Leader and a gentleman

Every non-Melbourne football fan has an opinion on Kevin Muscat, and in truth, it is not always an overly positive one, writes Pippinu D'Angelo in Four Four Two Australia:

Yet few would deny his on-field leadership qualities and as we have seen the last two weeks, he remains integral to the success or otherwise of the Victory. Kevin regularly fronts the cameras as a spokesman for the club and has become a polished media performer. If he does not pursue a coaching career upon retirement (he turned 35 in August this year), a media career undoubtedly beckons.

Having been given the opportunity to interview him after a recent training session, I can add that he is every bit as genial off-camera as he presents on television. Kevin was raised in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, an area with a long footballing heritage, being the birthplace of famous clubs such as Sunshine George Cross (now known as the Sunshine Georgies), Melbourne Knights, Footscray J.U.S.T. and Green Gully.

Born in England, Kevin is of Maltese descent. Sunshine, and the nearby suburbs of Ardeer and St Albans, once held large concentrations of Maltese migrants, and at one point this part of Melbourne represented the largest Maltese community anywhere in Australia. As such, it is not surprising that Sunshine George Cross (and its precursors) was at the heart of Melbourne's Maltese community for decades.

Kevin debuted with Sunshine George Cross as a 16 year old in 1989. His contemporaries around this time were Damian Mori and Craig Foster. Something I hadn't realised was that Ernie was actually the Sunshine coach at this time, so their relationship goes back a very long way, and perhaps explains the very close partnership they have forged together in leading Victory to their recent successes.

Kevin's earliest memory of starting his professional career at the age of 16 was being part of an ongoing relegation battle. Sunshine finally succumbed the following season, never to return again to the national scene. He still maintains close links with the club and occasionally offers his assistance with training sessions...