Brisbane Roar Captain, Tom Aldred says it’s an honour to be making his 100th Isuzu UTE A-League appearance for the club ahead of Sunday’s Round 22 clash against Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium.
The Bolton born defender has been a stalwart of the side since arriving in Brisbane in 2019, leading the side to two finals campaigns and winning the Gary Wilkins Medal in 2022/23.
“It’s very special, I’ve been at the club now for around four and a half, nearly five years and to have Captained the team a 100 times in the A-Leagues it’s a special honour,” Aldred said.
“It’s been a privilege, I’ve never taken the role for granted and every time I lead the team out it’s been something that I’m really, really proud of for myself and my family.
“To hit that 100 mark’s special and I’m very honoured.”
With just five rounds remaining of the 2023/24 campaign Roar sit eighth, five points adrift of the competition’s top six as they hunt a return to finals football after a two-season absence.
Ruben Zadkovich’s side look to bounce after suffering just their second defeat in seven matches with a 2-1 loss against Macarthur in their last outing.
Wellington Phoenix, who come into the weekend three points clear of Central Coast at the summit of the A-League ladder defeated Sydney FC 2-1 in Round 21 as they push for a first ever Premiership.
Roar and the Phoenix have already met twice this season with a 92nd minute Corey Brown header sealing a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Suncorp Stadium last month while the Phoenix came out on top back in Round 3.
Aldred said his side head into the back end of the season full of belief that they can claw their way into the competition’s top six.
“I feel like every game, especially this last sort of window of three to five games we’ve been the dominant side,” Aldred said.
“We’ve had all the possession and anyone coming to watch our games would have said if it was a boxing match, we definitely win on points but that’s not how football’s played.
“We need to look after key moments in both boxes and that’s ultimately what wins your football matches.
“That’s defending the key moments and taking opportunities when they come our way, and if we get that side of our game I really feel like we’ve got an opportunity to do something special towards the back end of this season.”
Sunday’s match at Sky Stadium kicks off at 10am AEST and will be broadcast live on Paramount+
MATCH DETAILS
Isuzu UTE A-League Men 2023/24 – Round 22: Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Sunday, 31 March (10:00am AEST KO)
