Brisbane Roar head coach Michael Valkanis said his side are relishing the task of heading across the ditch and upstaging Isuzu UTE A-League premiers Auckland FC this weekend.
The Roar are on a high having dispatched Newcastle Jets 3-0 before the international break, and now face league leaders Auckland at Go Media Stadium on Sunday.
Unbeaten so far this season, the Black Knights sit a point clear at the top of the ladder after defeating rivals Wellington Phoenix last time out.
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Furthermore, Steve Corica’s Auckland have only lost twice in their history at the stadium; however, Valkanis said Brisbane can’t wait to head across the ditch and shake things up.
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“We’ve spoken about this sort of thing from pre-season,” said Valkanis when asked about the prospect of facing Auckland on their own turf.
“Anyone, anywhere, anytime. Looking forward to it”
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After this weekend’s clash with the Black Knights, Brisbane Roar then face Melbourne Victory at home before a gruelling run of four away matches in succession.
Furthermore, the club will then play four games in the space of 10 days to kick-start 2026, and Valkanis says the work starts now.
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“I think it’s about starting off on the right note and just continuing that, and keep growing and keep building and keep becoming who you want to become.
“We’ve got a bit of a challenge in December with a lot of away games, which is a fixture I’ve never even encountered as a player, as a coach, before – so many away games.
He continued: “And in January we’ve got… I think we play more games than the EPL in 10 days. So it’s all about how you start now and find the other challenges and obstacles along the journey as we go.
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“So we wanted to start off on a good note. That’s why we had such a tough pre-season. We worked really hard, played a lot of games, and don’t forget, it was about bringing a group of boys together, men together, because we brought in about 11 or 12 players, whatever it is.
“And with the existing ones. And things don’t just gel in one day. Rome wasn’t built in one day. It takes a bit of time, but it’s come along nicely. And that’s all credit to everyone.”
