As the dust settles on another season for Brisbane Roar, I want to stop for a moment and say thank you – to you and to every single one of our 8300 members this season.
When a campaign doesn’t go to plan, it’s easy to turn your attention to the next one straightaway. But before we do I have to acknowledge and applaud the sense of belief that all of us at the club get inspired by – a belief generated by you, our fantastic members.
Even in a season that ultimately didn’t deliver on field, we felt that belief in the size of our membership, in the size of the crowds, in the volume of your songs and the atmosphere at every game.
If Friday’s final game for the men left you feeling like “so near and yet so far” then you’re not alone. A game where we scored some fine goals and played some good football couldn’t quite be converted into a victory – and that was our Isuzu UTE season right there.
Football is often a game of very fine margins. We can’t forget coming within 23 minutes of winning the Australia Cup, or the promise of the early rounds of the new season for the men when we were second after six matches.
Similarly our Liberty A-League team sat in the top four for the first month of the season, took points off almost every team above them and beat both of the grand finalists.
Fine margins indeed. With strategic recruitment that is already underway and an off-season of hard work, we believe we can build on the high points of this season and mount a sustained bid for progress next season.
This is a club with a history of success across both senior teams, measured in silverware and measured in players who have achieved national-team recognition. We all strive to add to that history and already we can see recognition with Brisbane Roar players studded throughout Australia’s U23, U20 and U17 squads in recent months, men and women – not to mention Sharn Freier’s debut for the Matildas.
In the next few weeks and months I hope to be able to make some fairly significant announcements about the future and the culture of our club. The squads for next season will quickly take shape. But in the meantime I want to reiterate the appreciation of players, coaches and staff for your incredible support this year. It means everything.
Thank you.
Kaz Patafta
Chairman & CEO
Brisbane Roar Football Club
