Merrick is anxious to secure another forward with Archie Thompson out of the picture until Christmas, but he is not rushing into a signing for the sake of it.

Leijer points to the impact of key players in the current squad as proof that Merrick knows what he is doing.

"You look at first five years and Ernie's recruitment has been the key to the success of the football club," Leijer told au.fourfourtwo.com. "We all have faith in Ernie and his staff.

"He's brought in the likes of Fred, Carlos Hernandez,  Kevin Muscat and Archie at various points since the club started.

"The recruitment is one of the reasons we've been at the top so long."

Merrick's striking concerns may have been eased slightly over the weekend though, thanks to the impact of youngster Mate Dugandzic who showed control and a cool finish in the 3-3 draw against Sydney FC.