WHILE our attention over the last week has been focused on the great story that is Matt Simon, Mile Jedinak is yet another of those rough diamonds Lawrie Mckinna has unearthed over the past three seasons.

It was my original intention to have a rant about John Kosmina this week, however not only did my colleague Julia beat me to it, she also expressed the point with much more eloquence and class than I would have, that is to say, she didn’t need to resort to a rant at all.

So, rather than cover the Kosmina territory that has been so well travelled by so many pundits in recent times, I thought I would expand a little on the zero to hero theme that has been largely triggered by Matty Simon’s terrific form this season.

For those of you with a reasonable memory, you will recall that just prior to the addition of Matt Simon to the Mariners line up in season three, Lawrie McKinna had signed the little known Sydney United midfielder Mile Jedinak, as an injury replacement for (I think) Andre Gumprecht in season two.

I can vividly recall his A-League baptism of fire, the heavy first touches, the forcing of passes, and I guess one other facet of his game that has actually remained largely unchanged, a raw physicality on the field.

I clearly don’t possess the keen eye for potential of McKinna however. My initial observation to my mate in the stands at the time, during this first viewing, was something along the lines of ‘he is out of his depth’, as the pace of the A-League was clearly a large step up from the NSW Premier League.

Unlike Matty Simon, who only a few seasons ago was playing in the local Central Coast league, Mile pursued an opportunity in Europe with NK Varteks (of Croatia). Although this experience has been variously reported as meeting with mixed success for the player, I sense that if nothing else, the experience may have galvanised in him a steely determination to succeed as a professional footballer.

During the course of season three, this determination translated into performances that quickly established Mile as a key player for the Mariners, and saw him touted as potentially a key part of Australia’s future World Cup ambitions.

Every successful football team needs some steel in the centre of the park. To this end, Mile has stepped up to take on the one of most critical of responsibilities, that of holding midfielder. The role means he should touch the ball more than any other player on the field, cover more territory than most other players, and if possible dictate the pace and flow of the game, whilst winning a greater share of possession than his opponents. Today, Mile delivers on all these things.

Where Mile excels however, is in his controlled aggression, and physical presence. He is developing into a monster in the middle of the park. Although he may not cover the ground that a dynamo like Massimo Murdocca does, he gets to the ball, and inevitably wins it most of the time. He has the advantage of height, and he has developed into an extremely dangerous threat from range, and set plays.

There are key similarities in Simon and Jedinak, and in how they have developed as players. They both have the qualities that Lawrie appears to really like, work ethic, and a big heart. They are clearly keen to learn, and it doesn’t take a football expert to recognise the extent to which their skills, and technique have improved dramatically in their time with the team. Above all, McKinna has given them self belief and confidence. As a consequence, both of these players are now a key part of Australia’s international prospects.