Ahead of season 2012/13, we get the coaches’ lowdown on the rising stars.
Every year a handful of young players seem to step up in the Hyundai A-League and show they are ready to take the competition by storm.
They might burst onto the scene with a spectacular goal or slowly emerge as their confidence grows, but the A-League remains a fertile breeding ground for young Australian footballers.
With season 2012/13 just around the corner, we talk to the coaches to get the inside track on each club’s rising stars.
Adelaide United
Coming off a disastrous season 2011/12, John Kosmina has had the opportunity to bolster his squad in the off-season and like many benefitted from the wreckage of Gold Coast United.
Signing a couple of youngsters to help spice things up in Adelaide might just be what was needed, especially with the club losing Dan Mullen and not signing Marcos Flores. Youth might be the way to go in Adelaide and Kossie has some fine talents in Jake Barker-Daish, Jacob Melling and teenager Teeboy Kamara.
Teeboy Kamara: Caused a stir when he made his competitive debut last season aged just 15, Kamara has plenty of potential and is certainly a players Reds’ fans shoudl be excited about.
Kossie says: “Teeboy’s an explosive and powerful player who showed last season that he can compete in the A-League.”
“He’s a unique individual who has been through a lot in his life on his journey to Adelaide, and providing he stays on the straight and narrow and puts all of his energy into improving himself as a person and a footballer, I-m sure he’ll produce plenty of excitement for Adelaide United supporters in the years ahead.”
Jake Barker-Daish: Quick and highly skilled on the ball, Barker-Daish has made seven A-League appearances to date but looks set for more this season.
Kossie says: “The word getting around about Jake is that he is a player who has got that x-factor about him. We-ve only been able to spend a short time with him so far, but I think he definitely has the capabilities to be that player for us. Along with Daniel Bowles, we-re delighted to have Jake at the club and his creativity and quality on the ball is going to give us an added dimension in the attacking half of the pitch.”
Jacob Melling: A smart, versatile midfielder who can also help fill a gap in defence, he has already played 10 A-League matches and looks likely to have a long future at the Reds.
Kossie says: “Jacob’s a great success story, particularly for young home grown local South Australian players. He’s still young but has maturity beyond his years on the field and isn’t afraid to get stuck in against more experienced players. He had a taste of the A-League last season and gives us another really good midfield option.”
