Nichols has played 125 matches for Roar and was a key member of the A-League Championship double-winning side under Ange Postecoglou, who News Limited claimed played a prominent role in luring the 24 year-old to Victory.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey had been confident of retaining the services of Nichols - who had been keen on trying his luck in Europe - before Postecoglou ramped up his interest.

Roar's Managing Director Sean Dobson said the club is disappointed with Nichols’s decision, but accepted his desire to challenge himself at a new club.

“We’d like to thank Mitch for his contribution in his six seasons at the club and we wish him well in his future endeavours,” Dobson said.

“We’ve been in constant communication with Mitch and his management during this season, however at this time Mitch indicated he feels he needs a new challenge.

“From the club’s point of view, we’re comfortable knowing we did everything in our power to keep Mitch in Brisbane Roar colours.”

Nichols's departure leaves Mulvey with a gaping chasm in his midfield with Massimo Murdocca joining Melbourne Heart and on-loan midfielder Steve Lustica's expected return to his Croatian club Hajduk Split.

Ben Halloran has been linked with German Bundesliga club Fortuna Dusseldorf, where ex-Roar and Australia star Robbie Kruse excelled this season, while on-loan Dutchman Stef Neijland and James Meyer were deemed surplus to requirements by Mulvey.

It is the second time the German playmaker has taken home the prestigious medal after winning it in his debut season for Roar in 2011.

Versatile Ivan Franjic was voted Members’ Player of the Year for his committed performances throughout the campaign while Besart Berisha won the Players’ Player of Year.

The Albanian striker also took home the club’s Golden Boot award for his 14 goals.

W-League players were also honoured at the ceremony, with Katrina Gorry claiming the Player of the Year of the award and Tameka Butt the Golden Boot, after netting eight goals in the final five matches of the season.

But with the awards night signifying the official end to the 2012-2013 season, the club has already begun to look to the future, announcing a restructure of its football department for the next A-League season.

As part of the restructure Jeff Hopkins will head up the club’s National Youth League squad, while former NYL coach John Sime will assume a chief scout role for the club.

Moves that, according to Roar head coach Mike Mulvey, will nurture talent like NYL Player of the Year Ross Archibald, and Young Player of the Year James Donachie.

“Jeff is tactically astute and his one-on-one work with the young players will be of great benefit to their development,” Mulvey said.

“As someone who has worked with the first team, Jeff is completely aware of the expectations we have of our players and is in a fantastic position to prepare young players for the demands of professional football.”

Mulvey also said he was delighted to keep Sime’s vast knowledge at the club and looked forward to working with him in his new position while the search is now on for a new assistant coach.

Brisbane Roar 2012-2013 award winners

Gary Wilkins Medal for Player of the Year – Thomas Broich
A-League Players’ Player of the Year – Besart Berisha
A-League Members’ Player of the Year – Ivan Franjic
A-League Golden Boot – Besart Berisha

Young Player of the Year – James Donachie
Club Person of the Year – Matt Smith
Staff Member of the Year – Jasmyne Buswell
Volunteer of the Year – Shane Jeynes

National Youth League Player of the Year – Ross Archibald

W-League Player of the Year – Katrina Gorry
W-League Players’ Player of the Year – Clare Polkinghorne
W-League Golden Boot – Tameka Butt

The breakthrough season of Brisbane-product Kruse has awakened Fortuna to the potential of raw Australian talent and the club has been tracking Halloran, 20, for some time and it’s understood a deal is close.

Halloran, who made 24 appearances and netted four goals as Roar came within a game of reaching this season’s A-League grand final, has two years left on the three year deal he signed last year after being snapped up by Brisbane from the ashes of Gold Coast United.

And should the kid from Cairns join fellow Queenslander Kruse in Dusseldorf, it is likely he will attract a transfer fee in excess of $400,000.

However sources in Germany say that Dusseldorf, which is in the midst of a relegation fight under coach Norbert Meier, will not make a final decision on any signings until its fate has been determined. It lies 15th on the ladder with four games left, three points ahead of fellow basement dweller Augsburg.

The side which finishes 16th will face Bundesliga 2 opposition in a promotion-relegation play-off.

Dusseldorf, which has relied heavily on the blossoming ability of Kruse this season, is without a win in eight games and faces the might of Mitch Langerak’s Borussia Dortmund early Sunday morning (Australian time) hoping that Jurgen Klopp rests some of his stars ahead of next week’s return UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.

Should it be relegated, Kruse will almost certainly be snapped up by another Bundesliga outfit – such is the impression he has made this season.

On-loan Dutchman Nijland will return to PSV Eindhoven after 10 games for Roar since his January move while attacker Meyer - five games and one goal this season - and defender Jurman - 15 games this season - were deemed surplus to requirements.

“From my point of view, I’d like to thank all three for their commitment and professionalism during my time at the club,” Roar coach Mike Mulvey said.

“Each has contributed to the club in their own way, but at this point in time they did not fit into our plans as we move forward."

“On behalf of the club, I’d like to wish each player the best of luck for their respective career in the future.”

Brisbane was eliminated in the A-League semi-final by Western Sydney Wanderers last Friday to end its championship defence, after finishing fifth in the regular season.

Rampant Western Sydney Wanderers ended Roar's two-year reign, knocking it out with a 2-0 win at Parramatta Stadium on Friday night.

Mulvey, who replaced Rado Vidosic at the helm in December, not for a second doubted the back-to-back champion would make the finals - even though a horrid run of results had it sitting in ninth place when he took charge.

Slowly but surely, Mulvey was able to get Roar firing again, lifting it to fifth place to book a finals berth and enter the knockout stage as one of the form sides.

Mulvey praised the effort of his players who managed to overcome a rollercoaster season to look like the Roar of old.

"The season is perhaps best summed up by saying: disappointing first half of the season, upheaval, some positive changes and great response from the players," he said.

"They deserve a huge amount of credit for the way they turned things around.

"One thing that I said all along was that we have one eye on next season but we wanted to salvage what we could out of this season and I think that we've given it a red-hot go."

But it wasn't enough on Friday night.

The Wanderers' watertight defence was able to nullify the usual huge impact of super striker Besart Berisha and German skipper Thomas Broich, who left the pitch still suffering from his heel complaint.

Mulvey feels the side might have begun getting complacent and says the crushing end to the campaign could be just the tonic needed to get it back to its best.

"What I've just said to them is that I want them to feel this moment, I want them to feel the hurt because that will help drive us to improve next season," he said.

"There was a feeling of entitlement, if you like, and one thing that we've done now is that we've steadied the ship and we've started pointing in the right direction."

Memorable goals from Dino Kresinger in the first half and Japanese magician Shinji Ono in the second broke Brisbane's hearts in front of an enraptured sell-out audience of 19,369 at Parramatta Stadium.

But on the night Tony Popovic's men were also presented with the Premiers' Plate, the home side was left counting the cost of a red card to winger Youssouf Hersi 12 minutes from time which rules him out of next Sunday's season decider against either Central Coast or Melbourne Victory at Allianz Stadium.

The oft-maligned Kresinger struck in the 16th minute with an audacious back-heel when Mark Bridge cut the ball back into his path after he had been released by the ever elusive Hersi.

It was just the Croatian's second goal in 24 appearances for WSW and the timing could not have been better for a finish worthy of deciding the Grand Final itself.

While saluting his side, Popovic wasn't getting too carried away with the success of the newcomer.

"We've accomplished a lot but there is still a grand final to play and we want to win it," he said. "I am proud of the boys and now we have next weekend to look forward to.

"I'm not sure what was going through my head. Obviously I was pleased. But I just feel like there's still more to do next week.

"It's not daunting though at all. The Premiers' Plate was different. When we won in Newcastle we knew we had won it and achieved something.

"But in this finals series we've achieved nothing yet. So come next Sunday we'll do everything we can to hold up another trophy."

And on a goal from Ono which will be talked about for some time to come, Popovic added: "He's a great player and he stands up and produces in the big games when it matters most."

Chances were scarce in a high-intensity contest where space was at a premium as tackles came fast and furious and the ebb and flow had the full-house crowd in its thrall.

Bridge might have added a second but for a smart save from Roar keeper Michael Theo.

Wanderers suffered a blow five minutes from the interval when gun German right back Jerome Polenz - just back from a four-week injury absense - was forced off to be replaced by Tarek Elrich.

And Roar, which kept probing throughout the match, had a viable shout for a spot-kick waved away by referee Alan Milliner after Yianni Perkatis appeared to bundle over Luke Brattan as he weaved his way into the box.

Ono settled the issue with a stunning left-footed curler from the edge of the area after 73 minutes which flew past a motionless Theo for one of the goals of this season - or any season.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey conceded that stopped any momentum his side was trying to gain.

Mitch Nichols and Ben Halloran threatened but Wanderers 'keeper Ante Covic was otherwise untroubled with his defence able to nullify superstriker Besart Berisha and skipper Thomas Broich's impact.

"What an outrageously brilliant goal by Ono. I mean that was the nail in the coffin for us," Mulvey said.

"We were just coming back into it and creating chances and he scores a goal like that. It was a moment of genius.

"I just want to congratulate Western Sydney. It's been a marvellous achievement.

"On reflection they were the better side over the whole 90 minutes tonight.

The celebrations were soured a little when a rash challenge from Hersi saw him pick up his second yellow card in the 78th minute.

Popovic said: "It's hard to say I'm not disappointed. He's unpredictable and his intensity is high. He gives everything he has and it's all at 100 miles an hour.

"It was just that exuberance that has unfortunately cost him."

Western Sydney comes into the semi-final clash at Parramatta Stadium as favourite, having secured the Premiers' Plate after a 12-game unbeaten run.

Defending champion Roar, meanwhile has hit form at the right time with last Sunday's 2-1 away win over Adelaide its third in a row.

"They're coming into a bit of form," Beauchamp said on Thursday.

"But we're going to be no easybeats at our home ground.

"The end prize is a spot in the grand final so we won't be leaving anything on the pitch."

But while both sides agree all stats go out of the window when it comes to sudden-death finals football, Beauchamp concedes Berisha remains a constant threat.

The Albanian striker may not be as prolific as last season, when he became the league's all-time leading scorer netting a 21-goal haul, but he's no less dangerous in front of goal.

He also has a knack for drawing penalties, having scored four of his 14 goals this season from the spot.

So as for the best way to nullify Berisha's impact, Beauchamp says it's simple.

"Keep an eye on him at all times," he said. "He's a tricky customer that's for sure. But across the park they've got quality. So we can't just focus on one player but Berisha is definitely a threat."

Berisha's two late goals, including a controversial penalty in the final minute of injury time, handed Brisbane a 2-1 win over Perth in last year's grand final, securing his club back-to-back championships.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey is certain Berisha will rise to the occasion again on Friday.

"He's got that big-match mentality and has been there and done it," Mulvey said.

"He lives for it and the most important thing I'll be telling my players tomorrow night is to be in the moment, live for the moment.

"If we do that as a complete 11 it should lead to a good performance."

Brisbane is still sweating on another key player, however, with German skipper Thomas Broich still battling a heel injury.

Mulvey says Broich is still in some pain but remains completely confident he'll recover in time.

"There's no question in my mind he'll be playing," Mulvey said.

"He's turned in this morning and the limp is noticeably better.

"What he's got is bruising and it's how he copes with that."

Western Sydney meanwhile had injury concerns of its own after Japanese star Shinji Ono (hamstring), fellow midfielder Aaron Mooy (knee) and defenders Jerome Polenz (quad) and Adam D'Apuzzo (foot) all missed the final game of the regular season.

Mooy trained with heavy strapping on his knee on Thursday but coach Tony Popovic is confident the week break has given them all enough time to be fit for Friday.

"They all trained the last two days and they all feel confident," he said.

Despite WSW's 12-match unbeaten streak, Roar coach Mike Mulvey said his defending champion side enters the semi-final at Parramatta Stadium with better momentum than the Premiers' Plate winner.

Brisbane has regained its confidence and spark thanks to three straight must-win victories - including a 2-1 play-off success in Adelaide United on Sunday when the Wanderers rested up.

Mulvey stressed the short five-day turnaround suited Roar and predicted it was poised to rock Western Sydney early in the sudden-death encounter.

"We've proven we can back up from a five or four-day turnaround," he said.

"I believe it's 14 days since they last played and that's not an easy thing to do.

"So we've got a couple of ideas of how we might take advantage.

"It's not easy to suddenly kick-start your form and two weeks off is a long time in football so perhaps the first 15 minutes could be very important."

Wanderers coach Tony Popovic had no qualms with the break after the 3-0 final-round win at Newcastle Jets, saying it couldn't be better timed to treat injuries and niggles.

"We've embraced the week off," he said. "It's helped us get a few bodies back which has been a bonus for us.

"The players recovered very well in the first week and we've picked up the intensity a little leading into this game."

Roar, which lost all three matches to the Wanderers this season, couldn't take advantage in the last clash, leading 1-0 at half-time before falling 2-1 at home.

But Mulvey said Brisbane was defensively fragile in that 20 January meeting, which came just before Socceroos defender Jade North made his Roar debut, and it wouldn't concede so easily again.

Mulvey remains supremely confident Roar captain Thomas Broich will shrug off his Achilles injury to play after coming through a secret fitness test on Thursday morning.

That was on 20 January at Suncorp Stadium, when they clashed in the centre of the field after the game had ended. Berisha had been on the verbal offensive throughout the match, and when they clashed Covic was seen repeatedly making a gesture to Berisha suggesting he should "zip it".

In the wake of that match, which the Wanderers won 2-1 to make it three consecutive wins against Brisbane, Covic described the Albanian striker to The World Game as a constant whinger who is "pissed off" because the Wanderers keep beating Roar.

"Throughout the game, like he usually does, he was having quite a decent whinge, on everything," Covic said at the time. "He kept on going after the game and I just told him to shut the hell up, but maybe in a bit more colourful language.

"I told him: 'We've had enough, we've heard everything you've got to say, zip it for once'."

Berisha has been a different player since then. He started scoring goals regularly again, and has been less frustrated and more disciplined. Covic knows he will be facing a striker in hot form when the Wanderers host Roar in the A-League semi-final at Parramatta Stadium on Friday night.

But the veteran custodian is relishing the challenge.

"Yes, of course I'm looking forward to the battle with him," Covic said. "You want to battle against the best players.

"Brisbane proved in the past two years they were the best team, and they're starting to play like that again. Brisbane are in form, and Berisha is playing good football.

"Whatever differences we've had on the field, myself and Berisha, at the end of the day he's out there to score goals, and he's a proven goalscorer and a good player. I don't question that.

"He's going to be tough to play against, and he'll want something out of this game.

"He wants to put the ball in the back of the net, and I'm in good form to try to repel that.

"The whole Brisbane team, including Berisha, have turned the corner in the last few weeks. He was nowhere on the goalscoring chart at one stage, but at the end of the season he was right back up there."

Asked how much he thought Berisha would enjoy knocking the ball past him for a goal, Covic replied: "Oh, no question, he would love it. I'd be surprised if he didn't say something, if it happened. I've just got to make sure he's got no reason to say anything.

"He's a passionate football player who shows it more than most. I'm a passionate football player, and I want to get one up on him again. He'll try to make it go his way, and he'll probably gloat in my face if it does. That's the way it is in football.

"I want to walk off that field satisfied that myself and the rest of the team have all done a fantastic job and we've been able to move on."

Covic said the Wanderers knew how Berisha would play, and what dangers he posed, but that shutting him down would still be difficult.

"I know what he's capable of," Covic said. "We, as a team, have studied the Roar and now we've got to carry out our plans.

"You have to be careful with Bersiha, the same as you have to be careful with top strikers from other teams, like (Marco) Rojas and (Archie) Thompson."

Wanderers central defender and captain Michael Beauchamp said that because Berisha moved around a lot there wouldn't be one defender constantly trying to stick with him, as that would put the defence at risk of being pulled out of shape.

"Whichever defender is closest to him must pick him up," Beauchamp said. "That's something we've worked on from day one.

"Whoever's zone he is in picks him up. As long as someone is with him, and with any other player who is attacking.

"You can't take your eyes off Berisha for one second, because he will head towards the six-yard box and be away. That's his game. The game goes for 90 minutes and he's waiting for a lapse in concentration from you.

"He sits far enough off you to be able to sneak in behind you if you're not careful. You can't slip up or he or someone else in that Brisbane side will punish you. It's up to us as a defensive unit to hold them back.

"We're definitely going to have to be right up for this game, but I'm sure we will be."

Japanese star Shinji Ono (hamstring), fellow midfielder Aaron Mooy (knee) and defenders Jerome Polenz (quad) and Adam D'Apuzzo (foot) all missed the final game of the regular season through injury.

Mooy trained with heavy strapping on his knee on Thursday but Popovic is confident all will be available for Friday's Parramatta Stadium knock-out clash.

"Everyone at the moment seems as though they will be available which is great news for us," he said on Thursday.

"It would be nice to get another training session in today and just confirm that.

"They all trained the last two days and they all feel confident, but we're not getting ahead of ourselves. We want them to complete the training today.

"If they get through that then it's great and we've got a big selection of players for tomorrow."

The table-topping Wanderers secured the Premiers' Plate in the final round with an emphatic 3-0 win over Newcastle Jets and enter the finals series on the back of a 12-game unbeaten run.

Many have questioned whether the week off awarded to the top two teams would halt their momentum, but Popovic said the break couldn't have been better timed.

"You can look at it in many different ways but we've embraced the week off," he said.

"It's helped us get a few bodies back, which has been a bonus for us.

"After a long season, the reward was to have a week off and instead of looking at that as a negative, we've taken it as a real positive."

Broich underwent a secret fitness test on Thursday morning while Roar trained at Ballymore and club medics say the skilful playmaker is on track to start at Parramatta Stadium.

Mulvey said a decision on whether his captain will play will be made on Friday, but he won't take any risks with his fitness.

The former German Under-21 player injured his Achilles in Brisbane's 2-1 play-off win over Adelaide United on Sunday night.

He has sported a heavy limp all this week but Mulvey said he was moving noticeably better on Thursday.

"I fully expect him to play," the coach said.

"There's no question in my mind he's travelling (this afternoon) and he'll be playing. So it's not even an issue in my mind about doing something else.

"He wants to play, which is the most important thing."

Mulvey would not reveal a contingency plan in case Broich fails to recover but it's almost certain that Ivan Franjic will move from the right wing to defence to replace injured fullback Jack Hingert (ankle).

Brisbane's selection options on the flanks include young speedster Ben Halloran and Brazilian striker Henrique.

The winner of Friday night's semi-final will play in next week's grand final against the victor of Sunday's semi-final between Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory.

Haliti, 27, is having his best season and his five goals helped the Wanderers clinch the Premiers' Plate in their maiden campaign.

Haliti, who was born in Pristina, Kosovo, came to Australia with his family as a 14-year-old and it took him little time to embark on a football career that took him twice to Newcastle Jets via Sydney Olympic, Sydney United and cameo roles in eastern Europe.

But when the second contract with the Jets was up at the end of last season and the Wanderers came calling he did not think twice about joining the newly-formed club and teaming up again with his old friend Milicic.

It was be a big decision that would change his career.

”The Wanderers' coaching staff were a big factor behind my decision to join the club,” Haliti said.

”I was looking forward to working with Popovic and Milicic, because I knew they would build something special.

”I was coming off contract in Newcastle and I wanted to come back home in Sydney so here I am.”

Haliti said he was delighted with the first-past-the-post victory and said it did not come as a complete surprise.

”That's what we work for and go to training every day for,” he said.

”If you don't believe that you obviously are not going to achieve anything.

”From day one you knew that you were in the company of good players and it was all a matter of putting it together.

”So far we have done a brilliant job but it's not over yet, we still have more games to go.

”I'm looking forward to enjoying the season.”

Haliti has struggled to command a regular start in the team, Popovic preferring to go with Mark Bridge and Dino Kresinger in most games.

Although he has started in only eight games, he has participated in 17.

But he's not complaining.

”I am very happy to contribute to the team in any way,” he said.

”Whether it's from the start or from the bench all I want is help the team because I am a part of it.

”I'm enjoying my football and this is the best I've felt in my career.

”And it's a credit to the coaching staff that I'm playing probably the best football I've ever played.”

Of the five goals he scored none gave him more pleasure than the one he netted in Gosford, in the match that probably decided the premiership.

With 10 minutes remaining in the top-of-the-table clash with Central Coast Mariners and the scores locked at 0-0, Haliti accepted a pass into space from Bridge to roll the ball into the net past Mat Ryan with aplomb.

”Looking back, the Mariners missed a penalty and, yes, it was a highlight in my career," he said.

”It was for first place too but it's a team game and the team performed well that day.

”Having said that we performed well throughout the season.”

Haliti is unsure if he will start in the keenly-awaited semi-final against Brisbane Roar at Parramatta Stadium on Friday night but he has no doubt that it could be a classic.

”It will be a good match for the spectators and for people who love football,” he said.

”Brisbane have fine individuals but so do we and we both are good teams.

”They have played in two grand finals and they are pretty solid all round so we can't watch just one player.

”We we can beat them if we do the things we have been doing. The rest will take care of itself.

”We have a good structure and we all get along on and off the field … everyone is willing to work for each other because we are all in it together … that is our strength and it's all down to our coaches.”

Haliti has started discussions with the club about an extension of his contract that expires soon.

He hopes to finish the season in a flourish so as to enhance his chances of another contract.

”My contract is up at the end of the season and I'm looking forward to staying here so hopefully my future will be sorted out soon,” he said.

”But at the moment my focus is on Brisbane.”

Whether injured captain Thomas Broich plays or not with a painful achilles problem, North stressed the defending champion has regained its mojo and is poised to turn the tables on the Wanderers.

The fledgling premier won its three matches against Roar this season, but North says that record along with the Wanderers' 12-match unbeaten streak, will count for little on Friday night.

Although mid-season signing North has never played against Western Sydney, the failures leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

"To me it was hurtful that we couldn't beat them throughout the season, but it's game by game now - it's finals," North said.

"If I was the opposition I wouldn't want to play Brisbane Roar, that's for sure.

"We don't see it as a disadvantage playing away from home - we thrive for these moments - and the old Brisbane Roar is coming out.

"Western Sydney are a great team and they have gone 12 games unbeaten now and 13 is an unlucky number."

Roar has stormed into the semi-finals on the back of victories over Melbourne Heart, Sydney FC and Adelaide.

North praised coach Mike Mulvey for bringing the enjoyment back to a Roar outfit which he says has regained its belief.

Broich was a notable absentee from training on Wednesday morning and is still sporting a heavy limp, but the German is confident he will make a miracle recovery to play.

Brisbane will be without right fullback Jack Hingert (ankle) but in-form midfielder Luke Brattan (calf) trained freely to confirm he'll start in front of a full house at Parramatta.

Hingert's absence is set to see Ivan Franjic return from to defence, which leaves Ben Halloran and Henrique poised to start on either flank if Broich fails to recover.

North remains "dirty" at Adelaide's roughhouse tactics on Sunday night, with Brattan felled by a studs-up tackle from Reds striker Jeronimo Neumann.

"It was a horrible tackle," North said. "That was disgraceful, absolutely disgraceful and he could have broken his leg.

"I don't know where their tactics came from the other day but for them to try and kick lumps out of us was not right.

"They were 2-0 down at the time and going nowhere and that wasn't football."

Broich was a noticeable absentee from Roar's field session on Wednesday morning after badly injuring his Achilles in Sunday night's 2-1 play-off win over Adelaide United.

However, he did tell reporters that he was confident he would play against the Wanderers.

The club echoed those sentiments with defender Jade North and goalkeeper Michael Theo but declaring that they expected the German playmaker to be fit to take his place on Friday night.

"He's a tough character and from all reports he's looking good," North said of Broich.

"(But) we can't just rely on one player. It's not just about individual players, it's about a team.

"I'm confident. We've got a lot of talent here."

On Tuesday, Roar coach Mike Mulvey said he was confident Broich and fellow midfielder Luke Brattan, who escaped any serious knee and calf injuries after being the victim of a high challenge from Reds striker Tomi Juric, would both be available to face WSW.

Roar will be without injured right-back Jack Hingert, with scans confirming a high-grade injury to ligaments in his right ankle, ruling him out of action for four to six weeks.

Scans cleared both midfielders of any structural damage after the 2-1 A-League Elimination Final against Adelaide United on Sunday - although Broich failed to train on Wednesday.

Broich copped an accidental kick to the back of his leg when he nipped in ahead of Adelaide’s Jeronimo Neumann in the first half of the clash, while Brattan was the victim of a high challenge from Reds striker Tomi Juric just before full time.

“We’re delighted with the progress both players have made over such a short period of time in regards to their respective injuries,” Roar coach Mike Mulvey said.

“We have an excellent medical staff at the club and their diligence has been of paramount importance since the game on Sunday.

“I’m extremely confident both players will take to the field and play their part on Friday.”

It did not look as positive for German ace Broich after his snail's pace exit from Brisbane's dressing room on crutches on Tuesday morning.

"I've still got some time," Broich said on Tuesday, before he hobbled to his car on crutches.

The medical report on fullback Jack Hingert was not so good, his scans confirmed a high-grade injury to ligaments in his right ankle, ruling him out of action for four to six weeks.

"We're bitterly disappointed for Jack, Mulvey said.

"He's a quality player and has been excellent for us in recent weeks."

Brisbane faces Premiers' Plate winner WSW with the lure of a third consecutive grand final, which would elevate it to the most successful team in A-League history.

Mulvey also hailed his players' fierce determination to get their season back on track after a disastrous first half of the campaign.

Mulvey, 46, took over a dysfunctional team from Rado Vidosic in early December and meticulously masterminded a spectacular comeback from the nether regions of the competition.

Brisbane's game took some time to gel and at one stage some fans were calling for Mulvey's head.

The defending champion however persevered and was rewarded with a spot in the finals on the last day of the regular season.

Brisbane is now the form team of the A-League and after dismissing Adelaide United 2-1 on Sunday it faces premier Western Sydney Wanderers at Parramatta Stadium on Friday night for the right to play in a third straight grand final.

This is the first time Mulvey has a club head coach job after he occupied the Gold Coast seat on an interim basis at the end of last season.

In a one one-on-one interview the man who has inherited the unenviable task of making Brisbane roar again tells it the way it is.

When you took your first training session in December, what did you find?

”There was a group of players who were unsure of the club's direction and bemused by the state of affairs because they were in the bottom half of the table and not getting results.

”Obviously they also had to deal with the upheaval of the change of coach.

”But I also saw a group of people who were wanting to achieve something, they wanted a plan and some structure.

”At first I just observed things to find out what was going on and why the team was not playing particularly well and functioning as it should.”

What needed to be fixed from a tactical point of view?

”The poor results were a direct result of a lack of confidence and self-belief.

”I looked at a few things and made some changes.

”I put some people in different positions because at times we lacked balance between the left and right sides.

”We found the answer by moving Ivan Franjic to the right side (of midfield).”

That was a master stroke that paid rich dividends.

”I would not call it a master stroke because great credit should be given to Jack Hingert who came in at right back while Ivan was out and he did very well.

”Ivan has always shown a tendency to be an attack-minded player and I think he and Jack have done extremely well for us on the right side.

”We also needed competition for places across the field. We are a lot closer to have two people for every position than when I arrived.”

So what was the formula behind the turnaround?

”The players should take a lot of credit for what has happened because they realised the need to work hard, accept the structure and vision and values we had to have as a club.

”These values have to be underpinned by behaviour on every single day.

”At the moment we are all on the same page and very focused.

”In terms of the season overall where we were in the table was very disappointing as far as we were concerned so we are pushing hard to see if we can salvage something from the season.”

When you talk about values what exactly do you mean?

”You've got to have discipline, collaboration and communication, for example.

”But these are not just words, what's important is what they actually mean.

”It's all about honesty: being honest with yourself, with your teammates, with the club and with the fans.

”Players should be able to go home and have a look in the mirror and say 'I've given everything I possibly could to be the best footballer I could be'.

”If you can do that after every training session and after every game then you should be okay.”

You always maintained an unshakeable belief in the team's ability to come good even when things were looking bad. What made you so optimistic?

”Yes I did believe that (we will come good). At training I saw the quality of the players first hand, the ability of the individuals. I saw the need to harness that ability and there was no reason in my mind why we could not be successful.

”We also felt the need for an injection from outside the club and we went to the marketplace and got people like Jade North, Steven Lustica and Stef Nijland.

”We also promoted some of our junior players like James Donachie and what we see now is the benefit of that injection.”

You are an Englishman who was born a month after England won the 1966 World Cup. Do you have a preferred way in which the game should be played?

”Yes, I was born in England and I came to Australia in 1982 but I have been exposed to many types of football cultures, from South American to Central American and from Asian to European and Australian.

”My preferred style of football is possession-based attack.

”But as a coach I have encouraged individuality from the days I first worked with Tommy Oar at the Queensland Academy of Sport, then later with Ben Halloran on the Gold Coast and now with people like Thomas Broich, Mitch Nichols and Besart Berisha who all have their own individuality.

”If you can get a set of individuals to bring that individuality to the team as a team it can be hectic to watch but very effective on the field.”

Was the shock defeat in the AFC Champions League a blessing in disguise because you do not have a 'distraction' at the business end of the season?

”Firstly, what I will say is that not enough credit has been given to Thai team Buriram that beat us.

”They are a decent side and have had good results in the Champions League so far.

”Secondly, we probably were not ready for a foray into Asia.

”We did not have enough personnel to play twice in a week.

”Today we could have been playing somewhere in Asia and that would have stretched our resources.

”If you are going to challenge in Asia and be competitive you've got to have a very strong squad.

”The size of our squads (23) is something we might have to look at eventually.”

Brisbane lost three times to Western Sydney this season. Will the Wanderers have a big psychological edge going into Friday's semi-final?

”If they want to believe that, then that's fine.

”Certainly we do not feel that we have a psychological disadvantage.

”We are in a good place in terms of our performances which have been good and I am very confident that we have the ability within the team to go down there and put on a good performance.

”It will be a difficult task because of the crowd factor but we will give it a good go, I can promise you that.”

Friday 12 April: Western Sydney Wanderers v Brisbane Roar, Parramatta Stadium at 7.30pm

Overall record: Western Sydney 3 Brisbane 0.

This season:

Round 4: Brisbane 0 Western Sydney 1, Suncorp Stadium

Round 10: Western Sydney 1 Brisbane 0, Parramatta Stadium

Round 17: Brisbane 1 Western Sydney 2, Suncorp Stadium

Sunday 14 April: Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne Victory, Bluetongue Stadium at 5pm

Overall record: Central Coast 14 Melbourne Victory 13 Drawn 9.

This season:

Round 7: Melbourne Victory 2 Central Coast 2, Etihad Stadium

Round 16: Melbourne Victory 1 Central Coast 1, Aurora Stadium

Round 22: Central Coast 6 Melbourne Victory 2, Bluetongue Stadium

Roar, with Luke Brattan and Ivan Franjic scoring, set up a semi-final against Western Sydney Wanderers next Friday night.

Central Coast Mariners hosts Melbourne Victory in the other semi-final next Sunday.

Brisbane outclassed Adelaide, whose goal was scored late by Dario Vidosic, but Roar playmaker Thomas Broich and defender Jack Hingert suffered game-ending injuries.

Broich damaged his left ankle in a tackling tangle and was substituted at half-time while Hingert was subbed in the 66th minute with an twisted right ankle.

The injuries took some gloss off a sparkling triumph for Roar, with defender Brattan driving the first nail into Adelaide's coffin in the 27th minute.

Brattan snuck forward and was sighted by Broich when taking a corner and the German arrowed a long cross to his teammate.

Brattan, gifted vast space by the Reds, pulled the trigger on a low shot from 20 metres which cracked into the shins of unexpecting Adelaide defender Cassio, standing a metre from the goal line.

The ricochet gave Reds keeper Eugene Galekovic no chance and Roar took a deserved lead.

Brisbane struck a second blow one minute into injury time when Mitch Nichols created Franjic's goal.

Nichols launched a threatening cross into the box which found Franjic on an angled run, the industrious midfielder slotting a simple goal from five metres.

Roar, minus Broich then Hingert, absorbed the best Adelaide could throw at them in the second half until Reds star Vidosic scored in the 89th minute, driving home a low right-footer.But Brisbane held on against frantic Adelaide in the final minutes for a deserved victory to keep its championship defence alive.

Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey lauded his players' performance against a side who threw everything at them.

“I thought it was thoroughly deserved tonight,” Mulvey said.

“To be fair, it was charge of the light brigade in the last five minutes, but we should have killed the game off before that.

“We had a couple of good chances and the game would have been over.

“The main thing is that at the end of the day the whistle has gone and we’re into the next round of the finals.”

Valkanis rates the Roar striker as "one of the best boxers in the A-League".

"He has had more fights than Mike Tyson," Valkanis said on Saturday of the Brisbane frontman.

But Valkanis urged calm in his defenders, particularly Nigel Boogard and Iain Fyfe who were embroiled in an unseemly controversy with Berisha during their Boxing Day clash.

After that match, Boogard alleged Berisha spat at him, with Fyfe saying he saw the incident.

But an investigation cleared the Brisbane attacker of wrongdoing.

"They have just got to concentrate on their defensive job and not on Berisha," Valkanis said of Boogard and Fyfe.

"Berisha does antagonise quite a bit. He's the one that tries to spark up for defenders to lose their concentration.

"I think they have just got to focus on the ball and their positioning as defenders, not on Berisha."

The Hindmarsh Stadium eliminator pits two clubs that changed coaches mid-season, with Rado Vidosic walking from Brisbane last December and John Kosmina quitting Adelaide in January.

The champion boasts impressive recent form under Mike Mulvey while United has struggled with three wins from 11 matches entering the finals.

But past form was irrelevant to Valkanis, who said the final would be decided by "inches and seconds."

"It's a one-off game. It's human nature to give everything you have got," he said.

"We have got to live in the now. People keep talking about records and stats, they mean nothing in a finals game, absolutely nothing."

The winner will travel to meet table topper Western Sydney Wanderers in a semi-final on Friday.

Central Coast hosts Melbourne Victory in the other semi-final next Sunday after Victory came from behind to down Perth Glory 2-1 in extra-time on Friday night.

The diminutive playmaker was one of several big names chopped down by ferocious tackles from teammates, only to be later cleared of injury.

While Mulvey did not want to see his key personnel in pain, he believed the intense training session augured well for his side's A-League elimination final against Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday.

"It was very willing out there but everyone is fine," Mulvey said.

"You need that intensity. You can't just switch it on and off.

"When you play you are expected to mirror what you have been doing during the week.

"Their focus and hunger is there. The portents are looking good for us."

Brisbane is relishing a chance to defend its title after Mulvey took over from Rado Vidosic in late December, with Roar one point away from last.

Mulvey admitted its regular season record (10-5-12 win-draw-loss) was not befitting of two-time champion.

But the swagger appears to be back after sealing fifth spot with the Week 27 3-1 win over Sydney FC.

"It's no secret that our season has not been as good as we would have liked it to have been.

"But this is finals football and we are not going to give that up lightly.

"We want success. This is a great opportunity and one we don't want to let go lightly."

Brisbane has cruised into the finals with just one loss in its last seven matches.

In contrast, Adelaide United has tasted victory just once in its last seven games despite finishing fourth on the ladder.

Mulvey said the Reds' home-ground advantage changed everything.

He summed up the best way to combat the 16,500 rabid Reds fans in two words - Besart Berisha.

The Albanian international is back to his best with 14 goals for the season including six from his last nine.

"What you have to do is take the sting out of them and the best way is to score a goal early," Mulvey said.

"Berisha is a predator. And we need to feed him."

Roar hasn't defended badly this season - it finished the regular season with the third-best defensive record in the competition - but statistics still show that since North's influence was established, it has tightened up considerably.

That made the difference in Roar's bid to make the finals. Brisbane, after finishing fifth, will play third-placed Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday.

North joined Brisbane in January and has played in eight of it's last nine games, only missing the round-26 clash with Melbourne Heart because he was on duty with the Socceroos.

After conceding 22 goals in its first 18 games, Roar conceded just seven in its last nine. Its defensive record gets even better when you narrow it down to its last seven games, in which it conceded just three goals.

Theo said the problem for Brisbane during the bulk of the season was that too often it conceded the first goal in matches, forcing it to chase the game.

He said North's experience in the defence had gone a long way towards helping Roar to control games again.

"Things have changed dramatically since Jade was introduced," Theo said. "It has helped the defensive structure a lot. He's a cool-headed player who has a calming influence on his teammates. There's no panic when he's on the ball, and he's a good organiser.

"We lost our captain, Matt Smith, from the defence because of injury, and we were lucky to be able to bring Jade to the club. He's been captain of the Newcastle Jets before, so he's a leader as well. He talks a lot on the field, and that's great.

"Earlier in the season, we kept losing games after conceding the first goal. We went through a sticky patch there for a while, but it looks like the hunger and determination are back now - and the belief as well.

"We've played some really good football recently, and for longer periods in games, which is a big difference after the struggles we had earlier.

"When we beat Sydney last weekend it was like the Brisbane of old. It felt like it was a great game for us. We took advantage of mistakes, our movement was great, and we scored three good goals. Our key players were on fire."

The performances of two of those players - Besart Berisha and Thomas Broich - will again be crucial when Roar meets Adelaide on the road.

"Besart and Thomas are approaching their very best form at the moment," Theo said. "We've really turned the corner as a team, but especially those two boys.

"Besart is a predator. Give him the service and he will put the ball in the back of the net. Thomas is creating opportunities for teammates and taking on the defence himself as well. He has really mixed up his game.

"The other thing we've got going for us at the moment is the enormous competition for places in the team. Some good players can't get into the team, but it's not for lack of trying. Everyone wants to be there, and to hold on to your place you have to keep performing well."

Theo is happy with his own form. He has had four clean sheets in Brisbane's last seven games.

"I feel like I'm doing my bit for the team," he said. "I think we all are. We're going into the finals with a fair bit of momentum."

What the former Estudiantes man does know is that whatever happens in the A-League finals starting this weekend, he will rate his first experience of Australian football as an unqualified success.

Carrusca, who hails from the city of La Plata outside Buenos Aires, scored a strong contender for goal of the season when he hit a sensational half-volley from the top of the 'D' that rocketed into the Phoenix net via the underside of the bar to help Adelaide United come away with a 2-2 draw.

The authentic 'golazo' underlined Carrusca's undoubted class and temperament that have contributed enormously to the overall success of the eighth A-League which has drawn record crowds and viewers.

”I have to say I am highly satisfied with my debut season in Australia because I played in many games,” Carrusca said as he and his teammates prepared for the elimination final against Brisbane Roar at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday.

”I therefore was able to show what I can do but I think I can do better.

”It has not been easy for me but I think I've done some good work.

”I'm enjoying myself here. I'm happy with the coach, the teammates and the club.

”This is a good moment in my career.

”And I particularly enjoyed scoring against Wellington.

”Cassio passed me the ball from the left and I just hit it towards goal and it flew into the net. It was one of the best goals I've ever scored.”

Carrusca's quality also vindicated Adelaide's decision to sign him blindly from battling Argentine club San Martin de San Juan merely on the recommendation of the same people who introduced Marcos Flores to the club three years ago.

Carrusca was seen as the natural replacement for his fellow Argentine who left the club at the end of 2010-2011 to try his luck in China and who has since returned to Australia to play for Melbourne Victory.

Classy Carrusca has not disappointed the club or its fans. He is loving life in Australia and he does not regret for one moment signing a two-year contract with the Reds.

”The A-League is not the strongest competition I have played in but it is interesting with the finals at the end of the regular season,” he said.

”There is not much difference between the teams and any one can win on any given day, which is something I like.”

The comparison with Flores was inevitable.

But while Flores earned rave reviews and the Johnny Warren Medal for his exuberance, flamboyance and ability to come up with the unexpected in the last third of the field, Carrusca has distinguished himself with his consistent, polished play across the park.

Whereas Flores was brave enough to try any pass from any angle, the more economical Carrusca would only play it if he knew it would reach its destination and not disrupt the team's flow.

In a way, Carrusca sometimes looks more like a disciplined 'European' than an extrovert 'South American'.

He also comes with great experience for a 29-year-old.

”I have played 11 seasons in the first divisions of Argentina, Mexico and Turkey,” Carrusca explained.

”It's this experience that allows me to play in a way I could not do when I was younger.

”I had to change a few things in my game when I came here because I needed to adapt to a competition where you have to run and run and also provide assists to our forwards.

”This is not what I am used to but it is something I have to do.”

Carrusca said the team was looking forward to Sunday's clash with Brisbane.

”It is a very important game and we have to treat it as a final,” he said.

”It does not matter if we play well or badly as long as we have the right attitude.

”It is one of those games where winning is all that matters.”

"We have given ourselves a chance to defend our title and that's all we can ask for," veteran defender Shane Stefanutto said.

Adelaide, which finished six points ahead of Brisbane to clinch a top-four finish and a home final, has been quick to claim underdog status ahead of this weekend's knockout clash.

Australia international Mark Bosnich says Roar should be considered a chance of sealing three straight championships due to its stellar past finals form.

Brisbane enters the playoffs behind minor premier Western Sydney as the second-best performing side, grabbing 18 points from its last 10 games.

"If there is one team you can put money on as a dark horse to win the whole thing it is Brisbane Roar," Bosnich said.

"They have the experience of winning one-off games in the last two years and secondly they are hitting form at the right time.

"Adelaide have some serious thinking to do because the way things are going ... they are going to get beaten and beaten badly."

But Stefanutto said: "I don't know what others are thinking of us.

"A lot of people thought we would not make the finals.

"We didn't have a good start to the year and now we are in there.

"All we knew is that we had to get into the finals to give ourselves a chance to defend our title and the first part of the jigsaw is complete.

"But there's still a long way to go as to what we want to achieve this season."

Two-time champion Roar locked up fifth place with a deserved 3-1 win over Sydney FC in its regular-season finale at Suncorp Stadium.

The victory capped a remarkable rise from one point clear of dead last after Mike Mulvey took over from Rado Vidosic as coach in late December.

Mike Mulvey's men have coped with transition and turmoil to clinch an elimination final against Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday – and North is convinced they can combine flair with a steely resolve to beat the Reds for the third time this season.

Roar’s 1-0 win at Hindmarsh ton Boxing Day typified its resurgence under Mulvey – a performance of high quality sprinkled with chances but a tight winning margin.

The club has won seven, lost six and drawn three of Mulvey’s 16 games since taking over from Rado Vidosic – but has only won twice by a two-goal margin, while at the time never losing by more than one goal.

"The important thing is we’re still playing with the way people have come to expect from Brisbane and are carving out chances," North told The World Game.

"People always expect Brisbane to smash teams 3-0 whenever we play but in reality we’re happy to win 1-0 and keep it tight at the back. So long as we’re creating chances and we are then we’re not concerned about tight games. So long as we win them.

"It’s been tough on the boss in managing the change, with some players leaving and others coming, and still getting the results we’ve need to finish fifth and make the finals.

"We're enjoying our football and responding to what he wants – and we’re going into the Adelaide game off two straight wins and having beaten them twice this season we’re of course backing ourselves again.

"But this is a different situation and they – like us – will be desperate to produce a performance with both our seasons on the line."

North has no qualms about the prospect of having to win two games on the road to make it a third straight grand finale.

"Were happy going anywhere, playing away doesn’t worry us at all. We know we have the quality to hurt teams, wherever we play them," he added.

"We are buzzing at the moment and the belief among the players is immense."

On the influence of Mulvey in overcoming initial trepidation over this appointment from some fans to get Brisbane back in the groove, Australia defender North said: "He’s a great guy and a coach who knows what he wants and gets the message through to the players.

"We are hitting form at the right time, we have sailed below the radar a bit like Perth and now we’re in a position where anything can happen and we’re relishing it.

"People thought we are out of the picture but this club has a lot of resilience and Mike Mulvey is just telling us to give everything in each training session and not to look too far beyond that."

North missed out on any game time as a desperately disappointing Socceroos had to fight back to draw 2-2 with Oman last week to leave a huge question mark over its hopes of qualifying automatically for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

But he remains confident Australia will make it.

"It was disappointing the result and also not to play but I have no doubt we will get through this and still qualify for Brazil," he declared.

"Holger Osieck has the support of the players. People are free to criticise but they are not there in camp and don’t see what goes on at training.

"We saved a point against Oman and there are still nine points to play for and while Jordan beating Japan wasn’t ideal for us, I still feel we will be okay and qualify automatically.

"Were still alive, that’s the main thing. Obviously the team is in transition and it’s never easy to combine that with getting results.

"Holger has done a great job since he’s been in charge. A few of the boys were a little bit of their game the other night against Oman and that happens."

Valkanis welcomed pundits tipping an early exit for the Reds, who limped into the play-offs with the worst form-line of any A-League finalist.

"We are the underdogs, everyone is writing us off," Valkanis told reporters on Monday.

"I think we're best when our backs are against the wall. We have always been like that. I like it like that and so do the players."

Valkanis was expected to bring in four players for the Hindmarsh Stadium final against the reigning champion Roar.

Playmaker Marcelo Carrusca, striker Tomi Juric and Cassio were rested from last weekend's 1-1 draw against Perth Glory while defender Nigel Boogard missed out through suspension.

"The last nine weeks has all been about preparation for this game," Valkanis said.

"We have been forced over these last nine games to make changes due to suspension and injuries.

"But we will pick the best team for this game. That team was in mind as the last game finished.

"The players will be ready for it, they will be up for it."

Valkanis believed the change in finals format to sudden death would benefit the Reds, who can take the title with three consecutive wins.

"It's an interesting finals concept and it gives us a great opportunity to go all the way," he said.

"And in a way, I'm really happy this year, like in the early years at Adelaide United, that we go into the finals as underdogs - it's a great feeling."

Watch The World Game: A-League Finals Edition tonight, SBS 2, 6.30pm and streamed online

Roar scraped into the top six despite losing more games (12) than it won (10).

It is hardly the record expected from a team that dominated the previous two seasons.

Mulvey said his side will be back to its best in the finals, starting with the elimination clash with Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday.

"We are disappointed in terms of our overall season. We'd prefer to be up the table," Mulvey said.

"But we are coming good at the right end of the season.

"We want to make amends for what has been a largely disappointing season.

"We turned the corner some time ago and the players deserve credit for that.

"The good news is that there is still room for improvement."

Roar locked up fifth place with a 3-1 win over Sydney FC in their Week 27 match at Suncorp Stadium.

The victory capped a remarkable rise since Mulvey took over from Rado Vidosic as interim coach in December, with Roar only one point clear of last place.

"We have momentum and I think that counts for a lot because it brings strong self belief and the ability to keep doing what you do well," Mulvey said.

"The guys are in great spirits and the form book doesn't lie. We are playing well."

Mulvey gushed that Roar could win a third straight title after downing Sydney FC but was more reserved on Monday.

"What is difficult in any finals system is to come from fifth or sixth and win the grand final," he said.

"You have a massive advantage if you play at home or have a week off. But these are the cards that we have been dealt."

Mulvey watched over the weekend to see whether Roar went to Adelaide or took on Victory in Melbourne on Friday night in their elimination final.

"It didn't bother me who we play," he said. "I think you could see for both teams there are moments within their games that are not going so right."

Back-to-back 1-0 victories at Hindmarsh Stadium this season for Brisbane had further buoyed Mulvey.

"It gives you some confidence going to an arena like Adelaide where they have parochial fans and get a result. That shows the character of the players," he said.

"But finals is different."

But Mulvey is planning to celebrate - after the A-League grand final.

Two-time champion locked up a play-off spot with a deserved 3-1 win over Sydney FC in its regular season finale at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.

The victory capped a remarkable rise since Mulvey took over from Rado Vidosic as interim coach in late December with Roar one point clear of last place.

And it put Sydney FC's finals hopes on life support as it sweats on other results to scrape into the sixth and last finals spot.

However, Mulvey wasn't in the mood to party - yet.

Asked if Roar could claim an unprecedented third straight title, a steely-eyed Mulvey said: "Certainly.

"We just had a little chat in there (the dressing room). We are focused. We are ready."

Roar's title defence appeared in tatters when Mulvey took the helm after 11 rounds and Mulvey hardly silenced the critics when he was surprisingly re-signed for two more seasons after 10 games in charge, boasting a modest 30 per cent success rate.

But Mulvey had his eyes firmly on the prize after Brisbane sealed its eighth straight home win over Sydney FC.

"What we don't want to do is start thinking it is cigars and champagne, because it certainly isn't," he said.

"We still have our moments when we don't stick to the game plan and we invite the opposition back into the game.

"But to me that is a positive, because it is something I can drive home before our next game."

Instead of champagne, Mulvey said he would enjoy "a couple of cups of tea" and watch as the make-up of the rest of the finals unfolded over the Easter weekend.

Sydney FC coach Frank Farina would have been forgiven for having mixed emotions in his first game back at Suncorp Stadium since being sacked as Roar coach in 2009.

But Farina felt only regret after Besart Berisha and Steven Lustica made Sydney FC pay for clumsy turnovers before Ivan Franjic's brilliant 79th minute curling strike sealed the result.

"We gift wrapped the first two goals ... just schoolboy errors from us," he said.

On his "homecoming", Farina said: "That's more media talk. It was a long time ago.

"It is always nice coming up here, it's a fantastic stadium and my family are still up here.

"But in terms of emotion, my employers are Sydney FC."

Two-time A-League champion Brisbane can launch a title defence after locking up a finals spot with the vital win in their regular-season finale - but it remains to be seen whether Farina's Sky Blues will join it.

Farina would have been riding an emotional rollercoaster ahead of his first game back at Suncorp since he was sacked as Roar coach for drink-driving in 2009.

However, there is no let-up in sight for Roar's former favourite son as he sweats on Sydney's finals fate over the Easter weekend.

Roar thrilled the 19,010-strong crowd by locking up fifth spot, leaving just one finals berth left.

Sixth-placed Sydney (32 points) faces a white-knuckle ride as it looks to hold out Perth Glory (31) and Newcastle Jets (31), who finish their regular season against No 4 Adelaide United and leader Western Sydney Wanderers respectively.

A simple finals formula faced both sides in Brisbane: win and you're in.

But a more complex equation now awaits the Sky Blues if they are to scrape into the finals.

Ideally, Sydney would want Perth and Newcastle to lose but can still seal sixth if Glory lose and the Jets draw.

Winning at Suncorp was always going to be a tough ask for Sydney.

It had savoured victory just three times in its past 18 games at the venue and last won way back in 2007.

In contrast, Roar has won its past eight home games against Sydney.

German import Thomas Broich looked dangerous early for Roar but it was teammate Besart Berisha who drew first blood in the 29th minute.

Proving that he is human after all, Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero's clumsy pass caused a turnover and Broich pounced, providing a perfect pass for Berisha to knock in his 14th season goal and 27th in as many games at the venue.

Whatever Farina said at half-time initially seemed to work as it came out with intent but it was Roar which scored again off another Sydney turnover.

Roar made Sebastian Ryall pay for his gaffe as Steven Lustica combined with Berisha to score in the 51st minute.

Ivan Franjic's wonderful 79th-minute curling strike into the far corner made it 3-0 before Del Piero's 84th-minute penalty finally put the visitor on the board.

"I'm very proud of the boys," Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey said later.

"Since I've come in, we've had our moments but tonight is something they can take great credit for.

"They deserve it, they've earned it and we're focused now, we're ready."

Brisbane will now face either Melbourne Victory (On Friday night) or Adelaide United (on Sunday) in the first week of the finals series.

Only a win for either side will guarantee fifth-placed Brisbane or sixth-placed Sydney a finals berth.

"I think Brisbane are aware of that and we are and all the players are certainly, so this is a grand final," Farina said.

Both sides are locked on 32 points, one ahead of Perth (31) and Newcastle (31) which play Adelaide United and Western Sydney Wanderers respectively over the Easter weekend.

Sydney FC suffered a blow on the eve of the match with star defender Lucas Neill ruled out with a hamstring injury but Farina remains upbeat about his team's chances. Farina took over Sydney FC in November from Ian Crook when the club was at the bottom of the A-League ladder.

The Sky Blues coach insists the pressure has been on from the day he arrived and his players have responded well to it.

"We were sitting dead last and every game has been a pressure situation for the players," Farina said.

"They know they had to get results and - to be in this position from where they were - is pretty good.

"In terms of pressure, I haven't seen anyone succumb to that. I think more the point is they've thrived on it."

Central defender Neill's place is expected to taken by Tiago Calvano while the Sky Blues welcome back skipper Terry McFlynn from a hamstring injury to replace the suspended Brett Emerton.

Roar will rush Australia defender Jade North straight back into central defence for the match.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey confirmed North would start against Sydney despite playing no part in preparations after being in Australia's squad for Tuesday night's 2-2 World Cup qualifier against Oman.

"He's proven that he's a big-game player in the past. He's already an A-League winner," said Mulvey of the former Newcastle Jet.

"That experience will be very, very important."

Sydney is coming off a 1-1 draw with competition leader Western Sydney Wanderers, while Brisbane was too good for Melbourne Heart last round, beating it 2-0.

Mulvey stressed Roar, which boasts the best goal difference, would not be playing for a draw.

"We're not thinking like that - we're going for the win. We want to take care of business so we don't have to think about any other permutations other than who we are playing next week," he said.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey confirmed North would start against the Sky Blues despite playing no part in preparations after being in Australia's squad for Tuesday night's 2-2 World Cup qualifier against Oman.

The 31-year-old, who remained on the bench in the draw at ANZ Stadium, returns from Sydney on Wednesday afternoon.

Mulvey said North be the only change to the team that beat Melbourne Heart 2-0 on Sunday, pushing Shane Stefanutto back to left-back and youngster Corey Brown dropping out.

Only victory in the final-round clash will guarantee fifth-placed Brisbane and sixth-placed Sydney a place in the top six and a play-off berth.

They are locked on 32 points each, ahead of Perth Glory(31) and Newcastle Jets (31), who play Adelaide United and Western Sydney Wanderers respectively later over the Easter period.

Mulvey stressed Roar, which boasts the best goal difference, would not be playing for a draw.

"There's a big prize for the team that can get three points - automatic qualification and you can rest easy for a couple of nights and not be on tenterhooks," he said.

"You always want to have your destiny in your own hands."

Sunday’s 2-0 win over Melbourne Heart propelled Roar into fifth on the ladder – ahead of sixth-placed Sydney on goal difference – and Mulvey is convinced Roar can complete the home-and-away season with a flourish in what will be its last Suncorp Stadium game of the campaign.

“It’s in our hands and we can put some of the other teams out of their misery if we win,” said Roar coach Mulvey whose edicts are beginning to seep through to his squad as it hunts the remote possibility of a third successive A-League grand final.

“A win against Sydney and we are in the play-offs and that’s what we are going for. Nobody is even mentioning the possibility of a draw, much less a defeat.

“We’re going to have the crowd behind us and we’re pleased to make a quick turn around. We’ve got some momentum behind us and we’re keen to capitalise on that.

“Our first 70 minutes against Heart was some of the best stuff we’ve played since I took over here.

“And against Sydney we’re going to play our normal game – press high up the field, close them down and try and play the game in their half and dominate possession.

“We will see what rewards that might being us.”

Victory would take Roar to 35 points and leave one of Sydney (32), Perth Glory (31) and Newcastle Jets (31) to fill the final spot in the six. The Jets entertain champion-elect Western Sydney Wanderers at Hunter Stadium on Friday with Glory at home to Adelaide United a day later.

“If we get the result we want it will give us extra time to prepare for the finals, but first we must beat Sydney and that’s not going to be easy. Their season is also on the line and they will come with all guns blazing," said Mulvey.

“They have improved hugely under Frank Farina.”

Sydney’s away record is against it though. Farina’s men – who have suffered a spate of red cards on the road this season – have also struggled to pick up points.

It has collected just nine out of a possible 39 away from Allianz Stadium – and was beaten 4-2 by Roar at Suncorp in Round 7.

Mulvey believes a reinvigorated Mitch Nicholls – who is likely to leave the club at the end of the season for an overseas stint – could be one of the keys against the Sky Blues.

“His vision and passing ability is vital for us and even when he was out of the side his attitude was excellent and now he’s getting back to his best again,” he said. “He’s a very important player for us.

“He was excellent against Heart and I would love to see more of the same from him on Thursday.”

Mulvey also revealed that Socceroos defender Jade North has put his hand up for a start even if he gets significant game time against Oman at Stadium Australia on Tuesday night.

“That’s the sort of character he is,” he said. “He wants to do all he can to help our cause but that might be a big ask. We’ll have to wait and see.”

And on Roar’s prospects of winning two games on the road to reach a third consecutive A-league decider should it a seal spot in the six, Mulvey declared: “We all know anything can happen in finals football, whether it’s over 90 minutes, 120 minutes or penalties.

“That’s the beauty of it – and we will be ready. But first we have to take care of business against Sydney.”

Either way, the portents are good for Roar ahead of Thursday night's crunch A-League season finale against Sydney FC at Suncorp Stadium.

Broich earned comparisons with Manchester United great Sir Bobby Charlton from a gushing Roar coach Mike Mulvey after his 25 metre wonder strike set up Brisbane's 2-0 win on Sunday that knocked Melbourne Heart out of the finals hunt.

But Roar will simply be satisfied if Broich resembles the midfielder who helped steer it to back-to-back championships as it looks to seal a top six berth on Thursday night.

"Thomas' goal - wow," Mulvey said.

"It reminded me of my boyhood hero Bobby Charlton.

"The ball tore into the back of the net - it was a fantastic finish."

Even broken Heart coach John Aloisi had to dip his hat.

"Thomas Broich is looking like his old self again. That's always a good sign for them," he said.

Roar veteran Shane Stefanutto said he had sensed something special was coming.

"John (Aloisi) is a good judge - Thomas did play brilliantly the other night," he told AAP.

"But his last month he has been very consistent.

"No doubt he is an important player for us, an excellent import.

"Now he's in good form and when he is that is a good thing for us."

In another ominous sign for Sydney FC, the Johnny Warren Medallist also broke his goal-scoring drought against Heart.

It marked his first since round two - 24 matches ago.

As excited as he was by the return of Broich's magic touch, Stefanutto said the whole team had set the standard that was required to clinch a top six spot in its first-half assault on hapless Heart.

Now it just has to replicate it against Alessandro Del Piero-inspired Sydney FC, which only trails fifth-placed Brisbane on goal difference.

"But that's easier said than done," Stefanutto said.

"Putting together a 90-minute performance like that first half will be quite difficult actually.

"But nothing worth earning is easy.

"And no doubt Sydney FC will be motivated.

"But our destiny is in our hands. It is still a great to finish the regular season for us."

Heart had to win in Brisbane to stay alive in the tight finals race but it was Roar which looked like a side desperate for a result in front of 9869 fans.

Spirited Roar (32 points) jumped from eighth to fifth spot on the congested A-League ladder with one regular season round left while Heart (27pts) bowed out of the top six hunt with a whimper.

It added to Heart's sorry away reputation.

Remarkably it has not won outside Melbourne since December 2011.

It arrived at Suncorp Stadium on a three-game losing run and was without four key players including injured Brazilian playmaker Fred.

Yet Heart coach John Aloisi was hopeful of launching an unlikely finals tilt in Brisbane thanks to its five-game unbeaten run against Roar including 4-1 and 3-2 victories this season - albeit at AAMI Park.

But there was no denying Roar, which drew first blood when Besart Berisha found the back of the net from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after Samuel Mitchinson's clumsy challenge on Brisbane defender Ivan Franjic.

Mitch Nichols was a constant threat but it was Roar captain Thomas Broich who doubled the lead with a 25m wonder strike in the 31st minute.

Midfielder Steven Lustica also had his chances but Roar's best scoring opportunity of the second half came through substitute Stefan Nijland who was denied by the goalpost after defying outstretched Heart goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne in the 76th minute.

Despite being without key defender Jade North, who was selected for the World Cup qualifier against Oman in Sydney on Tuesday, Roar put up a brick wall against Heart.

Roar goalkeeper Michael Theo pulled off his sole save of the match in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Roar will learn its finals fate after it hosts fellow top six hopeful Sydney on Thursday night.

"I'll take that first-half performance any day of the week," Brisbane coach Mulvey said.

"I can't give them enough praise for that performance, they were really good to watch, they created chances and our movement was good."

Heart is in ninth place with just two rounds to go, but if what it is hoping for happens it would put the team right back in the mix.

Eighth-placed Perth Glory has to go to Melbourne to play third-placed Melbourne Victory on Saturday and fifth-placed Sydney FC has to go to Parramatta Stadium to play competition leader Western Sydney Wanderers also on Saturday.

Sixth-placed Newcastle Jets is not playing this weekend as its Round 26 match was brought forward several weeks, so it has only one match left.

Heart is currently four points outside of the top six, but if it beats Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday and Victory and Wanderers both win, it would be in seventh place and only one point behind both the fifth and sixth-placed teams.

Heart players will be watching Saturday night's two games with enormous interest.

"We're definitely still a chance," Kalmar said.

"Mathematically, we're still in it. We've left it a bit late. We had our destiny in our own hands a couple of times there, but we didn't take the opportunity.

"Now, we need to win our last two games and have some other results go our way, but that's possible."

Heart has struggled on the road all season, but it had been strong at home and it was its results there that kept it poking around either just inside or just outside of the top six.

But, in back-to-back home games in the last two rounds, they came undone.

Losses to Adelaide United (2-0) and the Wanderers (3-1) left it stagnant while other teams went past it on the competition table.

Heart is level on points with last-placed Wellington but Phoenix, like the Jets, has played one game more.

Kalmar said it was only natural that Heart players were having a look at the table and doing the sums to try to figure out what it would take for them to still make it.

"I suppose it's only human nature to do that," he said.

"Everyone does that. Players might say they don't, but they do.

”The disappointing thing is that we had chances to consolidate a place in the top six, but we couldn't do it.

"It's been a roller-coaster ride for the last eight or 10 weeks.

”Every time we've come back from losing an away game, there's been the realisation that we were facing a big game at home to try to keep our hopes alive. "We stood up to that challenge for the most part, but then we dropped the points against Adelaide and the Wanderers and that hurt us badly. Maybe the pressure of having to constantly win at home to cover for the away losses got to us a bit.

"But the situation is pretty clear now. We have to win, and then win again, and see if that's enough to get us in. The good thing for us is that it's not over yet."

However, Roar coach Mike Mulvey says the goal is crystal clear with two regular season games left ahead of the finals.

"The way we are looking at it the regular season is over. We are in cup final mode now," he said on Friday.

A loss for seventh-placed Brisbane (29 points) would not end the defending champions' top six hopes but the same can't be said for Heart (ninth; 27pts).

However, Mulvey said he would settle for nothing less than a win despite the huge hole left by key defender Jade North, who is on duty for Australia.

"Something that Brisbane has been good at in the past is playing finals football and it is starting a few weeks early," he said.

"We are approaching the game as if it is a must-win situation.

"To us it is a knockout final and the prize is pretty big.

"This weekend there is no room for the faint-hearted."

Mulvey was not so forthcoming about the make-up of his reshuffled defence.

The Roar coach may be forced to thrust out-of-favour Matt Jurman into the line-up after North was selected for the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Oman in Sydney on Tuesday.

Jurman has not played since being hooked in Roar's 2-2 draw with Central Coast on 1 February.

Asked if he had decided who would replace North, Mulvey said: "Yes I have".

Asked if Jurman would fill the role, Mulvey said: "Perhaps.

"There is still a couple of more sleeps to go but I know what is going to happen."

Melbourne Heart is unbeaten in its past five matches against Roar.

Western Sydney Wanderers - unless it stumbles unexpectedly over the final two rounds - will win the Premiers' Plate clearly, and in some people's eyes it will be the champion team of the season regardless of what happens in the finals series.

But Mulvey is part of the chorus which argues that the finals series should determine the overall winner. Otherwise, what is the point in playing it?

"It's the Australian way that the grand final winners are the champions," Mulvey told The World Game.

"It's a great credit if you finish first past the post and win the league - every coach is striving to do that - but then you go on to the knockout finals.

"They are two separate competitions, but the grand final winners are rightly named the champions. First past the post is obviously very important too, but the grand final winners take the main honour - that's how the competition is set up."

Some people argue that the revamped finals series this season will make it easier for the teams that finish from third to sixth to try to get past one or both of the top two teams and into the grand final, but Mulvey is not so sure.

"It doesn't matter whether it's AFL, rugby league or football, history is stacked against the chances of any team that finishes below second place going on to win the grand final," he said. "And I don't think it's really going to be any easier this season. But you want to be in there, giving it a try."

Brisbane finished first past the post when it won the first of its back-to-back titles by beating Central Coast Mariners in the 2010-2011 season grand final. But, last season, it finished second to the Mariners before claiming the title by beating Perth Glory in the grand final.

Despite losing 1-0 on the road against Central Coast Mariners last Sunday, seventh-placed Brisbane still controls its own destiny as far as its chances of finishing in the top six are concerned.

It is two points behind sixth-placed Newcastle Jets with two rounds to go, but the Jets have played an extra match. Roar will play ninth-placed Melbourne Heart at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

"We always knew the game against the Heart would be the defining one for us," Mulvey said. "If we win that we'll be in the top six going into the last round, and then it will be up to us."

Roar is at home to Sydney FC in the final round.

Asked why, in his view, Roar hasn't been the dominant team it was in the previous two seasons, Mulvey said there were several reasons.

He pointed to the multiple changing of coaches - Ange Postecoglou left at the end of last season and was succeeded by Rado Vidosic, who was then moved aside for Mulvey - as being a naturally disruptive process.

Mulvey also said it was hard to expect a club to keep performing at a very high standard without at least a temporary decline at some stage, and that the club's preparation for this season could have been better.

"This has been a season of turmoil for the Brisbane Roar," he said. "There have been ups and downs, coaching changes, and players leaving and getting injured. It shouldn't be expected that you're suddenly going to go on a winning streak with all that happening.

"But we have righted the ship in the last few weeks. The performance has been there and so has the spirit, and losing narrowly away against the team that is second on the table doesn't change that. We've got a lot to play for in the last two rounds, and we're looking forward to that.

"There are very few clubs in the world that can sustain a challenge for a long period of time. Evolution happens, and you get changes of personnel, and we haven't been able to sustain a position in the top half of the competition this season.

"But, whatever happens between now and the end of the season, I'll be addressing that in the period before next season, to make sure we are competitive from the start. My aim will be to ensure we prepare better than ever, and make sure we're not a soft target early in the season.

"There is a lot of optimism about the future at the Roar. We've got a considerable amount of talent and belief. The history of the A-League shows that clubs can have periods of success and also barren periods that continue for years, but we can't allow that to happen here.

"We play not just for Brisbane, but for the whole of Queensland. We can't accept mediocrity. Our fans won't accept that - and rightfully so. That is our goal for the future, but right now we're still trying to get the most that we can out of this season."

Roar, which won the 2011-2012 grand final with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Perth Glory, is one of five teams scrapping to grab one of the two finals places still on offer.

Just four points separate fifth-placed Sydney FC and ninth-placed Melbourne Heart, meaning the margin for error will be slim over the final two rounds of the regular season.

A 1-0 loss to Central Coast Mariners was a setback for Brisbane, but with two home games to come the odds are stacked in its favour.

"I'm very confident we'll qualify for the finals. It's not an over-confidence, it's just based on the facts," Mulvey said ahead of Sunday's clash with Melbourne Heart, which has collected just one point away from Victoria this season.

"We have got two home games to come and we have been playing well.

"We weren't at our best (against the Mariners on Sunday) ... but we were still dangerous and I think we'll regroup very quickly when we get back to Brisbane.

"... We have two home games, so I've got every confidence we can pick up the points necessary."

Roar outplayed the travel-weary Mariners for large sections of Sunday's match, and had a glut of chances to put away an equaliser in the second half.

Mulvey noted his charges had looked on the right track for some time.

"I think you can look deeper than that," Mulvey replied, when asked if the performance against second-placed Central Coast showed his side can cut it with the best.

"The last two weeks we've played (fourth-placed) Adelaide away, beat them. Then we played very well against (third-placed Melbourne) Victory at home and got the draw."

Mulvey, who took the Roar reins after Rado Vidosic was shifted out of the head coaching role in December, admitted competition would be stiff among the finals hopefuls.

"It's evened up and I think everyone at the bottom seems to have woken up at the same time," Mulvey said.

"Performances are bringing results, and it's very, very tight."

Bernie Ibini struck the winner in the 34th minute, guaranteeing the Mariners a home semi-final and a week off in the first week of the playoffs.

The host showed glimpses of its best despite only arriving back in Australia on Friday after a midweek Asian Champions League loss in Japan and was particularly threatening during a 20-minute patch in the opening half.

But there were few other reasons to celebrate for the home crowd of 7225.

Mariners coach Graham Arnold certainly wasn't pleased - but for other reasons.

Arnold was given an official warning in the first half for expressing his disappointment to referee Alan Milliner after Roar counterpart Mike Mulvey had walked down to his technical area.

Arnold was again incredulous in the dying stages, when the referee failed to end the match after four minutes of injury time.

Table-topping Western Sydney has all but sealed top spot.

With two rounds to play, the Wanderers lead the Mariners by five points and need only one draw, or better, from their remaining clashes with Sydney FC and Newcastle.

A slip-up from the Wanderers, who have won 10 on the trot, seems highly unlikely.

More pertinently, on current form, the Mariners are anything but certainties when they visit Adelaide United next Sunday.

Roar, desperate for the three points that would boost it into the top six, had the better of a second stanza that featured plenty of end-to-end football.

Mariners goalkeeper Mat Ryan did well to keep out Stefan Nijland while the Dutchman also hit the woodwork with a free kick.

It was on-song Roar goalkeeper Michael Theo who kept the visitor in the game during a one-sided first half, with the Mariners taking charge from the 24th minute when Michael McGlinchey unleashed a stinging strike.

Theo did well to tip McGlinchey's effort over the bar, then came up with an even more impressive double save from the resultant corner.

Ibini somehow managed to blaze over the top of the goal after Theo's double parry, but made amends for his error with his seventh goal of the season.

Ibini tiptoed around would-be tacklers Shane Stefanutto and Luke Brattan before slamming the ball inside Theo's near post.

The Mariners had a handful of other chances before halftime, with Daniel McBreen's header hitting the woodwork, but couldn't come up with the goods and were made to sweat in the second half.

But he is happy in the knowledge that at least the currently seventh-placed Roar can control its own destiny from here.

The fact Newcastle Jets could only get a 1-1 draw with Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Friday night means a Brisbane win over Central Coast Mariners at Bluetongue Stadium on Sunday would put the Roar back in the top six.

The Jets rose one place, to fifth, with the draw, but are only two points ahead of Roar and have played two more games than them.

Sydney FC is in sixth place, one point ahead of Brisbane, going into its game against Melbourne Victory at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

Theo said the battle to try to clinch one of those last two spots, after the top four teams cleared away on the competition table, had been "relentless, but exciting".

"It's going to go down to the wire," he told TWG. "I don't think it's going to be clear until the last round is played, the exact makeup of those last two spots, but what we want to try to make sure of at the Roar is that destiny is in our hands going into that last round.

"We would love to have clinched a spot by then, so that if there is still any uncertainty it's only over one spot. And if we can do well and win over the next two rounds, and some results in other games go our way, then that could happen.

"But, whatever happens, we want to go into that last round at least knowing that if we win then nothing can keep us out of the finals."

Perth Glory and Melbourne Heart, who were in eighth and ninth place respectively going into this round, are still in the finals race as well. The only team out the battle at this stage is last-placed Wellington Phoenix.

For many weeks now, the makeup of fifth and sixth place has changed on a round-by-round basis. It has been a pressure-packed situation, and it's not over yet.

"The uncertainty might put a lot of pressure on the teams chasing those spots, but it has added a lot to the competition," Theo said.

"Every week, the scenario changes. It's been fascinating.

"It's like a cup competition. Every week, you seem to be playing a game to try to stay in the top six, or at least in the hunt for a top-six place. And, over the next couple of rounds, the pressure is just going to grow.

"The last round is going to be like a cup final for the teams that are still in the running to grab one of those last two spots. It's been relentless, but it makes for an exciting competition."

Theo said that experiencing such a cut-throat situation could put the two teams that clinch finals spots in a great position going into the finals.

He said they will have been primed for knockout finals football by having played a close-enough version just to get there, while the top four teams have known they will be in the finals for a long time.

It would have to be some sort of advantage," he said."It wouldn't guarantee you success in the finals series, but it would be a pretty good preparation for something like that.

"But we've got to get there first, and we've got a huge game against the Mariners this weekend. We've got to concentrate on producing a 90-minute performance there."

The champion’s season has been plagued with inconsistency, winning eight matches, securing five draws and suffering 11 losses.

But with new coach Mike Mulvey at the helm, Broich is pleased with the way things have turned around in recent weeks.

The team is undefeated in four matches with two wins, two draws and three clean sheets and sits just one point out of the competition’s top six and off fifth-placed Newcastle Jets, which has played one more game than Roar.

“We’ve got a good structure in place now and we’re playing good and entertaining football,” the German midfielder said.

“All the new boys have really stepped up - Jade, Steven, Stefan and especially Brattsy in particular.

“It’s almost a new team and to see them play like this from the start is very pleasing.”

Mulvey echoed Broich's claims, saying the coaching staff was pleased with the squad's recent development as well.

After the Mariners match on Sunday, Roar will finish the season with two home matches against Melbourne Heart and Sydney FC in the space of five days and Mulvey said it was more than ready to make a late push into the finals.

"We're in a really good place at the moment," the Brisbane boss said.

"We're on a bit of a roll and it feels good but we're not being complacent, we know we've got a very tough match ahead on Sunday.

"We're getting them at the right time - not because they had to play Champions League during the week - but because we're playing well.

"It doesn't matter what's happening with them, I don't mind where we go at the moment because of the way we are playing."

Brisbane has a good record in Gosford, having lost just once in 14 outings at Bluetongue Stadium.

Midfielder Leigh Broxham headed third-placed Victory into an early lead but defender Ivan Franjic rescued a deserved point for the home side in a captivating clash.

The result leaves back-to-back champion Roar in seventh spot on the A-League ladder - one point out of the play-off places with just three rounds remaining and a game in hand on the sixth-placed Newcastle Jets.

Roar travels to Central Coast next weekend, while its final two regular season games are at home against fellow play-off contenders Melbourne Heart and Sydney FC.

After a month of rain and a series of rugby union and league matches, the pitch failed to deliver the even surface the Roar are used to at home.

But it did not prevent two quality goals and an entertaining contest in which Brisbane had a 12,624-strong crowd expecting a late winner as Ben Halloran made a huge impact off the bench.

The draw left third-placed Melbourne five points behind second-placed Central Coast on the A-League table.

Melbourne had lost its past four visits to Brisbane, including the 5-0 rout in round two.

Broxham, who stands just 169cm tall, soared high to send a thumping header past Roar goalkeeper Michael Theo after bursting onto a clever cross from Archie Thompson in the 11th minute to open the scoring.

The goal portended a happy return to his former home for Victory coach Ange Postecoglou but Franjic took matters into his own hands to put a dampener on his delight with a 58th minute equaliser.

While Brisbane dominated possession it lacked a cutting edge in the first half before coming to life after the interval.

But the visitor, in contrast, looked full of threat every time it ventured forward and Mark Milligan missed an opportunity to double its lead in the 28th minute before an in-form Theo denied defender Daniel Mullen and then Thompson before half-time.

Nathan Coe was called into action to deny Thomas Broich in the 56th minute but two minutes later the home side was level.

Luke Brattan created the opening with a sumptuous pass which released Franjic down the right and he burst into the box to fire imperiously past Coe for his first goal of the season.

Coe rescued Melbourne in stoppage time, tipping over a Halloran thunderbolt from 25 metres.

“I’m very pleased with the way we tried to play the game,” said Roar coach Mike Mulvey.

“To be fair, we could have been out of sight at half-time - Michael Theo made two fantastic saves and I said to him at half-time that he earned us something out of this game.

“That was proven right in the second half because we got the goal back.”

Matches between the two sides have provided plenty of action and some controversy over the years with lots of goals and plenty of talking points to keep fans and pundits alike happy.

Last season alone the three fixtures between the two sides yielded 13 goals, which resulted in two wins for Brisbane and a 2-2 draw in the first meeting of the season.

This season’s first clash between Brisbane and Melbourne saw Roar complete a comprehensive 5-0 win over Victory in former coach Ange Postecoglou’s first visit to Suncorp Stadium at the helm of an opposition club, having steered Brisbane to consecutive championships.

The follow-up in Melbourne created plenty of media attention before the fixture, while the match produced a pulsating 1-1 draw as Michael Theo put in an outstanding performance to secure a valuable away point.

Mulvey said he was confident his side was well prepared for the challenge and tipped another edge-of-the-seat clash between the two sides.

“All players want to play in big games and Melbourne Victory is a big club, they’re high on the table and it’s a game all players want to play in,” Mulvey said.

“I think the fans should really be looking forward to it as well, for both teams.

“Both teams play attractive football, both teams try to play attacking football so it should be an entertaining night of football.

“It should be a good crowd, it should be an excellent game to play in and an excellent game to watch.

“I’d tell any fan and player out there in Brisbane to come out and watch because it should be an entertaining night of football.”

Mulvey appears set to select an unchanged team for Saturday night’s blockbuster.

The stability within the starting 11, three fixtures unchanged, has been a reflection of the steadily improving performances displayed by the team under Mulvey’s watch.

Brisbane has not conceded a goal in 442 minutes of A-League or AFC Champions League football.

The last goal conceded was Peter Triantis’s quality strike from distance in the 68th minute of the 2-1 defeat to Sydney FC in Round 20.

While three points remains important in the run-in to the end of the season, Mulvey said maintaining the level of recent performances was equally as important.

“We want consistency of performance, we’ve been lifting the level of performance in the past couple of weeks,” he said.

“We’ve conceded no goals in the past four games in normal play.

“But for an offside flag, we would have had three wins on the trot (in the A-League) so we’ve got some momentum.

“We’ve got a lot of momentum from the performance last week when we created a lot of chances against a team that’s in the top four, away from home.

“We’re at home on Saturday night, so I think there’s a lot to be optimistic about.”

In a far cry from the upheaval of Postecoglou's initial return as Melbourne Victory coach in October, new Roar mentor Mike Mulvey praised his rival on the eve of their pivotal A-League clash.

Postecoglou guided Brisbane to back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012 but was incensed by "distasteful and disrespectful" comments made by former players in the build-up to their round two match, when Victory was thumped 5-0.

Fiery striker Besart Berisha vowed to send his old coach home a loser while German star Thomas Broich had labelled Postecoglou's replacement and former assistant Rado Vidosic the brains behind their success.

Roar supporter groups brandished "In Rado We Trust" banners in the crowd.

The back-to-back champion lies sixth on the ladder with 28 points going into Saturday clash against Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium – and is battling to leapfrog fifth-placed Newcastle whilst keeping Melbourne Heart (27), Sydney FC (27) and Perth Glory (25) in its rearview mirror.

Mulvey, fresh with guiding Roar to a crucial 1-0 win over Adelaide last weekend, is aiming to balance transition with a finals flourish.

“We are not going to do is to abandon this season in any way at all,” he said. “While we are a team that needs to be rebuilt a little bit - we are doing that on the run.

“We will not be writing anything off and just waiting to rebuild in the off-season. We are pushing on with our plans and that means also striving to get important results at the same time.

“The main focus is producing a consistent level of performance. We haven’t had that all season. The test now is to see if we can back up from what I thought the best 90 minutes I have seen from the team as a whole since I took charge against Adelaide.

“We kept possession well, we had good penetration, good movement and we created a lot of chances.

“The thing mossing against Adelaide was that we weren’t deadly enough in front of goal – and that's what we need to improve on.”

Roar's squad revamp continued on Monday with the club confirming the signing of National Youth League players Kwame Yeboah and midfielder Ben Litfin to senior contracts for the next two seasons.

The Queensland-born duo have been stand-out performers in Roar's NYL campaign with right-sided attacker Yeboah making his first team debut as a late substitute in Week 21 against Wellington Phoenix.

“Kwame is a young boy who is very determined to succeed,” Mulvey said.

“He is someone who we hold high hopes for in the future, he has speed and good movement in the final third.

“Ben is a young player with lots of potential.

“He has the ability to keep the ball, has good vision and is a tireless working in the middle of the park.

After third-placed Victory, Brisbane faces Central Coast Mariners away before rounding out the regular season with successive home games against Melbourne Heart and Sydney FC.

Realistic hopes of a top-four finish are gone – meaning Brisbane will miss out on a home final.

A feeling of dissatisfaction festers with some fans over Mulvey being awarded a two-year deal and a “Mulvey Out” banner was unfurled by a small group of disgruntled supporters at Roar's last home game against Wellington.

Its instant removal by security staff sparked a social media backlash and Mulvey is conscious it will be hard to please everybody as he embarks on re-energising the club’s fortunes.

“It is not my aim to specifically win the fans over, it’s more a case of trying to make the club super competitive and to play good quality football,” he said.

“What I love about our supporters is their passion. They have enjoyed two grand final wins in the past two seasons and there’s a level of expectation there.

“I can’t promise that every year but what I can promise is total commitment without any compromise on quality. Sometimes we will not please everybody and I understand that completely.

“I am just like any supporter in that I want to see great football and a winning team – and that’s what we’re aiming for every single day.

“One thing we have is a group of players committed to the cause – and you need that at any club.

“The players recognise the need to roll their sleeves up and work hard and when they do that we produce our best. But it’s not good enough to do that spasmodically, we need to do it all the time.”

Mulvey isn’t buying into ‘must-win’ talk ahead of Melbourne’s visit.

“They are a very good side who have been near the top for three quarters of the season – but we are at home and expect a lot of ourselves.

“It’s a game where have to play our game – I don’t like talking about must-wins, I don’t believe in them.

“What I don’t want is mediocrity … I want excellence, that takes time to develop because it’s a mindset.

“If we don’t bring our A-game we will get punished.”

On Brisbane’s changing first team faces under his rule, Mulvey explained: “Look at the team and see how many players have changed from the starting eleven from this time last year.

“There’s the likes of Jack Hingert, James Donachie, Steve Lustica, Jade North, Ben Halloran, Luke Brattan and Stefan Nijand.

“They are all stepping up to the plate and it will take a little time to get where we want to be, but the signs are good.

“It’s no surprise to me that Shane Stefanutto's form has been exceptional in recent weeks with Corey Brown putting regular pressure on him now after his recent taste of first-team football.

“We have had four clean sheets on the trot now and that also gives us cause for optimism.”

After a woeful start to its title defence, Roar could find itself in the top six by round's end after its 1-0 away win against Adelaide United on Saturday night.

Mulvey couldn't hide his pleasure at the result, with the scoreline not fully showing Brisbane's dominance of the third-placed Reds.

"It was probably as dominant a 1-0 win as I've been involved in for a while," Mulvey said.

Roar had 57 per cent possession and twice as many shots on target than the Reds, with Ben Halloran's 82nd minute goal sealing a deserved triumph.

"If you keep knocking at the door, something is going to happen for you," Mulvey said.

"It took us a long time. As we said at half-time, if it takes us until the 95th minute, let's just keep playing the way we're playing.

"We could have easily been a couple of goals up at halftime."

But Mulvey said his club's biggest test was showing such ominous form consistently, with games against powerhouses Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners in the next fortnight.

Brisbane took sixth spot but whether it holds it depends on Melbourne Heart's result against Wellington Phoenix on Sunday.

"It is well documented we're not happy with where we are on the table and we're trying to do something about it," Mulvey said.

"It's the business end of the season.

"We have been working very hard and ... we're still the masters of our own destiny.

"The key thing now is can we do that again next week - that is the big test."

Adelaide, while still third, has just one win from its past seven games and caretaker coach Michael Valkanis was seeking the same trait as Mulvey - consistency.

"We have to find that consistency quickly, we have to find the players that will stick to the game plan, that will stick to the things we're working on and consistently do it," Valkanis said.

"It has to become habit. We will force it to become habit and keep working on it."

Roar, last year's champion, stormed into the top six courtesy of Halloran's strike at Hindmarsh Stadium, a point ahead of Melbiourne Heart and Sydney FC who however have a game in hand.

The midfielder slotted home an 82nd minute goal to give Roar deserved reward for dominating the struggling Reds.

Adelaide, clinging to its top four spot, has won just once in the past seven outings.

Halloran's clinical finish from 10 metres out was created by a shrewd pass from striker Besart Berisha, who earlier missed a penalty.

The goal came after Brisbane was repeatedly denied in a scoreless and bizarre opening half.

To a background soundtrack from a nearby rock music festival, four balls went flat and Roar midfielder Ivan Franjic was left gobsmacked when his header hit both posts.

After Luke Brattan sent in a cross, Franjic's diving header from a metre out smacked into his near post, wafted high along the goal line, struck the far post, and went back into the field of play.

Franjic later forced Reds goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, in his 150th A-League game, to produce a top-shelf diving save from a long-range drive.

And Roar dangerman Thomas Broich had the keeper beaten but watched another strike drift just wide as Brisbane notched six shots to one in the first half.

Roar continued its control in the second half when Berisha was awarded a contentious penalty after collapsing from slight contact with Reds defender Osama Malik in the 48th minute.

But the striker fluffed the penalty shot, his weak low strike hitting the left post as Galekovic dived in the opposite direction.

Mulvey believes Roar's top-shelf qualities are returning as it travels to Adelaide seeking to keep its title defence alive.

Brisbane enters the fixture in eighth place with five games remaining - all against clubs above it on a cluttered ladder.

"We have got three of them at home, so that should be to our advantage," Mulvey said.

"But you can't look five games ahead. You have just got to look at this one on the weekend. It's very, very important.

"Adelaide are in the top three, they're pushing for top-two position and we're pushing for a top-six position.

"So it's all to play for."

Adelaide, which has won once in its past five outings, slipped to a 1-0 home loss to Brisbane on Boxing Day - Mulvey's first win as coach after replacing Rado Vidosic.

"You have to look at history sometimes and we have been to Adelaide this year and we beat them," Mulvey said.

"It's a tough place to go to. But they are a little bit fragile ... there is no reason why we can't go to Adelaide and win the game."

While Mulvey has been reappointed for another two seasons, the future of his Adelaide counterpart Michael Valkanis remains uncertain.

Ex-Roar coach Vidosic has been rumoured as a target of the South Australia club, where his son Dario is a marquee player.

Valkanis, named caretaker coach when John Kosmina abruptly quit in late January, said winning the job wasn't on his mind as United's selection panel heightens its search ahead of a 15 March deadline for applications.

"At the moment, we have to really focus on our group of players and what we want to do this year," he said.

"I'm not thinking about the panel or auditioning.

"I'm thinking about doing my job and making the environment the best possible for the players to do well."

Valkanis said his sole focus was getting his players to match the desperation of Brisbane in a match he said is a grand final for Roar.

Fittingly, the milestone of the crowd favourite will come in front of the adoring United faithful.

After making 15 appearances for Melbourne Victory across the A-League’s first two seasons, Galekovic has racked up 134 league games for the Reds, a tally that has featured numerous world class saves and performances in between the posts.

In his 149 games to date, Galekovic’s accomplishments include a premiership and championship double with Victory in 2006-2007, while he has twice been named Adelaide United club champion and A-League goalkeeper of the year, as well as Adelaide United players' player on three occasions.

Since joining the Reds in October 2007, Galekovic has missed only 10 A-League matches either through injury or international duty with the Socceroos.

In typically modest and selfless fashion, Galekovic played down the personal feat and says he is more focused on achieving and celebrating team success.

“In the end it’s only a number and I’d like to count my championships and premierships rather than individual milestones,” Galekovic said.

“But in saying that I’m proud to reach 150 A-League games and I look forward to playing many more for Adelaide United.”

It's netted the sharpshooter with the short fuse a club record 33 goals and a national championship since leaving his homeland of Albania and bringing his young family to Australia.

His 50th game - against Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday - will be an even more emotional occasion for the 27-year-old recruited by assistant and former head coach Rado Vidosic while playing for German club Arminia Bielefeld.

Roar fans quickly warmed to Berisha as he scored 21 goals in his first season - including two in last year's grand final win.

Asked about his feelings on playing a milestone 50th game this weekend, the colourful import was full of pride.

"It's very special to have 50 (A-League) games up, especially with the Roar team," he said.

"Every game with the Brisbane Roar is so emotional - I think best 50 games I ever have in my career."

Berisha never imagined playing 50 games when he arrived in Brisbane with his wife Sumea and young son Amar in August, 2011.

"I never thought I would make it to 50 games and I am very happy.

"I just enjoy every game. I feel a lot of love in this club which makes me happy to play here."

Scoring goals is his job. He has more than any player in the club's history, adding 12 so far this season.

"It's a great feeling to score goals," he smiles.

"Whatever happens in Brisbane, I will always be there for them when they need me because I care a lot for this club.

"I hope I can make a lot, lot more games for Brisbane."

Coach Mike Mulvey will be hoping his gun scorer finds the net a lot more times between now and the finals, with Brisbane sitting just outside the top six, needing to win three of their remaining five games to have a shot of defending their title and completing a hat-trick of championships.

The erstwhile A-League front-runner has slipped to third on the ladder behind Central Coast and Western Sydney – and must beat Brisbane at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday to retain an outside chance of chasing down the NSW duo.

“It’s warranted that people should write us off over the lack of consistency we have shown over the past six weeks,” admitted the centre-back.

“But we believe that while there’s a mathematical chance of second, then we’ll go for it and obviously hope other results go our way.

“If anybody has got a chance if catching those two it's ourselves and Melbourne Victory.

“There’s a reason why they are where they are but we don’t have anything to fear from anybody.

“As a team, our confidence is intact, it's been high all season. But we know we can play better and it’s a question of building towards the finals and making sure we peak at the right time.”

Boogaard, 26, is convinced Adelaide United is “buying into” the philosophy of interim boss Michael Valkanis, who took charge following the shock resignation of John Kosmina at the end of January.

The game against Brisbane will be Valkanis's fifth in charge of the Reds, and while the previous four have yielded just four points from a possible 12, Boogaard remains undaunted.

“We’re adapting to what the boss wants, the style of football he wants us to play and the approach he wants us to take – and there can be no excuses for any more of the inconsistencies we’ve shown of late,” he said.

“There was a period of getting used to his methods but at this level that should really only take a week or two.

“The biggest key with a new coach is that the players trust and accept his ways of doing things and what he's trying to accomplish – and that’s what is happening.

“I think we can make a late run towards the top two, for sure.”

But the club is showing no sense of sentimentality over the future of Valkanis, who is likely to be offered the top job should United finish the season on a high.

“As a group we can’t be too worried about who is going to be there next year or who is there at the moment,” said Boogaard.

“The important thing is we are playing for the current coach and we are running with that at the moment.

“Obviously, if we have a successful end to the season he might have a chance of getting the job next year. Hopefully we can successfully put into practice what he is asking of us.”

Boogaard has no easy answer to United’s late-season blip, adding: “I don’t think you can put it down to any one thing.

“There were just a few poor games where we didn’t click and we paid for it. In the A-League if you don’t turn up on the day, you don’t get anything.”

After Brisbane, the Reds face Melbourne Heart (away), Newcastle Jets (home), Central Coast (home) and Perth Glory (away).

“We have the quality in the squad to punish teams and hopefully that will happen in the coming games. We need to be tighter at the back and if we can do that that we certainly have the firepower to hurt opponents.”

A win for the Reds on Saturday could deal a heavy blow to the back-to-back champion’s hopes of making the six.

But Boogaard feels Brisbane still has plenty left in the tank.

“It was always going to be hard for them to maintain the levels they have set over the past two years, you see that all around the world,” he said.

“But they have quality all over the park and you can never disregard that. I certainly wouldn’t be writing them off.

“When they turn it on, they can still destroy teams.”

Previously one of Roar’s full-time National Youth League players, Lambadaridis was thankful to be able to upgrade his contract and stay in Brisbane under the tutelage of coach Mike Mulvey and rest of the club’s coaching staff.

“It’s fantastic to secure your future and I just want to thank the club for giving me the opportunity to stay here for another two years,” the 20-year-old said.

“They gave me my first professional contract as a full-time youth player here two years ago and I look forward to continuing my development here as a footballer and maximising my first-team opportunities.”

Lambadaridis has already made five senior appearances for Roar, three times this A-League season and twice in last year’s successful run to the Championship.

“George is been excellent ever since I’ve arrived and he’s even taken his game to a new level,” Mulvey said.

“I’m happy to sign him because he’s a talented, versatile young player with a good passing range and an eye for goal.”

Brisbane fans will fondly remember the Melbourne-born youngster’s last-minute stunner in the final round of the season against Gold Coast United, the club which Mulvey was then coaching.

“We’ve joked about that goal but it was a great start for me,” Lambadaridis said.

“It gave me a taste, it made me hungrier than ever to continue on and I’m extremely grateful to be here.”

Able to play in a range of positions across the midfield, Lambadaridis said his preferred position is in the centre.

“I see myself not as an out-and-out defensive midfielder or an out-and-out number 10 but someone between the lines, in that number eight role,” he explained.

Before joining Roar in September 2011, Lambadaridis played for Belgian side Club Brugge’s youth team and Oakleigh Cannons in the Victorian Premier League.

It was a crucial encounter with just five rounds of the regular season remaining with the Jets holding the final playoff spot and the defending champion just two points behind in seventh.

But in very wet and rainy conditions neither side was able to break the deadlock.

With the visitor dominating the first half before a crowd of 8310 but unable to make the most of its chances on goal, the second stanza was a mirror effort with the Jets looking the more likely but unable to force the issue.

After Roar goalkeeper Michael Theo dived to stop a Ruben Zadkovich snap shot just after the break, it was Adam Taggart who had the best opportunities for the Jets in the second half.

In the 58th and 72nd minutes, Taggart had shots on goal but couldn't find the back of the net, with Theo again featuring on an impressive night for both keepers.

Newcastle had some good early chances when an Emile Heskey shot rebounded off the post in the sixth minute and again when a Taggart strike flew well over the bar in the 10th minute.

In atrocious conditions which included torrential rain and howling, swirling winds, Brisbane controlled much of the first half and could have easily gone to the break one or two goals ahead.

The Jets owe much to shot-stopper Mark Birighitti, who was a rock at the back for the home side in trying conditions.

Brisbane's best opportunity came in the 30th minute when Birighitti intervened to prevent a freed Besart Berisha getting a decent shot on goal.

And again when the custodian stopped a Stefan Nijland strike in the 42nd minute.

A minute later, Jade North found the back of the net when he latched onto a long ball, but the former Jet was ruled offside.

Jets coach Gary van Egmond said he was not unhappy with the point, but bemoaned his side's inability to take their chances.

"We had some chances and some chances to make chances if that makes sense," he said.

"Maybe with our final delivery or the final run we didn't put two and two together."

Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey said the result kept his side in with a shot at defending the championship.

"It's a point away from home," he said.

"It's kept us within striking distance of Newcastle. It's kept us alive."

The 22-year-old has become a key player since Erik Paartalu's departure for China and has been locked in to a long-term deal as coach Mike Mulvey continues to stamp his authority on the playing group.

"Being a Brisbane boy, representing my home town club is important to me," Brattan said.

"Since he's arrived at the club, Mike's given me a great opportunity to play regular first team football and that's been an important step at this stage in my career.

"We have a great group of players at the club and playing week-in, week-out with the likes of Thomas Broich, Besart Berisha, Matt Smith and Shane Stefanutto can only help my development further."

After making his A-League debut in Round Two of the 2010-2011 season, Brattan has played 31 times and established himself as one of the best passers in the competition.

"There has never been any doubt over Luke's ability," Mulvey said.

"What he's lacked in the past has been an opportunity to play regular senior football.

"He's now been given that chance and you can see the potential he has to develop into a very important part of our squad moving forward."

Brisbane is seventh on the A-League ladder and takes on fifth-place Newcastle Jets at Hunter Stadium on Friday night.

And the Roar players are well aware of that, with goalkeeper Michael Theo saying the A-League champion of the past two seasons would have "no excuses" if it didn't make the finals from here.

"It's in our own hands," Theo said. "If beat Newcastle we'll be back in the top six, and it would be up to us whether we stay there."

The bottom six teams are in a competition all of their own. Cut off from the top four, they are playing for the last two places in the six-team finals series.

The fact that sixth-placed Newcastle, on 26 points, plays seventh-placed Brisbane (24), at Hunter Stadium, and fifth-placed Sydney FC (27) plays eighth-placed Melbourne Heart (24), at AAMI Park on Sunday, makes it another hugely interesting round.

Brisbane, with 26 goals for and 26 against, is the only one of the bottom six teams with a goal difference that isn't in the negative, and that could be critically important in the end.

Theo said the Roar knows its 2-0 home win over Wellington Phoenix last Sunday wasn't pretty. But, he added, it was full of character.

"The game came at the end of a tough week for us," he said. "Three games, including a trip overseas for the ACL playoff game, and that went to extra time and penalties.

"But we needed to get the win against Wellington, and we did that. It wasn't the greatest game to watch, and the bumpy surface had a lot to do with that, but it showed what we're about.

It showed we had spirit, and that we're determined to stay alive in this competition.

"We had to win, and now we have to keep winning most weeks or we'll be watching when the finals are on. We've had a clear week to train this week, so we've been able to concentrate on just the one game, against the Jets. It's a big one for us, the same as it is for them."

The story of how Brisbane has tumbled this season has been done to death. Coach Ange Postecoglous left the club at the end of last season to take over at Melbourne Victory, and the Roar struggled without him.

Postecoglou's replacement, Rado Vidosic, was eventually moved aside and replaced by Mike Mulvey.

The Roar has regularly dominated possession in games, but hasn't turned that advantage into nearly enough wins. Yet, it still has a shot at finals football within reach.

"It has been frustrating for the players, the club and the supporters, but we're still only two points outside of the six," Theo said. "So we've still got the chance to turn it around and get something out of this season.

"We're not getting bogged down in the past, we're concentrating on each game as it comes now. It was disappointing not to qualify for the ACL, but we didn't have time to dwell on that because we had another game a few days later. And now we're concentrating on the game against the Jets."

Newcastle added strikepower around its attacking focal point, Emile Heskey, against Melbourne Heart last weekend, and got a 2-0 win. Michael Bridges and Adam Taggart gave the defence more to worry about, and Theo expects the same approach on Friday.

"Bridges played exceptionally well in that game," he said. "It worked for them, and I don't see them changing that for this game. We'll have to be vigilant, but above all we have to make sure we get our game right."

Security guards swooped quickly on the sign, but not before an alert Fox Sports cameraman had zeroed in on it.

The club defended itself on Monday after the actions of security guards triggered a wave of Twitter outrage, officials saying in a statement: "All banners displayed at the stadium must first be submitted to the club to ensure they meet criteria set under the Football Federation Australia and Suncorp Stadium terms of admission to an A-League match.

"In this instance, the banner was not submitted to the club for approval. As a breach of this protocol, the banner was removed, regardless of content."

Brisbane was leading 2-0 when the sign appeared, displayed by a hardcore group of fans known as "the Collective".

They were protesting against the club's decision last Friday to sign Mulvey to a two-year deal after he Roar had been knocked out of the AFC Asian Champions League by Thailand club Buriram United.

"Everyone has got a right to an opinion and that should always be the case."

Mulvey, who has four wins in 12 games since replacing Rado Vidosic in December, said he felt the supporters' pain and disappointment with the defending A-League champions struggling to make the finals.

"It's been a disappointing season to be where we are right now," he said.

"But that's not to say we are giving up.

"We want to work harder. We want to please the fans - we want to make them happy because it is their club.

"That's what the club exists for.

"We want to grow for bigger and better things."

Sitting two points out of the top six, Brisbane faces a tough clash against sixth-placed Newcastle Jets at Hunter Stadium.

"Is it fatal if we lose? No, it's not.

"Will it be demoralising if we do (lose)? Yes, it will.

"(But) ... the key thing is we go there with the belief that we can win.

"There are six games left and we're playing teams near us and up the top so we're going to have a say in what goes on."

Some fans unfurled a banner reading “Mulvey out” which was promptly confiscated by security staff on the club's instructions.

The incident took place in the second half of the match at Suncorp Stadium.

”All banners displayed at the stadium must first be submitted to the club to ensure they meet criteria set under the Football Federation Australia and Suncorp Stadium terms of admission to a Hyundai A-League match,” s Brisbaen saatement read.

“In this instance the banner was not submitted to the club for approval.

”As a breach of this protocol the banner was removed, regardless of content.

”The group who displayed the banner are aware of the protocol in regards to admission of banners at the stadium and the club has engaged the group in discussions subsequent to the match.

”The banner will be returned to the supporter group this week and can be submitted for approval prior to the club’s next home game at Suncorp Stadium against Melbourne Victory on Saturday, 9 March.”

The club said it considers the matter closed and will not be making any further comment.

Goals from midfielder Steve Lustica and Besart Berisha handed Roar its seventh win of the season - and the fourth since Mike Mulvey took the reins from Rado Vidosic, to ease the defending champion to within two points of the top six.

For Wellington, which has never won at Suncorp, it was more of the same as its season of woe continued.

Roar's lowest home crowd of the season - 9282 fans - was not universally happy with the performamce.

A section of supporters showed their disapproval at last Friday's re-appointment of Mulvey for a further two years by unfurling a banner reading: "Mulvey Out".

Stewards confiscated the offending banner after being instructed to do so by Roar officials.

Lustica, on loan from Hajduk Split, was clinical with his finish to fire Brisbane in front in the 33rd minute, steering the ball past his former Gold Coast United teammate Glen Moss after Thomas Broich had released Shane Stefanutto down the left and he had cut the ball back expertly.

It was his first goal for the club in his fourth appearance.

It took a diving save from Michael Theo at the other end to prevent Phoenix hitting back almost immediatley as exciting young striker Louis Fenton unleashed for the visitor.

The game was effectively killed off as a contest four minutes after the break when Wellington's Dani Sanchez coughed up possession to Luke Brattan and he teed up Berisha, who coolly steered home a low shot to the left of Moss for his 12th goal of the season.

Mulvey praised the effort of his players backing up from their disappointing exit from the Asian Champion League in Thailand.

"We haven't given up on the season," said Mulvey. "We're in a dog fight and there are still plenty of points to get."

Tyler Boyd should have pulled one back for Wellington, which remains rooted to the foot of the ladder with 20 points from 21 games, but fluffed his lines in the 66th minute when he sent his headed shot wide.

Young Socceroos striker Corey Gameiro, making his Phoenix debut on loan from Fulham, thought he had given Wellington an eighth minute lead.

But he was ruled by a late linesman's flag to have fouled defender Jade North before heading the ball past keeer Theo - to the relief of the home side.

In one of the more bizarre decisions in the Roar's litany of surprises since losing two-time championship-winning mentor Ange Postecoglou, the club shocked and in some cases angered fans with its out-of-the-blue announcement on Friday of Mulvey's new deal.

The coach's record of three wins from 10 games in charge of a talented side would have suggested he was walking a tightrope.

To re-appoint Mulvey seven games out from the finals, which the club might yet embarrassingly miss, when the club could have used the games to weigh up its options is puzzling, despite general manager Sean Dobson's insistence that stability "was crucial".

Backing up for its third game in a week, a fatigued Brisbane will be vulnerable against a struggling Wellington, having just returned from its Asian Champions League qualifying failure where it lost 3-0 on penalties to Thailand's Buriram United on Wednesday night.

Mulvey won't have the services of skipper Matt Smith and defender Ivan Franjic (head knock) although quicksilver striker Henrique (hip) and central midfielder Massimo Murdocca (ankle) are both a possibility of playing.

Franjic, who was knocked out cold, failed to finish the game in Thailand and will be rested.

Jack Hingert will start in Franjic's key role.

Ninth-placed Wellington (20 points), who is four points off the top six, can kickstart its charge for the finals by beating eighth-placed Brisbane (21 points) whose season could quite easily fall apart with a loss in front of its home fans who are running short of patience.

Brisbane, who has only lost twice in its 17 A-League clashes with Wellington, had a light training session on Saturday afternoon while Wellington, who have been preparing in Brisbane since Friday, had a sharp session at Goodwin Park.

Young striker Corey Gameiro, signed by Fulham as a 17-year-old, will debut for Wellington.

Mulvey was named interim coach in December when Rado Vidosic stepped aside to become the club's technical director just 11 games into the 2012-2013 season.

Roar officially announced it would retain Mulvey in Brisbane on Friday as the team returned from Thailand after losing its Asian Champions League qualifier against Buriram United in a penalty shootout.

It added to a frustrating run for Roar which is third-last on the A-League ladder but one win outside the top six.

However, Mulvey had done enough to convince the club's board - which met on Thursday just hours after the ACL failure - that he should retain the reins full-time.

"It's always nice to announce something like this on the back of a win," Roar general manager Sean Dobson said.

"But I think if you actually realised what Mike has achieved behind the scenes in the dressing room and the way he has scouted players, what he is doing in terms of bringing leadership structure and actually providing a really strong vision for the club - there is a lot of good work there.

"The owners believed it was time to bring that stability to the group."

Mulvey said he was 'thrilled' with the appointment.

But he would not be drawn on whether he was surprised by the timing of the decision after a 'bitterly disappointing' ACL failure.

"But if I am truly honest with myself we are probably not equipped well enough to compete deep into the (ACL) tournament this year in terms of our depth," Mulvey said.

"I will be the first to admit the results are not perfect.

"The truth of the matter is we haven't quite reached our (expected) levels this season for one reason or another.

"I don't want to go into those reasons. But they will be addressed and there will be changes made."

Brisbane was outclassed for much of first stanza, but despite an improved display in the second half at the aptly named Thunder Castle, eventually lost the contest in a penalty shoot-out.

While acknowledging the disappointment of the playing group, Mulvey said he was confident the squad would dust itself off and attack the challenges that lie ahead in the domestic arena.

"We're all bitterly disappointed with the result of the match, but I believe every Brisbane Roar fan can be proud of the effort their team showed against Buriram," Mulvey said.

"Every single player gave everything they had for the shirt, the club and the fans.

"We understandably have some very tired boys right now, but there is a real steel and determination to go to Suncorp Stadium on Sunday and secure a positive result."

In a boost to Brisbane Roar's playing stocks Massimo Murdocca and Henrique are both set to be available for the clash against Wellington.

Murdocca has recovered quickly from the ankle injury he picked up 13 days ago against Central Coast Mariners, while Brazilian winger Henrique has overcome a quad strain which has kept him on the sidelines for four weeks.

Both players travelled to Thailand with the 18-man ACL squad in order to continue their recovery and training under the watchful eye of the club's conditioning and medical staff.

"Having Massimo and Henrique available for selection is a huge boost ahead of the match," Mulvey said.

"Not only are they important players, but both bring a real energy to the playing group.

"The buzz both of these players bring to the squad can only help energise the players around them."

Mulvey and his staff will assess the squad over the coming days, however one player who won't be available is Ivan Franjic, who sustained a concussion in a first-half collision with goalkeeper Michael Theo in Wednesday's match.

Unfortunate to lose hosting rights for a sudden-death game it never expected to play, Roar produced a limp showing in the Thailand heat.

While luck and desperation kept the host scoreless for 120 minutes, the sudden-death play-off was epitomised by Brisbane failing to convert its three penalty attempts.

Buriram goalkeeper Sivaruck Tedsungnoen saved shots by Thomas Broich, Besart Berisha and James Meyer while Roar stopper Michael Theo could not continue his regulation time heroics.

It was another major blow in a forgettable season for Brisbane, occurring the same day skipper Matt Smith was ruled out for the rest of its title defence.

The loss darkens the cloud over coach Mike Mulvey's future at the club beyond this season and leaves Central Coast Mariners as the sole Australian club in the ACL group stages.

Roar sits eighth on the A-League ladder and looks a mere shadow of the dominant, entertaining team which won back-to-back titles in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.

Brisbane failed to win any of its six ACL group matches last year and never looked like changing its fortunes at Thunder Castle Stadium.

Buriram, the Thai FA Cup champion, now joins FC Seoul, Japan's Vegalta Sendai and Chinese club Jiangsu Sainty in Group E.

Roar could thank Theo for being level after regulation time after a particularly dominant first half by the home side.

Theo skilfully saved the A-League champion's bacon twice in the opening quarter-hour and was also in the action when he inadvertently knocked out team-mate Ivan Franjic.

Buriram constantly pressured Brisbane into error and it was dangerous on counter-attack but couldn't convert a string of chances.

It could have had the match parcelled up early in extra-time when captain Suchao Nutnum only had Theo to beat in the box but wasted the golden chance by putting it wide.

Roar worked its way into the match in the second half as Luke Brattan, Stef Nijland and Ben Halloran impressed, but captain Broich and A-League golden boot Berisha again failed to make an impact.

Smith hasn’t played or trained in over four weeks with his hip labrum tear keeping him out of action for the club since the 1-0 loss to Newcastle Jets in mid-January.

After a review with the surgeon on Monday, it was decided on Tuesday that surgery was Smith’s best option.

With an estimated three to four months' recovery time, the 30-year-old is no chance to play any more part in Brisbane’s 2012-2013 season.

“I am bitterly disappointed to be out for the rest of the season,” Smith said.

“I am still confident the rest of the boys can finish off the season well and I’m now firmly focused on working hard in my recovery.”

The rest of the Roar squad is currently in Thailand preparing for Wednesday night’s AFC Champions League qualifier against Buriram United before returning home to play Wellington Phoenix at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

But being left behind when his teammates flew out for their AFC Champions League qualifier in Thailand proved the final straw.

Smith says he is more motivated than ever to avoid the surgeon's knife and help turn around the Roar team after being reduced to the role of frustrated TV viewer for Brisbane's ACL one-off playoff against Buriram United on Wednesday night.

Smith said the hip injury that had sidelined him since January would be reassessed after the Roar team returns from Thailand - hopefully with an ACL berth.

At one stage Smith had contemplated season-ending surgery.

Now Smith is keeping his fingers crossed that medical staff clear him to provide season-resurrecting form.

"I am hopeful of playing again this season, it is getting better," Smith said.

"This is probably the longest I have ever been injured in my career - it's very frustrating and very hard to watch.

"If I do get a chance I want to make an impact this season and I want to help the team."

Roar will be vying to join K-League champion FC Seoul, J.League runner-up Vegalta Sendai and Chinese Super League runner-up Jiangsu Sainty in the ACL's Group E.

But Smith hoped a win in Thailand would achieve much more.

"A win in something like this can spark something for a team," he said.

"And hopefully that sparks something for our A-League season too."

Roar coach Mike Mulvey will also be sweating on a form reversal.

The Roar sit one win outside the A-League top six - not an ideal spot for Mulvey whose future has only been guaranteed until the end of the season.

And Perth Glory's sacking of Ian Ferguson this week would have been a timely reminder of what happens to an underperforming coach.

"We want to turn it around for our coach, but we also want to it around for ourselves, our club and our fans," Smith said of Mulvey's plight.

"We have been far and below what everyone has expected but we are working hard to ensure we put in a good end to the season."

Mulvey on Tuesday named a 19-man squad for the ACL qualifier

"We've got players who have played all over the world and I think that experience will count for a lot when we come up against a very good Buriram United," Mulvey said.

Brisbane Roar finished with three draws and three losses on ACL debut last season.

If they qualify, their first fixture is away to Vegalta Sendai in Japan on February 26 before hosting FC Seoul two weeks later at Brisbane Stadium.

Brisbane Roar squad: Michael Theo, Shane Stefanutto, Matthew Jurman, Ivan Franjic, Besart Berisha, Massimo Murdocca, Stefan Nijland, Ben Halloran, Jade North, Steven Lustica, James Donachie, Mitch Nichols, Luke Brattan, Jack Hingert, Matthew Acton, James Meyer, Thomas Broich (capt), George Lambadaridis, Corey Brown.

Mike Mulvey's side takes on Buriram in Thailand on Wednesday evening with a place in Group E of the 2013 ACL up for grabs, which also contains K-League champion FC Seoul, J.League runner-up Vegalta Sendai and Chinese Super League runner-up Jiangsu Sainty.

"We've got players who have played all over the world and I think that experience will count for a lot when we come up against a very good Buriram United," Mulvey said.

"Experience is very important but also, desire and enthusiasm is equally important and this squad has that too."

Club captain Matt Smith (hip injury) misses out.

Brisbane Roar squad: 1. Michael Theo (gk), 3. Shane Stefanutto, 4. Matthew Jurman, 5. Ivan Franjic, 7. Besart Berisha, 8. Massimo Murdocca, 9. Stefan Nijland, 11. Ben Halloran, 13. Jade North, 14. Steven Lustica, 15. James Donachie, 17. Mitch Nichols, 18. Luke Brattan, 19. Jack Hingert, 20. Matthew Acton, 21. James Meyer, 22. Thomas Broich, 25. George Lambadaridis, 26. Corey Brown

Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero became Sydney's most prolific scorer with his early goal while Besart Berisha levelled with a first-half penalty.

But it was young midfielder Peter Triantis who sealed the win, opening his Sky Blues account with his 69th-minute strike.

The victory lifts the Sky Blues into sixth spot - the first time they've been inside the top six since round four - while Brisbane dips to eighth.

Del Piero broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when he was able to get on the end of a clever flick from Blake Powell and masterfully moved past Roar defender Ivan Franjic to score his 11th A-League goal - a record haul for a Sydney FC player in one season.

Roar's new Dutch recruit Stefan Nijland in his first start for Brisbane tried to level moments later, forcing a save from Sydney gloveman Vedran Janjetovic.

Mitch Nichols also kept Janjetovic busy with a shot from outside the box midway through the opening stanza.

But it was superboot Berisha who equalised after Roar was awarded a penalty when Sydney defender Fabio brought down Nijland in the box.

The Albanian stepped up to the mark and made no mistake, also scoring his 11th goal of the season to level at 1-1 a minute before the break.

Berisha threatened again early in the second half with a long-range effort but sent it just wide.

Sky Blues coach Frank Farina made a double substitution in the 60th minute bringing youngsters Joel Chianese and Terry Antonis on for Powell and Ali Abbas in an effort to create more pace up front.

But Brisbane continued its assault with Nijland just shaving the post.

A defensive error by late Roar substitute James Donachie gifted Sydney its second goal when his attempted clearance landed at the feet of waiting 21-year-old Triantis whose powerful strike put the host 2-1 up in the 69th minute sending the 14,589-strong crowd into a frenzy.

Del Piero almost widened the gap in the dying minutes shattering the woodwork with his spectacular free-kick.

The top four teams may have broken right away from the remaining six teams in recent weeks, but Mulvey refuses to concede that it is too hard now for sixth-placed Roar or one of the other five sides around it to break into the top four. A top-four spot brings a home game in the first week of the finals.

"There are still eight games to go and 24 points to play for," Mulvey told The World Game. "So if anyone wants to make predictions about the top four being shut off, I think it's far too early to do that.

"I don't think the top four is settled. I don't think anything is settled yet. We've got plenty of tough games left, but so do other teams. Nothing's impossible for the teams in the league at this stage."

If there is one top-four team vulnerable to dropping out - even with the points break it has on the bottom six teams - it is Adelaide United.

Even after three losses in a row, fourth-placed Adelaide, on 32 points, is still nine points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle Jets, and 11 clear of Brisbane.

But Adelaide has a tough game at home against Melbourne Victory on Friday, and if it lost that and a couple of the bottom-six teams won to cut the deficit, things could begin to get interesting.

Brisbane has a busy week ahead. After Sunday's game it must prepare quickly for an away game against Thai side Buriram United on 13 February to decide a group stage spot in the Asian Champions League.

But Mulvey says his players are buoyant after performing well at home in a 2-2 draw with competition leader Central Coast Mariners last weekend.

Berisha, who has been the subject of plenty of criticism this season for ill-discipline on the field, scored both goals and looked like his old self again.

"I said to the players before that game, if we got the service to Besart in the right area, he would score goals," Mulvey said. "And that's what happened. I still think he's the best finisher in the league.

"He was in the right place at the right time to score goals, and he's obviously capable of doing that again under the right circumstances.

"Besart's got his tail up at training this week. He's very enthusiastic - all the boys are.

"The thing we did in the second half against the Mariners was find the penetrating pass and get the movement going from players. There was a lot more fluidity, and we caused problems for our opponents.

"We had a lot of players in the right place at the right time - the players to put the penetrating balls through, and Besart to finish it off in this case."

Mulvey said Sydney FC, still in the thick of the finals battle itself, would provide tough opposition.

"Sydney have improved greatly in recent weeks," he said.

"And, like any opponents, we will pay them the respect they deserve. But we will trying to impose our game on them, and get the right result for us."

The Mariners built up a six-point lead at the top of the A-League ladder with its 2-2 draw on Friday night but Roar came out of the clash with the biggest smile.

Capped by two quality Besart Berisha goals, it was a spirited performance, particular in the second half at Suncorp Stadium, which was more like the Roar of old.

"You better believe it - yeah there's plenty of life and spark," coach Mike Mulvey said.

"The situation is like a patient - we've done some diagnosis, we've had a look at what the problem is, we're trying to do operations to fix things and it takes a little bit of time.

"We're on the road to recovery. We're not there yet because when we're there we'll be able to see out a game like that."

While it sits on the edge of the six with eight matches remaining, Brisbane looks revitalised with Australia defender Jade North and Dutch recruit Stef Nijland making their debuts and young midfielder Luke Brattan stepping up in the absence of Erik Paartalu.

And in another boost, captain Matt Smith has been told by doctors he doesn't require season-ending hip surgery and could be back on the field after another two weeks of rest after missing most of January.

A jet-lagged Nijland, on loan from PSV Eindhoven, impressed in a 30-minute cameo off the bench just 38 hours after flying in to Brisbane.

Mariners coach Graham Arnold, no fan of the new finals series, had no hesitation in branding Roar a major danger if it makes the top six.

"When you have the calibre of footballers like Broich, like Berisha and now Nijland, and Jade North at the back and Mitch Nichols, they're quality footballers who are dangerous to any team on any one day," he said.

"The way the finals series is done this year it's more like a knockout competition and I think it's a bit unfair the way it is ... you don't get any reward for being one or two.

"You can lose your first game and it's over.

"It's a cup competition between six teams and you just have to go for it. You win two games and you're the champions - so-called champions."

But Arnold's biggest concern is the Mariners' injury crisis after Oli Bozanic (dislocated shoulder) became the latest name on the long list, leaving them with just 18 available players.

He admitted the cash-strapped club would need to recruit reinforcements with Adam Kwasnik, James Oates and Troy Hearfield all out for the season and Adriano Pellegrino unavailable.

"I have to," he said. "I don't know where from because we don't have the money but I think we have to do something."

Spirited Roar came from a goal down to lead 2-1 and was poised to inflict just the Mariners' third defeat of the season when McBreen equalised in the 80th minute with his 14th goal of the campaign.

The scoreline was a repeat of the clubs' memorable 2010-2011 grand final when Brisbane came from 2-0 down with two goals in the final three minutes of extra-time before winning on penalties.

The home side again looked like celebrating thanks to a stirring second-half performance against the pace-setting competition favourites.

Golden boot Besart Berisha rediscovered his mojo with a double and new Dutch recruit Stef Nijland made an immediate impact in a 30-minute cameo just 38 hours after flying into Brisbane.

Berisha, who has struggled for form in 2012-2013 much like the defending champion, produced two quality goals to earn man-of-the-match honours.

The Albanian international headed home a smart cross from captain Thomas Broich in the 47th minute and then put Roar in the lead by finishing the best goal of the entertaining encounter, sparked by pinpoint passes from Nijland and Shane Stefanutto.

With young midfielder Luke Brattan continuing to shine, Roar overcame an indisciplined and sloppy start with a confident display after the break to reinvigorate its campaign.

It had been a farcical start for seventh-placed Brisbane, which conceded the opening goal in the eighth minute due to a Matt Jurman defensive error when it was needlessly down to 10 men.

Replacement Ben Halloran, prevented from taking the field for an injured Massimo Murdocca due to an administrative error, was forced to watch from the sideline as Michael McGlinchey made the most of his gift opportunity in the box.

The Mariners looked in control of the first half and missed a prime chance to double the lead just before the break when McBreen's close-range shot was smartly saved by Michael Theo.

Jurman was dragged at halftime and replaced by Jack Hingert in a backline reshuffle which saw Ivan Franjic team with Jade North in his Roar debut.

Mariners coach Graham Arnold was pleased with his side's endeavour and desire that proved vital in it grabbing a share of the points.

“We knew Brisbane would fight back,” he said. “I am happy with a point. I thought we played good in patches and we’re a bit down on numbers at the moment.”

“We had a young side out there if you look at the way we finished the game. It’s a tough game to come up here to Brisbane and they got a bit of confidence when they got the goal at the start of the second half.”

“(But) I couldn’t be prouder of our boys.”

Roar coach Mike Mulvey wants to unleash his latest recruit, signed on a loan deal from PSV Eindhoven, immediately as a creative forward who can complement striker Besart Berisha.

And Nijland, who had never heard of Brisbane until a week ago, is hungry to play at Suncorp Stadium despite his 27-hour trip across the globe.

The versatile attacker playmaker trained with the Roar on Thursday morning just hours after arriving at Brisbane Airport at 6am.

His last match was last Friday for the PSV reserves on a snow-capped pitch and he's left his partner and four-month old son behind to reinvigorate his career.

Mulvey wants the battling defending champions to "put on a show" against the A-League leaders and believes Nijland has the determination and professionalism to play a part.

"One thing I do know is he wants to play - he's keen," Mulvey said.

"If you play at a big club like PSV that brings an aura and confidence that will rub off on our players."

Nijland played for Netherlands at under 19, 20 and 21 level but has struggled to get recent first team time at PSV.

"I think I'm a good technical player, I like to play the number 10 and that's one of the biggest reasons for coming here," he said.

"I hope I can play as much as possible - it would be difficult to start but I'd like to get some minutes."

He won't be the only new recruit to debut for Roar with Socceroos defender Jade North to replace youngster James Donachie and team with Matt Jurman in central defence.

Former Gold Coast United midfielder Steve Lustica is also expected to make his first start for Roar while Berisha and left-back Shane Stefanutto will return from suspension.

Mulvey is excited by his string of reinforcements but is well aware the Mariners, who have lost just two matches this season, are an intimidating force.

"They are consistent, ruthless and very methodical and we'll be paying them the utmost respect," he said.

"But this is our home turf and I expect us to take the game to them and put on a show and we want to take the three points off them."

Nick Fitzgerald, who joined the Mariners from Roar during the transfer window, will be rested due to a gentleman's agreement between the two clubs while Central Coast will also be without Pedj Bojic (hip) and Nick Montgomery (suspended).

North was signed by the defending champion from Japan three weeks ago but has yet to appear as coach Mike Mulvey opted to build up his fitness.

However Mulvey has confirmed the 31-year-old former Newcastle Jets and Wellington Phoenix player will team with Matt Jurman in central defence against the Mariners.

North will replace youngster James Donachie who has impressed Mulvey in the absence of injured captain Matt Smith.

"He's done a tremendous job," Mulvey said. "But with young players, you need to know when to rest them."

PSV Eindhoven recruit Stef Nijland, a former youth Netherlands international, might also make a shock appearance against Central Coast after training with Roar on Thursday morning after a 26-hour trip to Brisbane.

"It will be tough to start tomorrow but, if I can make minutes, I'll be happy," 24-year-old Nijland said.

Nijland, signed on loan from PSV Eindhoven until the end of the season, didn’t take full part in the session as some was spent in discussions with the Brisbane coaching staff.

“My first impressions are really good, I’m glad to be here,” said Nijland.

“I think I’m a good technical player, I like to play the number 10 and that’s one of the biggest reasons for coming here.

“I have heard that Brisbane Roar is the best footballing team in the league so I’ll do my best here – I hope I can score goals, make goals and be important to the team.

“I got this opportunity so I spoke with my manager, my dad, my girlfriend – we have a young son of four months – so it was a big step but we all thought it was the best thing to do.”

"I wouldn't be surprised if we see Besart bang in a lot of goals over the next few weeks," Franjic said.

Brisbane has acquired Dutch striker Stefan Nijland on loan from PSV Eindhoven for the rest of the season, on top of the recent acquisition of Australian midfielder Steven Lustica from Croatian club Hadjuk Split, also on loan.

There had been speculation for some time that Roar would go looking for a striker to add to its roster, because Berisha wasn't pouring in the goals like he did last season.

Now, it has that player, although coach Mike Mulvey says he sees Berisha and Nijland playing together, with the potential to form what he described as "a very dangerous attacking combination", rather than competing for the same spot.

Asked how he thought Berisha would feel about Brisbane singing Nijland, Franjic said: "It will lift him up - it won't bring him down. He will see it as good for the club, to add a quality player.

"The more competition there is for spots, the better. Besart rises to challenges, and if he sees the addition of another striker as a challenge, he'll rise to that as well."

Berisha has been the subject of increasing criticism because of an on-field attitude that has been described as ill-disciplined. Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic recently described him to as a constant whinger who was "pissed off" because the Wanderers kept beating Roar.

After receiving his fifth yellow card of the season in a game against the Wanderers in Week 17, and subsequently being suspended for the Week 18 game against Perth Glory, Berisha is back for Friday's game against competition leader Central Coast Mariners at Suncorp Stadium.

Asked if Berisha's on-field approach was distracting for his Roar teammates, Franjic replied: "No, not at all. It doesn't bother us. We've been playing alongside Besart for two seasons now, and we know him well.

"He explodes with passion when he gets on the field, and that's what works for him. We know he's just being himself, and it doesn't affect us at all.

"The opposition has a go at him, they try to niggle him, but he never stops working hard for the team. You can see how much he wants to win. Besart is actually very quiet off the field, though, which may surprise some people.

"He doesn't say much, but he works hard at training and he is someone the young guys at the club look up to, and feed off. They see, from him, how much work it takes to be a good player."

Roar, champion for the past two seasons, is in seventh place, one point behind sixth-placed Melbourne Heart.

"There's no point in us looking any further ahead than that," Franjic said. "We had a good win on the road against Perth last weekend, and we know that if we keep winning we will make the finals.

"There's no talk at the club about the mathematical equation, and whether we can finish in this position or that, we're just concentrating on things game by game. If we play well enough, the rest will look after itself.

"Central Coast are going to be very tough. They're a great team and they're having a great season. But we'll go out there believing in ourselves and looking to play our type of football."

While Nijland may be rushed onto the bench for Friday night's game, one player assured of a start is Socceroos defender Jade North, who has finally proved his fitness after signing earlier this month.

The 24-year-old is expected to join Roar training on Thursday and, pending clearance paperwork, could be available for selection for the Week 19 clash with Central Coast Mariners on Friday.

Nijland, who will link up with the A-League champion for four months, can play anywhere across the front line, with Roar coach Mike Mulvey excited to see how he and Besart Berisha work together.

“Stefan is tall, quick and has an eye for goal,” Mulvey said. “I’m confident he’ll fit neatly into our style of play and hopefully inject more cutting edge to our attack.

“He is a different kind of striker to Besart and I believe the two can become a very dangerous attacking combination.”

Nijland played his last game on Friday, featuring in a club international against Sparta Rotterdam.

Glory's 1-0 home defeat to Brisbane Roar left Ferguson's charges two points adrift of sixth spot ahead of Saturday's road game against Wellington Phoenix.

He remains confident of guiding Glory into the finals, and has urged disgruntled fans to stick firm by the club.

"We're all disappointed - we're all frustrated," said Ferguson, who signed a two-year contract extension after guiding Perth to last season's grand final.

"But I would be more worried if we weren't creating chances.

"I know there's a lot of disgruntled fans at the moment, but stick with us.

"We turned it around last year and we'll do it again this year.

"I'm sure we'll get to the finals, and I'm positive we'll get to the finals.

Glory created a number of golden chances against Roar, but Brisbane midfielder James Meyer proved the difference with his 30-metre wonder strike in the 16th minute.

Perth entered the match missing six of its first-choice starting XI.

And although midfielder Liam Miller and defender Josh Risdon will return from suspension against Phoenix, star striker Shane Smeltz (groin), captain Jacob Burns (back), defender Bas van den Brink (calf) and Dean Heffernan (back) are facing uphill battles to make the trip to New Zealand.

Smeltz, who has been carrying a groin injury for some time, is the biggest concern and might need a short spell on the sidelines to fully recover.

"This time, he won't be back until it is right ... until he's 100 per cent fit," Ferguson said.

Brisbane's win lifted it to within one point of sixth spot, but the defending champion faces a stern test against competition leader Central Coast Mariners on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.

Roar will be boosted by the returns of star striker Besart Berisha and Shane Stefanutto from suspension, while Australia international defender Jade North is also in line to play after his recent move back from Japan.

Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey hoped the win over Perth would prove to be the turning point in his team's season.

"We got on a trot recently where we'd lost three games, and you'd think the world was going to end," Mulvey said.

"To walk away from here with three points is massive for us. It will give us some buoyancy. It will lift the club.

"It will build on that self belief we've been lacking for a good part of the season.

"But what we want to see now is that it's not a one-off. We want to perform very well against the Mariners."

James Meyer’s 16th minute strike proved to be the only goal in a match that Perth will wonder how it failed to get anything from after dominating for long periods.

The win sees Brisbane move above Perth on the table and just a point outside the top six.

Perth, with a number of first team regulars sidelined, had many chances to at least get a point, none better than Nick Ward’s shot into virtually an empty net that he put over the bar.

Both teams went into the game with key players missing, Perth’s substitute bench a who’s who from its youth team, while Brisbane had new signing Steven Lustica on the bench.

Perth started the brighter of the two teams, with Ryo Nagai and Travis Dodd causing a few headaches for the Roar defence.

However against the run of play, Meyer, in for suspended Besart Berisha, seized his chance when given too much space 25 metres out. His shot seemed harmless enough but somehow crept past Glory keeper Danny Vukovic at his near post.

Perth though continued to be the more dominant side, but was to rue several wasted opportunities to equalise.

Dodd was the main culprit in the first half, contriving to miss from right in front when it looked easier to score.

It was more of the same in the second half, with Perth dominating the clear-cut chances, the best of which fell to Ward in the 56th minute. Michael Theo came out of his box in an attempt to head clear, but the ball fell a Glory player who played in Ward and with only a defender on the line, he blazed his shot over the bar.

Both keepers were kept busy in the second half, with Theo denying Ward with his legs with just four minutes remaining and Nagai having a shot cleared off the line by Roar’s stand-in skipper Thomas Broich.

Brisbane though defended stoutly to hold on for the win, its first in four games.

But come this Saturday night at nib Stadium, last season's grand finalists will be merely battling for survival as the race for finals spots intensifies.

Brisbane - winner of the past two championships - has endured a horror season to date.

Coach Rado Vidosic fell on his sword after guiding the team to just three wins from its first 11 games, while his replacement Mike Mulvey has also failed to spark the ninth-placed Roar, which is four points adrift of the top-six.

Perth is faring only marginally better, with Ian Ferguson's charges sitting just two points ahead of the Roar in eighth spot following a five-game winless run.

The heat is on both Mulvey and Ferguson to start producing results, but both coaches will be without a host of key players for this week's crunch clash.

Socceroos defender Jade North, who linked up with the Roar earlier this month, isn't yet ready for action, while Brisbane skipper Matt Smith (hip) will visit a specialist next Friday to determine whether he requires season-ending surgery.

To compound the Roar's woes, key duo Besart Berisha and Shane Stefanutto are serving suspensions.

Perth has also been hit by suspension, with midfielder Liam Miller and defender Josh Risdon forced to watch on from the sidelines this week.

Dutchman Bas van den Brink (calf) is also set to miss the match, but Socceroos defender Michael Thwaite is a strong chance to return after missing the past four matches with a torn calf.

Perth hasn't tasted victory since beating Brisbane 1-0 on 21 December, and Ferguson said his team would be satisfied with merely making the top-six now after falling 10 points behind fourth spot.

"The top four at the moment seems to be getting away from us," Ferguson said. "We've got to try to make that top six."

Interim Roar coach Mulvey, whose future has been guaranteed until the end of the season despite the club's recent three-game losing run, said it was too early to write off his team's finals chances, even if they ended up losing to Perth.

"I don't believe in do-or-die games," Mulvey said. "This is important, but not a must-win situation.

"I promise you we are progressing. I think (Saturday) night you will see a glimpse of our future."

Meanwhile, 28-year-old Argentinian playmaker Matias Cordoba will arrive in Perth on Saturday and is expected to sign a short-term deal with Glory, which lost the services of Irish striker Billy Mehmet earlier this month.

North is yet to prove his fitness since recently signing a three-and-a-half season deal with second-last Brisbane.

He will be sidelined along with injured captain Matt Smith (hip) and suspended duo Shane Stefanutto and Besart Berisha - not an ideal situation for Roar which has lost 10 of its 17 games.

"Jade will be staying home. He is not ready yet. He will have a couple of conditioning sessions while we are away," Mulvey said on Friday.

"We are very hopeful of having him on the paddock for our next game against Central Coast."

Mulvey believed Ben Halloran could slot in as its strike weapon in Berisha's absence and backed fellow young gun Corey Brown to help fill the gaping hole in defence created by Smith and Stefanutto's unavailability.

Australia Under-20 representative Brown's only other start for Roar was in last year's Asian Champions League.

He got his first taste of A-League action in a brief but impressive second-half stint in Brisbane's 2-1 home loss to Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend.

"One thing Ben (Halloran) offers is searing pace. We would like to deploy him as a central striker and see what effect that has on the opposition," Mulvey said.

"I am confident our youngsters will take their opportunities.

"We saw last week Corey (Brown) coming on and acquitting himself quite well and I am willing to back him."

Mulvey said Smith would know if he had to endure season-ending surgery after visiting a specialist next Friday.

Berisha picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the Week 17 2-1 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers, bring him a one-match suspension that will see him miss his side's crucial game against Perth Glory at NIB Stadium on Saturday.

In the wake of that loss, Berisha was the subject of scathing criticism from Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic, who described the Albanian to The World Game as a constant whinger who was "pissed off" because the Wanderers kept beating the Roar.

Mulvey made it clear he wouldn't criticise individuals and said the plan is for Roar to fight its way out of their predicament as a team.

Brisbane, the A-League champion of the past two seasons, is in ninth place on the competition table, four points outside of the top six with 10 rounds remaining.

"This isn't about Berisha, or Matt Smith being out injured, or me," Mulvey said.

"Besart is a passionate character who brings a lot of qualities to our team. He has been an integral part of the Roar's success in the past. He is like any player, in that he will be judged on performance, but he is rolling up his sleeves and fighting hard for this club.

"Everyone is hurting at this club. I'm not going to try to put a brave face on it - we're all hurting. But we're all trying to improve and we're going to do our best to get out of the situation we're in on the table."

Mulvey, Brisbane's third coach in less than 12 months after Ange Postecoglou left for Melbourne Victory and Postecoglou's successor, Rado Vidosic, couldn't get results, is under growing pressure as Roar continues to struggle in its bid for consistency. But he still believes it can qualify for the finals and make an impact there.

"I'm a glass half-full type of person," Mulvey said. "I'll always look at the positives. I'm looking for reasons why we can - not why we can't.

"I inherited a group of players lacking in confidence, and obviously there were some issues. We're trying to identify those issues, and work through them.

"We've moved some players on, and some other players have come to the club, but we're still chasing three points every week. Players come and go from clubs, that's a fact of life in football, and the lure of the dollar from some of our Asian neighbours is very rewarding.

"All I can say is that the players who have been involved here this season have all done their very best for the Brisbane Roar.

"As far as our results are concerned, I was happy with the turnaround in form against the Wanderers, but we obviously need to keep it going for longer in games. Bigger clubs than Brisbane Roar have had form slumps. When Ange first arrived here there was a form slump, before it got going.

"We're working hard on the field and off it. We had that game against the Wanderers under control, and we had no-one but ourselves to blame for losing.

"We made some errors, and some collective decisions could have been better, but the overall commitment was there from the players.

"Last week was the best week of training, in terms of intensity, that we've had since I got here, so I was confident there would be that improvement. We didn't get the result, but I felt we turned the corner. It was a very good response from the players.

"We are going in against Perth without some key players - Besart, Matt and Shane Stefanutto (suspended) are out - but we'll still be going in believing we can win.

"This is a very even competition, and if you get two or three wins in a row it can make a big change to how you look on the table."

Mulvey said the main goal against Glory is to keep the intensity and concentration up throughout the game.

"We need to put together a complete 90 minutes," he said. "We've got an inexperienced lineup, so we'd be the underdogs in many people's eyes. but we're ready to play well.

"It's human nature to look at the competition table, but we have to concentrate on the performance. If you put together the performance, the results will come. We were in control for 60 minutes of the game against the Wanderers.

"Now we have to build on that."

North has been out of action since the end of the J-League season last November and will not fly to Perth for Saturday night’s clash between two sides desperately needing points to fuel their faltering finals ambitions.

But coach Mike Mulvey is hoping the defender will finally be unveiled in the round 19 A-League visit of Central Coast to Suncorp Stadium the following weekend.

Loan capture Steve Lustica, who blossomed under Mulvey’s tutelage with Gold Coast United’s youth team before his switch to Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, is expected to be on the bench against Glory, so long as the club receives his international clearance in time.

North, who has a three-and-a-half-year deal with Roar, is convinced the struggling defending champion – ninth on the ladder and four points out of the play-offs – can resurrect its season.

“Of course it’s a challenge,” he said. “But we have the players to turn this around and I know the boys can take something from the Perth game.

“They have to go out and believe in themselves and I am sure they will. Mike Mulvey has the right ideas to take us forward and make us successful. I have no doubt about that.

“There are still a lot of points to play for and I want to be part of things as soon as I can.

“I’m just easing my way back in. I haven't played for seven weeks or so and I am getting there.

“You have to be smart about things. If you come in too early it can all catch up with you, even if you do well in the first game. So it’s a timing thing.

“But it’s been hard watching the team and not being able to help out.”

North, 31, scoffs at the suggestion Roar is a spent force, adding: “The club has accomplished so much with back-to-back titles and it’s always hard to keep delivering at such a high level.

“But the core of a really good squad remains in place, even though there has been some movement during the transfer window, and the drive and desire is still there.

“Even when Ange Postecoglou was still there last season they lost five in a row and came back from that and I think it would be big mistake for anybody to write us off.

“We still move the ball better than any other team in the league and you can see by the way teams set up against us that they still fear us.

“We just need to start taking the chances we create – that’s been missing this season. Also, the final pass maybe hasn’t been up to the normal standards.

“It’s a matter of closing out games and not letting other teams get a sniff when they are behind.”

Making life more difficult against Glory are the suspensions of star striker Besart Berisha and veteran defender Shane Stefanutto, plus skipper Matt Smith’s hip injury.

Mulvey, who has already signed attacking midfielder Julius Davies from Melbourne Victory and brought in Lustica, is also closing in on a striker to put pressure on Berisha.

He said of Lustica: “We have him until the end of the season. He’s a good player and will be a good addition for us.”

Mulvey also insisted that Roar’s season remains very much alive.

“I am not thinking of Perth as a must-win game.” He said.

“I am specifically thinking about performance. I feel we can accumulate enough points from the 30 that are left to get into the finals. I have no doubts about that.”

At the same time, Covic said Western Sydney's devotion to discipline under coach Tony Popovic was one of his team's greatest strengths.

Television coverage of last Sunday's Wanderers-Roar clash at Suncorp Stadium showed Covic and Berisha arguing in the centre of the field immediately after the game, in which the Wanderers came back from a goal down to win 2-1.

Covic repeatedly made a gesture to suggest that Berisha should "zip it", and the confrontation ended with Covic blowing Berisha kisses as the two men walked away from each other.

Berisha, who has not been among the goals as much as he is used to this season with the two-time A-League champion side struggling outside of the top six, has established a reputation as the angriest man in the competition.

The television coverage showed him on the verbal offensive during the game against the Wanderers, and Covic said that in the end he just got sick of hearing Berisha complaining.

"He was talking all game, pretty much," Covic said. "If you watch the video you'll see he'd have a complaint about this tackle, about the referee, about this linesman, about this situation, he put the shoulder in when I'd just picked up the ball, unnecessarily.

"It was constant, and it's been pretty much every game because we've won all three and it's obviously pissed him off even more.

"Throughout the game, like he usually does, he was having quite a decent whinge, on everything. In both of our games away [against Brisbane] he has put the shoulder in on me – harmlessly, but there is just no need for it – and he kept on going after the game and I just told him to shut the hell up, but maybe in a bit more colourful language.

"I told him, "We've had enough, we've heard everything you've got to say, zip it for once," and that was pretty much it.

"On the field he is very aggressive and says a lot of things, and sometimes it gets to the point where he is very annoying. I get angry on the field, too, if things don't go well, but they [Brisbane] have had two very successful years and this year they've been hit hard and they're not performing well. And, probably, the frustration comes out even more so, and he's the type of guy who really lets it out. Inmy opinion, a little bit over the top."

Asked if, as one of the most experienced players in the A-League, he had any advice for Berisha, Covic said that wasn't his role.

"It's not my position to give him advice, because he wouldn't listen to me, frankly," Covic said. "If someone close to him feels a need to talk to him and let him know he should zip it a little bit, then that's their job, but he isn't going to listen to me because I'm not playing for them. And if he gave me advice, I wouldn't listen to him, either.

"He can go on his merry way and do what he wants to do, and if he comes across us again in that sort of situation I'm not going to back down from anyone, either. I said my words after the game and he said his words. It's on the field, and it can get heated.

"There's a lot of passion in the game, and I don't like losing. He obviously doesn't like losing, either, and sometimes you get into a verbal."

Covic said that apart from a couple of incidents, most notably one in the round-seven game against Perth Glory, when Wanderers star Youssouf Hersi was sent off for lashing out with his boot and received a two-match suspension, the Western Sydney team had been highly disciplined.

The veteran custodian said Popovic had been very careful in assembling his squad at the first-year club, with the accent on character as much as ability.

"People questioned 'Poppa' in the beginning, asking why he was taking so long to put his squad together," Covic said. "But he's the type of guy who wants people of good character in the side. I know he'd go for a player who might not have an abundance of talent, but who is a good team player, rather than a superstar who's got his head in the clouds.

"Youssouf got that red card and the senior playing group slapped a fine on him, and he was willing to accept that. Poppa is very big on discipline, on and off the field. He makes it a big point that once we're out on the field we don't let each other down by doing stupid things.

"We've got a very good bunch of guys here. There are no cliques in the side, and everyone gets on well. We've all had a similar goal from day one – we knew it was a new club, and that a lot of people out there had marked us down for last place, but we believed we had a good-enough team to do well.

"But we had to make sure we stuck together, and we had the right coach, in Poppa, to keep us on track. I haven't been at a club before where the whole team gets along very well, but this one does and we're really enjoying our football."

Smith is sweating on the second-last Roar turning around its season, however, the skipper's more immediate concern is avoiding the surgeon's knife.

After finally succumbing to a hip complaint he had been battling for five games, Smith missed last round's 2-1 home loss to Melbourne Heart and has been scratched from Saturday night's away clash against arch rival Perth Glory.

And Smith admits if he is not passed fit by the following round's grudge match with ladder leader Central Coast Mariners he must consider a season-ending operation.

Roar is already feeling the pinch without its skipper, sitting just one point shy of dead-last Wellington Phoenix with 10 regular season rounds left.

Its defensive stocks will be further depleted this weekend with vice-captain Shane Stefanutto suspended and a big question mark over the fitness of Asutralia defender Jade North.

"By the time the Mariners game rolls around if there is not a drastic improvement we might have to look at that (surgery)," Smith told AAP.

"But my mind set at the moment is just getting better.

"And each day it seems to be getting easier (to manage).

"If it gets to a level where I am comfortable I will certainly put my hand up for the Mariners clash."

Smith believed he was doing the right thing by initially battling on with the injury but may pay the price for his bravery next week if not passed fit.

"It was a matter of how comfortable you feel and I was happy doing what I was doing over the past five weeks but it just got to the stage where I couldn't ignore it any more," he said.

Smith kept his fingers crossed as Roar confirmed exciting winger Nick Fitzgerald had been released "effective immediately", ensuring he can link early with the Mariners.

His departure looked to coincide with the mooted arrival of Young Socceroos midfielder Steven Lustica, who is reportedly on loan from Croatian giant Hajduk Split and may be available for the Perth clash.

However, a Roar spokesman could not confirm the move on Wednesday.

But there was good news for Fitzgerald who had been banished to Roar's youth team after signing a two-year deal with the Mariners starting next season.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey had a change of heart, releasing Fitzgerald after a plea from Mariners coach Graham Arnold to send the youngster to Gosford after the Central Coast was rocked by the departure of Tom Rogic (Celtic) and Bernie Ibini's likely move to Belgian outfit Club Brugge.

Fitzgerald’s contract was due to expire at the end of the current season and he has already signed a contract with Central Coast Mariners.

Fitzgerald will link with the Mariners from Thursday on a two-and-a-half year contract through to the end of the 2014-2015 A-League.

The Sydney-born midfielder made 24 A-League appearances for the club, scoring one goal.

The 20-year-old also featured in the club’s inaugural AFC Champions League campaign, scoring against eventual winner Ulsan Hyundai in Korea on matchday three.

Fitzgerald thanked the club for giving him an opportunity at A-League level.

“I’d really like to thank all the players, (head coach) Mike Mulvey and (general manager) Sean Dobson,” Fitzgerald said.

“I’ve had a good two years here in Brisbane and really enjoyed my time at the club.”

Meanwhile, Brisbane has added Australian midfielder Steven Lustica to its squad.

Lustica, 21, has signed on loan from Croatia's Hajduk Split and will reunite with his former Gold Coast youth coach Mike Mulvey where the captain-coach combination won successive youth titles.

Lustica, who has two-and-a-half years left on his Hajduk contract, is believed to have signed a loan deal for the rest of the season.

Lustica also could play in Roar's A-League clash away to Perth Glory on Saturday.

The former Young Socceroo made 14 appearances for Hajduk and featured in a 2-0 UEFA Europa League qualifying win away to Inter Milan two months ago.

Suspended defender Shane Stefanutto says Brisbane still believes it can win the competition - and aims to bag all 30 regular season points still on offer.

It would be no mean feat.

The two-time defending champion is one point shy of dead-last Wellington Phoenix after Sunday night's 2-1 loss to newcomer Western Sydney Wanderers - its third straight defeat.

Adding to Roar coach Mike Mulvey's troubles, medical staff will determine this week whether captain Matt Smith's niggling hip complaint requires surgery.

And Brisbane will line up against arch-rival Perth Glory in Perth on Saturday night without striker Besart Berisha and Stefanutto after both collected their fifth yellow card for the season against the Wanderers.

But Stefanutto claimed Roar could see a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

"I do. In terms of what we wanted to do our structure and personnel looked good last night - we just let that one slip," he said on Monday.

"We controlled the midfield for a long time and if we continue to do that I believe we will win more games than we lose."

Not that Stefanutto was contemplating losing many more matches.

"As a club we set high expectations for ourselves," he said.

"We have 10 (regular season) games left and we want all 30 points on offer.

"Our goal is to not just make the finals, it is to win the competition.

"Whether that is arrogant or not, as a successful team we want to continue to achieve what we want to achieve.

"It is just frustrating at the moment."

Stefanutto said the stage was set over the next fortnight for a Roar fightback.

It lines up for a grand final rematch in Perth this weekend before next round's clash with the team it downed in its epic 2011 championship decider - ladder leader Central Coast Mariners.

"We live for these big games and there is no bigger occasion than Perth with the history that we had last year," Stefanutto said.

"Then we have the Mariners up at our place and you know the rivalry there.

"We have the personnel. It is just about putting it together.

"I don't think many people would believe in that at the moment but as a group we have to keep believing we can do it."

Roar looked set to get its title defence back on track after two straight losses by leading 1-0 midway through the second half but the Wanderers turned the match on its head with two goals in four minutes.

Roar seemed in control before Western Sydney marksman Mark Bridge fed off Jerome Polenz to lock up the scores in the 65th minute, silencing the 11,917-strong crowd.

And the Suncorp Stadium faithful were on their feet in the 69th - for all the wrong reasons - after Japanese import Shinji Ohno appeared off-side in the lead-up to Youssouf Hersi's match-winner.

There were more headaches for Roar coach Mike Mulvey - both prized marksman Besart Berisha and Shane Stefanutto earned their fifth yellow cards in the match to ensure they will miss the next A-League round.

Brisbane had grabbed a 22nd minute lead via a Mitch Nichols goal set up by the impressive Luke Brattan before hitting the ground running in the second half.

After a nightmare lead-up in which Roar lost captain Matt Smith (hip), prized import Jade North (fitness) and key midfielder Erik Paartalu (Chinese Super League) the home side had looked the goods until the last-quarter capitulation.

It marked the third straight win over Roar for the league's newcomers and their third consecutive victory overall as they all but locked up a top four spot.

Second-last Roar is now just one point clear of cellar-dweller Wellington Phoenix.

Kerr netted on 30 and 62 minutes after Annalie Longo had cancelled out Emily Gielnik's opener for Brisbane, with Sydney holding on despite Vedrana Popovic's 76th-minute effort and striker Emma Kete's late dismissal.

Victory means Sydney will take on either Perth Glory or Melbourne Victory in next Sunday's final, while Brisbane misses out on what would have been a fifth consecutive grand final appearance.

Sydney started well at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre with Kyah Simon shooting just wide in the opening minute, and then Kete and Kerr were both thwarted by Roar goalkeeper Kate Stewart before 10 minutes had elapsed.

But Brisbane - missing the injured Amy Chapman - took the lead on 15 minutes with its first real effort, Tameka Butt taking advantage of some static Sydney defending to race on to a long ball. Despite appearing to be in a good position to shoot she unselfishly squared the ball for Gielnik, who made no mistake.

Sydney hit back shortly after, Longo taking a short corner in her stride and curling the ball from the left-hand side into the top right-hand corner, and 10 minutes later Sydney was ahead with Kerr side-footing home although Stewart appeared to dive over the ball.

Simon then saw yellow for a clumsy challenge which floored Brooke Spence, with Caitlin Foord also going into the referee's notebook before half-time.

Brisbane made two changes at the break, with Ashley Spina coming in for Sachiko Tatsouka and goalkeeper Stewart - who had appeared to be hampered by a hip injury - coming off for Hoshimi Kishi.

Alanna Kennedy became the third Sydney player to see yellow, before Butt had an effort well saved by the feet of Sham Khamis.

On 62 minutes Sydney extended the lead however, Kerr - a constant menace down the left flank - cutting in and firing home with ease.

Brisbane, which finished the regular season in first place, hit back with Popovic firing over and Butt seeing a shot saved, with Popovic and Katrina Gorry each picking up yellow cards as the home side's desperation grew.

On 76 minutes Popovic neatly headed home a Butt cross from the left to put her side within a goal of Sydney, and after Gorry fired just wide Kete then saw red presumably for something she said to the referee.

That left Sydney a player short, but it held on mainly thanks to a fine double save from Khamis, who blocked Clare Polkinghorne's point-blank header before making an instinctive save from the same player's follow-up.

Butt had a late effort which she fired over, but Sydney saw out nearly six minutes of injury-time to claim a place in the final.

Recent scapegoat Matt Jurman can resurrect a forgettable season by partnering youngster James Donachie in central defence in what is a crucial home clash for the defending champion.

The fourth-placed Wanderers are flying with their attack clicking into gear and will eye a prime opportunity to heap more misery on the struggling Roar at Suncorp Stadium.

While North, who last played in Japan more than a month ago, needs to improve his match fitness before gaining a Brisbane debut, Smith has finally succumbed to a hip injury.

The Roar captain has been playing with the pain for six weeks but coach Mike Mulvey has made the tough call to finally rest him despite being one point off dead last.

Brisbane has battled to replace former Bahrain international Mohamad Adnan this season as Jurman, dropped by both Rado Vidosic and Mulvey, has failed to step up.

Jurman isn't the player set to get a redemption chance with pint-sized midfielders Massimo Murdocca and Luke Brattan given the chance to stand tall against the Wanderers.

Fan favourite Murdocca appeared out of favour upon Mulvey's mid-season arrival but has suddenly become an integral part of the Roar coach's plans after this week's departure of key midfielder Erik Paartalu for China.

Murdocca's enthusiasm off the bench was infectious in his last round cameo but he could not stop a disappointing Roar falling 1-0 at Newcastle Jets - its ninth loss in 16 games.

Mulvey is looking for more of the same when he throws his vertically-challenged trump card into a more defensive midfield role against the Wanderers.

A foundation player at Brisbane, Murdocca rated the loss to the Jets as the "worst performance I have seen in a long time".

"We've had some tough times but this is a bit different considering we pretty much have the same players from the championship-winning side," he said.

"That's probably the most disappointing part of it all. We've been so successful then we drop down like a sack of potatoes."

Mulvey will also be looking at midfielder Luke Brattan to grab an opportunity in the reshuffle created by Paartalu's absence.

The Wanderers have lost attacking spark Tahj Minniecon for the rest of the season with a foot injury but his loss has opened the door for another former Roar player, Rocky Visconte, to take on his old team.

Coach Tony Popovic said Visconte could make his Wanderers debut while striker Dino Kresinger was also a strong chance of returning from a knee injury.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey revealed that Smith, who has been forced to sit out training again on Friday, has been struggling with the complaint for the past five weeks.

"Every game he has been in doubt, to tell you the truth, but he has battled through brilliantly," Mulvey said.

"He is the leader of the group and I can't speak highly enough of his commitment to the cause.

"We need to protect Matt but also make sure we have the right team on the park so we will make a decision as late as possible."

New signing Jade North is yet to prove his fitness after linking up with the club this week, with Mulvey all but ruling him out for the Suncorp Stadium meeting.

"We signed Jade with a view to the long-term future not the short term ... he is not quite ready yet," Mulvey said on Friday.

"I don't want to put him out there and he is lost for five to six weeks - that would be ludicrous on my behalf."

Already hit by key midfielder Erik Paartalu's mid-week move to China and Central Coast Mariners-bound winger Nick Fitzgerald's banishment to the youth team, Mulvey's options are limited.

With Roar languishing in eighth spot, Smith warned that if the back-to-back A-League champion keeps going the way it is it won't have to worry about finals football.

Roar is playing a dangerous game with its inconsistent results.

Two weeks ago, after Brisbane had recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season, Smith told The World Game the team couldn't even begin to think it was back as a major force until it went on a run of six or seven games without defeat.

Since then, Brisbane has lost two in a row - 3-2 against Melbourne Heart and 1-0 to Newcastle Jets, with both games on the road.

"At some stage, the mathematics when it comes to positions on the the competition table is going to become an issue for us if we keep it up like this," Smith said.

"It's about getting some momentum going now. We've been far from our best the last couple of week but we know we're capable of getting back to our best.

"We know that on our day we're capable of doing very well but it just isn't happening week in and week out.

"The motivation and the hunger are still there among the guys but consistency is something we've been struggling with all season.

"I'm not saying it's playing on our minds but we know we have to get that consistency back to a high level if we're going to make a push in this competition."

Smith conceded it was possible Roar could be suffering from a championship hangover.

"I know we're doing the work because I see it every day at training," he said.

"Maybe in games we just expect things to happen at times. We might believe things are going to happen and that everything will be OK. But we have to make it happen.

"Too many times, we've been undone by soft goals, and that's the effect of a lack of concentration. We have to be smarter if we want to stop that happening."

Wanderers has been a nuisance for Roar this season, having won both games and Smith knows it's going to be another difficult assignment.

"The Wanderers have had a fantastic season so far," he said.

"They have surprised a lot of people with how well they've played. They're very well organised, they have specific game plans for specific opponents and their coach isn't afraid of using his full squad.

"Winning is a habit that is hard to break and that's the habit they're in.

"We still believe in ourselves and we'll be trying to reverse the trend on Sunday.

"We can't believe we're back until we get there but we know we can get there. This is a very important game for us."

Subject to a medical in China next week, Paartalu will join the Chinese Super League club immediately on a two-year deal to draw to an end his highly successful spell in Brisbane.

Not at his best in a struggling Roar team this campaign, Paartalu was banished by Roar coach Mike Mulvey to train with Roar's National Youth League team on Tuesday morning as his future remained uncertain.

Just hours later, one of the mainstays of Brisbane's historic back-to-back A-League championship winning teams under Ange Postecoglou, was announced to be on his way out before his contract expires at season's end.

Paartalu played 85 consecutive times for Roar, which included all six of Brisbane's inaugural AFC Champions League campaign games and was an ever-present member of the team since his arrival from Scottish side Greenock Morton in 2010.

"The history books will always mark Erik's on field contribution in helping secure Brisbane's first two Championship trophies," Mulvey said.

Parrtalu will be remembered best by Roar fans for his last-ditch extra-time goal in the 2011 decider against Central Coast Mariners that forced a penalty shootout Brisbane won.

"He has been very professional in my time at the club and shown a commitment in helping the club turn things around," Mulvey said.

"He is moving on and we now need to concentrate on the players who remain at the club.

"We wish Erik all the best for his future."

Roar General Manager Sean Dobson said the club would always support the ambitions of its players.

"However, we will never stand in the way of a player who wants a fresh challenge in their career," he said.

"At this point in time Erik believes this is a move which can benefit his football career and we wish him all the best on his new path."

Eighth-place Roar has made a number of changes to its squad since Mulvey supplanted Rado Vidosic as coach with the arrivals of Socceroos defender Jade North and teenage attacker Julius Davies and the departure of Rocky Visconte to Western Sydney Wanderers - which Brisbane hosts on Sunday in Week 17 of the A-League.

Winger Nick Fitzgerald will see out the year at Roar before he returns to Central Coast Mariners on a two-year deal.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey on Tuesday two-time championship winner Paartalu he must train with the club's National Youth League ranks until his future is decided.

Paartalu appears to have played his last game for the Roar.

The towering 26-year-old defensive midfielder - who has started 85 straight games for Roar since his 2010 arrival - is expected to announce a lucrative two-year Chinese Super League deal this week.

Mulvey's call came days after maintaining his faith in Nick Fitzgerald, despite the exciting winger signing a two-year deal with Central Coast Mariners that commences at the end of the current campaign.

Paartalu's absence almost overshadowed the presence of North who underwent a fitness test while his new team-mates trained on Tuesday.

North has been injected into a Roar side that sits one point clear of bottom side Wellington Phoenix on the A-League ladder after nine losses in 16 games.

A question mark over Paartalu's future only adds to the pressure ahead of Roar's home game against in-form Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday.

North - whose most recent club stint was in December for Japanese outfit Consadole Sapporo - hoped to be the catalyst Brisbane needed to turn their season around.

"Hopefully I bring something different to the team. If it is a bit stale hopefully I can freshen things up a bit by just having a different personality around the training room or on the pitch," North said.

"(And) players come and go, it's part of football - we are all professional.

"Everything they need is here. They have won back to back (titles). They just need to grab it by the scruff of the neck and show who the true champions are."

North - who started his career at NSL club Brisbane Strikers aged 16 - believed the Roar's slump under new coach Mulvey came down to confidence.

"I don't think they are struggling," he said.

"I have kept close tabs on the A-League in Japan and Brisbane have been dominating games but they have been unlucky in front of goal.

"The right make-up is there. They just need to get the confidence back in the group." North hoped to be available for the Roar on Sunday.

"I've come out of the J-League season, I've been on holidays, so I need to do whatever I can as fast as I can to get myself fit," he said.

"I'm always ready to get back on the park. But you can't be silly and try to come back when you're not 100 per cent condition-wise.

"That's how you can get injured."

Paartalu, a pillar of strength during Roar's back-to-back A-League championship winning seasons, is tipped to confirm a move to the Chinese Super League during the January transfer window.

Roar, which has lost three of five games under new coach Mike Mulvey, sits just one point above bottom side Wellington Pheonix ahead of Sunday's home clash with Western Sydney Wanderers.

Mulvey reportedly summoned his players after the disappointing 1-0 away loss to Newcastle last Saturday night - a ninth defeat in 16 games - but the club denied it was a "crisis meeting".

In some welcome good news for Roar, Socceroos defender Jade North will make his Brisbane debut against Western Sydney.

The 20-year-old will return to the Mariners, for whom he made his A-League debut, after penning a two-year deal.

Fitzgerald made one appearance for the Mariners in the 2009-2010 A-League campaign and is a former National Youth League player with Central Coast.

Sydney-born Fitzgerald joined Roar in 2011 and has scored three times in 24 games for the two-time A-League champion. he will see out the current campaign with Roar.

"The most important thing for me is to be playing regular, high quality football, " Fitzgerald said.

"After some recent discussions with Graham Arnold, I am confident that I will be given that opportunity at the Mariners." While starting in Saturday's loss to Newcastle Jets, Fitzgerald has been unable to cement a starting place in the Queensland capital.

"With Nick we know exactly what we are going to get," Mariners coach Arnold said. "He is a player of enormous potential."

"We believe we can help Nick take his game to the next level and for us he ticks all of the boxes when we look to sign a player.

"He's a good, Australian kid with great ability, but perhaps more importantly he’s driven to succeed in his professional career."

Emily van Egmond slotted a penalty for the Jets in the 84th minute with Victory's stumble allowing Perth Glory to maintain its hold on second.

Next weekend will see Victory travel to meet Perth in the semi-finals while the other grand finalist will be determined when Brisbane Roar entertains fourth-place Sydney FC.

Melbourne appeared to be in cruise control against Newcastle with goals from Amy Jackson and Enza Barilla giving the visiting Victory a deserved two-goal advantage.

However, quickfire strikes from Jasmine Courtenay and Van Egmond against the run of play just before half-time pegged back the deficit.

A thrilling end-to-end second half saw Victory edge in front courtesy of a fortunate own goal just past the hour mark, only for Van Egmond to convert from the penalty spot and snatch a share of the spoils.

The point was enough for the Jets to move off the bottom on goal difference and hand the wooden spoon to Adelaide United.

"It is obviously a disappointing result but it is just another game and we are still aiming at go all the way," Melbourne skipper Stephanie Catley said.

"We were composed on the ball today but switched off at times, but we will remain positive."

Sydney FC will travel to Brisbane aiming to eradicate memories of last year's horror match-up against Roar when the Sky Blues conceded a controversial last-gasp equaliser before being eliminated on penalties.

Sydney claimed a measure of revenge by defeating its rival earlier this season but Brisbane scored a comfortable 2-0 win against the Sky Blues last weekend and is in a rich vein of form, with just one loss in their last nine outings.

"I thought we played quite well against Brisbane the other week, we actually took a lot of heart from that, even though it didn't go our way," Sydney coach Alen Stajcic said.

"I still think our performances are improving week by week.

"It is virtually a brand new team from last year so there is no use talking about history.

"It will be close regardless of past results, and matches between the two are always 50/50."

But new coach Mike Mulvey remains certain it is still a finals contender despite continuing its stop-start season with a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle Jets at Hunter Stadium on Saturday.

It was Mulvey's fifth match in charge of Roar after he took over from Rado Vidosic in late December.

And while there are signs the reigning champion is turning its form around, the loss to the Jets - its ninth defeat in 16 matches - indicates there is still some way to go before it can get back in the title hunt.

"The club is going through a period of change - there is no doubt about it," Mulvey admitted.

"There was a malaise following the grand final wins and there is going to be some short-term pain before long-term gain.

"To be talking about third in a row is a ridiculous thing to be talking about now because we're at the other end of the table."

Roar was outplayed by the Jets for the first hour and conceded a soft goal to Ryan Griffiths just two minutes after half-time.

The loss leaves it sitting in eighth spot while the Jets climb to fifth.

But so congested is the ladder, Roar is within one win of the top six.

"At the moment, we don't deserve to be thought of as finals contenders," Mulvey said.

"We've won two, we lost two and, if we go on like that, we might just squeak into the finals.

"We don't want to limp in there - we want to be in there with a bang.

"But there's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that we'll make the finals.

"We've got quality here - there's no doubt about that.

"What we need to make sure is that everybody is on the same page and we need to have a complete performance from 11 very committed players."

Brisbane will receive a timely boost with Australia defender Jade North, who it picked up in the transfer window, able to play.

North, who finished his season with Japanese club Consadole Sapporo five weeks ago, trained with Roar in Newcastle on Saturday morning and watched it take on his former side at Hunter Stadium.

But while Mulvey says his versatility will be a huge asset, his lack of recent match practice means he won't be rushed into the struggling side.

"He's played for Australia across the whole backline so he can play in any one of the four positions along there plus he can also play in midfield," Mulvey said.

"So he's very versatile plus he's very experienced.

"He's excited about joining us and he's looking forward to rolling his sleeves up and doing his best for the club."

A 47th minute Ryan Griffiths strike proved the difference as the Jets eclipsed a disappointing Roar for the first time at home in a regular season clash.

The goal arrived when Griffiths dinked the ball over goalkeeper Michael Theo after he had latched onto a clever backheel from midfielder James Brown.

The Jets, missing injured (hip flexor) marquee striker Emile Heskey, were dominant for most of the night, producing nine shots on goal in the first half alone.

The best chance fell to youngster Craig Goodwin, with the ball arriving on his favourite left foot before he dragged it horribly wide when free inside the box.

Then Griffiths had an appeal for a penalty turned down - and was booked by referee Strebre Delovski for his vocal protests - after being blocked off in the box by Matt Smith on the stroke of half-time.

But Griffiths was smiling early in the second-half when he struck to leave Mike Mulvey's misfiring men languishing in eighth spot.

Jets boss Gary van Egmond, who handed a debut to defender Andrew Hoole, saluted his side's resiliance and hinted that soon to be out of contract Ruben Zadkovich could soon be re-signed after yet another standout display.

"His manager is up here tonight and he picked a good time to come because there might now be a few more dollar signs out there for Ruben," Van Egmond said of Zadkovich.

"He has been excellent all season and as a whole I thought we showed a lot of resiliance and were worth the points."

The visiitor's best chance came in the 79th minute when Besart Berisha made a mess of a Mitch Nichols cross when unmarked just two metres from goal while Jets keeper Mark Birighitti denied Berisha a chance to equalise in the dying minutes.

The crowd of just over 10,000 was the lowest of the season for the Jets.

However, this weekend it should give them palpitations.

Brisbane Roar claimed new recruit North's presence would be enough to spark it for Saturday night's A-League clash with the Jets at Hunter Stadium.

Five years after leading Newcastle to the A-League championship, the Australia defender will make a surprise return to his former hometown this weekend to meet up with his new Roar teammates.

After signing a three-and-a-half year deal with the defending champion this week, North will train with Brisbane in Newcastle on Saturday but won't make his Roar debut until next round.

The 31-year-old had not been expected to link with Brisbane until Tuesday.

"He has played for the Socceroos and he brings great experience and I think that is what is needed," Roar coach Mike Mulvey said.

While Newcastle included concerns Emile Heskey (hip) and midfielder Ruben Zadkovich (knee) and welcomed back skipper Jobe Wheelhouse (knee) from injury, Roar talked up someone who was not going to take the field this weekend - North.

"He has made the effort to come and see us which is fantastic. He will train with us as well - he has shown his commitment already," Mulvey said.

"We hope to get him on the park as quick as we possibly can."

Roar keeper Michael Theo - who celebrates his 150th A-League game this weekend - said North's arrival may be just what the inconsistent Roar (7th; 5-2-8 record) needed.

"When you are going through a sticky patch you need new faces to freshen things up," he said on Friday.

"But we know it's just about being consistent.

"There is still belief. We know we are a good team. It's just a matter of getting on a run."

In an eventful week for Roar, the club signed North and Julius Davies while letting Rocky Visconte join Western Sydney Wanderers.

Then there are the persistent rumours that Erik Paartalu will link with a Chinese Super League club.

But Mulvey hoped Roar's position on the ladder would help his side ignore the off-field distractions and focus on turning its season around.

"We are perilously close to the bottom and that has to be a motivating factor to improve performance," he said.

"But it also puts doubts around the place. There's people saying 'are they up to it?' - but we need to do our talking on the field."

Meanwhile, coach Gary van Egmond kept his fingers crossed Heskey would help Newcastle (8th; 5-2-8) end its home hoodoo against Brisbane.

Roar has suffered just one loss in 13 visits.

"We'll know more tomorrow but Emile is very keen to be a part of it and we're pretty confident he will be fit for this weekend," Van Egmond said.

Davies, 18, is Roar's second signing this week after the club confirmed the capture of Socceroos defender Jade North on Tuesday.

Liberia-born former Bayern Munich junior Davies, who first got noticed playing in Perth, failed to fit into the mould demanded by Victory boss Ange Postecoglou but Roar coach Mike Mulvey was only happy to offer him a fresh start.

"He's an exciting young prospect, quick, creative and I'm sure the Brisbane Roar fans will enjoy seeing him play," Mulvey said.

"He can play in any of the wide positions but we'll see at training where he fits best within our system.

“I’ve been aware of him with his recent past with Melbourne Victory and before that, with Bayern Munich.

“He’s someone I’m sure the other players will enjoy having around and one I think that can terrorise the opposition on the pitch.”

Davies, who played 120 minutes of A-League football under Jim Magilton at Victory last season didn't manage to even make the bench under Postecoglou.

“Julius is a talented young player who unfortunately ran into some stiff competition for places here at Melbourne Victory,” Postecoglou said.

“While still only 18, he obviously wants to be playing first team football and he’s probably found himself further down the pecking order than he’d have liked.

“We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

An Australia U-17 international, Davies's style and ability to take on players earned him his chance at Victory, where he spent nearly 12 months, but it didn’t win favour with Postecoglou.

“‘It was a great experience and I am really glad I had the opportunity with Melbourne Victory even though it did not work out as I had hoped,” Davies said.

“I want to thank all my team-mates who have been great to me during my time here in Melbourne.

“I also wish to thank everyone at the Melbourne Victory Football Club for their support and I look forward to the next challenge in my career.”

With the exit of winger Rocky Visconte and North's signing, Mulvey’s reshaping of Roar is gathering pace with the likely arrival of Davies.

Seventh-placed Roar faces eight-placed Newcastle Jets at Hunter Stadium on Saturday.

Zadkovich is likely to miss Saturday's clash with Brisbane Roar with coach Gary Van Egmond is now expected to rush Jobe Wheelhouse straight into the Jets starting line-up.

Wheelhouse has not played since suffering a grade-one medial ligament tear in his right knee at training on 4 December.

The 27-year-old midfielder could have played against Adelaide United last week but opted for caution.

However the injury to Zadkovich, who is reportedly on the radar of Western Sydney Wanderers and a number of clubs abroad, might force Van Egmond to pick Wheelhouse into the starting 11 at Hunter Stadium on Saturday.

Zadkovich, who has led the side in Wheelhouse's absence, limping off late in the training session on Tuesday after he got tangled with defender Tiago in a challenge and clutched at his right knee.

Zadkovich, who notched his 100th A-League game against the Reds, joins Emile Heskey on the doubtful list.

The marquee striker strained his hip flexor in the first half against Adelaide and did not train on Tuesday.

Roar officials confirmed they'd secured North's signature on a three and a half year deal on Tuesday night.

He will arrive with his wife and young children within the next week.

Brisbane managed to do what both Ange Postecoglou (Melbourne Victory) and Frank Farina (Sydney FC) failed to do by securing North's services.

North, who has been playing for Consadole Sappora in the J.League, has been signed as a defender as the two-time champion undergo a shake up under new mentor Mike Mulvey, who recently replaced head coach Rado Vidosic.

"Jade has an excellent footballing pedigree and will bring a great deal of experience and knowledge to our squad," Mulvey said.

"He is a proven winner and has a great appetite for future success."

At the time of the A-League approaches, North was encouraged by national coach Holger Osieck to remain in Japan.

However his club Sappora has been relegatied and he was keen to come home.

Having started his professional career at the Brisbane Strikers in the National Soccer League in 1998, North said he was excited to be returning to where it all started.

"I'm looking forward to putting one foot forward and contributing to the legacy Brisbane Roar has created over the past two seasons and doing all I can to help add to the trophy cabinet," North said.

"For me it's exciting to know I will be playing in front of family and friends, but most importantly for the city which groomed me as a player."

After confirming on Tuesday it had already released attacking midfielder Rocky Visconte, who has been linked to the Western Sydney Wanderers, it's tipped Roar will also lose lightning quick attacker Nick Fitzgerald to the Central Coast Mariners during the A-League's transfer window.

Brisbane has midfield issues which could also see the popular Erik Paartalu closely examining his options in the next few weeks.

Brisbane can squeeze North under its salary cap as a marquee player with financial assistance from the FFA.

Winners of the last two grand finals, Brisbane has been struggling for wins this season.

It dumped Vidosic as coach late last month appointing him technical director and bringing in hired gun Mulvey.

It staged a mini comeback with back-to-back wins over Adelaide United and Wellington Phoenix but the wheels came off again with a 3-2 loss to Melbourne Heart on Sunday.

The Adelaide-born 22-year-old made 24 appearances for the club, including the 2010-2011 A-League Grand Final win over Central Coast Mariners, but has not featured at all this season.

Coach Mike Mulvey thanked Visconte for his contribution and commitment to the club, which has failed so far this campaign to re-find the form that made it back-to-back A-League champion.

"Rocky has worked hard at training since I arrived at the club and we wish him the best of luck for the future," Mulvey said.

"These decisions are never taken lightly but we felt it was the right thing to do at this point in time.

"At this stage of his career Rocky needs to play first team football and he was not likely to figure in our first team plans."

Visconte, who joined Roar from Scottish Premier League outfit Heart in 2010, was contracted until the end of the 2012-2013 season with speculation that he may be headed to Western Sydney Wanderers.

Last month, Roar pulled the pin on the loan deal for defender Yuji Takahashi - who returned to Japanese second division club Kyoto Sanga.

Roar, seventh in the A-League, visits eight-place Newcastle Jets on Saturday.

Heart almost blew a three-goal lead in the second-half after Brisbane looked down for the count, with victory taking John Aloisi's men into the top six at the expense of its opponent.

The home side, which had opening goalscorer David Williams sent off, raced to an early lead against the run of play with Williams calmly clipping the ball past on-rushing goalkeeper Michael Theo after being expertly released in the penalty box by Richard Garcia.

And the visitor was the victim of a dubious call in the 35th minute when Michael Marrone's run and pass freed Josip Tadic who steered a low shot past Theo for Heart's second.

Television replays showed Tadic - who gleefully celebrated only his second goal from open play this season - was clearly offside when the ball was played. But no flag was forthcoming from assistant referee Luke Brennan.

The game looked out of reach for Roar eight minutes after the break when Socceroos left-back Aziz Behich broke down the wing and skipper Fred was left with time and space in the box to slide the ball into the net despite the best efforts of Theo for the home side's third.

But the 64th minute dismissal of Williams after his studs-up challenge on Ivan Franjic opened the door for Roar, which pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute when Besart Berisha converted after Fred had bundled over Ben Halloran.

And the nerves were jangling for Heart when Berisha stroked home his second just minutes later after an exchange of passes with Thomas Broich.

Mitch Nichols squandered a last-gasp chance to equalise as John Aloisi's side clung on for a second consecutive win for the first time this season.