McMaster ready for promotion
02/07/2009 4:55 PM
Brisbane Roar reserve goalkeeper Griffin McMaster says he is hopeful of becoming a permanent fixture in the first team for the 2009/10 Hyundai A-League season.
The 26-year-old believes he is ready to challenge the Roar's first-choice keeper Liam Reddy for the spot between the posts.
"I feel like my preparation this season is a lot better than my previous two seasons so I'm feeling really good mentally and physically at the moment," McMaster said.
"The first season, I was obviously very raw. Last season I had a groin strain and missed 10 weeks of the pre-season, but this season, touch wood, I've had very little interruption."
"Hopefully I can have a lot more momentum coming into this season than previous seasons."
McMaster has made only nine appearances for the Roar since joining in 2007, three of those coming at the end of last season while Reddy was out with an injured hamstring.
The ultimate decision will be out of McMaster's hands, but the keeper from Mount Gravatt is hopeful he has done enough over the pre-season to force a change in goal.
Should he work his way into the Roar starting line-up, his first opponent as first-choice goalkeeper could be Scottish powerhouse Celtic, which the Roar take on at Suncorp Stadium on July 12.
"I'd give an arm and a leg to play against them," McMaster said.
"You never know what cards you're going to be dealt. You're just guessing, predicting the future. You just put 100 percent in at training (and) see where that takes you."