Special Feature: Joel Chianese – The Local Hero

Even the highly credentialled, Brett Emerton, may play in the shadow of the  Italian icon, particularly now he has stated he would be prepared to allow Del Piero to take over the  dead ball duties.
With all the hysteria generated round the Del Piero acquisition, it would be easy for fans to forget that 2011/12 was Brisbane Roar’s triumph when Thomas Broich and Besart Berisha carved their indelible marks in A-League history.
Apart from these incredible players, there were few outstanding performers until the arrival of young striker, Joel Chianese, in the latter part of the season.
The former Blacktown City FC player made striking look easy as he helped himself to six goals in only nine starts.
He was a breath of fresh air in the Sydney FC lineup as they finally discovered a naturally talented striker without resorting to buying from the local or overseas market.
Chianese’s progression to senior football was not a rapid process .
Many youth players who were considered better than me for whatever reason were selected in representative teams but most of them didn’t make the grade and in many cases gave the game away’, says Chianese.
His introduction to football was as a five year old at the famous club Wenty Waratahs but when he attended his first training session he cried so much the club told his parents he wasn’t ready to start playing.
Fortunately, the season after, some of my school friends started playing at Wenty and the club took me back’.
‘I guess I got an early break in my career because if I hadn’t played that first season, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today’.
Last season Chianese was performing at a high level in the Sydney FC youth team but the conservative approach of Vitezslav Lavicka  prevented his selection for the first team  earlier in the season.
‘Admittedly, I had a few injuries but after those had passed, I was ready to play first team football and it was extremely frustrating before I got the call up’.
Yet, this is not uncommon in Australian football where clubs are reluctant to give youth its opportunity, believing that investing in so called established players will guarantee success.
Even Mitch Malia who played a starring role in the Round 20 away victory against Adelaide United wasn’t given much game time after that match.
It only goes to prove if they look in their own backyard, clubs can discover players of quality but ironically it took the promptings of Dave Fitzharris from Blacktown to convince Steve O’Connor, the former Sydney FC youth team coach, to give Chianese a chance to perform.
The rest is history.
It’s early days but Chianese has all the makings of a top class striker.
He has electric pace which few defenders can match in the A-League, good technique on both feet and has that special sixth sense to make those late runs into the box.
He openly admits he needs to improve his heading ability while utilising different techniques to beat opponents one on one.
I’ve also realised I need to be stronger physically and I’ve done a lot of work preseason in this area but I don’t want to be so big that I restrict my pace’.
If he reminds of any player at this stage of his career, you can see glimpses of Frank Farina in his early years with his blistering pace and predatory instincts.
It’s nice to be compared to great players but in the end I want to make my own reputation’.
This season it appears Chianese will be employed at the top of the diamond in a 4-3-3 formation so he’s going to take a lot more knocks now that players are aware of his ability.
He rated the Wellington Phoenix defenders, Sigmund, Durante and Muscat as his most difficult opponents last season but he also had a torrid tussle with Dean Heffernan in Perth.
Heffernan tried to be overly aggressive with me a few times but luckily I had him for pace to avoid the rough stuff he was prepared to throw at me’.
Certainly, this season  Chianese will realise that this is what the game is all about for young strikers as boys have to  grow up to be men.
Ian Crook knows my game well and is confident I can fulfil the role of central striker where I can bring other players into the game and also put the ball away regularly’.
At the end of the season, Chianese will be a free player and his agent, Dave McGrone, is well aware of the player’s desire to make it to the top.
Like every young player, I would like to play overseas and it’s critical I do well this season.
‘Dave McGrone has mentioned a few options but I need to consolidate my position at Sydney FC before I make any decisions’.
‘It would be great to play overseas but this season with Del Piero bringing big crowds to the games, I will certainly get a taste of big time atmosphere’.
If Chianese can continue where he left off last year, the sky is the limit and in the words of his former Blacktown coach, Aytek Genc.
‘Joel is a great young talent, a pleasure to coach, possessing a great work ethic and as his technique improves he can only get better to score many more goals’.
The final word rests with Gary Cole, the former great Socceroo striker and current Operations Manager at Sydney FC.
‘Joel is an exciting striker  who presses on defences with his great speed  to deny them space and is a match winner  as he demonstrated  with his great haul last season’.
We can applaud the signings of Del Piero and Heskey.
However, if  clubs would  allocate more time and money,  scouting young stars like Joel  Chianese, this country could  showcase its own local heroes,  without resorting to investing  large sums on overseas players for short term gain .
-By Roger Sleeman