Some believe they’re crucial to the continued development of our game, others that they’re just over-hyped oldies in it for the money.
Whatever your opinion on the A-League imports, they’ve definitely made the game more interesting. Say hello to our top 20 of all-time
20 Malik Buari
New Zealand Knights, 2006-07
From: Fulham, England
Success 1
Importance 1.5
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 1.5
Longevity 2
After a dismal first campaign that bore just one win, the New Zealand Knights entered A-League season two on notice, and welcomed reigning Premiers Adelaide to Auckland in round two. With the game locked at 0-0 with two minutes left, Buari scored a goal that remains a contender for the A-League’s greatest goal ever. He did little else that season, but my oh my, Mr. Buari, what a goal.
19 Richard Kitzbichler
Melbourne Victory, 2005-6
From Austria Wien, Austria
Success 2
Importance 1
Brand value 2
Terrace favour 2.5
Longevity 2
Austrian winger Kitzbichler bought a bundle of flair and enthusiasm to the Victory’s first season. He was also the man who scored Melbourne’s first goal at home. A five year playing/coaching deal with a former club drew him back to his homeland of Austria but he is still held in high regard by Melbourne fans and Ernie Merrick.
18 Michael Bridges
Sydney FC, 2007-08
From Hull, England
Success 2
Importance 2
Brand value 2
Terrace favour 2
Longevity 1
The one-time “next big thing” in English football came out for a short-term stint and showed admirable technical ability, highlighted by a brilliantly composed finish against Newcastle away. Still only 30, he is now scrapping for a game in the English lower leagues on loan from Premiership side Hull City.
17 Benito Carbone
Sydney FC, 2006-07
From Vicenza, Italy
Success 2
Importance 2
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 2
Longevity 0.5
The much travelled Carbone arrived at Sydney after stints at an amazing 16 previous clubs. Although he retired not long after leaving Sydney, Carbone proved he still had impeccable class during his three matches in the A-League, the highlight being the orchestrator of Sydney’s improbable 4-1 demolition of Adelaide at Hindmarsh in October 2006.
Sadly a hamstring injury prevented him from playing his final match in his four-game stint, as well as any chance of him sticking around longer term.
16 Felipe
Wellington Phoenix, 2007-08
From Hajduk Split, Croatia
Success 2
Importance 2
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 2
One of the key reasons Wellington were such a joy to watch in their inaugural season, Felipe was potent, particularly early in the season 2007-08. In front of the “Cake Tin” in round
one, he helped engineer a two-goal comeback against champions Melbourne, and then scored a divine, stepover-laden solo effort to hand the Phoenix their first ever victory away to Sydney in round four. There were reports he had signed with the Gold Coast Galaxy earlier this year, so there is still hope that we have not seen the last of him yet.
15 Kazu
Sydney FC, 2005-06
From Yokohama FC, Japan
Success 2
Importance 2
Brand value 4
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 1.5
A former winner of the Asian Player of the Year Award back in 1993, as soon as Kazu arrived in Sydney Japanese media swarmed on him, building publicity that attracted recognition for Sydney FC at the Club World Championships in Japan. On the field, even at age 38, he showed he could cut it at A-League level, hauling Sydney back from 2-0 down against eventual Premiers Adelaide at Hindmarsh. After his stint at Sydney he returned to Japan, kept playing and helped get Yokohama FC promoted back into the J.League.
14 Juninho
Sydney FC, 2007-08
From Flamengo, Brazil
Success 2.5
Importance 1
Brand value 4
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 2
Though his season in Sydney was ruined by injury, Juninho proved in spurts he was perhaps the finest technical talent the A-League has ever seen. His Sydney side may have spluttered for much of the season, but his ability to find his strikers with delightfully weighted balls behind the opposition defence was uncanny. In front of Juninho, Alex Brosque started looking like the international-class striker many had always anticipated. Juninho was another one to retire after leaving Sydney.
13 Diego
Adelaide 2006-current
From Miami FC, USA
Success 3.5
Importance 3
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 4
A slow starter, Diego came to Adelaide from Miami FC in the USA’s second football tier. Initially he seemed a capable if unspectacular ball-player, and there were doubts over his value in the rough and tumble in the A-League. Fast forward two years though and he is looking far more assured and in control. While he has yet to really take the A-League by the scruff of the neck, it was his goal that tore open Bunyodkor in the ACL semi-final. Team-mate Michael Valkanis sums Diego up nicely: “When he runs with the ball it all look so effortless. Not many players can do that. How can I say it… when I watch him, he just seems like he’s moving to music with the ball.”
12 Carlos Hernandez
Melbourne Victory 2007-current
From LD Alajuelense, Costa Rica
Success 2.5
Importance 4
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 3
In describing Hernandez, Ernie Merrick says, “His passing is incredible, his ball control and ability to turn away from defenders in trouble is first class. He can control, dribble and pass with great vision, but his biggest asset is one we’re trying to get him to use more and more which is his shot, left and right foot.”
With a World Cup finals appearance on his CV and still in his prime at age 26, some Victory fans were bemused when what looked like a fat, lazy pretender pulled on the big V at the start of last season. How things have changed. Hernandez is now the key cog in the Victory’s gameplan, bringing power and panache into the space between midfield and attack. If Melbourne win the championship this year, Fred will be no more: the Victory support will know only King Carlos.
11 Milton Rodriguez
Newcastle Jets, 2006-7
From Jeonbuk, South Korea
Success 3
Importance 3
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 2.5
Rodriguez was the archetype of the A-League import: he had flair, mystique, a heap of attacking potency and a trademark headband. Brought in just prior to the 2006-07 season, the Colombian had to wait for his Newcastle bow while his paperwork was processed. When his debut finally arrived, everyone knew it. In round four, Rodriguez came off the bench and dragged his team back from a 2-0 deficit with two strikes away to Sydney. If Newcastle were the entertainers in 2006/07, then Rodriguez played lead guitar.
Former team mate and striking partner Mark Bridge, recollects: “The thing that sticks out to me was the goal he scored against Melbourne. It was on a very tight angle and I think he had the space of less than half a metre between the post and keeper to put it. Milton just blasted it in that gap.”
10 Shengqing Qu
Adelaide United, 2005-07
From Shanghai Shenhua, China
Success 3.5
Importance 3.5
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 2.5
No one knew why he was here. No one knew where he came from. No one even knew how to pronounce his name. Before long he would become Adelaide’s favourite Chinese export since kow-pung chicken.
“Q” as he became known to his team-mates – was a pioneering A-League import. With seven league goals in his first season, he was the competition’s equal top goalscorer, but it was the quality of his link play and artistry of his finishes that made a lasting impression. Although injuries hit his second season, Qu’s presence in the A-League was a beacon for Asia’s growing relevance in Australian football.
9 Jin-Hyung Song
Newcastle Jets 2008-current
From FC Seoul, South Korea
Success 4
Importance 3.5
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 2.5
Following his belated arrival last season, the Korean was instrumental in providing the X-factor for the Jets’ championship triumph.
This season, while Song has definitely come down to earth, he continues to impress with moments of brilliance in a battling Jets outfit.
A unique import entity, Song is an elite young Korean player who chose Australia as the best pathway for his development. If he ultimately succeeds, we might end up with more of his kind on our shores. For that reason alone crowds should applaud.
8 Grant Brebner
Melbourne Victory, 2006-current
From Dundee United, Scotland
Success 4
Importance 4
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 4
Grant “spent five years at Manchester United” Brebner arrived in Melbourne looking for a lifestyle change after a long career in his native Scotland. Almost instantly his presence in the Victory midfield galvanised the club, as they roared away from the rest of the A-League in the first half of the 2006-07 season.
Fred is widely considered the key to Melbourne’s dominance that season, but it was Brebner who, alongside Kevin Muscat in midfield, hit the ground running and contributed right through to the Grand Final.
“He’s brought to our club that tremendous flair and vision from the midfield,” Merrick says. “He’s a ball-winner and distributor of a very high quality. His ability to win the ball and play those goal-scoring type passes to the strikers is just incredible. And he’s not only a good player, but he’s also a good organiser, a midfield general.”
Though injury played a role in a muted campaign last season, Brebner remains a valuable foot solider in Merrick’s midfield.
7 Cassio
Adelaide United 2007-current
From Santa Cruz, Brazil
Success 4
Importance 4
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 3
Upon his arrival in Adelaide, the Brazilian full-back blew supporters away, scoring twice in the 2007 Pre-Season Cup from free-kicks. Although his impact has been more incremental since that gangbusting early spree (he has not scored a free-kick since), his importance to Adelaide is growing.
Used exclusively as a left-back in his first campaign, Cassio performed admirably in an inconsistent Adelaide side, winning Club Champion and Players’ Player of the Year awards. With the arrival of Scott Jamieson this season relieving some of the left-sided defensive burden at the club, the Brazilian’s attacking impact has expanded.
Against Kashima Antlers in the ACL quarter-finals, he stamped his authority on the game with a virtuoso display in the Adelaide midfield, as he ran the show like no other “left-back” in Australia could.
But the best was yet to come – at Hindmarsh against Uzbek powerhouse Bunyodkor in the semis. Despite Adelaide being hammered for much of the game, Cassio made their attacking raids count, sending in crosses to set up two goals, before winning a late penalty.
6 Daniel
Wellington Phoenix 2007-current
From Guarani, Brazil
Success 2
Importance 3
Brand value 5
Terrace favour 5
Longevity 2
When Wellington came into the A-League, there were many reservations about whether New Zealand football was even worth another try. Despite what we were told, Kiwi football clubs appeared to struggle to resonate with the New Zealand public.
The impact of the Phoenix’s Daniel therefore should not be underestimated. There is no doubt that the Phoenix have plenty of room for improvement, but it seems the foundations are there. And it is Daniel who must take much of the credit.
The Brazilian scored the club’s first A-League goal in round one last year, and has been an enthusiastic, effective showman ever since. Unlike other imports who might cruise through their A-League career without leaving a trace, Daniel has already stated his intention to play for the All Whites.
Mike Greene, founder of Phoenix supporter group Yellow Fever offers his take:
“Daniel is a favourite mainly due to his friendly and outgoing personality. He is always smiling and always willing to chat to the fans. He bring that bit of flair that draws gasps and applause from the fans, and he’s never short of a cheeky back-heel or a something out of left-field. What makes him distinctly Phoenix though is that he always plays with a great amount of passion for the team. You can tell how much it means to him.”5 Hyuk-Su Seo
Queensland 2005-current
From Seongnam Ilwha, South Korea
Success 3
Importance 5
Brand value 3.5
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 5
The South Korean utility man was famously convinced to come to Australia by veteran playmaker Shin Tae-Yong, whom Miron Bleiberg wanted to take a look at. More than 60 A-League appearances later, Seo is still winning tackles with his oversized calves and spotting the simple ball through his mop of hair.
His power and stamina have made him a permanent fixture in the Roar since the A-League’s inception, whether it be at full-back or in midfield. “Harry” has also proved extremely popular in the Roar sheds, and his no-nonsense approach has endeared him to the Brisbane faithful.
Josh McCloughan has been at the Roar alongside Seo since the start. “The game suits him here, he’s very physical,” McCloughan says. “He works pretty hard on the pitch, and I think that’s the kind of game that’s suited him. That more physical side where he might have got pinned [penalised] a lot in his home country, it’s let by a lot in Australia. He doesn’t mind throwing himself about, which is quite different to what the normal style of a Korean player is.
“He’s probably more Aussie than he is Korean,” adds McCloughan.
4 Reinaldo
Queensland 2005-2008,
2008-current
From Busan I’Park, South Korea
Success 3.5
Importance 5
Brand value 4
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 4
Like Seo, Reinaldo is another established Roar player who breaks the stereotype of his home nation. A tall, powerful striker with exceptional stamina, the Brazilian swagger you might expect is what is lacking most in Reinaldo’s game.
Yet Reinaldo, despite only streaky goalscoring form, has lead the line at Queensland for two seasons now, hounding opposition defenders and bringing in the Roar’s all-action midfield into play. While he will often look ungainly and brutish, that is part of his charm. Every once in a while he will display
a piece of magic of which only he is capable.
Most notably it happened in the second leg of the semi-final against Sydney last season. With the Roar at home and the aggregate score still locked at 0-0, Reinaldo got the ball on the wing, beat two Sydney defenders and smashed the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle.
McCloughan is grateful for Reinaldo’s presence. “I’m not saying the South Americans won’t work hard, but generally they’re all about technical ability and just floating in and out of games at the right times. If Reinaldo’s playing up front he busts his arse for 90 minutes week-in, week-out on his own. He makes sure when defenders are playing against him he’s an awkward package”.
3 Terry McFlynn
Sydney 2005-current
From Morecambe, England
Success 4.5
Importance 3
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 5
“I was playing in the English Conference for a club called Morecambe,” McFlynn remembers. “My wife decided she wanted to come back to Australia to live and it was a turning point. I had to decide whether to come to Australia and give football another go or stay in England. I sent my CV and a letter asking for a trial basically to all the A-League clubs. Sydney was the only club that replied to me and offered me a trial.”
That is how Terry McFlynn’s fairytale Sydney story began, but that is not why he is at number three. Here is a man who has long been appreciated as a rough and tumble midfielder, but little more. After his form dipped in 2006-07 as injury and club instability took their toll, he appeared on his way out.
A lone A-League championship seemed fair reward for a player who was derided even by his own fans for his technical limitations and questionable decision-making.
Even as Sydney signed Stuart Musialik this season to upgrade the anchor role, McFlynn has again found a way to contribute, bustling around and busying himself with passing, tackling and generally being effective.
2 Fred
Melbourne 2006-07
From Guarani, Brazil
Success 4
Importance 4
Brand value 4
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 2
Fred was an all-action attacking midfielder who was integral to the high-octane, direct, incisive style of Melbourne’s all-conquering Championship team. After just one season he left for MLS club DC United, where he has had an excellent first and a fair second season.
Despite his success, here is another player whose impact is hotly contested. Ernie Merrick himself believes that Fred’s reputation benefited from him leaving at the right time. He rightly points out that Fred’s first full-game – despite what is said about his stamina – was Melbourne first loss that season.
The Brazilian also missed two matches in that unbeaten opening seven
round period completely. Still, Merrick remembers him fondly.
“Fred was a good player who had great endurance,” he says. “He was one of these players who is prepared to do the work to win the ball back again. His service to Archie Thompson and Danny Allsopp was first class and that was his greatest strength.”
This service most dramatically saw him scythe open the Adelaide defence time and again in that Grand Final performance. He laid on Archie’s first, second, fourth and fifth goals in flowing moves that saw him displaying tremendous all-round ability: overlapping, dribbling at pace, sliding through balls and hitting crosses.
It was his obvious love for the game that made him the player he was. With Fred alongside Archie, that Victory side had an air of shameless exuberance about it..... they put on a 90-minute party every weekend.
Since then, albeit a brief guest appearance cut short by family tragedy, he turned around Wellington Phoenix's season with a talismanic performance at the club.1 Dwight Yorke
Sydney 2005-6
From Birmingham City, England
Success 5
Importance 5
Brand value 5
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 2
This has to be the easiest and least controversial pick on the entire list. Dwight Yorke’s one and only season in the A-League was an unequivocable success, both on the pitch and off it.
On the field, he led the team to its only Championship as captain, playing as the team’s creative force by moving into midfield from his traditional striker role.
Off the pitch, his impact was equally important. First and foremost he was a fantastic ambassador for a fledgling league desperate to create a fanbase. Whether it was out of respect or curiosity, opposing fans flocked to Sydney FC games because of the “Dwight factor”.
But what is most telling about the quality of Yorke is that he is only import to go onto better things after leaving the A-League, currently plying his trade in the Premier League with Sunderland at the age of 37.
Dwight spoke exclusively to FourFourTwo from Port of Spain where he has been busting his gut to get Trinidad and Tobago to another World Cup finals.
Dwight, you’re our number one A-League import. How does it feel?
I’d be very disappointed if I didn’t come in as number one!
You made coming to the A-League as a foreigner look easy. Was it?
There was nothing hard about settling into a great country like Australia. [The hardest thing] after all these years of playing in the Premiership, was giving that up. For me, that was the hardest bit, leaving the Premiership. I felt it was the right move, something new, something fresh, something exciting. I felt like that’s what I needed to do. I’m delighted I made that decision. I knew quite a bit about Australia when I came there, I knew the people, the weather and the atmosphere. I felt that it wouldn’t be a problem fitting in at all. I felt that once I got over the initial part of coming out of the Premiership, then everything else would be fine.
What has stayed with you about your time in Australia?
In terms of football, we all know that the game there is not as popular as it should be. It’s only when the World Cup comes around, the beginning of the A-League, that people started to take a lot of interest in it. I also understand that there’s a multicultural [element], different ethnic groups there that love football, as we call it, soccer in that country, and they were dying for something of that magnitude to happen. My time in Sydney was absolutely fabulous, it was a year and a bit there. Winning the A-League, the day of the Grand Final was absolutely enormous. For me I totally enjoyed that.
The hardest decision was when I decided to go back to Sunderland in the Championship. I felt heartbroken because I felt I had such a good connection. I won the A-League, and the fans and the people there had really made me welcome.
Everything seemed perfect at the time. Of course with Trinidad and Tobago qualifying for the World Cup it was absolutely tremendous. With the Socceroos doing the same, everything seemed perfect at that particular time.
However with Roy Keane going into the Championship and needing my leadership qualities to come in there, I felt that was a challenge that was too hard to resist. Although if Sydney FC had offered me a substantial deal I think my decision would have been to stay at Sydney FC.
However, going back to Sunderland to win the Championship in six months, and get promoted to the Premiership… I thought in the first place I would never get the chance to play in again. To come from the World Cup, to the Championship, winning the Championship, going into the Premiership, and still being in the Premiership at the age of 37 is something to be extremely proud about.
Only recently have Sydney FC found some off-field stability. When you were here, how did club politics affect you?
I think there’s still – I wouldn’t say amateurish – I still think they’re not quite up to the European standard in how to deal with players and how it all works. I felt I made a very good impression in terms of my first year at Sydney FC, winning the Grand Final of course. The feeling that football was on the up, with the Socceroos doing well, and the World Cup just finished, I felt that to get the sport to where it belongs, getting rid of me was certainly not the greatest idea.
I certainly felt that they should have done more to have kept me, and tried to promote the sport even further. But the decision had been made. There are people who run football clubs who make decisions above your head and they decided they no longer needed me there and they thought that the A-League would be a big success even with me leaving. As everyone knows, since I left, the A-League hasn’t seemed to be the same. I speak to people there, and I’m still in touch with a lot of people. They don’t seem to have the same sort of affection from when I was there.
What was behind your move from striker to midfield during your time in Sydney?
It was a decision made; as a striker who wants to score goals, you need other players to be able to create the opportunities for you. I felt that when I first came I had the opportunity to play up front and I enjoyed it for a short period of time but realised that if I were to get this team playing and get them up to a level that I expected the team to be at, I thought playing i n a deeper role would be a better contribution to the team. Ever since then that’s just how it seems [to have been].
Has that move to the midfield extended your career?
Definitely. At Sydney I could play literally anywhere there and could still be a very useful footballer in that division. But I felt that since I came back, and during the World Cup, all of that gave me additional confidence because I was used in the midfield role against extremely good players in the world and I still managed to compete against them.
How do you think the A-League is now regarded globally?
I think now Adelaide is doing well in the Asian Champions League, they are getting some good press. I feel that from what I gather and through my sources that the league still has the potential to be a huge success. The people at the top just need to be very clever in terms of who they bring in. There are always people interested – not only for the football, but everyone knows how great Sydney and Australia is as a country to live. I’m surprised there are not more people wanting to go there. But with the money as well, that might be an issue, because you’re not the greatest payers in the whole world. With the kind of money that’s in Europe at the moment for footballers, it’s quite difficult to attract players in that particular area.
Were there any moments from your time in the A-League that you cringe about how unprofessional it was?
I’m not going to be critical of the Australian league. I think it’s great, I think it was a great experience, it was great being there, the Grand Final… I just think that the setup is not as professional as in Europe. That’s something they need to work at, and they need to capitalise on the endorsement side of things, how to endorse the players, build the players’ awareness around the community to get people to come out and support the teams. I know how brilliant the people are and the fans are when it comes to their sport there. I think people have to be very careful how they look after the players they have.
How long did it take for you to get back up to speed when you originally went to Sunderland?
Not very long, maybe six weeks or so, I just needed a little bit of tinkering here and there and realised that I could come back to this kind of football. Four or five weeks to get my fitness up and I was good to go.
Did you ever doubt that you would be able to cut it when you went back?
Did I have any doubts when I went back? Nah – football for me is never a problem. It’s all a mental thing. If my mental attitude is right then the football side of things is pretty easy. It’s not a problem playing football, it is what I have done all my life and still do it now. For me it is all about the mental.
What would an A-League team have to offer you to get you back out here and how much of your decision will be based on financial considerations?
Compared to what we earn in this part of the world you guys are nothing [in terms of wages]. You guys are peanuts out there now, but saying that it [the option to go to Australia] is certainly not from a financial point of view. It’s got to be right, you’ve got to make me feel right about the whole situation, whether I’m playing or… everyone knows I’m doing my coaching thing as well. I can only play for so long. If it’s an offer I can’t refuse then I’ll have to look at it, but certainly it won’t be from a financial point of view.
What percentage chance do you give you playing again in the A-League?
50/50. Once I finish my contract here with Sunderland this year I’ll have to weigh it up. If my body still holds up to play another year or not. I’ll have to leave the option. I’ll never say never in football.
20 Malik Buari
New Zealand Knights, 2006-07
From: Fulham, England
Success 1
Importance 1.5
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 1.5
Longevity 2
After a dismal first campaign that bore just one win, the New Zealand Knights entered A-League season two on notice, and welcomed reigning Premiers Adelaide to Auckland in round two. With the game locked at 0-0 with two minutes left, Buari scored a goal that remains a contender for the A-League’s greatest goal ever. He did little else that season, but my oh my, Mr. Buari, what a goal.
19 Richard Kitzbichler
Melbourne Victory, 2005-6
From Austria Wien, Austria
Success 2
Importance 1
Brand value 2
Terrace favour 2.5
Longevity 2
Austrian winger Kitzbichler bought a bundle of flair and enthusiasm to the Victory’s first season. He was also the man who scored Melbourne’s first goal at home. A five year playing/coaching deal with a former club drew him back to his homeland of Austria but he is still held in high regard by Melbourne fans and Ernie Merrick.
18 Michael Bridges
Sydney FC, 2007-08
From Hull, England
Success 2
Importance 2
Brand value 2
Terrace favour 2
Longevity 1
The one-time “next big thing” in English football came out for a short-term stint and showed admirable technical ability, highlighted by a brilliantly composed finish against Newcastle away. Still only 30, he is now scrapping for a game in the English lower leagues on loan from Premiership side Hull City.
17 Benito Carbone
Sydney FC, 2006-07
From Vicenza, Italy
Success 2
Importance 2
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 2
Longevity 0.5
The much travelled Carbone arrived at Sydney after stints at an amazing 16 previous clubs. Although he retired not long after leaving Sydney, Carbone proved he still had impeccable class during his three matches in the A-League, the highlight being the orchestrator of Sydney’s improbable 4-1 demolition of Adelaide at Hindmarsh in October 2006.
Sadly a hamstring injury prevented him from playing his final match in his four-game stint, as well as any chance of him sticking around longer term.
16 Felipe
Wellington Phoenix, 2007-08
From Hajduk Split, Croatia
Success 2
Importance 2
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 2
One of the key reasons Wellington were such a joy to watch in their inaugural season, Felipe was potent, particularly early in the season 2007-08. In front of the “Cake Tin” in round
one, he helped engineer a two-goal comeback against champions Melbourne, and then scored a divine, stepover-laden solo effort to hand the Phoenix their first ever victory away to Sydney in round four. There were reports he had signed with the Gold Coast Galaxy earlier this year, so there is still hope that we have not seen the last of him yet.
15 Kazu
Sydney FC, 2005-06
From Yokohama FC, Japan
Success 2
Importance 2
Brand value 4
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 1.5
A former winner of the Asian Player of the Year Award back in 1993, as soon as Kazu arrived in Sydney Japanese media swarmed on him, building publicity that attracted recognition for Sydney FC at the Club World Championships in Japan. On the field, even at age 38, he showed he could cut it at A-League level, hauling Sydney back from 2-0 down against eventual Premiers Adelaide at Hindmarsh. After his stint at Sydney he returned to Japan, kept playing and helped get Yokohama FC promoted back into the J.League.
14 Juninho
Sydney FC, 2007-08
From Flamengo, Brazil
Success 2.5
Importance 1
Brand value 4
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 2
Though his season in Sydney was ruined by injury, Juninho proved in spurts he was perhaps the finest technical talent the A-League has ever seen. His Sydney side may have spluttered for much of the season, but his ability to find his strikers with delightfully weighted balls behind the opposition defence was uncanny. In front of Juninho, Alex Brosque started looking like the international-class striker many had always anticipated. Juninho was another one to retire after leaving Sydney.
13 Diego
Adelaide 2006-current
From Miami FC, USA
Success 3.5
Importance 3
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 4
A slow starter, Diego came to Adelaide from Miami FC in the USA’s second football tier. Initially he seemed a capable if unspectacular ball-player, and there were doubts over his value in the rough and tumble in the A-League. Fast forward two years though and he is looking far more assured and in control. While he has yet to really take the A-League by the scruff of the neck, it was his goal that tore open Bunyodkor in the ACL semi-final. Team-mate Michael Valkanis sums Diego up nicely: “When he runs with the ball it all look so effortless. Not many players can do that. How can I say it… when I watch him, he just seems like he’s moving to music with the ball.”
12 Carlos Hernandez
Melbourne Victory 2007-current
From LD Alajuelense, Costa Rica
Success 2.5
Importance 4
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 3
In describing Hernandez, Ernie Merrick says, “His passing is incredible, his ball control and ability to turn away from defenders in trouble is first class. He can control, dribble and pass with great vision, but his biggest asset is one we’re trying to get him to use more and more which is his shot, left and right foot.”
With a World Cup finals appearance on his CV and still in his prime at age 26, some Victory fans were bemused when what looked like a fat, lazy pretender pulled on the big V at the start of last season. How things have changed. Hernandez is now the key cog in the Victory’s gameplan, bringing power and panache into the space between midfield and attack. If Melbourne win the championship this year, Fred will be no more: the Victory support will know only King Carlos.
11 Milton Rodriguez
Newcastle Jets, 2006-7
From Jeonbuk, South Korea
Success 3
Importance 3
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 2.5
Rodriguez was the archetype of the A-League import: he had flair, mystique, a heap of attacking potency and a trademark headband. Brought in just prior to the 2006-07 season, the Colombian had to wait for his Newcastle bow while his paperwork was processed. When his debut finally arrived, everyone knew it. In round four, Rodriguez came off the bench and dragged his team back from a 2-0 deficit with two strikes away to Sydney. If Newcastle were the entertainers in 2006/07, then Rodriguez played lead guitar.
Former team mate and striking partner Mark Bridge, recollects: “The thing that sticks out to me was the goal he scored against Melbourne. It was on a very tight angle and I think he had the space of less than half a metre between the post and keeper to put it. Milton just blasted it in that gap.”
10 Shengqing Qu
Adelaide United, 2005-07
From Shanghai Shenhua, China
Success 3.5
Importance 3.5
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 2.5
No one knew why he was here. No one knew where he came from. No one even knew how to pronounce his name. Before long he would become Adelaide’s favourite Chinese export since kow-pung chicken.
“Q” as he became known to his team-mates – was a pioneering A-League import. With seven league goals in his first season, he was the competition’s equal top goalscorer, but it was the quality of his link play and artistry of his finishes that made a lasting impression. Although injuries hit his second season, Qu’s presence in the A-League was a beacon for Asia’s growing relevance in Australian football.
9 Jin-Hyung Song
Newcastle Jets 2008-current
From FC Seoul, South Korea
Success 4
Importance 3.5
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 2.5
Following his belated arrival last season, the Korean was instrumental in providing the X-factor for the Jets’ championship triumph.
This season, while Song has definitely come down to earth, he continues to impress with moments of brilliance in a battling Jets outfit.
A unique import entity, Song is an elite young Korean player who chose Australia as the best pathway for his development. If he ultimately succeeds, we might end up with more of his kind on our shores. For that reason alone crowds should applaud.
8 Grant Brebner
Melbourne Victory, 2006-current
From Dundee United, Scotland
Success 4
Importance 4
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 4
Grant “spent five years at Manchester United” Brebner arrived in Melbourne looking for a lifestyle change after a long career in his native Scotland. Almost instantly his presence in the Victory midfield galvanised the club, as they roared away from the rest of the A-League in the first half of the 2006-07 season.
Fred is widely considered the key to Melbourne’s dominance that season, but it was Brebner who, alongside Kevin Muscat in midfield, hit the ground running and contributed right through to the Grand Final.
“He’s brought to our club that tremendous flair and vision from the midfield,” Merrick says. “He’s a ball-winner and distributor of a very high quality. His ability to win the ball and play those goal-scoring type passes to the strikers is just incredible. And he’s not only a good player, but he’s also a good organiser, a midfield general.”
Though injury played a role in a muted campaign last season, Brebner remains a valuable foot solider in Merrick’s midfield.
7 Cassio
Adelaide United 2007-current
From Santa Cruz, Brazil
Success 4
Importance 4
Brand value 3
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 3
Upon his arrival in Adelaide, the Brazilian full-back blew supporters away, scoring twice in the 2007 Pre-Season Cup from free-kicks. Although his impact has been more incremental since that gangbusting early spree (he has not scored a free-kick since), his importance to Adelaide is growing.
Used exclusively as a left-back in his first campaign, Cassio performed admirably in an inconsistent Adelaide side, winning Club Champion and Players’ Player of the Year awards. With the arrival of Scott Jamieson this season relieving some of the left-sided defensive burden at the club, the Brazilian’s attacking impact has expanded.
Against Kashima Antlers in the ACL quarter-finals, he stamped his authority on the game with a virtuoso display in the Adelaide midfield, as he ran the show like no other “left-back” in Australia could.
But the best was yet to come – at Hindmarsh against Uzbek powerhouse Bunyodkor in the semis. Despite Adelaide being hammered for much of the game, Cassio made their attacking raids count, sending in crosses to set up two goals, before winning a late penalty.
6 Daniel
Wellington Phoenix 2007-current
From Guarani, Brazil
Success 2
Importance 3
Brand value 5
Terrace favour 5
Longevity 2
When Wellington came into the A-League, there were many reservations about whether New Zealand football was even worth another try. Despite what we were told, Kiwi football clubs appeared to struggle to resonate with the New Zealand public.
The impact of the Phoenix’s Daniel therefore should not be underestimated. There is no doubt that the Phoenix have plenty of room for improvement, but it seems the foundations are there. And it is Daniel who must take much of the credit.
The Brazilian scored the club’s first A-League goal in round one last year, and has been an enthusiastic, effective showman ever since. Unlike other imports who might cruise through their A-League career without leaving a trace, Daniel has already stated his intention to play for the All Whites.
Mike Greene, founder of Phoenix supporter group Yellow Fever offers his take:
“Daniel is a favourite mainly due to his friendly and outgoing personality. He is always smiling and always willing to chat to the fans. He bring that bit of flair that draws gasps and applause from the fans, and he’s never short of a cheeky back-heel or a something out of left-field. What makes him distinctly Phoenix though is that he always plays with a great amount of passion for the team. You can tell how much it means to him.”5 Hyuk-Su Seo
Queensland 2005-current
From Seongnam Ilwha, South Korea
Success 3
Importance 5
Brand value 3.5
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 5
The South Korean utility man was famously convinced to come to Australia by veteran playmaker Shin Tae-Yong, whom Miron Bleiberg wanted to take a look at. More than 60 A-League appearances later, Seo is still winning tackles with his oversized calves and spotting the simple ball through his mop of hair.
His power and stamina have made him a permanent fixture in the Roar since the A-League’s inception, whether it be at full-back or in midfield. “Harry” has also proved extremely popular in the Roar sheds, and his no-nonsense approach has endeared him to the Brisbane faithful.
Josh McCloughan has been at the Roar alongside Seo since the start. “The game suits him here, he’s very physical,” McCloughan says. “He works pretty hard on the pitch, and I think that’s the kind of game that’s suited him. That more physical side where he might have got pinned [penalised] a lot in his home country, it’s let by a lot in Australia. He doesn’t mind throwing himself about, which is quite different to what the normal style of a Korean player is.
“He’s probably more Aussie than he is Korean,” adds McCloughan.
4 Reinaldo
Queensland 2005-2008,
2008-current
From Busan I’Park, South Korea
Success 3.5
Importance 5
Brand value 4
Terrace favour 3.5
Longevity 4
Like Seo, Reinaldo is another established Roar player who breaks the stereotype of his home nation. A tall, powerful striker with exceptional stamina, the Brazilian swagger you might expect is what is lacking most in Reinaldo’s game.
Yet Reinaldo, despite only streaky goalscoring form, has lead the line at Queensland for two seasons now, hounding opposition defenders and bringing in the Roar’s all-action midfield into play. While he will often look ungainly and brutish, that is part of his charm. Every once in a while he will display
a piece of magic of which only he is capable.
Most notably it happened in the second leg of the semi-final against Sydney last season. With the Roar at home and the aggregate score still locked at 0-0, Reinaldo got the ball on the wing, beat two Sydney defenders and smashed the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle.
McCloughan is grateful for Reinaldo’s presence. “I’m not saying the South Americans won’t work hard, but generally they’re all about technical ability and just floating in and out of games at the right times. If Reinaldo’s playing up front he busts his arse for 90 minutes week-in, week-out on his own. He makes sure when defenders are playing against him he’s an awkward package”.
3 Terry McFlynn
Sydney 2005-current
From Morecambe, England
Success 4.5
Importance 3
Brand value 2.5
Terrace favour 3
Longevity 5
“I was playing in the English Conference for a club called Morecambe,” McFlynn remembers. “My wife decided she wanted to come back to Australia to live and it was a turning point. I had to decide whether to come to Australia and give football another go or stay in England. I sent my CV and a letter asking for a trial basically to all the A-League clubs. Sydney was the only club that replied to me and offered me a trial.”
That is how Terry McFlynn’s fairytale Sydney story began, but that is not why he is at number three. Here is a man who has long been appreciated as a rough and tumble midfielder, but little more. After his form dipped in 2006-07 as injury and club instability took their toll, he appeared on his way out.
A lone A-League championship seemed fair reward for a player who was derided even by his own fans for his technical limitations and questionable decision-making.
Even as Sydney signed Stuart Musialik this season to upgrade the anchor role, McFlynn has again found a way to contribute, bustling around and busying himself with passing, tackling and generally being effective.
2 Fred
Melbourne 2006-07
From Guarani, Brazil
Success 4
Importance 4
Brand value 4
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 2
Fred was an all-action attacking midfielder who was integral to the high-octane, direct, incisive style of Melbourne’s all-conquering Championship team. After just one season he left for MLS club DC United, where he has had an excellent first and a fair second season.
Despite his success, here is another player whose impact is hotly contested. Ernie Merrick himself believes that Fred’s reputation benefited from him leaving at the right time. He rightly points out that Fred’s first full-game – despite what is said about his stamina – was Melbourne first loss that season.
The Brazilian also missed two matches in that unbeaten opening seven
round period completely. Still, Merrick remembers him fondly.
“Fred was a good player who had great endurance,” he says. “He was one of these players who is prepared to do the work to win the ball back again. His service to Archie Thompson and Danny Allsopp was first class and that was his greatest strength.”
This service most dramatically saw him scythe open the Adelaide defence time and again in that Grand Final performance. He laid on Archie’s first, second, fourth and fifth goals in flowing moves that saw him displaying tremendous all-round ability: overlapping, dribbling at pace, sliding through balls and hitting crosses.
It was his obvious love for the game that made him the player he was. With Fred alongside Archie, that Victory side had an air of shameless exuberance about it..... they put on a 90-minute party every weekend.
Since then, albeit a brief guest appearance cut short by family tragedy, he turned around Wellington Phoenix's season with a talismanic performance at the club.1 Dwight Yorke
Sydney 2005-6
From Birmingham City, England
Success 5
Importance 5
Brand value 5
Terrace favour 4
Longevity 2
This has to be the easiest and least controversial pick on the entire list. Dwight Yorke’s one and only season in the A-League was an unequivocable success, both on the pitch and off it.
On the field, he led the team to its only Championship as captain, playing as the team’s creative force by moving into midfield from his traditional striker role.
Off the pitch, his impact was equally important. First and foremost he was a fantastic ambassador for a fledgling league desperate to create a fanbase. Whether it was out of respect or curiosity, opposing fans flocked to Sydney FC games because of the “Dwight factor”.
But what is most telling about the quality of Yorke is that he is only import to go onto better things after leaving the A-League, currently plying his trade in the Premier League with Sunderland at the age of 37.
Dwight spoke exclusively to FourFourTwo from Port of Spain where he has been busting his gut to get Trinidad and Tobago to another World Cup finals.
Dwight, you’re our number one A-League import. How does it feel?
I’d be very disappointed if I didn’t come in as number one!
You made coming to the A-League as a foreigner look easy. Was it?
There was nothing hard about settling into a great country like Australia. [The hardest thing] after all these years of playing in the Premiership, was giving that up. For me, that was the hardest bit, leaving the Premiership. I felt it was the right move, something new, something fresh, something exciting. I felt like that’s what I needed to do. I’m delighted I made that decision. I knew quite a bit about Australia when I came there, I knew the people, the weather and the atmosphere. I felt that it wouldn’t be a problem fitting in at all. I felt that once I got over the initial part of coming out of the Premiership, then everything else would be fine.
What has stayed with you about your time in Australia?
In terms of football, we all know that the game there is not as popular as it should be. It’s only when the World Cup comes around, the beginning of the A-League, that people started to take a lot of interest in it. I also understand that there’s a multicultural [element], different ethnic groups there that love football, as we call it, soccer in that country, and they were dying for something of that magnitude to happen. My time in Sydney was absolutely fabulous, it was a year and a bit there. Winning the A-League, the day of the Grand Final was absolutely enormous. For me I totally enjoyed that.
The hardest decision was when I decided to go back to Sunderland in the Championship. I felt heartbroken because I felt I had such a good connection. I won the A-League, and the fans and the people there had really made me welcome.
Everything seemed perfect at the time. Of course with Trinidad and Tobago qualifying for the World Cup it was absolutely tremendous. With the Socceroos doing the same, everything seemed perfect at that particular time.
However with Roy Keane going into the Championship and needing my leadership qualities to come in there, I felt that was a challenge that was too hard to resist. Although if Sydney FC had offered me a substantial deal I think my decision would have been to stay at Sydney FC.
However, going back to Sunderland to win the Championship in six months, and get promoted to the Premiership… I thought in the first place I would never get the chance to play in again. To come from the World Cup, to the Championship, winning the Championship, going into the Premiership, and still being in the Premiership at the age of 37 is something to be extremely proud about.
Only recently have Sydney FC found some off-field stability. When you were here, how did club politics affect you?
I think there’s still – I wouldn’t say amateurish – I still think they’re not quite up to the European standard in how to deal with players and how it all works. I felt I made a very good impression in terms of my first year at Sydney FC, winning the Grand Final of course. The feeling that football was on the up, with the Socceroos doing well, and the World Cup just finished, I felt that to get the sport to where it belongs, getting rid of me was certainly not the greatest idea.
I certainly felt that they should have done more to have kept me, and tried to promote the sport even further. But the decision had been made. There are people who run football clubs who make decisions above your head and they decided they no longer needed me there and they thought that the A-League would be a big success even with me leaving. As everyone knows, since I left, the A-League hasn’t seemed to be the same. I speak to people there, and I’m still in touch with a lot of people. They don’t seem to have the same sort of affection from when I was there.
What was behind your move from striker to midfield during your time in Sydney?
It was a decision made; as a striker who wants to score goals, you need other players to be able to create the opportunities for you. I felt that when I first came I had the opportunity to play up front and I enjoyed it for a short period of time but realised that if I were to get this team playing and get them up to a level that I expected the team to be at, I thought playing i n a deeper role would be a better contribution to the team. Ever since then that’s just how it seems [to have been].
Has that move to the midfield extended your career?
Definitely. At Sydney I could play literally anywhere there and could still be a very useful footballer in that division. But I felt that since I came back, and during the World Cup, all of that gave me additional confidence because I was used in the midfield role against extremely good players in the world and I still managed to compete against them.
How do you think the A-League is now regarded globally?
I think now Adelaide is doing well in the Asian Champions League, they are getting some good press. I feel that from what I gather and through my sources that the league still has the potential to be a huge success. The people at the top just need to be very clever in terms of who they bring in. There are always people interested – not only for the football, but everyone knows how great Sydney and Australia is as a country to live. I’m surprised there are not more people wanting to go there. But with the money as well, that might be an issue, because you’re not the greatest payers in the whole world. With the kind of money that’s in Europe at the moment for footballers, it’s quite difficult to attract players in that particular area.
Were there any moments from your time in the A-League that you cringe about how unprofessional it was?
I’m not going to be critical of the Australian league. I think it’s great, I think it was a great experience, it was great being there, the Grand Final… I just think that the setup is not as professional as in Europe. That’s something they need to work at, and they need to capitalise on the endorsement side of things, how to endorse the players, build the players’ awareness around the community to get people to come out and support the teams. I know how brilliant the people are and the fans are when it comes to their sport there. I think people have to be very careful how they look after the players they have.
How long did it take for you to get back up to speed when you originally went to Sunderland?
Not very long, maybe six weeks or so, I just needed a little bit of tinkering here and there and realised that I could come back to this kind of football. Four or five weeks to get my fitness up and I was good to go.
Did you ever doubt that you would be able to cut it when you went back?
Did I have any doubts when I went back? Nah – football for me is never a problem. It’s all a mental thing. If my mental attitude is right then the football side of things is pretty easy. It’s not a problem playing football, it is what I have done all my life and still do it now. For me it is all about the mental.
What would an A-League team have to offer you to get you back out here and how much of your decision will be based on financial considerations?
Compared to what we earn in this part of the world you guys are nothing [in terms of wages]. You guys are peanuts out there now, but saying that it [the option to go to Australia] is certainly not from a financial point of view. It’s got to be right, you’ve got to make me feel right about the whole situation, whether I’m playing or… everyone knows I’m doing my coaching thing as well. I can only play for so long. If it’s an offer I can’t refuse then I’ll have to look at it, but certainly it won’t be from a financial point of view.
What percentage chance do you give you playing again in the A-League?
50/50. Once I finish my contract here with Sunderland this year I’ll have to weigh it up. If my body still holds up to play another year or not. I’ll have to leave the option. I’ll never say never in football.
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