New Perth Glory coach David Zdrilic bullish on fresh-faced squad ahead of pre-season friendly in Albany

A fresh-faced Perth Glory will be attacking their pre-season friendly match with Newcastle Jets in Albany on Wednesday with full force and plenty of fan favourites, according to new coach David Zdrilic. The club’s trip to Albany is the second and final leg of their regional tour following their visit to Bunbury where they were defeated 3-2 by the Jets on Sunday. Fans will get a glimpse of how the Glory’s new-look squad is shaping up ahead of the upcoming A-League season when they grapple with their Eastern States rivals at Retravision Stadium as part of their regional double header. The club fell far short of their lofty standards last season, claiming the wooden spoon which sparked a list overhaul under their new boss and former Socceroo Zdrilic. Zdrilic revealed to the Albany Advertiser that his side will approach their friendly with a full strength line-up, including captain Adam Taggart and returning fan favourite Josh Risdon, and unveil excitable signings the club has made during the off season. “In Albany, we will definitely have everybody available, so whoever’s fit and available will be be ready to be on show,” he said. “Our captain Adam Taggart, who was the leading goal scorer last year (will play), and we’ve got a couple of new signings that we will be able to give minutes to. “Some young guys like Abdul Faisal has done really well in the pre-season, scored some great goals in the cup matches. “Adam Bugarija is another young one from Western Sydney Wanderers who’s been flying. There’ll be a lot of talent on show. “Josh Risdon and Brandon O’Neill have come back to the club so there’s a lot of names that are familiar, and obviously some new ones that will surprise people. “I think we just got a really good mix of youth and experience in the squad, and I think plenty of fresh faces to look at and old favourites as well.” Zdrilic emphasised the match is essential to their preparation for their round one clash with Macarthur FC on October 20. “We’ll be taking it deadly serious. We’ll be giving everything that we can to win and perform in the game,” Zdrilic said. “It’s a very important step for our preparation . . . we need important games against A-League opposition to see where we’re at. “It should be good for the fans.” After last year’s horror season where they conceded 69 goals — one short of the all-time record to finish last — Zdrilic remained optimistic the club had already adopted steps to turn the purple ship around. “I think we’ve already started the process of changing the identity and the culture of the club,” he said. “We’ve got a new owner, but also got a new football director, new coaching staff, a lot of new players, but just generally a new football philosophy, which is underpinning it all. The match kicks off at 4pm at Retravision Stadium on Wednesday with the club hosting a community open day at the same venue on Tuesday from 9-11am.