The new club captain has yet to kick a ball in anger this season as a result of a three-match ban imposed for comments he made in the aftermath of the grand final demolition by Melbourne Victory.

Frustration got the better of the defender that day and his verbal volley did not go down well with officials.

He said: “Everything that could have gone wrong for us that day did go wrong and then we reacted to that disappointment in the wrong way.

“But I’m confident that we’ve learned our lessons and we’re stronger for it.

"Sometimes in life you take a step back to take two forwards and while the feeling of despair and pain was immense at the time, you look to bounce back and move forward.”

Valkanis is now looking to lead out his team for the first time when Adelaide take on Queensland Roar in the semi-finals of the Pre-Season Cup this weekend.

And it is that pain and despair that serves as a powerful motivator to push hard for happy memories to take the place of the bad ones.

Valkanis believes the Adelaide squad has the perfect blend of old and new to make it happen.

He said: “There are still boys here who were part of the grand final defeat and want to go one better this year.

“But then we have new players who don’t have the same memories but are just as keen for success. So whatever the particular motivation, each individual wants to taste success.”

And when he does pull on that armband for the first time – selection-permitting of course – then it will be an extra special moment for the 32-year-old.

He said: “I have been there from the word go as far as Adelaide United is concerned. I was on the first teamsheet for the club and it’s an immensely proud thing for me to captain the team.”

Valkanis is already part of the club’s history but he’s anxious to make some more history.

And while a grand final triumph is the ultimate goal, there is the more immediate challenge posed by the Pre-Season Cup.

Valkanis said: “As a footballer you want to win every match you can. You want to win whether it’s a match in training, a grand final or a pre-season match.

“We have a chance here to win the Pre-Season Cup again so why wouldn’t you try to achieve that?”

Beating Queensland Roar will bring Valkanis and company another step closer to that goal and also provide a potentially crucial psychological edge ahead of their next meeting (the two clubs face each other on the opening weekend of the new A-League campaign).

The Adelaide captain said: “We’ve always had good battles with them (Roar) and it will be a very tough game. But we can go into the match with confidence, especially as we’re at home.”