Though the sprint icon is slated for 15 minutes off the bench when Mike Mulvey’s Mariners take on Central Coast Select in front of 12,000 curious onlookers in Gosford on Friday, it’s what happens in the ensuing five weeks that’s most crucial to Bolt’s aspirations.
Central Coast CEO Shaun Mielekamp said while the Mariners will have other pre-season hit-outs, it’s likely Bolt, 32, will be kept in cotton wool until the yet-to-be-confirmed fixture in the Illawarra against the A-League aspirants on October 6.
After the game - in which Bolt is likely to be given up to 45 minutes to show his wares - the eight time Olympic champion will convene with the coaching staff to dissect his performance and discuss whether he’s committed to continuing with, or perhaps cutting short his open-ended audition.
A third option will be for the club and their coaching triumvirate of Mulvey, former Manchester United assistant Mike Phelan and Nick Montgomery to make a unilateral decision on the Jamaican’s prospects.
“The earliest he might be up for a decent hit-out (in terms of his fitness) will be in early October, when we might be playing Wollongong Wolves,” Mielekamp explained.
“We’d be expecting him to play for a lot longer in that game and be able to showcase his skills.
“It’s then when we’ll be able see how close he might be to the required level by playing against recognised opposition closer to what he might expect in the A-League.”
With the magnetic Bolt on board, the Mariners have also had an offer play on the Gold Coast on the same date.
The clash against the Wolves is subject to the costs of hiring WIN Stadium.
After the October hit-out, attention will immediately turn to whether Bolt can realistically expect to continue with the transition from fastest man on earth to footballer.
“It’s at that point there is more likely to be a longer term decision over how long he stays and how long this will take,” Mielekamp added.
“There’s no expectation that we have to get this done by the start of the season (against Brisbane Roar on October 21). “It could come in mid-season, or it could come in January, if it happens at all.
“It’s really unknown how long he’ll stay and how long he will give himself to earn that contract (which could be worth up to $3 million).
“There will be some honest conversations around how long everybody thinks it will take for him to get to the level.
“Whether it’s him making the decision on whether he’s prepared to stick it out, or whether it’s the coach saying ‘you’re ready now’ or the coach saying ‘you’re not going be ready for quite some time’.”
Mielekamp conceded that there is also the possibility of the coaching staff calling time on what the club sees as a bold experiment and what the sceptics view as an extended publicity stunt.
“That option is of course also always there,” he added. “(Ultimately) he either signs or doesn’t get signed. There’s a plan about measuring his progress and giving him feedback along the way.”
