Victory teen Galloway set for derby debut

BY FOX SPORTS staff

With Diogo Ferreira out suspended for this weekend's clash at the Etihad Stadium, Victory coach Ange Postecoglou is set to put his faith in Galloway, who only joined the club last month from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), where he captained their National Youth League side.

Some have questioned the decision to throw the teenager into the deep end, especially given the derby nature of the clash, but his coach insists he has his reasons for doing so.

"You don't want to disrupt things if they're going well," he told The Age.

"Rather than shift the team around to compensate for one change, it's better we just bring in someone who plays that position."

Postecoglou also insisted the atmosphere of the match was something Galloway was going to have to get used to if he wanted to succeed at Victory, considering their high profile.

"I've seen 30-year-olds crumble on the big stage," he added.

"At the end of the day, he plays for Melbourne Victory so we can't find a game that we're going to play in front of 3,000 people for him.

"If he wants to be a Victory player, that means playing in front of big crowds, big games and I'm really confident he will do well."

Victory are currently second on the table and firmly on track to make the Finals Series after missing out on last year, and with Heart also in the running, the 47-year-old admits Saturday's clash will be crucial.

"It's an important game for both clubs," Postecoglou admitted. "Obviously, we want to keep pursuing that top spot and they're pretty desperate to make finals.

"Regardless of the derby aspect, it's going to be a big game with both clubs looking for a result."

Victory have been crowned A-League champions twice in the 2006/07 and 2008/09 seasons, while Heart, who joined the competition in 2010, had their best-ever finish of 6th place last term.