Melbourne Victory have been involved in a player swap with Central Coast Mariners

Melbourne Victory have been involved in a player swap with Central Coast Mariners and it has seen the arrival of star Mitch Austin to the squad.

In order to get the 25-year-old, Melbourne Victory have had to part company with winger Connor Pain, who has moved to the other way. The transfer represents a significant addition to the Melbourne Victory squad. It became apparent that Austin would not be staying at Central Coast for long after news emerged about the player refusing the option of a second year at the club. Last season, Austin played the requisite number of matches to deserve a second year.

Considering that the last season was his debut campaign in the Australian A-League, Austin has done extremely well to turn a lot of heads. Since his move from the lower levels of the English league, Austin has quickly risen into one of the top players in the A-League. Manager Kevin Muscat claimed that everyone at Melbourne Victory are extremely excited to see what Austin brings to the club. On the physical front, Austin is extremely well equipped to help counter-attacking style of football with his great work ethic, speed, and skill. Muscat admitted that Austin’s first season in the A league had convinced everyone at the club that he was the right choice at this moment.

“We’re excited about what Mitch can bring. He has great speed and skill, a tremendous work ethic and he has demonstrated an ability to score goals. He thrived in his first season in the A-League, and with more experience we expect he will become an even better player,” said the Melbourne Victory manager. Meanwhile, Central Coast revealed the reasons for Austin’s exit.”Mitch requested to terminate his contract, which highlights why the FFA should re-consider the rules around transfer fees between A-League clubs,” said Central Coast executive vice-chairman Peter Storrie.