The Michael Marrone Appreciation Thread

[Jessesdad]

I know it's been mentioned in the signings thread but I think MM needs a thread of his own. Bloody good player. Great team man. Humble. Uncomplaining. Even the graceful and grateful way he's left the club after being treated less than perfectly last season exemplifies his character.

I remember heading out to a pre-season match years and years ago to see him trialling. He ripped it up. The only other fullback I've ever seen with that potential in the A-League was Grant in his very early days for Sydney.

Thanks for all the effort and skill over the years, Micky! You move into the 'legendary' category that fans like me reserve for players like Cassio and a few select others.

Also stoked to hear that he's signed for Sturt Lions, our local club up here in the hills.

Share your thoughts on the fabulous MM.

[sub007]

Genuine club stalwart.

Always could be relied upon to do a job and he did just that with minimal fuss.

I feel he was very underrated by fans all across the league, like people fap over Leigh Broxbam for always coming into the Victory side and putting in a good shift but Micky is a much better player than him.

[MartinAUFC]

I remember him coming on as a sub in the club World Cup in 2008 when we proved we were the 5th best team in the world.
He looked really good and I was kinda devoed when he chugged off to Melbourne. Good job it wasn't MV or he would've been dead to me.
Then he came back after a stint in China and became a mainstay in the team that made it to the GF in 2016. It was an absolute tragedy that he got injured and couldn't play in that game.
The sight of him getting around on crutches during the celebrations was heart breaking. Perhaps it was a measure of the man that he looked just as happy as the rest of the team.

Fantastic club man who played for the shirt. Congrats on a great career Mickey.

[sub007]

I remember him coming on as a sub in the club World Cup in 2008 when we proved we were the 5th best team in the world.
He looked really good and I was kinda devoed when he chugged off to Melbourne. Good job it wasn't MV or he would've been dead to me.
Then he came back after a stint in China and became a mainstay in the team that made it to the GF in 2016. It was an absolute tragedy that he got injured and couldn't play in that game.
The sight of him getting around on crutches during the celebrations was heart breaking. Perhaps it was a measure of the man that he looked just as happy as the rest of the team.

Fantastic club man who played for the shirt. Congrats on a great career Mickey.

He actually did play in the GF but went off injured in the second half.

[MartinAUFC]

I remember him coming on as a sub in the club World Cup in 2008 when we proved we were the 5th best team in the world.
He looked really good and I was kinda devoed when he chugged off to Melbourne. Good job it wasn't MV or he would've been dead to me.
Then he came back after a stint in China and became a mainstay in the team that made it to the GF in 2016. It was an absolute tragedy that he got injured and couldn't play in that game.
The sight of him getting around on crutches during the celebrations was heart breaking. Perhaps it was a measure of the man that he looked just as happy as the rest of the team.

Fantastic club man who played for the shirt. Congrats on a great career Mickey.

He actually did play in the GF but went off injured in the second half.

Whoops, my bad. I just remembered the crutches and thought he missed out completely.
The old memory's not what it used to be
Sorry Mick.

[sevengoals]

Super Michael Super!

Consistent, hard working, great club player.

Good luck at Sturt Lions, big bonus for the SA league.

[Old Gregg]

Just adding my respects to this thread. Absolute legend, one of my favourite players and seems like a really nice bloke, to boot. Well in Micky!

[blahblah]

It was great having him at the Club. We were lucky to have him for as long as we did.

[Rojos]

Ripping bloke and could have gone another year, disappointed with the treatment from Carl.

From way back when................

Marrone was given 48 hours' notice of a trial with English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers. That started an odyssey which took in four European clubs and brought him agonisingly close to sealing a deal with Italian Serie A club Cagliari.

But it fell through, and the 24-year-old returns to the Heart to saddle up for a new A-League season he hopes will be a springboard to a permanent overseas deal.

''Of course, there are always fees involved with this stuff and English clubs aren't that rich at that level, because I trialled with two Championship clubs and a League One club,'' Marrone said of his stints with QPR, Leicester and Charlton.

''In Italy, I heard a couple of weeks in advance there might be a bit of interest. And it was Cagliari - a Serie A team. How can you turn that down?''

Marrone impressed at Cagliari and their former Italian manager, Roberto Donadoni, was keen to sign him - believing he could play as a wide midfielder or wing-back.

But, just after Cagliari had an initial bid turned down by the Heart, Donadoni was shown the door when he fell out with the club president. And the new manager pulled the rug on negotiations to sign Marrone.

''The trial went really well. They made a bid, the [Heart] rejected it, and they were in the process of making another bid and then the stuff with Donadoni happened.

''If it had happened sooner and quickly, something could have been done and I could have been over there. But that's football, isn't it?''

[Stuckey]

Thanks Micky for everything. I've never had the pleasure of meeting him but he comes across as a very kind and hard working individual. Definitely a club legend in my books.
Sad he was so underutilised this season but IMO there is no better test for someone's personality then being benched for the season like this. To be on hand for the moments the club needed him I think shows how strong a person he is.

Good luck for the future Micky!

[sub007]

Scored a worldie on his debut for Sturt.

https://twitter.com/footballsa_npl/stat ... 76258?s=21

[sevengoals]

Scored a worldie on his debut for Sturt.

https://twitter.com/footballsa_npl/stat ... 76258?s=21

Yes!
He was involved in nearly everything!
Quite a boost for Sturt Lions.