CITY INSIDER: Round 1 v Western United

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CAPTAIN’S MESSAGE

WE GO.

THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING WITH ANOTHER SEASON SET TO BEGIN TONIGHT AT OUR HOME OF AAMI PARK.

It’s been a long off-season – it always is in the A-League – but we can’t wait to get back out there tonight.

As I’m sure you felt too, we were disappointed with the way last season ended. For us as a group, there’s no point dwelling on that now though, we’re only looking forward and ready to climb the mountain and get back to where we’ve been in the last few years.

After having the last three seasons interrupted due to COVID, it’s nice to now have a real sense of familiarity knowing we’re set to be able to get all our games away without having to worry about postponements and fixture changes.

Additionally, I hope this will mean our matches are easier to attend for you this season – and it’s also great to see plenty of family friendly kick-offs on the schedule, meaning more of you will be able to attend more matches.

We always appreciate your support so look forward to seeing you all at AAMI Park tonight and throughout the season! We’ve certainly missed playing in front of you over the long off-season, so the boys are all looking forward to the chance to do you proud when we step out onto the pitch tonight.

It’s an exciting group we’ve got ready to go for 2022/23, with a number of new faces coming in to help us revitalise the squad ahead of what we hope will be a successful season.

The team has been hard at work on the training pitch over the last few months and all of the new boys have fit in seamlessly and are ready to go tonight. Whether you’ve been with the club since day 1 or tonight’s your first time at a Melbourne City game, we can’t wait to see you in the stands and we hope to hear you making plenty of noise!

See you in the stands, C’mon City!

Scott Jamieson

Melbourne City FC captain

THE SHOW ON THE ROAD

THE WAIT IS OVER. TONIGHT WE OPEN THE 2022/23 IZUZU UTE A-LEAGUE SEASON!

Patrick Kisnorbo’s men will be eager to put what was a disappointing 2021/22 decider behind them and begin the new season on the right note in what will be a battle between the reigning Premiers and Champions.

Friday night is shaping up as a huge one not just in terms of another season getting underway – but a much-loved member of the City family, our skipper Scott Jamieson, is set to make his 300th A-Leagues appearance. He’ll become just the sixth player in league history to do so, adding another remarkable achievement to what has been an outstanding career. With a long pre-season in their

legs, expect to see a revitalised City line-up at AAMI Park on Friday, with several new faces on track to make their first competitive appearances for the club.

A pair of internationals for their respective nations, Thomas Lam (Finland) and Valon Berisha (Kosovo) both saw plenty of game-time in the team’s last two pre-season friendlies. Fellow new foreigner Richard van der Venne also got his first match minutes with his new teammates in the team’s final pre-season friendly, so there’s a good chance all three make their competitive City debuts. Perhaps an almost forgotten new signing given the announcement came during

last season’s Finals Series, Callum Talbot is another who will be eyeing a City debut.

Kisnorbo is set to be faced with a tough call throughout the season in regard to the rightback spot, with Talbot and Scott Galloway both staking good claims to be starters.

All of the usual suspects have been tracking along well, so expect to see the likes of Jamie Maclaren, Mathew Leckie, Andrew Nabbout and Marco Tilio heavily involved in the final third come Friday night.

City fans won’t have too many fond memories of Western United’s Serbian number nine, who returns for a second season down under.

Prijovic was able to find the back of the net 13 times last season, including a standout Finals Series where he managed four goals and an assist.

While it remains unclear who will make up City’s back four tonight, they’ll certainly have their work cut out for them from the moment the first whistle blows.

Switch play on how you pay.

OUR FEARLESS CAPTAIN HITS 300

JUST FIVE PLAYERS IN A-LEAGUES HISTORY ARE PART OF THE 300-APPEARANCE CLUB, BUT CITY CAPTAIN SCOTT JAMIESON IS SET TO JOIN THAT ESTEEMED GROUP ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

Although his professional career may’ve begun a few years earlier chasing his Premier League dream in England with Bolton Wanderers, an A-League debut came in Adelaide United’s 2008/09 season opener against Perth Glory where he assisted the winner.

After bouncing around a little in his first few years in the competition, he found a home at City in 2017. Jamieson was impressed straight away with the professionalism and ambitions of a club that echoed his own values and drive to succeed.

“It was a pivotal moment,” he said.

“Being in that new surrounding and seeing the state of the facilities and the professionalism and expectations of the football club after walking in that day was something I really enjoyed.”

Now in his sixth year with the

club, Jamieson has gone through the rollercoaster every footballer does – there’s been highs, lows and some tough decisions along the way.

After COVID first took its grip on the world in 2020, the A-League was forced to move to Sydney to complete the 2019/20 season. Big moments were on the horizon for both Jamieson and his family at this time.

City qualified for its first Men’s Grand Final in club history – but ultimately it would be without its inspirational leader. With quarantine restrictions looming large, Jamieson made the tough call to return to Melbourne to be there for the birth of his first child, something that from a ‘family and life sense’, he never gave a second thought.

“Seeing my son being now close to two and a half just brings me the greatest joy I’ve ever, ever had, so to be there for the birth was amazing,”

Jamieson said. “You want to play, compete and be a part of it, but it wasn’t to be. It was made a bit easier to not be there because I had full trust in the players and what we had done, but ultimately, we just fell short that year.”

While it won’t come as a shock to the many City fans who’ve had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know ‘Jamo’, the upcoming 300 appearance milestone isn’t something he’s spent too long focussing on.

“When I’m looking back, it’ll hit home more,” he said. “I’m not one to sit here and say, ‘well, I’ve clocked 300, It’s time to turn off the lights and go home,’ I’m the kind of person that will look straight towards the next.

“If I am selected and clock the 300 this Friday, it’ll turn to Saturday recovery and then trying to back up, keep my position and kick on.”

FINNISH LAM WILL BE DIFFERENT GRAVY

FRESH OFF ARRIVING EARLY IN PRE-SEASON, FINNISH INTERNATIONAL THOMAS LAM HAS HIS EYES ON HELPING HIS NEW CLUB WIN SILVERWARE.

While the focus is now firmly on tonight’s Grand Final re-match, the first thing he had to do upon his arrival was acclimatise to the infamous Melbourne weather.

“We’ve been very lucky with the weather in Europe this summer, so yeah, it’s been a little bit colder here obviously,” Lam laughed.

“For me, I like the rainy days as well, especially when you’re training.

“Those are the best training days for me when it’s a little bit rainy and colder, so to be honest, I like it.”

Now living outside of Europe for the first time, Lam said the opportunity to live in Melbourne and ‘see the other side of the world’ was just too good to pass up.

“It’s a special city and I’ve heard a lot of great things about the lifestyle and how great the people here are,” he said, “Everyone is just always smiling and very welcoming.”

Lam’s arrival in Melbourne saw him quickly join in training with his teammates as City was hard at work preparing for the new

season. Having enjoyed a few months off following a 2021/22 season spent with Bulgaria’s CSKA-Sofia, the 28-year-old was eager to get back out onto the training pitch.

“All of the boys welcomed me very warmly which was nice,” he said.

“You can see that the team is very together. I’m the kind of person that thrives in that environment so it’s made it easy to adapt and fit into the squad.”

Bringing the ability to play both as a defensive midfielder or central defender, Lam’s versatility will be key to Patrick Kisnorbo’s squads push for a third consecutive silverwarewinning season.

Lam’s signing not only gives Kisnorbo a further quality option in a couple of positions, it also is set to see the competition for spots heat up amongst the squad, a hallmark of quality teams.

Upon his signing, City’s Director of Football, Michael Petrillo, described Lam as a player whose attributes made him ‘the perfect fit for our football style’.

When asked what a few of those attribute’s fans will see this season were, Lam was quick to reel off a few exciting traits.

“I think my technical ability on the pitch, my passing range and my vision are my biggest strengths on the ball,” he said. A big question on City fans’ lips since the signing announcement has been whether Lam would be deployed in midfield or defence. While it may be all the talk outside of the four walls of the Club, it’s clearly not something playing on his mind. “Whatever is best for the team,” Lam answered.

“Obviously I’m used to both defence and midfield, so it’s up to the coaching staff.

“Wherever they decide to play me, I’ll be ready to do every I can to help the team.”

With the season kicking off tonight, Lam is excited to play in front of the City faithful for the first time.

“I can’t wait to get out onto AAMI Park in front of the fans and I look forward to giving my all on the pitch.”

KIDS

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