Nick D’Agostino is enjoying a breakout season in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
He’s registered career-best numbers in games played (22), starts (12) and goals (eight) through a single campaign, relishing the challenge of meeting the standards demanded of him and the Melbourne Victory squad by head coach Tony Popovic.
On the domestic front, his form is helping Victory along a club-record run of 13 games without defeat, with the Premiers Plate still within reach and a finals campaign to look forward to.
On the international stage, there’s the Socceroos’ June World Cup play-offs on the horizon. D’Agostino, buoyed by his full senior debut for Australia against Saudi Arabia in March, is eager to retain his spot in the squad preparing to take one last swing at securing a spot at Qatar 2022.
To do so, he may need to beat off the competition of a number of A-Leagues strikers jostling for position in the Socceroos pecking order.
The special guest on this week’s episode of The Official A-Leagues Podcast, D’Agostino said he’s targeting a barnstorming end to the 2021-22 A-League Men’s season to catapult himself into contention to face United Arab Emirates in green and gold.
“First of all, I’ve got to perform at my club,” D’Agostino said. “I want to keep scoring goals, I want to keep playing and just feel good. I want to keep the body right, the mind right, and everything else will sort of fall into place.
“That’s what I’m focussed on for the moment, if I keep doing that then potentially that call-up will come again.
“There’s a lot of good talented players around the league, and around the world that can still play for Australia. There’s a lot of competition but I love the challenge, I love the competition, it makes me even hungrier to do better so I can’t wait.”
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Australia face the UAE in an AFC play-off in Doha, Qatar on June 7, with the winner progressing to face Peru in an inter-confederation play-off at the same location on June 13 or 14 for a place in the World Cup.
There’s been plenty of A-Leagues representation in the Socceroos squad of late – no area more so than in the final third, where head coach Graham Arnold’s A-Leagues attacking stocks run deep.
In the most recent international window, Australia played both Japan and Saudi Arabia. D’Agostino made his Socceroos debut against the latter, with his Victory team-mate Ben Folami and Perth Glory’s Bruno Fornaroli making their respective bows against Japan in Sydney.
Melbourne City’s Marco TIlio debuted against Vietnam in January, joining experienced Socceroos and City team-mates Andrew Nabbout, Jamie Maclaren and Mathew Leckie in Australia’s attacking equation.
Add Jason Cummings to the mix – the red-hot Central Coast Mariners striker with Australian heritage forcing his way into Arnold’s thinking with his domestic form – and there’s plenty of A-Leagues talent at Socceroos boss’ disposal to call on in the final third.
D’Agostino says it points to the often underestimated quality of the A-League Men’s.
“I think at the moment we’ve got a lot of good players playing around the world in good leagues, in good competitions,” D’Agostino said. “A lot of people talk about the A-League and say it’s not as high (standard) as other leagues, but actually being a player in the A-League, I don’t think people understand actually how competitive it is, and how high of a standard it actually is.
“A lot of people talk, but personally I think we’re in great stead to qualify. There’s a lot of belief in ourselves, as a group and individually that we’re going to make the World Cup.
“We’ve got to take it one step at a time obviously and get together and gel, and put in performances the country will be proud of. Arnie instils that belief in everyone.
“I’m full of confidence we’re going to get there, and I think everyone else that’s a part of the squad or has been part of the journey is as well. I honestly can’t wait, fingers crossed I keep playing well and actually make the squad, that will be another great experience for me.”
But first comes the conclusion to the 2021-22 A-League Men’s season.
Victory’s Anzac Day draw with Brisbane Roar significantly dented their hopes of securing the Premiers Plate, with Melbourne City and Western United likely to fight it out for regular season honours.
But beyond that comes the finals series, where Victory will gun to become champions, just one season after the club’s maiden wooden spoon finish.
Victory are currently on a 13-game winning run, dating back to February 16.
“We want to push for every piece of silverware we can get,” D’Agostino said. “The boss always says we’re fighting for the top. Every team is fighting for something, whether it’s making finals, or whether it’s personally (for) contracts, we have to make sure our hunger for where we want to be at the end of the season is stronger than the other team.
“We’ve all got individual and collective aspirations for where we want to finish. It was a little bit bitter to have the result (against Brisbane), because we needed the three points. I thought it was massive that we needed that, but unfortunately couldn’t get it. That’s football, I suppose.
“We just have to keep putting our best performance in week in week out now, we’ve got Wellington coming up, it’s another big game and last home game in front of our fans for the season. We’re looking forward to it.”
Have you listened to our new podcast yet? My Football Passport brings you stories of life in football abroad from some of the A-Leagues’ greatest characters.
In this week’s episode, host James Dodd chat with Macarthur FC captain Ulises Davila about his “dream” move to English giants Chelsea, and the winding road that followed on his journey to the A-League Men’s.
