MVFC Blog

The Melbourne Victory’s defense has generally been one of the stronger aspects of its game.

We may have finished second last in the inaugural A-League season, but only twice did we lose by more than a goal. We were second best when it came to the number of goals scored against us. In the following season, our defensive record improved: we kept 9 clean sheets and only let through 20 for the regular season.

Since its inception, one of the key players of the excellent Melbourne defence has been Adrian Leijer.

The change in Leijer’s play after the first season couldn’t have been more noticeable. With Muscat taking a midfield role, Leijer started to emulate the fiery captain. He adoped a more agressive stance, doubled the number of yellow cards he received, and with Rodrigo Vargas kept Melbourne’s defence tight - very tight.

Before the Victory, Leijer played for the Melbourne Knights and trained at the Victorian Insitute of Sport for 2 years, but perhaps the best indication of his talent lies in his experience in representing his country: he played for the Australian Under 17s at the 2001 World Championships; 4 years later he represented Australia’s Under 20s team in the Netherlands; and Guus Hiddink called him up to join the Soccerroo’s training camp prior to the 2006 World Cup. Most recently, Graham Arnold put Leijer on stand-by for the Asian Cup.

All in all, a good effort for a bloke who turned 21 in March.

His list of awards as an A-League player is hardly to be snuffed at either:

• Melbourne Victory Players’ Player of the Year (2005/06)
• Melbourne Victory Clubman of the Year (2005/06)
• Hyundai A-League Young Player of the Year (2006/07)

In 2 years, Leijer has played 41 matches - Merrick rarely leaves Leijer on the bench. Even though Ljubo Milicevic’s signing cast some doubt over who would take the central defensive spot, Milicevic has been played in a defensive midfield role in Melbourne’s pre-season matches. Leijer, and Vargas alongside him, have been left in as the Victory’s central back pair.

Smart move, I say. Why mess with a good thing?

Read more about Adrian Leijer:

• Jan Juc to Asian Cup, 28 June, 2007, Geelong Advertiser
• Adrian on Wikipedia
• Adrian Leijer Profile on MelbourneVictory.com.au