Image: Graeme Furlong
When Green Gully step out onto their home turf on Tuesday night to face the Central Coast Mariners, the majority of the squad will be stepping into the unknown, having previously only experienced the FFA Cup from the comforts of their living room.
However, one member of the side will be better prepared than most for the challenge that awaits him and his teammates, as they look to cause an upset and become only the second NPL side to defeat A-League opposition in the competition following Adelaide City’s triumph over the Western Sydney Wanderers two years ago.
Tuesday will mark 364 days since Green Gully midfielder Luke Walker marshalled the midfield as the Edgeworth Eagles took on Melbourne City in the same stage of the competition. Despite taking the lead via a Bren Abbott-Hammel penalty mid-way through the first half, parity was restored by the boot of Socceroos midfielder Aaron Mooy, who also ended the contest at the death as Walker and his teammates bowed out of the competition – but only after a gallant effort.
The Newcastle native will be hoping for better luck tomorrow as he plots an upset, having returned to Victoria earlier this year where he was reunited with manager Arthur Papas. The two worked together at the Oakleigh Cannons in 2011, with Walker the midfield heartbeat of the side which ultimately lost the Grand Final to Green Gully ironically. Now the two men find themselves in green with the 29-year-old defensive midfielder revelling in the opportunity to try and orchestrate the Mariners downfall.
“It’s fantastic and one of the best things to happen to Australian football. It was a great experience last year to play against Melbourne City as I’m sure it will be this year to play against the Central Coast Mariners,” he said.
“To get the chance to play two A-League teams in consecutive seasons is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”
A no-nonsense number six with great distribution, Walker has been one of Gully’s best this campaign and has appeared in every one of his side’s 23 league games, where he has anchored the midfield and formed a solid partnership with former Brisbane Roar midfielder George Lambadaridis.
With the nine-time state champions securing a top six finish in addition to a Dockerty Cup final birth, Walker is impressed with his side’s form heading into the business end of the season.
“It’s good to be competing on all three fronts and we’ve made a few good signings in the transfer window as you could see the other night in the cup semi against Hume with Jay Davies, so there is a lot to look forward to,” he said.
Walker’s versatility was also on show in that 2-0 semi-final triumph over Hume just under a fortnight ago as he stepped into the centre of defence following Rodrigo Vargas’ withdrawal in the second half and did not look out of place alongside Captain Daniel Jones, and will have no reservations if required to play in that role again tomorrow night.
“It’s not too bad as it’s quite similar to playing defensive midfield anyway, and I have played there since I was at Manly in 2010, so it isn’t too bad, especially when you have good players around you to look after you.”
After impressing earlier in his career in the Northern NSW Premier League with the Weston Bears, Walker moved south to Manly United in 2010 where he worked under former Mariners manager Phil Moss, before moving to Oakleigh in 2011.
At the Cannons, he experienced two Grand Final heartbreaks in consecutive seasons, before suffering the misfortune of having to undergo a knee reconstruction in his third, returning home after making 52 appearances for Oakleigh.
Walker sees many similarities between the current NPL and its predecessor in the VPL, noting a more youthful emphasis as the primary distinction between the two leagues.
“I find the two quite similar as they are both quite quick and physical, and there’s a lot more younger players coming through, which is really exciting, so I’d say the two are quite similar in quality.”
Having experienced first-hand some of the fundamental changes taking place around the country in the last decade, Walker believes the game is improving and credits the newly formed competition for some of this success.
“I believe the football is definitely improving particularly with the introduction of the FFA Cup with leagues like Northern NSW and Queensland also included, with the professionalism also improving,” he said.
Come Tuesday, expect to see the tireless Walker strutting his stuff in midfield by giving the likes of ex-Premier League player Nick Montgomery and former Bundesliga man Mickael Tavares plenty of trouble in the centre of the park as Gully aim to defy the odds and cause a boilover at Keilor East in the club’s first match on the national stage in almost three decades.