Each Friday we’re asking the important questions as we profile Sydney FC’s Team of the Decade and former players. Find out who their funniest team mate was, what their favourite away trip was, who they believe was the worst dancer at the club and more!
How did it feel to be named in Sydney FC’s Team of the Decade?
It’s very hard to put into words. It was satisfying; it’s nice to actually feel like your output has been recognised after the fact. When you’re playing you don’t think about these sorts of things, you just worry about winning Championships, but after you’ve finished playing when you get recognised for these sorts of things it’s actually very nice. To come back and actually feel that I was welcomed back was very nice as well.
Who is your all-time favourite goalkeeper?
Peter Schmeichel.
Funniest Sydney FC memory?
Oh god, wow. I’m actually with Jim Fraser at the moment, he was my Goalkeeper Coach when we were first there. Probably when he was warming me up before games and he would consistently slip over because he only wore Grasscats (turf shoes with small studs). So you’ve got this 60 year old guy whipping in crosses and then falling on his backside in front of whatever crowd was there before games.
Funniest team mate?
I’d have to say Zdrila, David Zdrilic. We’re just on the same wavelength, most people don’t find what he says funny but I do – just real off the cuff comments that go over other people’s heads but I got it.
Best mate(s) at the club and do you still keep in touch?
Zdrila, Steve Corica and Terry McFlynn. Anytime I come to Sydney I stay with Zdrila, I lived with him in my last year at Sydney FC, and I meet up with Bimbi [Corica] and Tezza whenever I can.
Best away game story?
My memory is not great, but probably the trip to Tahiti, first pre-season. Littbarski, he would come up with these little games, I don’t know if it was to help team morale or not, but he’d get us all together after dinner or something. There was one game where we had to bring our toiletry bag down and he would bring out what you should have in your toiletry bag and we had to expose our toiletry bag in front of everyone. That was strange. There was also another one where he had this little machine that gave you an electric shock. It was four to six players attached to it and if you were the last player to hit a buzzer at a certain point you’d get an electric shock. So he’d have these games, I don’t know if it was his way to boost morale, it was a head scratcher for some of us but once you got it started you got into it. He had some little quirks and fun little things that possibly initially had us scratching our heads but probably worked in the end.
Worst dancer/singer?
I know the best dancer was the little robot dog that Terry McFlynn brought on our end of season trip to Phuket. He brought this little robot dog, you switched him on and he’d flap his ears and wag his tail, and Terry brought him to the dance floor when we were out one night and we all danced around this little robot dog, so that was the best dancer. The worst dancer, I’m not sure.
Favourite backroom staff member?
My favourite I’d have to say it’s a team, Joey and Stan. They kept us entertained. We’d often plant a seed with one of them and then they’d have a go at each other so it was like a tag team between those two, but we fuelled it a lot as players so that was good fun but they took it very well and clearly they’ve hung around so it hasn’t hurt them too much.
Sydney FC Memberships are coming soon for the 2015/16. If you are a new Member, please register your interest at www.sydneyfc.com/membership/
