Among the many interested onlookers to attend Bulleen’s opening home fixture of the season against the Oakleigh Cannons on Monday night, one stands out more than others.
Second glances confirm that the man in question is in fact Socceroos legend, Mark Bresciano.
Two decades have since passed since the 84-cap Socceroo made his debut for the Lions as a fresh-faced 15-year-old back in 1995, and despite the years spent away from the club, Bulleen remains a special place for him.
That love was rekindled on Monday night, with the former Serie A midfielder joining the players in the rooms post-match as they celebrated their first victory in the top flight since 2006.
Back then, Bresciano was on cloud nine having seen his crucial strike against Uruguay take Australia to their first World Cup in 32 years.
Established in the Serie A at that point and with his distinctive Spartacus celebration, Bresciano appeared in all four of the Socceroos games in Germany, which culminated in a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Italy – the homeland of his father.
Back at the Veneto Social Club, they’ve watched him progress over the years from the talented teenage prodigy to the shining world-beater who accumulated 250 appearances in one of the world’s premier football leagues.
On the night, Bresciano would prove to be the Lions good luck charm and took time post game to give his observations on the contest, his love for his childhood club and his future aspirations.
“It was a tough game and Oakleigh did have their chances to equalise, but Griffin McMaster did well to produce some good saves to keep them in the game before a very good goal from Sami Nour who had a great game,” Bresciano said.
“All around it was a great game and a good performance from the boys and I hope I brought the club luck tonight as Bulleen has always been my club in Melbourne.
“I grew up here and progressed all the way to the seniors and it’s good to see them back in the top flight.”
Bresciano’s time at David Barro Stadium began in the mid-80s, when he joined the club’s junior set-up along with his two brothers.
He spent his formative years at the club while attending Marcellin College, located just across the road from the Veneto Club.
He eventually made his debut for the seniors in 1995 and made a further eight appearances for the senior team, scoring four goals before moving to Canberra in 1997 as part of an A.I.S. scholarship.
Alongside the likes of future Socceroos Vince Grella, Simon Colosimo and Joshua Kennedy, the teenager made his NSL debut for Carlton later that year before departing Australia for Serie B side Empoli in 1999 alongside Grella.
A nine-year spell in the Serie A with Parma, Palermo and Lazio saw him test himself against some of the world’s best, scoring 31 top flight goals in the process.
He spent the twilight of his career under the Arabian sun in the Gulf, where he played for the UAE’s Al Nasr and Qatar’s Al Gharafa.
Despite the time away from home, Bresciano still maintains the affinity for the club which helped forge his abilities all those years ago.
“I grew up here and this place was like my second home,” Bresciano said.
“I went to school across the road, meaning I spent most of my time at the Bulleen Veneto Club with my brothers both playing for the club, training during the week before matchdays on the weekend.
“Both my two brothers and I started our football journeys here and we’ve got great memories of this place, which is like my base here in Melbourne.”
Since the beginning of this year, Bresciano and his wife – childhood sweetheart Renee – have permanently called Melbourne home, settling back in with their two young daughters Alessia and Montana.
While former teammates and good mates John Aloisi and Vince Grella have stayed involved in football through coaching and player agency respectively, Bresciano has similar ambitions – although in a different capacity to that of his former national teammates.
“I spent the last six months of last year in Italy where I did a sports director’s course at the Coverciano in Florence, which is the headquarters of Italian football and having finished that my intentions are to stayed involved with football, hopefully in that kind of capacity,” he says.
For the time being, his sole focus is to help his family to resettle into life back in Melbourne, with the immediate future dedicated to helping them make the transition to life back home.
Given his move back to Melbourne, don’t be surprised to see the distinct figure of Bresciano at more of Bulleen’s home games at David Barro Stadium, with the 2015 Asian Cup winner praising the club and its supporter base for the healthy Monday night crowd.
“There is still good support for this club here at Veneto with the good turnout here tonight being proof of that,” Bresciano says.
“I know the club has experienced some struggles of late not being in the premier competition, but it’s good to see them back in the top tier and hopefully they can stay there because they deserve to.”
While Bresciano’s career has taken him to Italy and back – via the Middle East – as well as competing in World Cups in Germany, South Africa and Brazil, the modest family man has never forgotten his humble beginnings. For him, the Veneto Club is the place where he got his start in football, and for that, the Socceroos champion will always call its walls home.