In late 2010, Melbourne City midfielder Jason Trifiro took a step into the unknown by moving across the border to play his football in Victoria, having previously plied his trade in the NSW Premier League.
An Australian Schoolboys representative who also featured for the Joeys, Trifiro broke into the Marconi Stallions in his teenage years along with his brother Glen and former Melbourne Victory striker Nathan Elasi.
However, the two Trifiro brothers were separated following the 2008 season. Jason joined rivals APIA Leichhardt and then moved to Wollongong-based South Coast Wolves in 2010, while Glen signed with Sydney United after a short stint with the relegated Macarthur Rams, before playing for the Western Sydney Berries.
Frustrated by their inability to be reunited at club level in Sydney, the brothers received an invitation to come down to Melbourne and play their football at Northcote City, which had just come off its first season back in the top flight with a respectable mid-table finish.
The Trifiros took the league by storm that season, with Jason winning the Gold Medal for the league’s best player as the team triumphed in the Dockerty Cup (then known as the Mirabella Cup) by defeating the Melbourne Knights 2-0 at AAMI Park.
“What prompted me and Glen coming down to Victoria was the opportunity to play together, which no one in New South Wales could give us that time before Northcote came calling and provided us with that opportunity to play under Manager Peter Tsolakis and President Jim Makro,” Trifiro says.
“We had a good season and really enjoyed ourselves, winning the state cup in the process and myself winning the gold medal, so it was a pretty successful season for us.”
Northcote’s success that season saw coach Peter Tsolakis snapped up by South Melbourne, with the Trifiro brothers following suit alongside teammates Trent Rixon and Brad Norton.
Jason began life at the Oceania Club of the Century brightly by scoring a goal on his league debut in the club’s first competitive fixture at the redeveloped Lakeside Stadium.
The former Joey was at that point also trialling for A-League new boys Western Sydney Wanderers, with his South stint cut short when Wanderers manager Tony Popovic offered the local boy a contract at his home-town club.
“South were a bigger club with more pressure placed on the players due to the heightened stature of the club and things didn’t eventuate the way we wanted for us on the pitch after a bright start to the season,” he says.
“It [securing an A-League contract] was a very proud moment for myself, my family and everyone else who has supported me throughout my state league career.”
Trifiro grew up Winston Hills, only a few kilometres away from the club’s home ground in Parramatta, and fondly recalls the club’s first official friendly against Nepean where a crowd of over 3,500 braved the chilly winter weather to see the debutants run out 5-0 winners.
Although primarily seen as a squad player throughout his time at Pirtek Stadium, Popovic’s rotation policies meant Jason was rewarded with regular selection, becoming a crucial component of the premiership-winning side which fell just short in the Grand Final against the Central Coast Mariners.
A successful second season followed as the Wanderers were once again defeated in the Grand Final against Brisbane Roar at a sold out Suncorp Stadium.
Redemption for the heartbreaking loss came in the form of the Asian Champions League, where after a disappointing opening day home loss to Ulsan Hyundai, the side recovered to eventually top the ground.
Trifiro started all five of the club’s matches in Asia following that loss, and was a constant presence in midfield as the Wanderers overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat J-League Champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima on away goals in the Round of 16.
In the quarter-finals stage of the competition, the relative minnows stunned the continent by upsetting defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande – the richest club in Asia – on aggregate.
Korean powerhouse and 2013 finalists FC Seoul were dispatched in the semi-finals, before an sensational triumph over Saudi giants Al Hilal followed as the Wanderers won Asia’s ultimate prize and qualification into the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup just two-and-a-half years since their formation.
“Right from the beginning you knew that you were part of something special and three years down the track you have to pinch yourself because not so long ago you were running around the state league,” Trifiro admits.
“There were a lot of speed humps on the way and a lot of travelling in Asia which was hard work, but at the end of it when you look back on it all, they become memories you hold on forever.”
“I’ve made great friends from that team as when you go through tough periods and all the travel you become really close so I’m grateful with what we achieved in the three years at Western Sydney and I have nothing but good memories of playing for my home-town club.”
The midfielder also credits coach Tony Popovic for getting the best out of a team many predicted would struggle, given that they were made up of players primarily overlooked by other A-League clubs.
“Popa was a hard coach and everyone knew their place in the team and the fact that we were not going to achieve anything without hard work which was integral in the opening two seasons of the competition,” he says.
“A lot of our game was based on working hard for one another, being well structured and defensively organised meaning we weren’t always pretty to watch but this approach inevitably paid off for us.”
The 27-year-old featured in a number of Sydney derbies and spoke of what it felt like to play in such big games.
“Sydney derbies were very special with the atmosphere generated by both clubs being unbelievable especially by the Red and Black Bloc with it being amazing how quickly the crowds and memberships went up,” he says.
Trifiro’s spell at Wanderland came to an end in May last year when he was one of 13 players released by the club after making a total of 50 competitive appearances for Tony Popovic’s men.
That decision left the 27-year-old in limbo before an A-League lifeline was thrown at him by Melbourne City, who invited him for a trial with the club during their pre-season friendly against sister club Manchester City on the Gold Coast.
“Once I wasn’t re-signed by the Wanderers I was immediately thinking where to next before City came along and gave me the opportunity to come to the Gold Coast and spend two weeks training with the club,” he says.
“Playing against Man City was something special as it’s not every day you get a chance to play against one of the biggest clubs in world football featuring world class players.”
City were initially reluctant to take Trifiro on board, forcing the 2011 VPL Gold Medalist to go back home and spend his days training alone in order to keep fit, while also coaching kids in his own academy Futboltec – which he runs alongside his brother Glen.
With his professional career seemingly over, the Asian Champions League winner was given a second chance at the top level when offered the last spot on City’s senior roster weeks out from the start of the season.
“To get another opportunity at a club like City which are backed very well and heading in the right direction is something which I’m very grateful,” he says.
Trifiro made his competitive debut for the club after coming on as a substitute in City’s 5-0 FFA Cup victory over Heidelberg United, and was facilitated in his move back to the Victorian capital by Jim Makro and Peter Tsolakis.
During his stint in the A-League, Jason has had the privilege of being joined by younger brother Glen, who joined Central Coast Mariners in January 2014. The Trifiro family were able to get their 2015 off to the best start when the two faced off against one another proud moment for the family.
“My brother has been with me through the thick and the thin and the good and bad moments with both of us always being there for one another with it being a great moment to play a game against one another,” Trifiro says.
The boy from Winston Hills in the heart of Sydney’s west will tonight come face-to-face with his former club, whom he proudly represented over the course of some memorable years.
His plight also highlights how hard work, persistence and never giving up on your professional ambitions are integral ingredients for players in state leagues who hope to take the next step up in their football careers.
Feature Image: Cindy Nitsos