While Melbourne City’s squad is full of Socceroo and international stars, Melling headlines an exciting crop of youngsters thriving in the club’s ultra-professional environment.
The 20-year-old has become a ‘Mr Fix-it’ in John van ‘t Schip’s high-flying side due to his versatility and hunger to succeed.
With bucket loads of energy and combativeness, Melling is making a case for a regular spot in the star-studded City XI heading towards the Hyundai A-League finals.
Predominantly a tough-tackling midfielder, Melling’s defensive nous and body-on-the-line approach has seen him used as a central defender a number of times in his City career.
Melling was born in Adelaide and got his first taste of the Hyundai A-League at the Reds as a teenager, before joining City in 2014.
After playing a handful of games in his first season with the club, Melling has been a consistent member of the side in 2015/16, featuring in 15 of 20 games so far.
And his numbers stack up pretty well. Melling has made 37 tackles, had 40 interceptions and 67 ball recoveries in the middle of the park for City.
The youngster – who also represented the Joeys in 2010/11 – has also had seven successful dribbles, made nine key passes, been involved in 115 duels and made 569 passes at an accuracy rate of almost 80%.
Melling won’t only be an important member for City come the business end of the season but is also one to watch in the NAB Young Footballer of the Year race.
