A LONG time ago, I followed a team that wore yellow and blue. Perry Park in the back blocks of inner north Brisbane was about as far away from 30,000 people in a city derby, as you could get.

Except for that grand final when 40,000 of us stuffed into Lang Park to give us all a brief glimpse of the future.  Clint Bolton was in goal and in the sort of form that wins your team the league.  It was a good day.

Next year, we trundled along to Perry Park, or possibly Ballymore; I don't remember which. There was a lot of hype, but on a good day, the Strikers were getting a fraction of the grand final crowd.  Chris Zoricich signed for the Strikers that year, about midway through his meandering career that would, a few years later see him in England, playing non-league football at Margate. 

A stint at Margate is exactly the sort of thing that might appeal to a 34 year old international with nothing to prove, but for a 22 year old, playing conference football in a faded Kentish holiday town usually isn't in the grand plan.  A couple of years later, having traded Margate for Morecombe, the grand plan was due for revision. The young man sought advice from his old Kiwi colleague and in a life changing moment, took it.  I don't remember Chris Zoricich much from his Strikers days, but if you come across him, buy him a drink - because Chris's mate Terry just had the week of his life.

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A third of a lifetime later and another team in yellow and blue.  I'm still cheering for Clint Bolton who, twinkle-toe moments aside, is again in the sort of form that wins your team the league.  It's weeks like this that you live for.  A good win over the local rivals and a top of the table clash against the arch enemy.  We battered them; kept the ball and rolled through them nearly at will.  With some better finishing, the game would have been over by half time.

It's been said everywhere since Monday, but Sydney started to look like a proper football team this week.  The players and the game plan seemed to come together and the ball pinged around the pitch nicely.  What's more, we played fast.  Lavicka was probably pleased, but it is always hard to tell.

It was great to see Stu Musialik involved in the goal.  A typical Sydney V5 move - a break from midfield down a wing, then in the absence of a clear opportunity, a focus on keeping the ball until one appeared.  When Corica's good work on the wing led to a dead end, the forced, inaccurate cross of seasons past didn't materialise - instead a pass to keep possession to Stu, who hit as sweet a midfield cross as you will see, onto Terry Mac's forehead.

A twat would have confected a celebration, involving a naff dance and a rocking baby, right down the barrel of a nearby camera.  Tez kissed the badge and went to high-five some kids on the western sideline.  Legend.

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And so to a top of the table clash against the Tards.  This ought to be good.

You know what you get with Melbourne.  Vargas and Muscat will be dirty, in their cheap nightclub rent-a-thug kinda way; all smiles for the camera and niggle in backplay, accompanied by a commentary of unprintable verbal diarrhoea - every third word being "mate", mate.  Very Melbourne.

Hopefully the ref doesn't fall for the whiney cajole and gets the cards out early. I'd give them each one at kick-off just for bringing the game into disrepute by their presence.  In front of that though, the Tards do have quality. Simon Colosimo is going to have a busy game with Hernandez, Kruse and Archie to keep tabs on.  He's in rare form though and the players around him are coming along nicely.

I have a feeling that Melbourne Victory will suit Sydney this year.  We look resilient in defence and the pace and control of our counter-attack is something that will cause the tards all sorts of trouble.  I cannot imagine either Muscat, Brebner or Vargas being happy watching the ball whizz past them.  Providing the referee is diligent, there will be free-kicks and penalties galore.

Sydney's talking point this week is who Lavicka leaves out; into last week's team comes Danning, Gan, Grant, Golec and Aloisi.  Top of the table.  Full squad available.  A team that is starting to look the goods.  What a nice set of problems to have.

Finally, in case that isn't enough, we have the Roos and the Dutch on our home ground.  It's weeks like these that you live for.