Mighty Atom Poised To Take Off Big Prize
The Age
Saturday April 27, 2002
His coach Eddie Krncevic won the accolade in the late 1970s and his captain and teammate, Paul Trimboli, collected the award twice in the 1980s.
Now South Melbourne's all-action midfielder, the diminutive Massimo Murdocca, is poised to add his name to the list of winners of the highest award domestic soccer can bestow on a young star - the National Soccer League's under-21 player-of-the-year trophy.
It has been a rollercoaster ride for the 17-year-old from Melbourne's northern suburbs.
He began the season hoping a few runs in the first team would speed his development and ease the disappointment of a broken foot forcing him to miss out on his chance of playing a part in the Australian under-17 Joeys' World Cup campaign last winter.
Far from being a bit-part player, 163-centimetre Murdocca, dubbed the mighty atom by supporters, has become a central character in South's dramatic surge to genuine championship contender.
South's injury crisis, coupled with many defections after the grand final defeat by Wollongong, presented the chance for the Parade College schoolboy and he has not taken a backward step.
With his hard-running, never-say-die attitude and close ball skills, Murdocca has become an integral part of the midfield group that has helped South put together a run in which it has lost only once in the past 14 matches.
While the club has also used several other teenagers - Ray Sekulovski and Vince Lia, in particular - it is Murdocca who has caught the eye and grabbed the nomination as one of the three most promising players in the league.
Other candidates for the award, voted by their peer group, are Olympic Sharks' Jade North and Newcastle United's Joseph Schirripa.
Should the South youngster take the prize, he would become one of the youngest winners.
Murdocca has spent this season playing on a youth contract, but recently signed a three-year deal with South Melbourne, giving both him and the club a measure of security and continuity.
If he continues to progress at his present rate, a call-up for the under-20 squad is likely in the next couple of seasons, while inevitably there will be talk of moves overseas. Should that happen, the club will be in a position, thanks to his long contract, to make money out of one of its young assets.
Not that Murdocca is looking that far ahead. While winning the player-of-the-year award would be ``fantastic", progress past Olympic Sharks tomorrow is a much more pressing short-term goal.
``I was pretty surprised initially when I heard I had been nominated for the award," he said. ``When I was doing my own selections and I had to choose who to nominate, there was such a long list of names to consider and for me just to be put in the top three is a great big thrill. To win it would be a bonus.
``I am very happy with the way my season has gone. I have been playing well and my confidence has grown. At the start of the season, I was getting a lot of space when I got the ball, but now teams are paying a bit more attention.
With all the talk about league restructuring and discussion of South going part-time to try to curb its costs Murdocca was, nonetheless, happy to commit his short-term future to the Melbourne team rather than be tempted by the idea of moving elsewhere.
``It's been very good for me here and I didn't have any hesitation at all in signing the three-year deal. South have been a good and successful club and it was always my dream to come and play here."
One area of his game that has been criticised is his lack of goals. All coaches dream of goal-scoring midfielders, but Murdocca has managed only one this campaign. Nevertheless, it was a vital strike, a last-minute winner in a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Melbourne Knights back in February that gave impetus to South's run.
``I would love to score more goals and it's something I need to improve, but in my game it is also important for me to play a defensive role," he said.
``But if I am helping to create the goals and others are scoring, then it is not so important."
Murdocca might play down his chances of winning the award when it is announced next month, but neither his coach or his captain do.
Krncevic said: ``It (his nomination) doesn't surprise me at all. I don't think the other two who are in contention compare. Mass has been playing all season and he has made a big contribution. I think you will find that Mass will win it quite easily."
Trimboli said the speedy acceptance of the youngster as a vital cog in the team showed how far he had come.
At first, people commented on the novelty of his youth and his small stature.
Now, said Trimboli, ``people have stopped just talking about him as a young kid and refer to him as a key member of the team".
© 2002 The Age
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