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Just days after the shock retirement of captain Tony Popovic, A-League club Sydney FC have lost another three players including former Socceroo Robbie Middleby to newcomers North Queensland.
The Fury today confirmed defenders Middleby and Jacob Timpano and midfielder Brendon Santalab had signed two-year contracts starting from NQ’s inaugural 2009-10 season.
Now North Queensland have state rivals the Roar in their sights.
Fury boss Don Matheson said the club wanted to step up negotiations with Queensland’s Young Socceroos winger Tahj Minniecon while his Roar teammate Robbie Kruse has also been tipped to head north.
Matheson said the Fury were keen to talk to Minniecon now the Australian under-20s have completed their World Youth Cup qualifying campaign.
“We have given him time. He’s been caught up with the Young Socceroos and playing very well with them,” he said.
“He hasn’t been lost to us. That decision will be his when he is ready to make it.”
But Fury head coach Ian Ferguson believed he already had the foundations of a “very competitive squad” after the Sydney FC trio joined marquee signing and Socceroos defender Jade North.
“Middleby and Santalab bring plenty of experience to the table, and Timpano is an exciting young talent, so we’re delighted to have been able to pick them up,” he said.
Ferguson said of Middleby: “I rate him up there with the best experienced players in the A-League.
“I’ve watched him over the years and his work rate and effort are first class.”
Matheson said Middleby was the kind of player they could build their fledgling culture around.
“The promise of the club is to be a very competitive club, to do that you need a good backline,” he said.
“Middleby brings experience. He is one of the fittest guys in the league, he has played at a successful club and is a great team man and bloke – that’s the sort of team culture we want to adopt.”
While Middleby adds to the team culture, Matheson said North – and hopefully Minniecon – would become an indigenous ambassador for the club.
“We want to be one of the frontrunners in developing indigenous players into the game – it’s an area where we think we can make a difference,” he said.
“It’s not something that is going to happen overnight.
“It’s a three to five year process where we will identify players and develop them in our structure – it’s exciting and one that Jade can play a massive role.”
Matheson said North’s worth as an indigenous ambassador far outweighed recent criticism by former Socceroo Robbie Slater, who believed they should have named a big name star to get “bums on seats”.
“I understand a commentator having that outlook – they are looking for the big bang approach,” Matheson said.
“But from our point of view we have a business strategy in which we want to bring players who bring the best value to the club over a long period of time.”
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