Gold Coast United’s battle for NPL relevancy continues at home to Olympic FC

GOLD Coast United is ready to establish itself as a genuine NPL Queensland force but honourable losses will no longer suffice says one young defender.

• United defender eyes end to wretched run of injuries
• 'Lingering issues': Sacked Knights coach hits back at club statement

GOLD Coast United is ready to establish itself as a genuine NPL Queensland force but honourable losses will no longer suffice says young defender Zahi Addis.

United plays host to second-ranked Olympic FC on Friday night – the first in a three-game gauntlet spanning 10 days also featuring finals contenders Moreton Bay and unbeaten ladder-leaders Peninsula Power.

United has performed admirably against the top teams this season, running Olympic, Gold Coast Knights and Brisbane Roar Youth each within a goal.

But if the Tallebudgera club wants to be considered a peer to the state’s elite sides it must start earning points against the best – and what better opportunity than at home under lights against Olympic, Addis says.

“If we can get the win it will really set the tone for the second half of the season,” the 17-year-old said.

“At the start of the season we set a goal of being a team that can compete, and not just be a mid-table team, which is something that at the moment we’re still trying to achieve.”

Gold Coast United defender Zahi Addis has grown as a player this season under coach Grae Piddick. Photo: Kyoko

United travelled to Olympic’s Goodwin Park home on the opening day of the season and left frustrated after conceding a late goal.

The two teams met again in the FFA Cup on April 24 and Olympic was a deserving 3-1 victor.

But United has grown since then, earning two wins and a draw in its past three outings, and Addis believes the time is right for a breakthrough.

“This will be the third time we’ve played them this season … being at home, on a Friday night against Olympic I think is a great opportunity for us,” he said.

The teenager defender has grown from star talent to fully-fledged senior starter under Grae Piddick and says United has made great strides in forming its football identity.

“Olympic is a team that loves to have the ball and build from the back,” he said.

“As a defender I relish the opportunity of having to face the likes of Costa Psaros and Jez Lofthouse.

“I think in both games this season I’ve proved I’m capable of rising to that task.

“I think defensively I’m a lot better this season than I was last season. I’m much more aware in that regard.

“I’ve always considered myself an attacking threat but defenisvely I’ve really learned different aspects to my game.

“Grae from the start has backed all the young boys in the team and given us multiple opporutnites to prove ourselves.

“For young players at the club it’s been so important and it’s a credit to Grae that he is giving us that chance.”

’Get in the box Lachie’: Coach’s wise words lead to maiden goal

GOLD Coast United coach Grae Piddick played the assist of the season for Lachlan Remmers’ first NPL Queensland goal on Saturday night – screaming at him from the sideline to “get in the box” for a set piece which ultimately ended up in the back of the net off the young defender’s head.

Remmers’ 85th-minute header put United five goals to the good against hosts Capalaba FC – Piddick’s side ultimately running out commanding 6-1 victors.

“That’s why you listen to your coach,” was the call from Piddick after the goal.

Riley Thomson-King and Sam Smath both bagged doubles in the rout, while Jarrod Kyle nabbed one late in the second half minutes prior to Remmers’ header.

United had a point to prove against Capalaba, Piddick said, following the previous weekend’s 1-0 derby loss to Gold Coast Knights.

“The dressing room after that Knights game, the boys were disappointed. We felt we should have won with the amount of chances we created in the second half,” he said.

“They knew it was a good performance but disappointed they didn’t take their chances.

“This week we took those chances and created even more than that.”

Piddick said the five-goal win was now a benchmark for weeks to come, as United prepares for a make-or-break month of fixtures.

“We play Roar Youth at home on Sunday and then run into Logan, Redlands and Mackay. This next month is a good opportunity for us to really build some consistency in our results and start making a run,” he said.

“I think the past six matches we’ve gone loss-win-loss-win-loss-win. We need to start stringing some points together week-in, week-out.

“That’s the challenge for us now and I think the team is up for it.

“We’re improving every week which is a great sign.”

Ever the player’s coach, Piddick would not take credit for Remmers’s maiden senior goal – happy enough to be vindicated on the night.

“It was good to see him get his first goal. It’s always good when young boys get their first goal in senior football,” Piddick said.

“All the boys were happy for him – particularly the young boys who have grown up playing with him.”

United welcomed back Alexandre Tabillon from a long injury lay-off and the defender managed to play out the full 90 minutes.

Talisman Shane Smeltz was managed by Piddick but the coach is hopeful for the striker’s return soon, while Adam Endean could join the line-up to face the Roar Youth after picking up a knock in the loss to Knights.

Piddick admits Knights clash is personal, but won’t be a focus

GOLD Coast United coach Grae Piddick says his history with rivals Knights won’t be the focus - at least from his side - when the two clubs meet for the first derby of the 2021 campaign.

Piddick was last season sensationally sacked as Knights coach on the eve of finals and Saturday will be the first meeting opposed to his former club since joining United.

“You can’t say it’s not (personal). Whenever you’re moved on from a club you obviously want to do well the next time you play against them,” he said.

“But I have a lot of good memories (at Knights) and there’s still a lot of good people at the club.”

Piddick said his knowledge of the Knights’ players would be an obvious advantage in preparing for United’s biggest test of the season so far.

“Obviously I know the vast majority of their playing group well – how they play, their strengths and weaknesses. We know exactly what to expect,” he said.

“I think you need to have a clear head and know at the end of the day it’s only three points.

“Local derby, first one of the year, I think everyone is looking forward to it.

“We know it’s going to be a good game. From our point of view we’re hoping to see as many people down there as possible.”

United may enter the match as underdogs but will be confident of causing an upset.

Star Knights midfielder Mitch Nichols will miss the match due to suspension in what is a big blow for the competition leaders.

Knights won both derbies in 2020 however the year before, both matches ended in a draw.

United expect to welcome back playmakers Sam King and Riley Thomson-King for the match.

Sam Smith returned from suspension in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Brisbane Strikers and is poised to take another step towards top form at home on Saturday.

Kick-off is 6.30pm at Coplicks Sports Park.

A star is born: The 15-year-old Coast wunderkind turning heads

SO GOOD is Kira Richards-Bassett that Gold Coast United NPLW coach Alex Bundalo has to remind himself she’s still only 15.

The prodigious talent from Broadbeach announced herself to the world with a brace in United’s 8-1 win over The Gap last weekend.

Deployed predominantly as a left-back in her debut NPLW season, Richards-Bassett was given licence to roam by Bundalo when he started her on the wing against The Gap.

“At senior level the pressure is continuous every single game. When you’re a 15-year-old against older, more experienced players attacking you all the time it’s not an ideal situation,” Bundalo said.

“With the talent she has and ability on the ball, I pushed her forward to give her some experience of playing up front and running at players and expressing her talent.

“She had gotten experience at fullback and done a marvellous job – it was time to get her up front and let her enjoy attacking for a while.”

The result was perhaps the goal of the season from the 15-year-old – a scything run from inside her own half, beating multiple defenders before walking it over the line to the awe of all on the pitch.

“When you see the way she runs, with her head up at that speed with the ball under control is very hard to find,” Bundalo said.

“I haven’t seen potential like that in a long, long time.”

And the United coach promised much of the same from the pacy playmaker as she develops her game at the NPLW level.

“That’s more of what you’re going to see,” Bundalo said.

“In a pre-season game earlier in the year, she picked the ball up from our goalkeeper and ran the full length of the field – beating three or four players – and was stopped with a last-minute tackle in the six-yard box.

“That would have been goal of the decade if she had scored.”

Remember the name, Kira Richards-Bassett.

Perfect month has United on track for another title charge

APRIL was a fruitful month for reigning NPLW champions Gold Coast United.

An 8-1 rout away to The Gap capped a near-perfect month of football, totalling three wins, zero losses, 21 goals-for and just two against.

Without a spate of injured senior starters the 2020 premiers have continued their winning ways this campaign – five wins from five outings, for a goal difference of plus-24 has set the scene for another run at the title.

“I think we’re as good a team as we were last year,” coach Alex Bundalo declared.

“Obviously we’re missing the best player in the league, (centre-back) Momo Hayashi, and we’ve got a few other key injuries as well, but the really exciting thing is we have some Gold Coast locals – young, talented players – who have stepped up and added some very positive things for us.”

The experienced centre-half pairing of Hayashi and co-captain Ellie Weston was replaced by 17-year-olds Reese Donnelly and Charlie Farmer against The Gap and the youngsters proved more than capable on the senior stage.

With Tayler Stephens and Anabelle Gibson so far managing just one game between them this season, United’s senior defensive stocks have been decimated.

And yet Bundalo’s side still boasts the best defensive record in the competition.

“We have an excellent balance,” the coach said.

“Key senior players from the league-winning team last year give us that stability to allow those three or four players stepping up … to not feel out of place.

“That balance of youth and experience and the way they’ve come together has been a joy.

“They don’t know how good they are,” Bundalo added.

“We’re very hard to beat. Last year we lost only two games out of 20 and this year we’ve started well. (But) it’s only early days. It’s only five games.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but with these girls they’re always looking only to the next game.”

But the youngsters are not the only ones impressing the coach this season.

Star forward Isabella Habuda is averaging more than two goals per game to lead the golden boot race, while strike partner Deeanna Thompson has eight from five and not far behind.

“She is on fire,” Bundalo said of Habuda.

“In my opinion by the end of the year she deserves at least a W-League opportunity.”

Next on the slate is United’s toughest test of the season so far – a visit from NPLW newcomers Brisbane City, currently third with a 5-1 record.

“We beat them in pre-season, but we don’t take anything out of that. This week will be our toughest test yet,” Bundalo said.

The Round 7 clash begins on Sunday, 4pm at Coplick Family Sports Park.

Strikers away just another test for Piddick’s NPL youth to pass

AS THE football gods continue to conspire against Gold Coast United, coach Grae Piddick remains eyes front – he has to.

A breakthrough NPL Queensland win over Sunshine Coast Wanderers on April 11, following a tumultuous month of training in gyms and parks for subsequently washed-out matches, promised a turning point for Piddick’s men.

But United paid a heavy price for the 5-1 win – skipper Justyn Mckay, first-choice ‘keeper Ryan Meskell, speedy fullback Tyler Wagstaffe and matchwinner Sam King all succumbed to injuries.

Sam Smith was suspended.

The timing was poor, with perennial finalists Lions visiting just six days later and a 4-0 loss at home followed.

Then came something to celebrate – a maiden FFA Cup victory, over Brisbane Premier League giants Albany Creek Excelsior, with stand-in ‘keeper Tim Lahiff’s penalty shootout heroics, from the spot and between the posts, returning smiles to faces.

Celebrations were again short-lived, when Lahiff was ruled out of the follow-up Cup clash with NPL Queensland rivals Olympic days later and, already short-staffed on starters, United fell 3-1.

Like that, the Cup journey was over.

Now a Sunday date with fellow battlers Brisbane Strikers looms, in what shapes as a must-win if United is to stay in touch with the competition leaders.

“They (Strikers) haven’t had the greatest start … but we’ve only won one game ourselves,” Piddick said.

“They haven’t had the greatest start. We’re well aware they’ll be hungry and we need to make sure we get over our fatigue and come out all guns blazing on Sunday.”

Long a premiership threat, Strikers’ approach has turned to youth this season.

By necessity more than design Piddick has had to do something similar this season, blooding young talent at a steady pace as the injuries mounted.

It makes for an intriguing match-up between two teams that have so far underperformed to expectations, but have the potential for much more.

“They’re a very young team, with talented young players learning to play at a senior level,” Piddick said.

“We’ve had a number of injuries as well … our younger boys have had to step up and they have.

“(Wanderers) was a good win but it came at a heavy cost. We rolled into three matches in a week with limited numbers and it showed. (But) the boys that stepped up played their hearts out.

“It’s a sign of a good team that they knuckled down and did what they had to do. I think we’ll see the benefits in the long term.

“The younger ones getting more minutes under their belts … gives us more to choose from.”

Why United’s breakthrough result could be biggest NPL win yet

WITH backs against the wall and staring down an 0-3 start, Gold Coast United’s 5-1 demolition job of Sunshine Coast Wanderers on Sunday could be the club’s most important win since joining the NPL Queensland in 2018.

Returned from a hamstring injury that besieged his pre-season preparations, former Gold Coast Knight Jarrod Kyle produced a stunning second-half hat-trick as United piled on four goals to nil in the second period to end a two-game winless run.

United skipper Justyn Mckay watched as his opener was cancelled out right before halftime, setting up a nervy second stanza for his young side.

“We were disappointed they managed to score just before halftime … I think it was clear that we were exposing them in certain areas in the first half, we just couldn’t capitalise,” Mckay said.

“But we were positive. We knew if we kept at it we would get our chances.”

United rose to the challenge placed at its feet – Kyle’s first goal five minutes after the restart restoring a lead the hosts would never surrender.

Mckay said the hat-trick was reward for effort for Kyle, who had the bulk of the goalscoring load thrust upon him with Shane Smeltz and Sam Smith unavailable.

“He’s been struggling with a hamstring of late and for him to get a hat-trick is brilliant because he’s worked so hard,” Mckay said of Kyle.

“The longer (stalemates) go on against teams like Sunny Coast the more liable you are for them to create chances.

“Jarrod’s goal after halftime settled a few nerves for us, and the third soon after that was a big moment.

“Without Sam (Smith) and Smeltzy he’s had to step up for us and he did that on Sunday.

“Having Jarrod in form and having Sam and Smeltzy back … we’ve got a lot of goals in us. The key thing is to get them all on the pitch at the same time.”

Mckay said the win would do wonders for the team’s confidence and was one to build the season around.

“We had a couple of losses to start the season and a four-week gap between games, so it’s been tough,” he said.

“You want to get those first points on the board otherwise the pressure keeps building. This should kickstart our season and bring some confidence to the group.”

United’s next test comes in the form of perennial premiership contenders Lions FC.

“On the back of a 5-1 win we need to go into that game and back ourselves,” Mckay said.

“They’ve had a couple of indifferent results up to now. If we focus on ourselves and come in prepared, we can give anyone a good game at home.”

‘Nothing how we liked’: United’s month-long wait finally over

A ROAD trip to Buderim to face the Sunshine Coast Wanderers on Sunday will mark Gold Coast United’s first hitout in almost a month.

Not since Grae Piddick’s side fell 3-1 to Moreton Bay United on March 13 has United played competitive minutes – now they are tasked with one of the more difficult road trips on the NPL Queensland calendar.

“It’s probably been disjointed for a month now. Nothing has been how we would have liked,” Piddick said.

“With weather and call-offs and COVID and things like that, it’s just a matter now of getting back on the horse.”

Their opponents are coming off a last-start 3-1 win over Redlands United and have shown plenty of attacking potency, with nine goals in three games.

“We know (Wanderers) will be a tough match,” Piddick said.

“It’s always tough going to the Sunshine Coast on a Sunday afternoon. They have a very good home record and have had a few good wins already to start the season.”

After an unbeaten pre-season brought with it optimism of a fast start to the campaign, United have since slumped to 0-2 and must bank wins soon lest they be left playing catch-up.

“There’s no doubt it’s still a work in progress – I knew that coming in,” Piddick said.

“We had a solid pre-season but then the start of the season has been very disjointed.

“We’ve got plenty of time. We have quite a few catch-up games to make up as well … the games will soon come thick and fast.”

Michael Thwaite retirement: Former Socceroo, A-League star calls it quits after 19 seasons

IN MICHAEL Thwaite’s final competitive football appearance, he missed a penalty that would have sealed a stirring victory for Queensland against the old enemy.

A somewhat fitting end, he says, to a career that had a penchant for the poetic and dramatic.

Be it the timing of his first-ever professional goal – a stunning extra-time strike to seal a draw for Gold Coast United against former club Melbourne Victory – or a maiden red card in his final A-League appearance, the headlines often wrote themselves.

“If I can sum it up, I’ve probably experienced everything in the game,” the former Socceroo mused.

To the boy from Saints Soccer Club in Far North Queensland it’s those moments – good and bad – that he will hold near and dear as he enters post-football life on his own terms.

Despite feeling physically capable of continuing, Thwaite, 37, has called time on his playing career, declaring now is the time to “put family first” after almost two decades within “the football bubble”.

“In that football world, everything moulds around the game, training and travel,” he said. “I’ve played in Europe, in Asia and, representing Australia, there was obviously a lot of travel involved.

“Last year, before COVID, I decided that it would be my final year … physically I feel fine but it’s more mentally. If I was a car, I’d be on empty.”

The 190cm centre-half departs with 215 A-League caps and 13 Socceroos appearances to his name, over a senior football career spanning 19 years and multiple continents.

Thwaite arrived at the Marconi Stallions in 2002 as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, where he played two seasons in the old National Soccer League before departing for Romania.

His European football adventure spanned four years, before a return to Australia, on loan to Victory, netted a 2008-09 A-League championship-premiership double.

Thwaite’s A-League journey continued with Gold Coast United, Perth Glory and, after a season in China with Liaoning Whowin, Western Sydney.

He departed the A-League at the end of 2018 to rejoin Gold Coast United, this time in the National Premier Leagues Queensland competition.

It is there he played his final two seasons of semi-professional football, captaining the club through some turbulent but rewarding times.

Thwaite’s playing days may be over, but his connection to football is not. He still trains with the United squad twice a week, sharing his vast footballing knowledge with the club’s young defenders.

He knows better than most just how important exposure at a grassroots level can be in building the next great Socceroo.

“For me it was when I was 12. I played for my local club in Cairns for 10 years, Saints Soccer Club,” Thwaite said.

“I was playing for Saints and I remember watching the old NSL, watching Frank Farina who played for the Brisbane Strikers at the time. That was the first jersey I bought, the ‘97 Strikers (jersey) after they beat Sydney United … that team inspired me to want to become a professional footballer.”

It was fitting, then, that Thwaite’s professional debut five years later for Marconi came against the Strikers.

“With just that one game for Marconi I would have died a happy man,” Thwaite said.

But his journey was only starting and, in a macabre sort of way, the demise of the NSL helped Thwaite reach headier heights.

“After two years in the NSL I could have gone back to state league and probably earned more money, but I really wanted to make something of myself overseas,” he said.

“I didn’t ever buy a Socceroos jersey when I was younger. I wanted to earn it for myself. Playing in Europe gave me that opportunity.

“Earning that first jersey, against Jamaica in 2005 and winning 5-nil … being part of that golden generation that qualified for the World Cup after 32 years not being there, that was an amazing experience and something I’ll never forget.”

The loving family man is ready now for the next chapter; one that includes school drop-offs, ballet recitals and horse riding lessons.

“I’m like the family Uber driver, let’s put it that way,” Thwaite said. “I’m very content. For me it’s a breath of fresh air … it’s given me a real perspective of life outside that football bubble.”

NPL QLD 2021: Gold Coast United Senior Men’s squad

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United’s future bright with Grae says retiring Socceroo

RETIRING Gold Coast United captain Michael Thwaite says the club is set up for future success with coach Grae Piddick at the helm.

After a disappointing 11th-placed finish to the 2020 NPL Queensland season, narrowly avoiding relegation, United have top four aspirations this season with perennial winner Piddick at the helm.

Thwaite’s retirement has left a significant hole in United’s back four, leaving Piddick to field one of the youngest back lines in the competition so far in 2021.

But the club will not be entirely without Thwaite’s (pictured) services.

“I think it’s great we have Grae Piddick with us. His experience will be invaluable,” Thwaite said.

“I’m sure they wanted me to play (this season) but I made my decision and I was clear on that.

“I’m still training Tuesdays and Thursdays with the team – that’s two nights a week I can be on the field and give Grae some perspective with what’s happening on the pitch.

“It’s natural for me to want to help defensively, because that’s what I've been doing over quite a number of years.

“In saying that they’re doing well, and Grae analyses the game so well. He’s giving them the right information and I'll be there to help where I can.”

For all his football success – 215 A-League caps and 13 Socceroos appearances – Thwaite said playing for United in the NPL “had been an honour”.

“It was such a sad day for me when the club folded back in 2012. For the board to start the club from scratch and have a foundation now in the NPL is fantastic,” he said.

“To play the past two years has been an honour and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”

United’s fixture gauntlet continues away to reigning champions

From March 16, 2021 - Callum Dick

ALL the promise of an unbeaten pre-season is starting to slip away for Grae Piddick and Gold Coast United, as the team stares down a potential 0-3 start to its NPL Queensland campaign ahead of an away trip to play the reigning champions this weekend.

United lifted the Inter City Cup in late-February, beating out the likes of Moreton Bay United and Brisbane City FC for the pre-season silverware, but has since found the going much tougher in the state league season proper.

United is winless through the opening two weeks, following losses to Olympic (1-0) and Moreton Bay (3-1), and it only gets more difficult on Sunday when Piddick’s side travels to AJ Kelly Park to take on the unbeaten Peninsula Power.

“We know we’ve got it tough. Our first three matches are against three of the top five from last year and as it turns out, they’re all away from home,” Piddick said.

“It’s a tough run, but it’s letting us know really quickly where we need to be if we want to challenge the absolute best teams.”

It was always going to take time for Piddick to install his style of play on a squad with a host of new faces. After glimpses of the finished product, Piddick said the test now was “putting it together for a full 90 minutes” against Power.

“Last week against Olympic was encouraging. Against Moreton Bay there were some good parts to our game, but we probably let ourselves down a bit too,” he said.

“We’re looking for answers in the areas we need to improve in … we’ll have to improve pretty quickly, because we play Pen Power this weekend.”

Piddick’s young defence, which features two teenagers at full back, will again be put to the test by a Power attack which leads the NPL with eight goals in two matches.

”Jake McLean, Andy Pengelly, Sam Cronin ... they have plenty of firepower,” Piddick said.

“Bag loads of goals, quality in midfield and solid at the back. They’re a top side and we expect them to be right up there come the season end. We have a big challenge ahead of us.”

National headlines to out of the game: ‘I had to step away’

From February 8, 2021 - Callum Dick

HE WAS the electrician who sparked the biggest upset in FFA Cup history.

Paul O’Brien made national headlines when he struck the winning goal for Redlands United to complete a historic fairytale finish against reigning A-League champions Adelaide United. That was 2016.

Three years later, he was celebrating an NPL Victoria premiership three-peat with powerhouse club Heidelberg United, who recruited the by-day electrician after his crowning moment on the national stage.

O’Brien travelled Australia playing semi-professional football; spent off-seasons in Bali and Mexico and was, in football and life, just about on top of the world.

So why, then, was he ready to step away from the game he loved, ostensibly forever?

It was pre-season 2020 and O’Brien had just relocated to the Gold Coast, marking an NPL Queensland return after three seasons away by linking with 2019 champions Gold Coast Knights.

“I broke my ankle in the first pre-season game,” O’Brien said.

“Because of the stop COVID put on the season I only ended up missing five or six games, but I never really found full fitness.”

O’Brien, 31, had battled through injury before. In his first season at Heidelberg he broke his little toe, later refracturing it and scuppering his push for a first-team berth. But ultimately, he came out the other side. Three titles later, his perseverance was rewarded.

Not so this time around.

“I was just about to come back into the team and the (Knights) coach got sacked. It all went downhill from there,” O’Brien said, referencing Grae Piddick’s removal in August last year.

“I wasn’t enjoying it. I was in a long-term relationship that sort of fell apart as well, so I was dealing with a lot of personal stuff.

“The new coach and me didn’t get along all that well – I was just never fully committed with all the external stuff that was going on. I was dealing with moving house as well as everything else. It was a lot.”

Fighting form, fitness and off-field frustrations, O’Brien pulled the pin on his season six weeks early.

“I needed a break to get away from it all and fall in love with the game again,” he said.

“I had been a crazy four or five years. The success, it took a toll on me for sure, mentally more than anything.

“I just completely isolated myself from it. I went away, was able to switch off and reset and figure out whether I wanted to play again or not. At this level it takes up a lot of your time and I needed to decide if that was something I still wanted to do.”

A new relationship helped mend some mental wounds, and as pre-season approached O’Brien welcomed the return of a competitive itch he thought he had lost for good.

When Piddick called and asked him to go around again, this time with Gold Coast United, O’Brien was ready.

“You miss the competition. You miss the changeroom, and that’s probably the main thing. I’m super competitive,” he said.

“I have a good relationship with Grae. He stayed in touch with me. I went there, did a few pre-season sessions with him and it was a good bunch of boys. I’ve played a few games with them now and I signed last week. I’m loving it.”

Broadbeach living suits O’Brien. He loved Melbourne, but the Gold Coast lifestyle has already swayed him to settle on the south coast.

Now happier, healthier and perhaps fitter than ever, O’Brien looms as a defensive midfield linchpin for Piddick’s would-be finals contenders this season

“Grae’s got such a good record across Queensland. He’s well-connected with everyone and one of the nicest guys you’ll meet,” O’Brien said.

“Wherever he goes he brings good lads and good players, and that’s exactly what we’ve got at United.

“The main reason I’m playing again is I want to be around a bunch of good guys who are motivated and want to do well.

“With Justyn McKay, Sam Smith, Shane Smelts – (Michael) Thwaite is there – and Grae, we have some great people at United. People I can learn off.

“I think if we can keep everyone fit and healthy, we should be pushing top four for sure.”