Neville retires: Why game 300 will be defender’s last ‘after 18 incredible years’ in the A-Leagues

‘An emotional moment for me’ | A-Leagues stalwart to bow out after 300th game

Veteran Brisbane Roar defender Scott Neville has announced his decision to retire from professional football after what will be his 300th and final Isuzu UTE A-League game this weekend.

Brisbane host Western Sydney Wanderers at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, giving Neville the chance to cap off his near two-decade Isuzu UTE A-League career by reaching the incredible milestone of 300 league appearances; in the process, Neville will become just the 11th player in the competition’s 20-year history to reach the 300-game mark.

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An Isuzu UTE A-League debutant with Perth Glory in 2008, Neville went on to make 104 league appearances for Glory across two separate stints, having played for Newcastle Jets (2012-2015) and Western Sydney Wanderers (2015-2017) in between. Then came a move to Brisbane in 2019 where he’s spent the past five-and-a-half seasons.

Friday night’s meeting with the Wanderers will be Neville’s 101st league appearance for the Roar.

“Well, after 18 incredible years in the A-League, I’ve made the decision to retire,” Neville said upon the confirmation of his imminent retirement.

“The reality is that I can no longer contribute at the level I would like and following major ACL surgery last season it feels like the right time to hang up the boots.

“I am forever grateful to Brisbane Roar for their support during this transition and for giving me the opportunity to return to the pitch after such a significant injury at my age.

“Playing for this club has been an absolute privilege, Queensland has become home for my wife and I, we’ve built our forever home here and this is where we’ve started our family.

“I’ll always look back on my time with Brisbane Roar with fond memories and I’ll be cheering on the boys and the club from afar.

“Not everyone gets the chance to retire on their own terms or have a send-off in front of friends and family, and for that, I owe a great deal of gratitude to Zac and Kaz for their unwavering support.”

Brisbane Roar v Western Sydney Wanderers

Friday January 31 – Suncorp Stadium – 7.35pm AEDT

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