Round Ball Australia 
17 year-old defender Lucas Herrington has been one of the few positives for Brisbane this season. Photo supplied by Brisbane Roar
It has not been easy being a Brisbane Roar fan in recent years.
Four long years have come and gone without finals football for their A-League Men team, and the opening days of 2025 sees the Queenslanders rooted to the bottom of the ladder with just two points from their opening 10 games.
Manager Ruben Zadkovich is under fire from fans as a result, especially given his team have now equalled the worst start to a season in A-League history – ironically matched by last Friday’s opponents Central Coast Mariners during the 2018-19 season.
Low crowds at Suncorp Stadium have followed, further compounding the darkening mood around a club which has traditionally struggled to compete financially with their southern rivals.
It is worth mentioning that despite this malaise in the men’s fortunes, Brisbane’s women are flying high in second on the A-League Women table – scoring a league leading 27 goals in the process.
The contrast with their male counterparts could not be starker, but in the spirit of new year’s optimism, Round Ball Australia spoke to Brisbane Roar COO Zac Anderson to discuss whether there were any chinks of light emerging at the end of the tunnel for Brisbane.
A defensive gem in the making?
Arguably the biggest plus coming out of Suncorp Stadium this season has been the emergence of 17-year-old centre back Lucas Herrington.
The teenager – who only completed Year 12 in December – has been with the Roar Academy since a young age and was given extended minutes in the club’s NPL team last season.
With Brisbane’s defence conceding 18 goals in their first 6 games, Herrington was thrust into the starting line-up against the Western Sydney Wanderers in mid-December, and has not looked back since.
With the recent season ending injury to off-season defensive acquisition Ben Warland in the following game, the youngster has remarkably become one of the mainstays of the Roar backline, starting the last four games.
He also clearly has the backing of senior management, as Anderson explained.
“Lucas caught our eye in 2024, where he was arguably one of the best defenders in the Queensland NPL,” Roar’s COO said.
“He is mature for his age and has great football intelligence for such a young defender. We believe Lucas has a very high ceiling if he continues on this trajectory.”
So much so that he was asked to front the media prior to last Friday’s game with Central Coast Mariners, who had Herrington’s older brother Diesel (himself a Roar Academy graduate) in their ranks.
Despite the Roar’s subsequent loss to the Mariners, Herrington once again stood out for his composure on the ball and willingness to use his physicality off it – even managing to pick himself off the turf after being on the receiving end of a Ryan Edmondson challenge that would not have been out of place in State of Origin.
Quick, combative, and comfortable with the ball at his feet, the young defender looks set to make continued strides this season, which bodes well for Brisbane both now and in coming seasons.
An attacking midfielder to build a team around?
Another Roar teenager with a promising future is midfielder Quinn MacNicol, who became the club’s youngest ever player at just 15 year old when he made an Australia Cup appearance against Tuesday’s opponents Newcastle back in August 2023.
MacNicol turns 17 in January and has already achieved a lot in his young career, captaining Australia’s Under-17 National Team and scoring 12 goals in just nine international appearances.
Although he has only been used sparingly so far this season, making just three appearances from the bench, he is another player held in high regard by the Queensland outfit.
“Quinny is an exceptional talent who has recently had a few niggling injuries, [and] that has disrupted his training consistency,” Anderson explained.
“His fitness is coming back in recent weeks, so we anticipate he will get more game time in the second half of the season. As the current U17s Joey’s captain, Quinny is another Queensland talent who we believe can take the next step,” he added.
Being a classic number 10 playmaker who clearly has an eye for goal based on his youth international record, the Roar COO speculated that the club could well build the team around MacNicol in future years.
The biggest challenge may be keeping hold of him for long enough to do so.
Youthful target man grabbing the headlines
The third (and eldest) of Brisbane’s youth brigade giving supporters a glimmer of hope is 19-year-old centre forward Tom Waddingham, who is making headlines in only his second A-League season.
Having played his junior football in Cairns, Waddingham joined the Roar Academy in 2021, making his A-League Men debut in late 2023.
He subsequently scored 11 goals in all competitions in his debut season, and has started this year with a bang, notching four A-League Men goals already this term.
Once again, Anderson was keen to discuss his youthful striker.
“Tommy has been backed and fast tracked by the club to lead the line for our men’s senior side. A great responsibility, but one that Tommy has taken with confidence and maturity. Our coaching staff have continued to work on areas of Tommy’s game which we believe can help his progress,” he said.
Waddingham has visibly improved his link up play this season and is another who has become an automatic choice at a young age.
Such is his progress this season that overseas clubs are starting to take notice.
Speculation in the UK press in recent days is that English Championship sides Middlesbrough & Sheffield Wednesday are preparing bids for Waddingham in the upcoming A-League Men transfer window – which commences on Jan 16 – which was all but confirmed by Anderson.
“If Tommy is to depart in the near future, we want to make sure the move is both right for the player and for the club,” he added.
Although he understandably would not be drawn further, Anderson indicated any fee for Waddingham would be reinvested in the squad, as well as further investing in the pipeline of young talent coming through the Academy.
It would be a shame if Waddingham is sacrificed overseas before his promise in a Brisbane Roar shirt was truly realised, but given the reduced funding all A-League clubs received from the central distribution model this season – down over 70% on the previous year – it is understandable that Brisbane would listen to offers for their prized striker.
Even if he does move on, a big transfer fee for Waddingham – ideally with a loan back option for the rest of the season – would be a plus for the club in the long run, especially if this is reinvested in the squad.
For now though, Waddingham is still leading the line for his home state club, and Roar fans will be hoping he can propel them to their opening win of the season on Tuesday night at home to Newcastle.
Avoiding that unwanted tag of worst A-League start would be a starting point in getting those fans back on-side, although it seems in the longer the term the likes of Herrington and MacNicol may be more instrumental in securing brighter times ahead.
Article written by Kevan Sangster.