The Warren Moon era started in earnest last week, as the Brisbane Roar got their pre-season preparations underway at their new training base in Carrara – with a couple of new faces aboard.
After being tasked with steadying the ship after Robbie Fowler’s acrimonious departure, Moon guided the Roar to a fourth-placed finish on the ladder, before bowing out in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Western United in the preliminary final.
Both additions are well known to the Roar coach.
Josh Brindlell-South arrives from Moon’s former side Lions FC in Queensland’s NPL. The attacking full back- equally adept on either flank-had a brief spell with Wellington Phoenix in 2013 and might have been forgiven for thinking another chance at the A-League had passed him by.
Clearly though, Moon hadn’t forgotten his impressive displays and had no hesitation in securing the 27-year-old’s signature.
Another Brisbane product, Jesse Daley, had spent the last two seasons with Seattle-based Tacoma Defiance, making 50 appearances in the United Soccer League. Here he worked under the tutelage of former Central Coast Mariners legend John Hutchinson.
Midfielder Daley had previously captained the Roar’s NPL side, then joining South Melbourne before moving stateside.
He will help fill some of the creative void of a Brisbane side who have seen Aiden O’Neill move on to Melbourne City and Brad Inman join I League outfit Mohun Bagan.
Crucially, captain Tom Aldred and his English compatriot Macaulay Gillesphey have remained.
The defensive pair had struck up an impressive partnership last season, shoring up a previously porous backline. Gillesphey took out the Gary Wilkins medal, the clubs highest individual honour.
Add in Irishman Jay O’Shea and the evergreen Jamie Young and Scott McDonald, and there should be some cause for optimism among the Roar faithful- should Moon be able to hold on to his prized assets.
Soon after his unveiling, Moon spoke of bringing a ‘Queensland mentality’ back to the Roar, and already judging by his first new signings it’s clear that there is a stark change in recruitment strategy. Local is the way forward.
No more shopping in the lower reaches of the English Football League. A move no doubt welcomed by many of Fowlers detractors.
Moon is a firm advocate in the talent available in Queensland, and given the Covid financial fragility that clubs are suffering, his appointment may prove to be a shrewd one.
Known for being a coach who likes to play on the front foot, the new Brisbane boss will also be looking to connect with a fan-base that didn’t fully warm to his predecessor.
Despite his adulation as a former player, Fowler largely cut a spiky figure during his stay in the A-League.
Moon – a foundation player from the Roar’s 2005 squad- should find fans take more kindly to ‘one of their own’.
And if he can bring some success to a club now six years and waiting for another grand final triumph, well the Orange army will be over the… Moon.
Adam Cattell
Roar Pro
Care to revise that now Andy?!
Adam Cattell
Roar Pro
How’s that working out for you so far? :laughing:
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/the-silver-lining-to-the-a-league-s-bleak-financial-situation-20201027-p5694d.html "According to the report, Brisbane Roar were the only club not to have witnessed a sharp increase in the number of minutes for players under the age of 21" should be absolutely ashamed of that stat, but by all means keep on paying a big wage to your several O.A.P UK lower league players
NoMates
Guest
I'm picking Roar for the spoon this season, only if the Jets can get there act together. When Moon took overt the team they were already in the top 6 so he accomplished nothing note worthy there. I'm expecting more long balls and no youth from there starting 11 with maybe more NPL players now instead of English backpackers with the lower budget.
jbinnie
Guest
Waz -When putting together my offering to you I was tending to take into consideration the "moves" made in the Bakrie years. In actual fact since the inception of the A-League Roar have used facilities at Richlands, Ballymore (twice), Griffith Uni, Perry Park, Brisbane Grammar, Logan, and now Carrara. Sorry to have misled you. Cheers jb.
A Person
Guest
Carrara is just a training base, likely the Roar relocates to NSW for at least the start of the season
A Person
Guest
Are those for a Training Centre or new Stadium?
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
Are you going to honestly tell me that some of your talented kids (which there are plenty of in qld) aren’t better then a seasoned 10 year vet of the English lower leagues? all they’re doing is stealing a big wage (with minimal re sell value) and stunting the growth of a local lad, who could be sold in a few years with enough money to keep your club afloat. kids are getting lost in the system because of imports that quite frankly are rubbish. My rant is not aimed solely at UK imports its really at all imports, but we’ll use the UK ones as a basis because they normally come from a tough tackling, hoofball league like league 1,2 (even a lot of championship and premier league clubs still play like that to a degree.) All those players you’ve mentioned, i bet there’s kids in your youth team that are just as good, but don’t have the experience yet. They are going to learn nothing off a 30 year old lower league English player with the same rigid tactics/systems that those leagues have always had. Brisbane were abysmal to watch last year, there style was incredibly dull and boring (it was one of the worst in the a league) much like most British coached teams. But like most British coached teams, its effective and gets results. I really hope Moon changes tactics and playing style to something much more entertaining like the Brisbane of old, but it will be hard with all those tough tackling hoofball players lol in the squad I’m going to Segway to the victory, they will be absolutely rubbish this season with British coaching methods and lower league English players. I’d put money on them missing the 6.
TheMagnificent11
Roar Guru
Love what Wazza is doing with the Roar and have long admired him as both a player and a coach. Having played junior football with Wax, he is definitely the best passer of football I came across and that same positivity shows in his coaching philosophy; press and win the ball high and dictate the game with possession in the attacking third as much as possible. It will be interesting to see if he has a squad capable of playing this way as he’s always coached one of the richer (or richest) club in the BPL/NPL. One thing is for sure, he’ll produce something that most the local Brisbane football community will appreciate.
Waz
Roar Rookie
The four sites earmarked as possible redevelopment are: QEII Albion Park Raceway. Perry Park. Sleeman Center
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Griffith
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
haven't heard about that one - what's the go there Waz? Seems to me you got to be in a Rorts scheme somewhere to get a small stadium, like Dolphins, Sunshine Coast.
Waz
Roar Rookie
5 if you include Richlands .... or are we still not talking about that ;)
Waz
Roar Rookie
It’s between Perry Park and Albion Raceway for the redevelopment which is likely where they’ll sit the 1st team training area
jbinnie
Guest
Waz - A couple of years ago I attended a "youth" game, a National Final ,at Suncorp where the Roar's youngsters won the title. As I do from habit I viewed the Roar team with an eye to the future and to be honest the only player who impressed as "one or the future" was a right winger who had already played in the top team in about 12 games but who chose to leave the club at season's end. That experience gets me back to your statement here, and I have to agree, the standard of our A-League would suffer drastically if our teams were to ignore the available talent from overseas sources. This state of affairs has been in vogue for many years in our football and until something is done to improve the standard of our junior football I do not see that situation changing. Since "professionalism" entered our sport in 1977 most, if not all, of the top teams have shown a high number of overseas players in their sides. When Lions won the national trophy in 1980 the run on team had 7 "overseas" players. Brisbane City, who also won the trophy twice in those early years sported 9 "overseas" players in their 20 man squads. As you point out , it is debatable if Roar, without the players you mention, would have finished as high up the league as they did. jb.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
The two clubs that failed could well have succeeded with a bit of help from FFA, like we've seen them give to a few clubs, both financial and otherwise. They were very quick to pull the pin, not so quick with a few others. and government help in QLD is hard to come by - they even built a winter Olympics training venue ahead of a small stadium. As to locations, the Logan deal is not really Roar's fault, from what I know. Logan council were very good to them, but unfortunately that council got locked up, after Roar poured in a few mill themselves, and the replacement council doesn't quite see things the same way. Nonetheless, for a club that struggles a bit for local sponsorship money, they have great academy facilities and w league facilities.
pete4
Guest
Anything likely to happen at Perry Park?
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
They released Danny, that was in a press release soon after season ended. But guarantee, they'll keep a close eye on him.
jbinnie
Guest
Adam - History doesn't treat your query very kindly. To the best of my knowledge Roar have had at least four "headquarters", all of them hailed at the time as "huge steps forward" and, to use Waz's comment below, all have ended in some sort of disagreement with the original lessors. Most of these agreements appear to have ended due to claims by the lessors of non payment of rentals. Roar have "set up camp' at Ballymore, Perry Park, Logan and now Carrara. As Waz says the latest debate is likely to take at least 2 years to sort out. jb
Waz
Roar Rookie
Brisbane are one of SEVENTY EIGHT football clubs in Brisbane, don’t overlook that - there’s real competition there for football. But the City, it’s media and it’s politics is dominated by NRL, then daylight, then Cricket, and there is a strong AFL following. Roar are fighting their way through that to get crowds and do it very well. Roars long term average is very close to both WSW’s and SFC’s average ... and they do that without a comparable Sydney derby plus two other NSW’s derbies to boost crowds. So it’s not Roars crowds that are “utterly derisory” it’s the two main clubs in Sydney not pulling their weight - no wonder they had to put a third club in there. Let’s hope they can pull a crowd lol.