There was remarkable symmetry in Ange Postecoglou sitting at AAMI Park, talking of resurrecting Melbourne Victory from decline.
Eighteen months earlier, the Melbourne venue was where his Brisbane Roar were given the harsh reality check they needed to become an Australian sporting juggernaut.
On September 12, 2010, at AAMI Park, Postecoglou’s Roar drew their footballing line in the sand after a 3-0 defeat by Melbourne Victory.
Beyond it, they were to break records, make and win finals, dominate the A-League like no other team, and re-establish two-time NSL championship-winner Postecoglou as Australia’s most sought-after coach.
That day Postecoglou’s Brisbane dominated the first half, failed to capitalise, and were torn apart by Ernie Merrick’s Victory in the second.
For both clubs, it was a turning point.
The Victory – the self-proclaimed biggest club in Australia – never really hit those heights again in an up-and-down season.
They did reach the finals, then unravelled completely on and off the park.
The Roar, coquettish and pretty in patches under Postecoglou’s command, were about to become the A-League’s glamazons.
After that defeat, the Roar would not lose another game for their next 36.
They would set a record unbeaten streak for any top-flight Australian football code, win back-to-back grand finals, and earn superlatives no other club team in Australian soccer has received.
Yet as a second Roar grand final win loomed, Postecoglou was edging towards the exit door, and towards the Melbourne Victory job he took over on Thursday.
The Postecoglou to Victory moves started in mid-March.
The Victory flirted with signing Postecoglou the previous season once they’d sacked Merrick, but had given up hope of luring the ex-South Melbourne star back to his hometown.
Their man was Northern Irishman Jim Magilton.
Brought in on a short-term deal until the end of the season, former Southampton and Ipswich player Magilton managed only two wins in 12 matches, yet had the Victory’s command in his thrall.
Magilton thought he was on a promise.
He was making plans. He spoke as if he was going to be in charge next season.
When questioned if he had the fulltime Victory job, Magilton seemed almost surprised it was being discussed. To him, there was clearly no doubt about it.
In early March, club chairman Anthony Di Pietro, key Victory officials and Magilton appeared at a fans’ forum together, spoke of their plans for the future and were on the same page.
Two weeks later things had changed.
“We’d become aware that Ange was looking for a new challenge, and the possibility of that challenge being in Melbourne was an attraction to both parties,” Di Pietro said.
“It was quite sensitive and difficult at the time. From our perspective it was leaving Ange alone to do what he needed to do at Brisbane.
“We dealt with Ange’s management.
“Once both parties agreed and when Ange was interested in the challenge, we took that up with Ange’s management.”
First indications Magilton was on the outer at the Victory came in late March.
Magilton met with a lawyer at the Brighton Hotel, in Melbourne’s bayside.
A few days later, on April 1, a statement was released by the Victory saying Magilton was heading back to Britain after refusing to be part of a shortlist to interview for the job.
By that night, wild media speculation had former Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola linked to the job.
But all along, Postecoglou was being pursued. Effectively, it was a shortlist of one. The job was his if he wanted it.
Two things were pivotal in making it all happen.
One, the Victory had not committed to Magilton in writing. His short-term deal ran until the end of the season.
A board which had got so many things wrong in its tenure had got this one spot-on. The goalposts had moved heavily in their favour.
Secondly, Postecoglou had not signed a contract with the Roar the previous season.
The three-year deal agreed was in principle only, and had been made with Football Federation Australia as they attempted to offload the club – eventually to Indonesia’s Bakrie Group.
“At the end of last year the club changed ownership and the FFA took over and I came to an agreement in principle to extend my time at the Brisbane Roar for another three years,” Postecoglou said.
“But I didn’t sign a contract at the time, mainly because the club didn’t have owners at the time and I wanted to be sure that the new owners fitted in with my philosophy.
“When the Bakrie Group came in we had discussions with them about formalising the arrangement and that was progressing quite well. But ultimately I decided towards the end of the year, the time for a new challenge had come.”
With Magilton there was always a question mark whether he could rebuild the Victory.
With Postecoglou, he’s proved he has the answers. To the questions, to the critics, to how to fix the Victory.
He says he doesn’t want a carbon copy of the Roar. He wants the Victory to be the next big thing.
“I want to create something new, exciting, something hopefully better.
“You don’t want to be doing what’s trendy now, you want to pick the next one. You want to be playing the kind of football that’s successful next year and beyond.
“That’s my challenge as a coach.”
james
Guest
yea and he rejected them. haha.
bob
Guest
apparently gorman got a grilling. what a pity foster didn't have the balls to GRILL palmer. no credibility at all.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Fut----"have been critical of the FFA" .... And rightly so in my opinion.. Frank has to go---he is suck in the old Soccer mentality----we need an independent football commission urgently.. So what he is a billionaire none of his own personal wealth has held up the FFA...
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Phutbol----yes there was a great deal of mutual respect from both camp; good to see...
striker
Guest
Fuss i hope your figures are true we need some stability and money into our game.
Futbanous
Guest
Fussball A bit similar then to another lad who sang for his supper with the same letters for Christian & Surnames, Little Tommy Tucker. Little Tommy Tucker sings for his supper, What shall we give him? Brown bread and butter. How shall he cut it without a knife? How shall he marry without a wife?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Futbanous The money will come from broadcasting rights. Foxtel paid $17m p.a., 7 years ago - when the HAL had ZERO brand value, ZERO historical earnings, etc. - for the right to exclusively broadcast all FFA-owned content. The value of the HAL has increased dramatically since then. My calculations put the new TV broadcast rights at $40m p.a. and as high as $70m p.a. if the FFA is able to fully exploit online platforms using innovative business models to interface with viewers (i.e. pay-per-view via dedicated HAL web-channel). The HAL value is there. The skill that is needed is to fully extract the last dollar of value. This is where Ben Buckley pays for his supper.
phutbol
Guest
I thought Gorman was pretty good actually. Was asked some pretty tough questions in what he could only have expected to be a relatively hostile environment, and didnt 'duck and weave' at all. Also handled his involvement in the Mariners well too. I couldnt help but flash back to the Ange/Fozz bustup from a few years back. what a difference! Fozz and co were almost deferential to him this time around.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
I would like to know what happen to my last comment ... "gone missing"
Futbanous
Guest
QsAF Yes good show Lyall looked a little nervous,then again as you say he was only the messenger surrounded by the SBS crew who rightly or wrongly depending on your own opinion, have been critical of the FFA. Its inevitable that one day Franks iron grip will be prised loose( & very soon given his age )& the A-League will be independent of the FFA. Todays meeting is the start of that. Lyall Gorman made some pretty big calls last night ,the main ones for me being that the clubs would have a good proportion of the salary cap covered pretty soon,which is one of the main gripes of owners. Didn;t say where the money was coming from though if I remember correctly. Must know something we don't
phutbol
Guest
Brebner and Carlos were mentioned last night in Ange's TWG interview as being uncontracted. Allsopp and Archie specifically mentioned as being contracted and not going anywhere. If Kemp is out of contract I'd be surprised if he is retained. Kewell is wanted by Ange subject to 'commercial' arrangements between H and MV. so looks like up to 8 new faces potentially. Hopefully 9 if they get rid of Muscat as well :)
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
SBS had a great show last night---Lyall Gorman and Ange Postecoglou with their views on the future of the HAL and Ange's career to date. Well done SBS for putting these men in the spot light for what we can expect next season. Gorman was less convincing---although not his fault I suspect he is only the messenger. I would really like to know what he really thinks of head office's continued bungling of running the game properly. Today is D day I hope some real direction will come from the new task force set up to get Australian Football back on track before we lose 2 more clubs.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
If it wasn't for SBS Ange would not be the manager/coach he is today. SBS kick him up the backside and the end result became two championships---with the Barcelona philosophy type of football. Finally he is going to a club where the football fans are more knowledgeable and more appreciative of the Baca football philosophy. He was wasted at the Roar---he new it---and now he is in a real football club environment---he can thank SBS for that big wake up call...
ItsCalled AussieRules
Roar Rookie
No one is advocating that SBS should pander to everything that the FFA says, but given the improvements in the A-League this last year, you would think they have something good to say about the comp as well as all the criticisms. Not invite people like Palmer on your show to have a free shot at the FFA. SBS analysts are the worst type of Euro snobs in Australia and promote that snobbery with their constant critcisms and comments. Part of being an FTA broadcast "partner" would be that you act like a partner and help promote the competition. I don't think SBS have it in them and if they did, they would have no credibility.
Andyroo
Guest
Melbourne's wage budget is about twice that of Brisbane's. I think playing in the ACL Ange realises he can't really compete with just a 2m team...but perhaps with a 4m team (that doesn't have to scrimp on flights) he might have a chance. Mckay, Devere and Kosta are now at pretty ordinary clubs (Gyeongnam and Busan are small clubs in Korea). I don't think you can stop players going to Europe like Mckay but Brisbane weren't in with a shot even when he went to Busan. Put those 3 back in the team and it would make a big difference. At Melbourne he will have the chance to keep a team together.
ItsCalled AussieRules
Roar Rookie
I'm pretty sure Sydney FC offered Ange more money as well and he decided to go back to Melbourne. There you go - that's a glowing endorsement of MV, he sees them as a bigger challenge! Graham Arnold has been offered a 50% pay rise to move back to Sydney and he is expected to announce his decision this weeek.
ItsCalled AussieRules
Roar Rookie
Harry Kewell may not fit into Ange's playing style and will need to do a lot more legwork, but Harry fits in with the marketing plan so I don't think even Ange will be able to drop Harry if he is not playing well in the style of things. This would have been explained to Ange I'm sure. But will be interesting to see iif the MV board buys someone like Romario, Ronaldo or Balotelli and Ange is told he has to play them no matter what. This is a bigger club in a commercial sense and he will have to tow the line. I'm sure if Harry stays, he will have lots to say about how the team should play and where he should play, so will be interesting alright if he decides to stay and how Ange handles him. The FFA will be asking Harry if he wants to go back to West Sydney and that might suit him better if the money is right. None the less, I think Ange's move to Melbourne is great for Victory and will attract a lot of the old Melbourne/South Melbourne support to boost the numbers if they start to play some more attractive football and get some more success.
Australian Rules
Guest
Real, I think what Fuss is saying, is that because MVFC is clearly the biggest club in the comp, the scope of their potential success would dwarf that of other clubs (even Brisbane). This is true in terms of crowds, corporate, marquees (HK) and possibly the ACL. In terms of Kewell, any coach would want him in their team - he's the best player this country has produced. But his contractual arrangement with MVFC is obviously very complex and so the waters are a bit muddied going forward. I don't think anytone would argue that HK heading up the new W.Syd team would be a dream for the FFA and the entire comp next season.
PeterK
Guest
Maybe others are worse than SBS?
JimmyMac
Guest
... and herein lies the filling of the enormous gap in what's being discussed in the media. nice work, jb.