Perth Glory have signed Brian Kaltak from Central Coast Mariners in a blockbuster transfer, just when it seemed the Vanuatu international was set for a move overseas.
The 31-year-old’s arrival in Perth means many things for the Isuzu UTE A-League club – but for all the on-field quality and leadership skills possessed by the experienced centre-back, Kaltak’s ability to both connect with and engage the local community may prove to be the most important aspect of his arrival at a club looking to strengthen ties to its fanbase.
You need only to look at the impact Kaltak has had on the Central Coast in just three years to see what kind of player Perth have recruited.
TRANSFER SHOCK! Brian Kaltak joins Perth Glory from Mariners in sensational A-Leagues switch
In late 2022, an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to Mariners star Moresche led to Kaltak receiving his first opportunity in professional football, at the age of 28.
Kaltak signed for Central Coast on an injury-replacement contract; at that stage, he had 20 international caps for Vanuatu to his name, but had never played for a professional club.
Three years later, he’s Vanuatu’s international captain, a two-time Isuzu UTE A-League Champion and unarguably one of the best central defenders in the competition.
His presence at the Mariners led to the club capturing the interest of a new subset of fans, as the local Vanuatuan community rallied behind their international star.
From an injury-replacement signing in late 2023 to a permanent squad member in early 2024, as Kaltak began to cement himself in former Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery’s starting line-up, more and more Vanuatu flags began to wave in the stands at Industree Group Stadium.
The keen interest within the Vanuatu community resulted in the organisation of a bus fleet to transport members of the “Brian Kaltak Cheer Squad” to and from Gosford to watch their hero play.
VISIT THE 2025-26 ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE TRANSFER CENTRE
Kaltak’s first season at the Mariners culminated in a trip to the 2023 Grand Final, where the Mariners faced Melbourne City at CommBank Stadium.
Ahead of the game, Vanuatu artists Kymvn J3h, Robin Andrew, Tujah and Mantis collaborated to create a song in his honour, titled ‘Brick Wall of Gosford‘. At the game, the Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, was in attendance, and shared a warm embrace with Katlak on the pitch after a 6-1 win crowned the Mariners Champions.
Ever since, Vanuatuans have come from far and wide to support Kaltak in his A-Leagues endeavours.
An infectious character with a lovable personality and a determined approach to football, Kaltak was adored in Gosford not only by the population of Vanuatuans in the region, but by the entire Mariners fans and rival fans alike.
Kaltak’s international reach hit new heights in 2022 when he appeared in Netflix’s Captains alongside the likes of Thiago Silva, Luka Modric and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a mini-series following the leaders of respective international sides attempting to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
As he trades yellow and blue for purple and orange in 2025, Kaltak’s move from the east to the west coast of Australia provides the opportunity for a new set of supporters to call him their own.
VISIT THE 2025-26 ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE TRANSFER CENTRE
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Beyond the off-field positives, Kaltak is a player whose defensive skillset will instantly strengthen a squad in desperate need of reinforcement.
Over his first two trophy-laden seasons at the Mariners, Kaltak played all but one game as the club won back-to-back Championships, the 2023-24 Premiership and the 2023-24 AFC Cup in an unprecedented treble-winning season. But in his third campaign at the club, an off-season exodus left the Mariners bereft of quality as they dropped to 10th by the end of the regular season.
Kaltak’s signature alone won’t be a silver bullet for Perth, that much is certain, but head coach David Zdrilic and football Director Stan Lazaridis have been busy making moves in the early weeks of the club’s off-season to bring experienced A-Leagues campaigners to the club in the hope of building a squad capable of climbing off the foot of the table, where they’ve lingered for two consecutive seasons.
Glory have also recruited experienced English defender Scott Wootton from Wellington Phoenix on a two-year deal; a centre-back partnership between Wootton and Kaltak is an impressive combination on paper. Left-back Sam Sutton has also joined Glory from the ‘Nix and brings 98 games of Isuzu UTE A-League experience to the club.
Adding 278-game A-Leagues veteran and club captain Josh Risdon to the mix, Zdrilic has assembled a solid back four that can be reinforced with further signings through the long Isuzu UTE A-League off-season.
There’s no way to tell how Glory will perform in the 2025-26 campaign until the action gets underway in Round 1 – but luring Kaltak away from the Mariners on a multi-year deal is a signal of intent from a club making promising early moves in the transfer window.
It’s now up to Zdrilic and Lazaridis to build off the momentum generated by the statement piece of recruitment.
