On the eve of the 2026/27 A-League Men season, Brisbane Roar Head Coach Michael Valkanis gave the young players in his squad an unusual pre-season task: learn the history of the club and present it to their teammates.
Speaking to the Box2Box Podcast this week, Valkanis said he called in 10 of the squad’s young players. Eight are from Brisbane and two came from interstate.
“I said, you’re our adopted boys and you’re Brisbane boys now,” Valkanis said.
“What I want you to do is to go away and study the history of this club, and I want you to present the history of this club to the rest of the playing group. I want to see your passion for this club. I want to see your excitement to play for this club, because this is your club.”
The players had six days to complete the project.
“They were a little bit surprised because I gave them homework,” he said.
“My word, did I get emotional when I heard them on a Sunday morning present to the rest of the team. I was so proud of them, because they each had a story to tell about how they were connected to the club.”
The next day the squad played an internal match, and Valkanis said it was so intense that players were fighting for positions.
The idea came to him while he was watching his own boyhood club, South Melbourne, win the Australia Cup final against Melbourne Victory this month.
“I got excited when they scored and I jumped without realising,” he said. “That was my boyhood club. I went from six all the way through youth to seniors. It meant everything to me.
“That’s the day I clicked and said, I’ve got to make these boys know that this is everything for them.”
Valkanis said the club’s local players need to be at the heart of the squad.
“They need to drive the club. They need to be the foundation of what this great club is,” he said.
“I want you to come to Brisbane Roar to win a title, and as a consequence you’re going to go overseas because you’re a damn good player. That’s the mindset I want.”
The Roar opened their 2026/27 A-League Men campaign with a 2-1 win over Perth Glory at Suncorp Stadium as they prepare to host Auckland FC at Suncorp Stadium on Friday 30 October, with kick-off at 7pm.
Tickets for this Friday’s clash are available HERE.
Listen to the full interview on Box2Box: tinyurl.com/yrbkekke
