Blog: Song's Swan Song?

NIGEL Boogaard's equaliser against Newcastle Jets in Friday night's F3 Derby prompted headlines of 'Boogie Night For Mariners'.

All well and good, congratulations to ‘Boogs' on his 23rd birthday - I'm sure he and much of the Mariners squad celebrated the mark in quite the cordial manner post match.

However, what the headlines didn't read was that just a day prior the other of the night's scorers, Jin-Hyung Song, also marked the anniversary.

Just under one year younger than Boogaard at 22, the crafty Korean is fast becoming the pivotal figure in our 2009/10 A-League crusade...and I say this with the greatest respect to the likes of Fabio Vignaroli, Ljubo Milicevic and Sasho Petrovski.

Let's be frank, last season Song displayed a mere shadow of the promise he showed during the early part of his Jets career.

Injury played its part in the latter stages of the campaign, but even from the beginning he, along with those who were left from the grand final triumph, looked slower, less creative, less...themselves.

Having spent the Asian Champions League watching frustrated from the stands, the ex-U20 international has shown in the opening two rounds of the season he has well and truly recovered from his ankle troubles, and is indeed primed for his defining year in a Jets shirt.

Two well taken goals in his last three matches against Sydney FC and Central Coast respectively indicate that Song has worked on his finishing over the close season, looking to add a further string to his attacking bow.

Indeed, it was a point well made by my rugby union avid mate who accompanied me to Friday's F3 Derby that during the warm up Song consistently left reserve custodian Neil Young at a stand still, as he curled shot after shot into the netting.

Still, it is my firm belief we're yet to see the best of the resplendent Korean midfielder.

I'm doubtful he's 100 per cent match fit having not taken part in the ACL, and having only competed in two full scale matches thus far.

Likewise, the team's not yet where it promises to be, which will aid Song's creative ability should they gel.

All of which leads me back to a previous point.

Earlier I declared this would be Song's defining season in a Jets shirt...that's because I reckon it could be his last.

If the likeable lad can maintain the rage, scoring from midfield and creating in a side that certainly needs a creator, surely there would be no shortage of suitors lining up for his signature.

At that point it would be logical for Song and the club to part ways...we'd get a transfer fee, and Song would likely leave to a league which can accommodate his considerable talents.