Brisbane Roar 2024/25 season preview: At what point will fans lose patience with the rebuilding process?
Christian Montegan 
Brisbane Roar 2024/25 A-League season preview. Photo: Shamu mushi - Wikipedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0. Design: Round Ball Australia
Ahead of the A-Leagues 20th season, promotional videos have swarmed the competition’s social media accounts to send fans into a frenzy and salivating for the football to begin.
11 seconds into a stunning marketing video narrated by Eli Mengem, Brisbane Roar’s Erik Paartalu was frantically celebrating behind the goal after securing a stunning equaliser against the Central Coast Mariners in the Grand Final.
Echoed by Simon Hill’s call of, “PAARATALUUU. UNBELIEVABLE,” that particular dynasty under Ange Postecoglou are the moments for Brisbane supporters that hit home.
Those memories seem a distant memory. The club is so far away from replicating another championship triumph because of the direction they have opted to follow – youth and long-term vision.
After a promising start last season with Ross Aloisi at the helm to help the club reach the Australia Cup final, an exciting brand of football was thrown out the window when the 51-year-old departed for an assistant role at Kevin Muscat’s Shanghai Port.
From there, it became somewhat of a circus. New manager Ben Cahn lasted five matches until he took medical leave, and eventually resigned due to an ongoing health battle, as the on-field results continued to diminish.
Former Perth Glory coach Ruben Zadkovich has been trusted by the Brisbane board to carry on from his stint last campaign and further improve the squad.
How much he can improve them is yet to be known. This is a young core of players with CEO Kaz Patafta (35) and COO Zac Anderson (33) overseeing operations at the top. The project requires time.
But will patience run thin within the Brisbane fanbase when inconsistencies continually become the norm?
The Manager: Ruben Zadkovich
Given the mamoth rebuilding work that lays ahead for the Roar, is Ruben Zadkovich the right man to lead the club into a successful era?
The 38-year-old managed Perth Glory’s National Premier League (NPL) squad for three seasons before being handed the senior gig for the 2023/24 campaign, finishing bottom of the table with 69 goals conceded.
Not equipped with the resources to thrive, Zadkovich moved to Brisbane last season as an assistant, then interim, and now permanent manager of the Roar.
Towards the back-end of last season, the Roar responded in impressive fashion to knock off Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers. But was it a classic case of a couching bounce, or is there more to it?
In their Australia Cup defeat against Perth Glory in the round of 32, Zadkovich deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation with a strong emphasis on wing-backs Van der Saag and Antonee Burke-Gilroy to dictate the wide areas up and down the pitch with their versatility both on and off the ball.
However, they leaked four goals in a system which looked leaky and unstable at times, with veteran Corey Brown seemingly lost when to push up and when to sit as his red card summed up the forgetful night.
The big question is whether Zadkovich dares to change his ideology when things are not quite working and new ideas are needed. His lack of experience could be a slight barrier.
The Squad
It was an off-season raid on Adelaide United as the Roar acquired three players from the Reds in an attempt to add stability and a sense of direction.
Winger Ben Halloran could be the spark that ignites the front-third in what arguably is already the most exciting area of the pitch for Zadkovich to work with.
Centre-back Ben Warland, 28, and right-back Harry Van der Saag (who can play in a wide midfield role), 24, are valuable pick-ups for a side which conceded the equal second-most goals in the competition last season where they were at their most vulnerable.
Also new to the defence is another 21-year-old in American Marcus Ferkranus, arriving from the LA Galaxy on a two-year deal – eagerly awaiting his opportunity to make a name for himself.
Big things are expected of Indonesian striker Patrick Striuck, who at just 21, possesses a burst of pace and cutting edge inside the 18-yard area to offload the pressure off young Tom Waddingham’s shoulders.
They may have lost Marco Rojas, but new signing Neicer Acosta from Ecuador promises to add flair and unpredictability for opposition defences in what has been deeply lacking since the golden days of Postecoglou.
However, Nikola Mileusnic is the biggest blow in terms of departures, acting as the glue between the midfield and the frontline as his 10 goal contributions from last season will be sorely missed.
Central defensive duo Kai Trewin and Tom Aldred parting ways with the club could pose Zadkovich with a few concerns in the opening few rounds to settle his preferred backline and ensure the back-four is heavily in sync.
Club captain and central midfielder Jay O’Shea will once again be the heartbeat of the squad and one who will look to break up the play and become an influential figure in the attacking phase as an anchor role in front of the defence.
The Off-Field: Perry Park irritation and a stroke of marketing genius
When fully packed, a 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium is arguably the best football stadium in Australia. If you have forgotten just how much atmosphere it can generate, watch the Matildas vs France replay from last year’s World Cup.
Unfortunately, this version of Brisbane Roar can not attract high crowd numbers – not when they are in a rebuilding phase.
Per AusStadiums, the Roar averaged an attendance of 7,001 in 12 matches which did not make for a good look on television with countless empty seats. This is why smaller boutique stadiums are desperately required.
The easy solution to the problem is upgrading Perry Park, right? A sporting ground that currently holds 5,000 seats, the centre is crying out for investment, but if only it were so simple.
In August, Football Queensland unveiled plans for a A$200 million upgrade on Perry Park, with the proposed project aiming to expand to a 15,000-20,000-seat venue to transform it into a state-of-the-art stadium.
The idea is to have it ready in time for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, but a lack of commitment in terms of guaranteed funding might turn the expectation into a dream.
From a marketing perspective, new Indonesian signing Rafael Struick brought his massive following across to the Roar, helping the club boost their Instagram following by a staggering 44 per cent in the first 24 hours.
The 21-year-old was born in the Netherlands but has opted to represent Indonesia, having scored a quality goal in the nation’s recent World Cup qualifier against Bahrain.
A promising talent on the pitch, perhaps these types of signings within the Asian market should be the norm moving forward for A-League clubs to increase their brand.
Expectations
In Brisbane’s current state, the most obvious answer is competing for a top-six berth (and even that would be somewhat of a surprise if they did achieve that feat).
As difficult as it is for fans to accept, the three-time Australian champions will not be competing against championship favourites Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC for at least a few seasons. That’s just the reality.
Anywhere from eighth position or higher for the club should be deemed a successful campaign as the club continues to progress little by little.