Jeers ‘disappoint' former Victory star
If Auckland FC midfielder Jake Brimmer needed any more motivation to send his former club Melbourne Victory packing from the A-League finals series, he got it last month when the teams met at AAMI Park.
Melbourne-born Brimmer, the winner of the 2021-22 Johnny Warren Medal, made 99 A-League appearances in four seasons with the Victory before joining competition newcomers Auckland last year.
And while he wasn't expecting roses on his return to his former home ground, Brimmer was taken aback and 'disappointed' to be jeered by Victory fans every time he touched the ball in Auckland's 2-0 win on April 19.
'(Victory) is a club that I still love … I've got no hate for Melbourne Victory,' Brimmer said ahead of Saturday night's semi-final first-leg clash between the Melbourne club and premiers Auckland.
'Their feelings are a bit different with how they welcomed me back. I was a bit disappointed because of what I did at Melbourne Victory.
'I probably wasn't expecting that anger from them, and them booing me, but it's motivation for me now to get the job done and win these next two games.
'I wear this (Auckland) badge now. I'll be doing everything in my power to help the boys get over the line.'
Brimmer was confident his Black Knights side would prevail on Saturday night and take a lead back to Auckland for next weekend's second-leg at Go Media Stadium.
'We've been the benchmark all year and we'll show that this week,' he said.
'It's been a very successful year, but … as a footballer you want to win everything possible.'
Despite Brimmer's confidence, Victory coach Arthur Diles said that when his players were 'on', there was no team that they feared.
'A lot of people would fear us,' Diles said.
'They (Auckland) earnt the right to win the league. They were the most consistent team all year, but now this is not the season. It's a different competition, and it's open slather.
'We're looking forward to that.'
Diles felt the pressure would be on Auckland on Saturday night despite the game being the Victory's home leg.
'They're the team that won the (league). We're the team that many people didn't expect to be here right now, so for me, the pressure's on them,' he said.
And while Diles didn't mind his team being considered underdogs, he said such a tag didn't sit well with his players.
'It's almost like a slap in the face for a lot them, because they're quality footballers … and it can sometimes be a dent to your ego. We'll use that to our advantage and run with that,' he said.
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