Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to pay accolades to and congratulate one of Adelaide’s, and South Australia’s, favourite institutions: the Adelaide United Football Club, which has been participating within the Asian Champions League. The Adelaide United Football Club is based at Hindmarsh Stadium and it has reached the finals. Over the past eight months we have seen something quite remarkable in the progress of club sport within Australia. Commencing what at times has been a gruelling procession of travel and play, Adelaide United has managed what I think no other Australian club has done to date: making the final of this prestigious international event.

At the Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide tomorrow night, Adelaide United faces the Gamba Osaka team of Japan in the second leg of the final. After the first leg of the final, held in Japan last Wednesday, Gamba Osaka has a 3-0 lead on goal aggregate. To get to this point alone is truly remarkable. Adelaide United, or the Reds, faced six teams from around the region. From early March this year, they faced and were victorious over Korea’s Pohang Steelers, 2-0 and again 1-0; they defeated Vietnam’s Binh Diong, 2-1 and 4-1; and they drew with Changchun Yatai of China twice. Being at the top of their group’s table at that point, Adelaide United proceeded to enter the knockout stage in September. Adelaide United succeeded over Japan’s Kashima Antlers, scoring two goals to one on aggregate. The semifinal saw Adelaide United defeat Uzbekistan’s Tashkent by three goals to one on aggregate, leading to the competition in which the club is engaged at this point, facing Gamba Osaka in this week’s final.

Tomorrow night’s competition at Hindmarsh Stadium is sold out, with an anticipated 17,000-strong crowd expecting to see what is being dubbed in today’s Advertiser as ‘one of the biggest sporting matches in the state’s history’. The success of Adelaide United Football Club in reaching this final is more than enough to put pride in the heart of any Australian football fan. The achievement of this Adelaide team in playing this final is enough in itself to command the respect of all Australians interested in sport and the success of Australian teams in international events.

I would like to congratulate the team, coach and support staff on what they have already achieved and what they have proven to all Australians, retired players and juniors alike: Australian teams can make the grade. The Australian club environment is, of course, totally different to that of the teams Adelaide United has faced in this competition. For instance, within the Gamba Osaka team two players earn a combined income from their club of $7 million per season. Yasuhito Endo earns $4 million per season and Lucas earns $3 million per season. Australian teams simply do not compare due to the nature of the Australian club environment and the competition within which they compete.

While Gamba Osaka spends an estimated $24 million per season on the wages of its senior team alone, Australian teams have a salary cap of $1.9 million per club per season. Adelaide United as a whole has a salary cap that is less than half the price commanded by just Mr Endo himself. With the capacity to pay very big money, clubs naturally have the capacity to attract the brightest talent from around the world. This puts the achievement of Adelaide United Football Club even more sharply into focus. United needs to beat Gamba by four goals, or at least achieve a score of 3-0 at the conclusion of ordinary time to give itself any chance in extra time. I think this could quite reasonably be considered a big task. I am sure that, in front of a crowd of screaming Adelaide United supporters and well-wishers pouring in from around the country, the Reds will do very well.

Irrespective of the outcome tomorrow night—to again put the success of Adelaide United into context—the fact that they have made the final automatically qualifies them for the Club World Cup to be held in Japan in December. In this competition we have the opportunity to play against Manchester United as the Continental Club Cup winner and other clubs that have won the cup in their continental region. This proves just how far these players have come.

Again, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the coach and each of the team members all the best for tomorrow night’s deciding final. I am sure they have already succeeded and will continue to achieve great things in the months and years ahead. Adelaide United Football Club has fielded the following players during this remarkable campaign: the coach, Aurelio Vidmar, who has done an outstanding job and is one of the best coaches in Australia; the goalkeepers, Mark Birighitti, Daniel Beltrame and Eugene Galekovic; the defenders, Cassio, Robert Cornthwaite, Angelo Costanzo, Sasa Ognenosvki, Scott Jamieson, Daniel Mullen, Michael Valkanis and Richie Alagich; the midfielders, Fabian Barbiero, Diego, team captain Travis Dodd, Lucas Pantelis, Kristian Sarkies, Paul Reid, Jonas Salley, Jason Spagnuolo and Nathan Burns; and the forwards, Cristiano, Paul Agostino, Robert Younis, Bruce Djite and Dez Giraldi. Good luck to all of the team tomorrow night. Win or lose, they have done all South Australians, and Australians, proud.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 9 pm, the debate is interrupted.