Musialik rises from the pine for Jets clash
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday September 18, 2009
STUART MUSIALIK likens his recall to the Sydney FC midfield for Sunday's clash against the Newcastle Jets as coming "back from the dead" after spending the first six weeks out of the first team set-up.In what was expected to be a crucial year for the promising 24-year-old, Musialik's star has fallen from being lauded as the A-League's best defensive midfielder to relative obscurity, with Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka yet to offer him a single minute in the senior ranks.Confusion reigned as to what Musialik was doing wrong, with Karol Kisel, Terry McFlynn and Rhyan Grant seemingly the only ones in contention for a place in the engine room. However, with McFlynn injured and Grant touring with the Young Socceroos, Musialik can't wait for his opportunity when he takes to the field at the Sydney Football Stadium."Even though it is through injuries or players being away, it's a chance for me to get out there, have a go and get involved again," Musialik told the Herald. "I've played a few trial games and played with the youth team last week but it's not the same thing."You train hard during the week so you can get that prize at the end of the week, playing in the big time, in front of the crowds. It's been a while and I've had to do it the hard way but I'm definitely looking forward to getting out there and playing."Musialik has tried to stay positive through the ordeal, insisting his time on the sidelines will help mould him as a footballer and a person."It's been very frustrating but this is a good test of my mental strength and character," he said. "You'd be hard-pushed to find a player anywhere in the world that doesn't go through a patch where they're not getting a run, so hopefully I can come out the other end."In some ways, it probably keeps you a bit more motivated. You see it as a challenge, as a good chance to prove a point and come back from the dead. You can't go into a hole and feel sorry for yourself."It was actually with the Jets that Musialik first experienced life on the outer, as inaugural coach Richard Money relegated Musialik to the fringes in favour of Richard Johnson and Nick Carle."This is very much the same as that and hopefully I can learn from what I did wrong in my first year up there and do things a bit differently this time," Musialik said. "Obviously I was a bit younger up there, a bit immature and I probably dealt with it the wrong way. I wasn't putting in the extra training or doing all the extra hard work that, when you are playing regularly, you need to do to keep your spot."Now I've realised that when you get that chance, you must be ready to go. When I did get chances at Newcastle in that first year, I wasn't physically 100 per cent ready because I hadn't gone the extra mile."Having grown up in the Hunter and progressed through Newcastle United's NSL team and blossoming into a key player with the Jets in their 2007-8 championship-winning side, one might think it would be an emotional day for Musialik. However, it doesn't faze him."It's not really a big deal any more because lot's changed since I was up there €“ there's a lot of new players and coaches," he said. "Last year there was a real feeling of playing against your old club. This year though, especially with me being out of the picture, I'm more focused on my job and making sure I just get out there and do what I need to do rather than worrying about who we're playing against."Musialik also wanted to scotch rumours he is keen to return to Newcastle, saying he's happy to stay in Sydney for the long term."I think I've proved in buying a place in Freshwater that I'm committed to Sydney and that's all there is to it," he said. "If I was planning any moves back to Newcastle than I wouldn't have bought a unit. I'm looking to settle in Sydney and especially in this tough time at the moment, where I haven't been playing and things haven't been going to plan, if I was looking to go back to Newcastle, I would have done it by now. I wouldn't have dug my heels in and stuck through this hard time."
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
