White, Alder and Simic Get Senior Squad Call-Ups

Thursday 15th Oct, 2009

Brisbane Strikers youth squad players Reagan Alder, Matija Simic and Brendan White are the big early winners as coach Stuart McLaren begins planning what he hopes will be a tilt at the QSL “double” of championship and Grand Final in 2010.

Speaking earlier this week, McLaren said that midfielder Alder, utility player Simic and goalkeeper White had all impressed the club’s coaching staff enough with their efforts for the Strikers’ youth squad in 2009 to be offered contracts for the senior team for next season.

McLaren also confirmed that, after his team was beaten in the Grand Final for the second consecutive time this year, he would like nothing better than for his captain to lift the showpiece trophy next year.

“From a pure results point of view we want to do as much as we can to retain the league championship”, McLaren said. “And, if we are successful in doing that, to go on next year and go one better again and perhaps win the Grand Final. Twice now we’ve been bridesmaids in two years. From the whole club point of view it’s great that we’ve been challenging for the honours over both seasons. We were the closest challengers – although it wasn’t that close – to the Sunshine Coast in the first year for the league and, obviously, competed with them in the Grand Final. And in the season past we’ve won the league and been in the Grand Final again. So we want to try and maintain those lofty heights, and perhaps pick up two winners’ medals as opposed to one or none”.

But McLaren said that results, titles and silverware will not be the club’s only focus in 2010.

“Extra ,or added to that, we would like to carry on with what’s always been the club’s ethos, or that which has been passed on to us through Clem Jones and his wishes about playing a role in the development or the enhancement of players as footballers”, McLaren said.

“We’ve had a number of players come close, or at least get on the radar in terms of A-League clubs, which is very encouraging. We’d obviously be happier – and it sounds a bit sad to say this – to see these players leave us if it means going on and playing at a higher level and being a full-time footballer. That would be a great thing to see and the club is obviously very proud of all the players that have been through here and are still playing the game at a high level. We’d like to be able to continue that. You know, Calum Hare has gone on to get a youth team contract at the Gold Coast (United) and Jerrad Tyson has as well (which we were aware of before he came here) and hopefully we can achieve some of those goals as well as the results on the park”.

With the development of young players in mind, McLaren said he was delighted to have been able to offer senior team contracts to Alder, White and Simic.

“Brendan White will be the ‘keeper to come in and take over the spot vacated by Jerrad”, McLaren said. “Over the two year period, playing with the (2008) Premier Youth league side at North Star and last year with our Under 21s, I’ve seen him grow tremendously in terms of his goalkeeping capabilities and allied to that, as you would expect, he has grown a lot as a personality as well. He has well and truly earned his spot in the senior squad, which is great for him, being sixteen or seventeen years of age”.

“Reagan Alder is another one that we’ve confirmed will be a part of the senior squad next year. Again, Reagan has been in and around the club for the last two years, with the Premier Reserves and a little bit with the Premier League team the year before, and then with the 21s and a couple of first team chances last year. So next year is an opportunity for him. He’s developed well. He’s got tremendous ability, Reagan, it’s just a case now of if he is prepared to grab the opportunity and work hard to kick on with it. But there’s no doubt he has got ability and some potential.

“The last one will be Matija Simic. It took him a little while to settle, or it took us a little while to find out how we could get the best out of him, but he always promised an awful lot. Again, we’ll work with him in pre-season to find out where he can be made of best use, but I think that as a natural left-sided player he’s got a lot of good attributes technically, but also physically as well. So he will come into the squad and do a good job, I’ve no doubt”.