When asked to describe what it meant to be playing in the first Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final of his career, Bruno Fornaroli held out his right arm to the press pack.
“You can see now, my arms,” he said, referring to the goosebumps running up and down his outstretched limb.
“It would be so special. It’s something I (have fought) very, very hard for.”
The veteran Melbourne Victory striker has played 186 games over nine seasons in the Isuzu UTE A-League. He’s scored 107 league goals, the third most of any player in the competition’s history.
And yet, Saturday night’s Grand Final between Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory will be Fornaroli’s first title decider. Across stints at Melbourne City and Perth Glory, he reached three Semi-Finals – but never made it to the big one.
The 36-year-old says becoming an Isuzu UTE A-League Champion is one of the few things remaining on his bucket list before he calls time on his playing career.
“I have a couple of things in my mind to reach before stop playing football, and (winning) the Grand Final is one of them,” he said.
“I think it’s my time, it’s the club’s time. We have a great squad, great players and we have to go and take it.”
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Fornaroli joined Victory from Perth Glory in October 2022, reuniting with former Glory boss Tony Popovic – the man who brought the Uruguayan to Perth in 2019.
Victory slugged their way through the 2022-23 campaign and Fornaroli’s arrival did little to turn momentum as Popovic’s side finished 11th, one spot above the bottom.
But Fornaroli’s rampant early form in the current season laid the groundwork for Victory’s revival. He scored 13 goals in his first 10 games, including two four-goal hauls.
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The rampant goal streak led to a call-up to Australia’s Asian Cup squad in December – and although the frequency of Fornaroli’s goals has decreased, his current total of 18 for the season is the second-best he’s achieved across nine seasons in the competition.
But Fornaroli will arrive at Saturday’s Grand Final amid a six-game goal drought. Should he fail to score against the Mariners, he will equal the longest scoreless run of his A-Leagues career.
“Look, I had a couple of questions before if I was worried about scoring or not,” he said.
“For me, this is more important (than scoring) one goal, it’s trying to help the team in every single way to be Champions. That doesn’t change for me. If you have to be there for another 95 minutes without scoring (but) we’re the Champion, trust me I will take it.
“I will try to play my football, like always. Of course, what the boss demands from me I will put it in. It would be special to score in the Final, but also more special will be if I can score and we win. That’s the one.”
Fornaroli trained away from the main group at Victory’s open training session on Tuesday but he was quick to alleviate fears of any fitness concern when asked to explain why he was “jogging” alone.
“I was not jogging, actually, I was sprinting! I can correct that,” he said.
“100%, I just was (training) a little bit different. We played the last two very, very intense games. Now it’s about (being) fresh and recovered. To the weekend, the last game, the Grand Final, and everyone has to be ready.
“Look, it’s exciting because you can see now the fans in the street let you know: ‘You have to win the Grand Final’.
“It’s exciting, it’s something I like. You know me, I like the big events. For me it’s special. I guess for our fans, the club, and everyone who’s involved in this, we will try to do our best to win the Grand Final of course.”
