It’s pretty hard to disagree with any of the A-League players selected by Pim as form was evidently the determining factor in selection. Shannon Cole continues his meteoric rise in Australian football and his ability to hit the ball with both feet is something few other players in the squad have. In him and Scott Jamison, we have two up-and-coming full-backs who can play on the left, a position which was looking very thin.
Jamison’s teammates, Paul Reid and Eugene Galekovic have earned selected on the back of Adelaide’s amazing ACL run. Reid’s selection was a bit of a surprise for me given that he is 29 and the fact that Australia currently has an abundance of central midfield talent. I would have preferred to see Pim select a young player, maybe Billy Celeski, Tarek Elrich or maybe the Queensland duo of Murdocca and McKay (both are underrated in the sense that outside of Roar fans, I don’t think their work gets much recognition). Travis Dodd was also unlucky to miss out. With his ability to ghost into the box from wide positions, I thought Pim might have at least wanted to get a close look at the Adelaide captain.
As for the defenders, Jade North retains his spot despite his patchy form. Craig Moore returns to international football. Vargas may be disappointed to miss out. I was a bit surprised by the selection of Cornthwaite and Wilkinson. To be honest, I think Cornthwaite and Wilkinson may have the same weaknesses as Topor-Stanley: their lack of pace and agility can be exposed by fleet-footed players. This was evidence when Antlers seemed to target Cornthwaite’s flank while Wilkinson struggled against speedy Thompson.
Matt Simon’s red-hot start to the season has earned him a call-up. Alex Brosque may be scratching his head given his form for Sydney.
And the great debate of Australian football, Nick Carle, won’t be making a return to Australian shores. Clearly there is some underlying reason for his continued exclusion and until Pim decides to tell the rest of us, the speculation and debate will continue.
