Melbourne City forward Marco Tilio is eager to put a horror run of injuries behind him and let his football do the talking in the hopes of an eventual Subway Socceroos recall.
The 23-year-old is enjoying his best run of consistent match minutes since late 2023 in the lead-up to Wednesday’s home clash with Newcastle Jets in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Tilio missed two-and-a-half months of the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season with a hamstring injury but since returning in January, has put together four consecutive appearances with 70 or more match minutes played – Tilio’s longest run of regular playing time since the run-in to the 2023 Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final in mid-2023.
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Now on the books of Scottish giants Celtic, Tilio returned to City on loan this season and after an injury-impacted start to 2024-25, he’s now relishing a solid run in the starting XI.
“I haven’t played consistently it feels for a while, so to get this run of games has been really good,” Tilio said. “I’ve always just wanted to play football, so sitting on the sidelines watching so many games is not easy as a player and for me, just to be playing and obviously enjoying it again has been really good.
“I’ve had a lot of injuries. I couldn’t tell you why or anything like that, but it’s been hard, being out for a while. I just want to play football, as I said, so being able to stay fit and healthy at the moment and do everything I can, as I always have to stay out there and play, I think that’s the most important thing for me and the team. I’m just really delighted to be playing and hopefully I can stay out there for the rest of the season.
“At times it can be a pretty lonely place (in) rehab. You’re in the gym by yourself, the team is training and you’re not. On game day you get that buzz and you don’t get that because you’re either training or in the grandstand watching. The build-up over time can get a lot. But for me, it’s just always the right mentality to get back as best as I can, and make sure I stay in the best shape possible.
“I haven’t played many games so I think I’m slowly getting my feet and finding my feet again, getting that match fitness. I think that’s the most important thing. Match fitness you can only build form playing games. I’d say I’m at that 70-80% mark now, I still feel I have a bit to give and a bit more to learn in terms of the actual game.
“I think hopefully over the next month or so that I’ll be there or therabouts at my 100% and feeling fit and confident going into the backend of the season.”
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Up next for Tilio and City is a clash with the in-form Jets at AAMI Park on Wednesday, March 12.
City and Newcastle met in Round 1 of the 2024-25 season – a game decided by Tilio’s solitary strike in a 1-0 win to the Victorian outfit. Tilio has two goals in three games heading into the midweek clash.
With Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic set to name his squad for World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and China in the coming days, Tilio is aware that regular match minutes and the continuation of his current good form enhance his chances of breaking back into the international squad – but for now, he’s focussed solely on getting consistency in his minutes and performances – then, the rest will follow.
“For me, I’ve just been worried about playing and playing consistently, and putting myself out there for the team,” he said. “I’ve been trying to put this string of games together and have good form to put myself I guess in that window.
“But ultimately I just want to be out there playing football. If something like that comes along I’ll be privileged to be back in the Socceroos setup. So I guess we’ll just wait and see.
“But for now, I’m just worrying about the game on Wednesday, putting in a good performance and winning.”
City and Newcastle come into Wednesday night’s fixture as two of the form sides of the Isuzu UTE A-League.
The Jets are unbeaten in six games, having taken a point off league leaders Auckland FC in Round 22. Head coach Rob Stanton has the Jets playing exciting football and their surge up the table has put Newcastle into finals contention.
City, meanwhile, have steadied after a mid-season dip in form. Having lost three games in a row, Aurelio Vidmar’s side have now won three of four games heading into Wednesday’s home game at AAMI Park.
City have won their last five “home” games at the Melbourne venue.
Melbourne City v Newcastle Jets – Ins & Outs
Melbourne City squad: 2. Callum TALBOT, 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 7. Mathew LECKIE, 10. Yonatan COHEN, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 17. Max CAPUTO, 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 23. Marco TILIO, 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 27. Kai TREWIN, 30. Andreas KUEN, 33. Patrick BEACH (GK), 35. Medin MEMETI, 36. Harry SHILLINGTON, 38. Harry POLITIDIS, 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN (GK), 41. Lawrence WONG, 47. Kavian RAHMANI, 50. Mikey GHOSSAINI
(Two to be omitted)
In: 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 35. Medin MEMETI, 36. Harry SHILLINGTON (all promoted).
Out: 22. Germán FERREYRA (concussion)
Unavailable: 8. Jimmy JEGGO (achilles), 15. Andrew NABBOUT (knee), 22. Germán FERREYRA (concussion), 34. Jayden NECOVSKI (knee)
Newcastle Jets squad: 1. Ryan SCOTT, 4. Phillip ČANČAR, 6. Matthew SCARCELLA, 7. Eli ADAMS, 9. Lachlan ROSE, 10. WELLISSOL, 13. Clayton TAYLOR, 14. Dane INGHAM, 15. Aleksandar ŠUŠNJAR, 17. Kosta GROZOS, 18. Kota MIZUNUMA, 19. Callum TIMMINS, 20. Charles M’MOMBWA, 21. Noah JAMES, 23. Daniel WILMERING, 28. Will DOBSON, 29. Justin VIDIĆ, 33. Mark NATTA, 37. Lachlan BAYLISS, 39. Thomas AQUILINA
(Two to be omitted)
Ins: 4. Phillip ČANČAR, 28. Will DOBSON
Outs: 22. Ben GIBSON 24. Alex NUNES, 44. Ben VAN DORSSEN, 45. Christian BRACCO, 66. Zac BOWLING
Unavailable: 11. Jacob DOWSE, 25. Oscar FRYER
