Being on the wrong side of 30 doesn’t mean you lose it, especially not in round seven.
Some of the more experienced names in the league stood up over the weekend. And for that they claim Team of the Week honours.
There are some splashes of youth throughout the team and Evan Kostopoulos just missed out as well.
Agree, disagree? Leave your comment and team below.
Goalkeeper: Clint Bolton (Melbourne Heart)
You could say the 37-year-old keeper wound back the clock, but the truth is at 37 he is still as sharp as any keeper in the league and this week he single-handedly kept Melbourne Heart in their match against Adelaide United for a large part of the game, producing countless shot-stops and one-on-one saves.
There was nothing he could do about the huge deflection that resulted in Jeronimo Neumann-s goal either, but in true keeper fashion he let Simon Colosimo have both barrels for his error.
Left Back: Cassio (Adelaide United)
The Brazilian has been taking it to teams all season and this week he seemed to have even more space to work in, and he took advantage of it. Cassio was a major threat in attack, charging at Heart-s defenders all day and was much more impressive than usual in defence.
Central Defender: Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Wanderers FC)
The big defender may have copped his annual spray from ‘The Shed- upon his return to his old stomping ground, but he was the one who left smiling after a dominant performance in the middle of the Wanderers defence, he cleared every header and kept his sometimes unreliable feet well, apart from the time Travis Dodd burned past him. Huge effort.
Central Defender: Michael Beauchamp (Wanderers FC)
The captain did his job. He marshalled the troops and helped erect a wall that proved unbreakable despite relentless pressure from a rampaging Perth Glory side.
Right back: Jack Hingert (Brisbane Roar)
With Ivan Franjic moved across as Roar try to work out the centre backs, 22-year-old iIngert staked his claim for a regular starting berth with a power-packed display at right fullback. He could-ve got a bit closer on Del Piero – but that-s not such an easy thing. Otherwise, full of running and intent. Nice.
Left Midfield: Thomas Broich (Brisbane Roar)
The German looked to have rediscovered his form tonight and Brisbane were all the better for it. Broich was always in the move in the Roar midfield, scored a somewhat lucky opening goal but remained a constant menace and dominated Sydney in the middle of the park.
Defensive Midfield: Erik Paartalu (Brisbane Roar)
The big man in the middle was kicking sand in Sydney FC-s faces and trampling all over their sandcastles. How the Sky Blues could do with someone like Paartalu to boss the midfield and sit in front of the defence to stop them shipping a humiliating number of goals. McFlynn and Reid certainly ain-t up to it.
Attacking Midfield: Alessandro Del Piero (Sydney FC)
Who is this little Italian and where did Sydney FC find him? He could have a future in the game. ADP seems determined to drag his entire team to some level of respectability. All it does is make us love him more and make us all the more ashamed of the shambles Sydney have been in recent weeks. For shame!
Right Midfield: Marco Rojas (Melbourne Victory)
Has any other player grown in stature more in the last 12 months? Well maybe not actually grown, but Rojas is mesmerizing, so much so that we reckon he must get dizzy himself at times as he twists, turns, jinks and jives past defenders. He certainly made Josh Rose look ordinary and that is no mean feat.
Striker: Daniel McBreen (Central Coast Mariners)
Who is this McBreen guy? Surely he is not the same player who had managed to score just 15 goals in 83 games prior to this season in the Hyundai A-League, I guess life begins at 35 for the Mariners marksman, who is in the form of his life and shockingly leads the race for the Golden Boot. His two strikes, one on his non-preferred right were perfect. Five words ‘Oh my, he-s on fire-!
Striker: Jeremy Brockie (Wellington Phoenix)
Having been told his services were no longer wanted at the Jets at the end of last season one got the feeling Brockie wanted to prove a point. So it was no surprise to see him put the bit between his teeth and hammer the Jets into submission with a well-earned brace.
Manager: Tony Popovic (Wanderers FC)
Popa wouldn-t have loved the silly act that Youssuf Hersi committed to get himself sent off, but he has built his side and their stout defence in his own image, so for them to hold out an attacking Perth outfit for the 60 minutes they were a man down is a huge achievement, he deserves some of the credit for their resolute defence and eventual victory.