assured on the squad-sheet.
So, poised as he was on the peaking crest of this mid-career wave, his next move was crucial. He was a free agent, having signed a one-year deal with the Victory at the beginning of last season. Where to now?
Well, the last few weeks have indicated that Troisi, and whomever may be advising him, is hell bent on steering his career into farcical territory. From Melbourne, to England, then back to a slightly different part of Melbourne, then suddenly to Israel, now James is heading off to… well, who knows?
A possible move to Brighton Hove and Albion was scuppered, reportedly, over wage demands, getting his expedition off to a bad start. The possibility of linking up with national teammate Mat Ryan was certainly an attractive one, for all concerned, not to mention playing in the Premier League.
Wage figures that were being thrown around can only have been speculative, but if a team that recently won the Premier League lottery, with a tsunami of Murdoch-pounds about to flow ecstatically into the club, deems whatever Troisi was demanding as too high a price, then perhaps it is, in fact, too high.
. (AAP Image / Joe Sabljak)
Next rumours of a heel turn abounded, with Troisi linked to the Victory’s crosstown rivals Melbourne City. Certainly, the Citizens would be capable of accommodating a pay rise, and – spurned Victory supporters aside – this seemed an ideal destination from the perspective of the Australian football-loving public.
We’d get to keep one of our best local talents in the local league, in sight and firmly in mind. Social media pictures of Troisi hanging with Tim Cahill in the United States stoked the blaze.
Those rumours faded away, perhaps – as rumours so often are – little more than a diaphanous refraction of reality.
Then, quite suddenly, appearing on Twitter, this picture popped into existence. Troisi, apparently at an airport, holding a Maccabi Haifa FC scarf. Footballers rarely choose the Israeli city of Haifa as an off-season holiday destination, and even if they did, none of them would allow a photo like this to be taken, unless they were there on business.
This is the classic signing-on pose, emblematic of a deal already done, papers already signed. Yes, they’re usually taken in a boardroom or out on the home pitch, not at the arrivals terminal with a woman checking Snapchat and a slack-jawed victim of a delayed flight loitering in the background. Still, this was as good as done, right?
The reaction was mixed. Israel’s is not a league many hold in the forefront of the mind, outside of Israel, and no Israeli teams held entry into any European competition. This was not the bright stage many had hoped Troisi would find, one where his own career could continue under the lights, in front of the wider audience. From a Socceroos perspective, he’d be far better off back in Melbourne.
And then, this week, another improbable kink cropped up, when, almost as suddenly as the Haifa connection had emerged, it disappeared. It was reported that Maccabi Haifa had announced that Troisi would not sign with them, as had once seemed assured, and was now pursuing other European clubs.
Maccabi Haifa announce James Troisi will not sign with club & will sign for another European side. Options: Turkey or Russia.
— Raphael Gellar (@Raphael_Gellar) July 18, 2017
On one hand, this was good news for those who had held hopes of a more prominent employer for Troisi. On the other, the whole Troisi expedition now seemed ridiculous, the football equivalent of a Scooby Doo montage, running in and out of doors, gurning and guffawing. Needless to say, that scarf picture became an instant goldmine for social media memery.
Troisi is one of our best, a player gifted with a sense of fearlessness on the ball, and blessed with the awesome physical traits with which to pair that fearlessness. The 2016-17 season applied a defibrillating jolt to a career that had become bogged down in bad choices and ill-fitting clubs. Right now, with two suitors already repelled by Troisi, for whatever reason, all that momentum is slowing.
Apparently clubs in Russia and Turkey are now sniffing around. The latter is where Troisi spent the most productive portion of his career outside of Australia, and no doubt the good impressions he left there have lingered on.
Teams around the world have already started their pre-seasons; the longer it takes for Troisi to find a club, the worse it will be for him, and the more sadly comic the whole tour will appear.