Wandering Away – Jerrad Tyson
The toughest job at any football club isn’t the chairman, or the star player or even the boot studder; it’s the backup keeper. Jerrad Tyson has now parted ways with Western Sydney much to the displeasure of many of his loyal fans.
Over the past two seasons Tyson has been the stand out player off the pitch, not just for his club but for the league. Fans from all clubs would’ve seen how hard Tyson has worked off the pitch to help build his club in the public eye. Only last week Tyson attended the first ever Powerchair Sydney derby to lend his support to the team. This is how most will remember Tyson, a player who continually gave up his time for the greater cause, his club.
A backup keeper is the toughest and most unrewarding task at any club. In the short A-League season opportunities to rest players don’t come around too often, and the key objective to the number one keeper is to hold his place in the team. Unlike a midfielder you can’t grab 10 minutes of game time here or there to gain some much needed playing time, or interchange positions to take advantage of an injury or two. When you attend the game you notice how hard the backup keeper works before the game. He is put through his paces as hard as the number one keeper, participates in the entire warm up drills, and then is expected to warm up the keeper just before the second half commences.
Tyson played three matches in two seasons (1 AL, 2 ACL) and kept clean sheets in all three matches. Playing second fiddle to Ante Covic is one of the toughest gigs in the A-League, with Covic playing a major role in the Wanderers second consecutive grand final appearance. Even with the busy schedule Tyson was only given very limited opportunities at his time at the Wanderers but will always remain a firm favourite amongst the Wanderers faithful.
Relying on an injury or a run of poor form isn’t something a player would never want to rely on, most keepers in the league managed to hold down their positions throughout the season, even Andrew Redmayne whose team languished at the bottom of the table managed to cement his position for the bulk of the season.
Tyson still has a bright future ahead of him, and should be snapped up by another A-League club. Rumours have surfaced about moving to Perth, but he could also look at moves to Wellington or Newcastle if Birighetti decides to move to Europe over the off season. The next move Tyson makes will most likely be his most important, given the amount of younger keepers wanting to taste first team football.
Tyson will be an asset to any club he chooses, given his demeanour on and off the pitch. His love for the game is infectious; one only hopes he won’t be lost to our league.
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