New Western Sydney Wanderers signing Jack Clisby is hopeful his first outing for his new club will be in front of more than 60,000 fans at ANZ Stadium.
The 24-year-old Western Australian was one of a dozen new faces to join Tony Popovic’s squad this off-season, and promised he’ll be doing all he can to be featured in this Saturday night’s season opener against Sydney FC.
While Popovic’s final Sydney Derby line-up is yet to be determined, Clisby is hopeful he’s impressed his new coach enough to be considered.
“Nothing is set in stone but I’ve been fighting for my position all week, and have been doing everything I can to make sure that I’m available,” he said.
“It’s what we all work towards in the pre-season and that’s playing in the first week of the A-League.
“After a tough pre-season it’s finally come around and I can’t wait for the challenge.”
Clisby joined the Wanderers in August after stints with Perth Glory and Melbourne City. To date, he’s played 60 A-League games at both centre back and left back.
Despite joining the club mid-way through the off-season, Clisby has settled in well.
“It’s a great club to be at and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it would be,” he said.
“I’ve already learned a lot so far under the boss (Popovic) and the coaching staff.
“As a player and as a person you get out what you put in at this club, and the standards are really high. I’m really enjoying it here at the moment.”
Another player looking to make his mark this season is 20-year-old central defender Jonathan Aspropotamitis.
Joining the club during the 2014/15 season, Aspropotamitis has only played 13 games in the top squad but is ready to take his game to the next level.
Aspropotamitis said he’s also eager to discover whether he’s made the cut for this weekend’s blockbuster.
“All the boys are looking forward to playing the first A-League game especially in front of 60,000 people against our fierce rivals,” he said.
“If I do get the chance to play on Saturday, I’ll need to keep a clear mind and relish the opportunity and try and play the best I can to help the team win.”
The Wanderers and Sydney FC do battle from 7.50pm on Saturday, October 8. The match is live on Fox Sports.
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.