Perth Glory’s ‘Mr Fix It’, Scott Bulloch believes there’s plenty more goals to come after registering his first score of the season at Newcastle last weekend.
Although disappointed the club couldn’t take the three points away from EnergyAustralia Stadium, Bulloch was happy to finally see his name on the score sheet after coming close on several occasions throughout his first Hyundai A-League season.
But the 24-year-old, deputising for the absent Nikita Rukavytsya, admitted it was a slightly bittersweet feeling as the club was still trailing 2-1 when he converted Victor Sikora’s cross just after the hour, following goals from Newcastle’s Antun Kovacic and Mark Milligan.
“I did want to go and celebrate,” Bulloch admitted on his return to Perth. “It was a good feeling but obviously we were still losing.”
“I realised I had to get back to the halfway line and hopefully get another one.”
“To be honest, it’s been a long time coming. I’ve had a few chances this year but haven’t been able to put them away, so it’s nice to get that first goal for the club.”
“Obviously, you’re filling in for Nikita and Eugene (Dadi) who have scored about 20 goals between them, so I knew that I’d have to step and hopefully notch one.”
Born in Scotland, Bulloch was brought up surrounded by football, his father often taking him to see local Scottish Premier League outfit Motherwell before the family migrated to Australia when he was eight.
Although surrounded by an AFL-dominated culture in Perth, Bulloch continued to play football, impressing enough to win a trial back at Motherwell in 2002.
But when that and another trial in England proved unsuccessful, Bulloch devoted himself to becoming a police officer, knocking back an early offer to join the Glory two years ago in favour of establishing himself in the force.
But, when offered a one-year contract by coach Dave Mitchell at the start of this season, Bulloch couldn’t turn it back, although he described giving up his police career as one of the ‘toughest decisions of his life’.
The move, though, originally seemed a sound one as he started in the club’s first nine matches this campaign but since then, he’s only made three starts, his place in the midfield gradually taken by the fit again Nick Rizzo, Adrian Trinidad and Wayne Srhoj.
However, Bulloch’s been used on numerous occasions off the bench as Mitchell has called on him to take a number of roles from left back in the club’s previous encounter with Newcastle, to striker last weekend.
“I wouldn’t say I had exactly the same turn of pace as Nikita,” Bulloch admitted.
“But I work hard when I’m up there and I put the pressure on the defence when they’re bringing the ball out, so I think Mitch likes me when I’m out there doing that.”
“I’ve been lucky that I am quite versatile in the positions I can play and Mitch has picked up on that and used me wherever he needs me for whatever game we play,” he added.
“To be honest, this year I thought I might have scored a few more goals because, in the state league (playing for Sorrento), I’ve scored six goals in 10 matches.”
“But I’m still learning at this level and I know I can do better and hopefully I have a chat to Mitch and we’ll see where we go from here,” he said.
