Brisbane Roar skipper Tom Aldred wants to wear maroon in Sydney FC showdown

Brisbane Roar have been encouraged to reignite the state rivalry with the same fervour you see around rugby league State of Origin time when they come up against A-League heavyweights Sydney FC.

Kosta Barbarouses of Sydney FC and captain of the Roar Tom Aldred challenge for the ball during the Round 9 A-League match between Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar.

Brisbane captain Tom Aldred wants the Roar to bring a “State of Origin” feel to Friday night’s clash against Sydney FC at Jubilee Stadium by wearing the club’s maroon kit.

The Roar are yet to don their “Queensland” strip this season, with it being earmarked for use when Brisbane host the Sky Blues at Suncorp Stadium on March 28.

Adopted Queenslander Aldred wants to wear the maroon this week as the Roar look for any edge possible in their bid to secure a hat-trick of A-League wins, and avenge a 5-1 loss to the high-flying Sydneysiders at the same Kogarah venue last month.

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“I’m not sure why we didn’t wear the maroon the last time we played them,” Aldred told The Courier-Mail.

“It would definitely be good to put that kit on this week.

“Being the only A-League team in Queensland, you want to represent the state.

“It would definitely give the club some pride to do that.

“It’s something that would be very good.”

Kosta Barbarouses of Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar skipper Tom Aldred in December.

England-born Aldred only moved to Australia last year to join the Roar but quickly realised the intensity of the Queensland-NSW rivalry.

“I went to watch one of the rugby league (State of Origin) games when I first came over here at one of the bars in Brisbane,” Aldred said.

“I wasn’t on the vodkas though, just some lime sodas.

“I sensed the rivalry there, and it would be great to reignite that on Friday night.”

Aldred, who returned from suspension to lead the Roar to a 1-0 weekend win over the Central Coast Mariners in Gosford, said Brisbane would need to lift if they were to trouble first-placed Sydney and extend their unbeaten run to six matches.

“We dealt with what the Mariners had to throw at us but we know we need to improve on what wasn’t one of our better performances,” he said. “It’s up to us to work hard on getting better during the week because we know we’re up against a good opponent in Sydney.

“In football, when you get beaten like we did against Sydney, it’s not good, it’s not nice, and it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, but we’ve come a long way since then and learnt a lot of lessons from that game.

“Now it’s a case of putting on a performance to show we can compete and get a result.

“We believe that we can do that.”

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