Victory in Melbourne 

So we have come to the end the sixth season of the Melbourne Victory. A season full of dramas and momentous occasions that didn’t turn exactly how we all hoped and expected. With the somewhat enforced retirement of Kevin Muscat an era within the club has also come to an end.

Amongst all the accusations, persecutions and celebrations there were a number of highlights, including:

• The first Melbourne derby was despite the outcome was one of the momentous occasions of the season with the atmosphere being one that hasn’t been witnessed in the A-League before.
• The form of Marvin Angulo in the last couple of months has been a revelation. In fact one might go as far to say he is now the most important Costa Rican in the team. With the end of his loan period coming to an end it would be paramount that the Victory hierarchy ensure that his stay is a much longer one.
• With concerns over an aging backline it was extremely pleasing to see Petar Franjic come through and show enough to signal that he will be a regular starter come the next A-League season.
• Combining architectural innovation with an impeccable surface AAMI Park truly stamped itself as one of the best purpose built rectangular stadiums in the country.

We now have the Asian Champions League to look forward to but if you want to read some thoughts regarding our final loss, check out my latest blog for Australian FourFourTwo.

Whilst it was great to see Melbourne Victory finally play a competitive match at AAMI Park but as I alluded to in my previous post the whole experience was dulled a little by the influence two participants mentioned. For my very brief thoughts on the game you can check out my latest blog for 442, although as is often my habit, I undertake a bit of reminiscing and talk more about the Victory’s first ever game against Olympic Park rather than the game itself.

Having been watching the team basically play indoors for the past four seasons it was a bit weird to be shivering a little as I stood there watching the play in action and it took almost half an hour to drink the beer that I purchased at half time. As for the viewing experience (the game aside) my current view is from the South End (who were a bit flat on the night) and it is much better than the view that I experienced at Docklands Stadium. In fact I am quite happy with my spot.

Following the weekend, it has felt like we have been going through a series of high and lows or swings and roundabouts (if that is your kind of thing). First there was the concern of Hernandez and his knee after being on the wrong end of one of many ordinary Perth Glory tackles and then finding out it should all be okay. Then there was concern over Billy Celeski and his newly reconstructed knee after an incident at training and fearing the worst only to be told it wasn’t as bad as first thought. Finally there was the announcement yesterday that subject to a medical, Melbourne would be unveiling their new Brazilian signing on Thursday to compliment yesterday’s signing of Welsh winger, Geoff Kellaway. At last we will have a striker of some sorts - let’s hope he’s a good one.

Football Federation Australia today released the fixture for the 2010/11 season and surprise, surprise Melbourne Victory play Sydney FC in the first round. This will be the fifth time in a row that Melbourne will have played Sydney and quite frankly I’m getting a little sick of the sight of them. I know that the powers that be always like to have the two teams who have played off for the title play the first game of the season but considering that we played each other four times in the space of six weeks at the end of last season surely warrants a change. I would have much preferred to see a Melbourne derby to start off the season. Other interesting points to note from the new fixture are:

• Melbourne’s first game at AAMI Park will be against Perth Glory, who coincidentally were the first team to play the Victory at Olympic Park in the first season;
• The first Melbourne derby takes place on October 2, 2010 with Melbourne Heart being the home team. I wonder how the seating arrangements will be for that one;
• Melbourne Victory don’t get a “weekend break” until Round 16, whilst both Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners get two in that time;
• The second Melbourne derby of the season unfortunately takes place on the weekend of my girlfriend’s birthday. Again it is a Melbourne Heart home game;
• Melbourne plays four midweek games against Wellington Phoenix, the Central Coast Mariners and the Newcastle Jets with only one of them being an away game (Wellington);
• The third Melbourne derby will be played at Etihad Stadium. Are they forgetting that for the first two derbies Victory supporters will also be attending?
• Last game of the season is against Adelaide United at the Adelaide Oval. Pencil in three points for that one.

In his latest diatribe for the Herald Sun, Eddie McGuire whilst taking aim at every football team in Melbourne that don’t play AFL makes the comment in reference to the Melbourne Storm that:

Its one remaining premiership trophy can be put into a cabinet at its purpose-built stadium, referred to alternately as the “Rectangular stadium”, “the Bubble” or “AAMI stadium”, but more than likely “the White Elephant. This new stadium will exist for either no Melbourne Storm or one that is a shadow of its former self, one barely established soccer team and a rugby union and soccer team that haven’t played a game yet. Most would be flat-out filling a phone box far, much less this magnificent stadium.

I would like to point out to Mr McGuire that unlike the AFL’s showcase Docklands Stadium it won’t be sitting empty for half the season and more than likely will have a surface that will be the envy of every stadium in Australia. So who’s sitting on a white elephant now?

Oh and by the way, it’s called AAMI Park and enjoy the view from the shithole that is the Lexus Centre.