KEEPUP’s Nick D’Urbano and James Dodd joined host Daniel Garb on this week’s episode of The Official Isuzu UTE A-League Podcast. Listen below.
It’s almost time for the A-Leagues’ night of nights: the Dolan Warren Awards!
The annual awards night will take place at The Star in Sydney on Thursday, June 1 as part of the lead-up to the 2023 Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final on June 3.
The Johnny Warren/Julie Dolan Medallists of 2022-23 will be revealed at the Dolan Warren Awards, along with Young Footballer of the Year, Coach of the Year, Goal of the Year, Referee of the Year and more for both the Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League.
But what about the unsung heroes of this season? The breakout stars? The best redemption arcs and the surprise factors?
On this week’s episode of The Official Isuzu UTE A-League Podcast, KEEPUP’s Nick Durbano and James Dodd joined host Daniel Garb to reveal who they would choose as the A-League Men’s winners in a number of “alternate” categories not recognised at the yearly awards night.
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The unsung hero
Curtis Good – Melbourne City
Melbourne City centre-back Curtis Good has played 21 games for the Premiers this season, and will look to add appearance number 22 to his name in Saturday night’s Grand Final at CommBank Stadium.
“I think he’s been absolutely instrumental in Melbourne City’s success since he’s been there. He’s such a likeable person,” Dodd said.
“He’s had that horrific spell with injury, and to see him come back and be so reliable, and such a rock for Melbourne City, it’s no coincidence that they are much, much better having him in the side.”
Callum Talbot – Melbourne City
Callum Talbot joined City from Sydney FC in the off-season. He had played 18 times across two seasons for the Sky Blues prior to his arrival at City, but has featured 27 times for his new club in 2022-23 en route to the Premiership and Grand Final.
“A lot of the plaudits have gone for his full-back partner in crime Jordy Bos, but I think Callum Talbot has been very key on that right-hand side,” D’Urbano said. “He’s quietly put together a very impressive campaign since coming across from Sydney.
“I’m looking forward to seeing his development beyond this season, because I think he’s got a massive future ahead of him.”
The redemption story
Brandon Borrello – Western Sydney Wanderers
Prior to the 2022-23 A-League Men season, Brandon Borrello last played in Australia in 2017 for Brisbane Roar. The fringe Socceroo returned home from Europe to fire Western Sydney Wanders back into the top six with 13 goals from a reinvented role at the point of his new club’s attack.
“Redemption I find is the word that’s slightly polarising here, but I’ve gone with Brandon Borrello,” said Dodd. “He even said to us earlier in the season that his career was on the wane in Europe. He’d fallen out of love with football.
“To come back and do what he’s done, and absolutely tear it up and be that mainstay, that spearhead for the Wanderers in the season they had, I just think it’s such a nice story. And we’re lucky we’ve got him here next season as well.”
Christian Theoharous – Central Coast Mariners
Christian Theoharous spent one-and-a-half seasons on the fringes of Western United’s squad, playing four games in the club’s 2021-22 Championship campaign but receiving zero minutes through the opening months of the new season.
He made the move to Central Coast in January and has played a role of increased importance through the back-half of the season, making 16 appearances (14 off the bench) on the way to the Grand Final.
“I think it’s a great (story from the) second half of the season,” D’Urbano said. “Watching on from the stands as Western United won the Championship last year, (he) was at a crossroads… but made the move to the Mariners, and he’s turned his career around. He’s been very key for them the second half of this season, and it’s been good to see him thriving again.”
The breakout star
Jordan Bos – Melbourne City
Jordan Bos is set to play his last game for Melbourne City in Saturday’s Grand Final, after securing a $2 million move to Belgian top flight club KVC Westerlo off the back of an imperious season operating on the right-hand side of City’s defence.
“Considering the rise and how quick it has been over the last 12 months, I think it’s almost impossible to go past him in multiple categories here,” D’Urbano said. “Jordy Bos, breakout star – just ahead of (Nestory) Irankunda.
Nectarios Triantis – Central Coast Mariners‘
Yet another piece of thrifty off-season business from the Mariners brought Nectarios Triantis to Gosford. The former Western Sydney defender has become a regular starter under Mariners boss Nick Montgomery, and is certain to fill a central defensive role alongside Brian Kaltak in Saturday’s Grand Final.
“I think, in his first full season as a professional footballer he has been outstanding for the Central Coast Mariners,” Dodd said.
“He’s formed that partnership with somebody else in his first season in professional football in Brian Kaltak, and Triantis, the confidence on that kid, for someone so young to be so almost ballsy and arrogant when he’s on the ball, he’s not fazed by any opposition striker.
“I like him – and I think he’s got a massive ceiling.
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The surprise factor
Brian Kaltak – Central Coast Mariners
Brian Kaltak is captain of the Vanuatu national team – but until this season, had never signed a professional contract.
The 29-year-old has quickly become a fan favourite around the league, and an inspirational figure on the Central Coast.
“I think it’s impossible to go past him,” D’Urbano said.
“Just the whole story of being 29 years old, first professional contract, when he signed as an injury replacement I don’t think many people knew who he was or what he was going to do but the whole story, coming from playing semi-professionally, getting that opportunity and now becoming probably one of the best defenders in the league, it’s unbelievable. It’s unheard of.”
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The overachievers
Central Coast Mariners
The Mariners finished second this season in what was the club’s third-consecutive finish inside the top six after a six-year finals drought. The Gosford club is thriving under head coach Montgomery, and proving year-by-year how inventive and gutsy recruitment, together with terrific player development and management, can lead to success.
On Saturday, the club’s 10-year wait to play in a Grand Final comes to an end.
“It’s got to be the Mariners,” D’Urbano said. “Every year, no one really gives them a chance and they keep finding a way to get there. The fact they’ve now gotten to the Grand Final is just unbelievable.
“I think ‘overachieve’ can have the wrong connotations sometimes, but this is almost saying it in the nicest way possible. Even Nick Montgomery says it: no one expected us to be here.”
Wellington Phoenix
It’s the end of an era for Wellington, as head coach Ufuk Talay brings his four-season tenure to a close. The ‘Nix finished inside the top six in Talay’s send-off season, with star recruit Oskar Zawada lighting up the league with 15 goals.
“I know they fell away at the tail-end of the season going into finals, and Ufuk Talay has now left them, and that’s big… but to get them into the finals again, the recruitment has been first class,” Dodd said.
“Oskar Zawada has been an incredible signing for them, Bozhidar Kraev fell away but he was a really good acquisition as well.
“I’m going to pick Wellington just because I know the constraints they have in terms of getting people to go and live there and sell it to them.”
The most entertaining player
Brandon Borrello – Western Sydney Wanderers
Both D’Urbano and Dodd agreed to rise to the challenge of selecting a player besides the obvious choice of Jason Cummings as their most entertaining in 2022-23 – and the former landed on Borrello for his Sydney Derby antics alone.
“The way he stoked the fire every week and found something to rile up the Sydney fans through the regular season was great,” he said.
“The whole ‘bang average’ saga was fantastic, it was great theatre.”
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Marcelo – Western Sydney Wanderers
Brazilian centre-back Marcelo arrived at Wanderland this season having played for the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Hannover 96, Besiktas and Olympique Lyonnais, where he reached a UEFA Champions League Semi Final in 2020.
He captained the Wanderers to the finals this season, and has signed a contract extension for the 2023-24 campaign.
“A fascinating guy, a really cool, interesting and quite scary backstory as well,” Dodd said. “He’s a warrior on the pitch. The things he did also off the pitch: him and his wife donated a lot of money for Brendan Wyatt, the Macarthur physio when he did his run for Ulises Davila as well.”
Marcelo was a controversial figure this season, with his on-field behaviour earning him a pair of red cards and causing plenty of debate. Dodd says the centre-half is “like Vegemite” in perhaps the most apt description of his divisive persona.
The best leader/captain
Scott Jamieson – Melbourne City
Scott Jamieson has confirmed he will hang up the boots after the 2022-23 Grand Final, calling time on his professional career.
He’s likely to play his very last game for City as a substitute, with the exponential rise of Bos displacing him from the starting XI this season. D’Urbano and Dodd agree it’s the manner in which the club captain has held himself this season that has made Jamieson the A-League Men’s best leader.
“He’s had to undergo this year that role change, and not one that he wanted, either. Let’s face it, no one wants to sit on the bench. He’s handled that really well this year,” Dodd said.
“I think for him to also be able to pump up the tyres and support Jordan Bos, it probably hasn’t been easy. We’re so used to Jordan Bos absolutely killing it every single game… but there would have been things he struggled with off the pitch, in terms of maybe positioning, or questions he might have had, and I’m sure Scott Jamieson has played a really important role in that.
“I just think Jamo is a personality; he touched on earlier at the finals launch that he wants the A-League to do a Monday Night Football equivalent next season – and he wants a sparring partner. He wants to do it.
“That would be brilliant to see Scott Jamieson on there, because he’s a great talker of the game, he interacts with fans on social media, in public. Scott Jamieson is a prime example of a captain both on and off (the pitch).”
D’Urbano replied: “You can easily sulk when you lose your spot in the starting XI.
“You’re the captain. Most of the unwritten ground (rules) are: you can’t drop the captain. But in this situation, Patrick Kisnorbo and then Rado Vidosic made the bold call to give Jordy Bos the first crack at it.
“He took it the best possible way you can in that situation… I can only imagine how difficult it would be, you get to that point in your career, you’re not playing regularly, you’re not starting – it’s tough. I think he’s handled it brilliantly, and I can’t wait to see whatever comes next in his career.”
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The most consistent
Oskar Zawada – Wellington Phoenix
Oskar Zawada is reportedly attracting interest from abroad after a simply sublime debut season in yellow and black. He was far and away Wellington’s best player through the 2022-23 campaign, scoring 15 goals from 26 games after going goalless through his first five appearances for Wellington.
“For that really brilliant patch he had between January and March… he was just playing some brilliant football – and that coincided with Wellington when they were in that positive patch before the end of the season,” D’Urbano said.
“There’s word about teams over in Holland being interested in signing him this off-season – it would be disappointing if the ‘Nix lose him. They’ve lost some key players, but to lose Oskar Zawada next season? God, that would be a massive blow.”
Tomislav Mrcela – Western Sydney Wanderers
Marcelo often wrote the headlines as Western Sydney’s divisive defensive figure – but while the Brazilian set about his business at the heart of the Wanderers’ defence, his centre-back partner Tomislav Mrcela was performing perhaps a quieter – but no less integral – role in head coach Rudan’s side.
Mrcela played 26 games for Western Sydney this season.
“His partnership with Marcelo in the heart of that Wanderers defence was the cement of the foundations that helped them get back into the finals this year,” Dodd said.
“He goes about his business in a really effective manner for the Wanderers, and I can only assume that’s why Marko Rudan brought him in, because he knew he could rely on him.”
The most improved
Marco Tilio – Melbourne City
Marco Tilio is one of a number of City talents whose future beyond the Grand Final is up in the air.
There’s rumoured interest in the young Socceroo who has played 28 times for City this season, scoring 10 goals and becoming the first player in A-League Men history to win four consecutive Premierships (one at Sydney FC and three at Melbourne City).
“I think the ceiling is already high in terms of the level he was playing at last season,” D’Urbano said.
“But when you look at the level he’s gone to this season on top of that… at the start of the season we seem to forget that period in the first two or three weeks when everyone was questioning Patrick Kisnorbo (with): ‘Why aren’t you starting Marco Tilio right now?’ He was pushing for a World Cup spot and Kisnorbo) was starting Andrew Nabbout in front of him.
“But ever since he broke into that team, he has been at times unplayable this year. He’s gone to another level in his overall game.”
Storm Roux – Central Coast Mariners
Storm Roux is currently playing in his 11th A-League Men season. After making just nine starts for the Mariners last season, Roux has been entrusted by head coach Montgomery with a more important role in 2022-23; he’s made 23 starts from 25 appearances to help the Mariners book a place in the Grand Final.
“It’s odd to say it about a 30-year-old, but you feel like he’s found a proper home back at the Mariners,” Dodd said. “He’s really settled in, he’s played 23 games for them this year, he’s been really consistent.
“He did a brilliant job on Craig Goodwin in those big games where it really mattered. You’ve got to remember that Mariners defence has been a young and inexperienced defence, and he’s been probably their most senior person in there.
“I just like the fact Nick Montgomery has identified these sort of players. He thinks: ‘You know what? You’ve been around a little bit – I’m going to bring you in, I’m going to give you a home. I understand how you play, and I’m going to get the best out of how you play’.”
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