Carrying over the lethal edge that characterised his bountiful FFA Cup and World Cup qualifying runs, the Sunbury-born striker has been nigh unstoppable across the beginning of the 2019/20 A-League season.

Netting his 10th goal of the campaign during Melbourne City’s 4-0 demolition of Newcastle Jets last Sunday, Maclaren etched his name into the record books as he became the fastest player in A-League history, taking just six games to reach that landmark.

When extended to include all national league seasons, only Gary Cole’s start to Heidelberg United 1980 campaign has produced such a plentiful return in such a short time-frame. 

“My job is to score goals,” Maclaren said today. “And this year’s been quite a clinical one for me.

“My teammates have produced the ammunition for me and I’m in a real good patch of form and enjoying my football.”

Indeed, it’s undeniable that, at present, no player in the A-League is in as rich a vein of form as Maclaren.

A club's season can be destroyed if their striker one day wakes up and suddenly struggles to hit the broad side of a barn door.

But conversely, one that is capable of regularly turning the faintest whiff of a chance into goals can make turn even an otherwise lacklustre side into title contenders. 

Their presence is one that must constantly be accounted for by defences - with greater openings resulting for teammates as a result.

Furthermore, as a bonus for both City and A-League officials, such spearheads are also the type of players that fans pay to see. 

“Going into games I’m feeling really fresh in the mind and my body always feels good,” explained the 26-year-old. “Newcastle was no different.

"After 20 minutes I kind of felt there was a few chances that went my way – probably I didn’t get the connection on the ball I wanted – but I just knew as the game went on there was going to be a chance that fell to me.