Moose, Shade Rejoin as Strikers Go Jordanian

Saturday 16th Jan, 2010

Four more players have agreed terms with the Brisbane Strikers for 2010 club as the club continues the process of refashioning its squad for the defence of the QSL title it won last year.

As coach Stuart McLaren prepares his charges for their first pre-season game of the year, against Peninsula Power at Meakin Park tonight, he has been bolstered by the news that prolific striker Gareth Musson has agreed to return. The goal-a-game marksman, who has been trialling with the Central Coast Mariners, will ensure that McLaren’s team remain honed and hungry at the sharp end.

In all probability, one of his forward partners will be promising youngster Jordan Farina, who will be available to the club when his commitments with the Brisbane Roar Youth squad have been completed. Meanwhile, a former QAS team mate of Farina, Jordan Mason, will come into the midfield and Jason Shade moves up from the Strikers’ youth squad to take a spot in the senior group.

McLaren said today he was delighted to have secured the four. While Musson, a seemingly natural goal scorer, needs no introduction to Brisbane Strikers and QSL fans, McLaren was happy to elaborate on the qualities of the two Jordans and Shade.

“Jordan Mason is a midfielder who is probably best suited to the holding role”, McLaren said on Friday. “He is combative, has a capable passing game, can contribute the occasional long range goal, and he is keen to take his game to the next level.

“Jordan Farina is another player that David Large and I have known from our time with the QAS and he is a player I have a lot of time for. He is very powerful and very quick and can play a number of positions. He can go past people, score goals and do a defensive job too, and I am excited to have him in our squad.

“And Jason Shade is as close to the mould of an old-fashioned centre half as you can get. He is strong and uncompromising, comfortable on the ball and has great timing in the air, which is a great commodity in a young footballer these days”.

The QSL season is slated to kick off in the last weekend of March, but the Strikers will have a busy pre-season schedule of games before then. Following the match-up against Peninsula Power tonight (which is likely to feature several members of last year’s Strikers squad wearing Peninsula Power colours), the club commences its Silver Boot pre-season tournament commitments with a game against Capalaba at Richlands next Wednesday night.