Rearing cubs a key part in helping Brisbane roar in A-League The Queensland club's success has been about far more than just buying in talent. Brisbane Roar heads to Melbourne on Saturday night on top of the table and in the sort of title-winning form that brought it championships in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. For the past few seasons, the Roar has included a number of highly productive imports on its roster - men like German midfielder Thomas Broich and Albanian striker Besart Berisha - as well as experienced Australian internationals such as Shane Steffanutto, Jade North and the recently capped Ivan Franjic, who looks a good chance to make Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou's World Cup squad for Brazil 2014. But the Queensland club's success has been about far more than just buying in talent. All A-League teams want to claim a reputation for developing youngsters, giving them the chance to refine their game to the point where they are sold overseas and eventually go on to claim international status. But few have done so as well, or as frequently, as the Roar, which can claim to lead the way in this, as it does in other on-field matters. Inaugural coach Miron Bleiberg went, not surprisingly, for a number of experienced players to try to get the new team off to a flying start in the fledgling A-League. He was not alone, as most clubs did the same thing, especially as many of the more promising youngsters had not played high-level soccer between the demise of the National Soccer League in April 2004 and the start of the A-League in August 2005. By the time his successor, Frank Farina, came along, the competition was more established and coaches were willing to take more of a chance on younger players. Farina blooded or gave first-team contracts to the likes of Robbie Kruse, Michael Zullo, Tommy Oar, Dario Vidosic and Adam Sarota, all of whom have played overseas and have become full internationals. He also played Tahj Minniecon, who has yet to enjoy the success of his contemporaries but is rebuilding his career with Western Sydney. Melbourne Victory midfielder Mitch Nichols came through at Brisbane, playing a key role in its championship teams, while the latest young gun off the production line, Kwame Yeboah, has just been sold to German Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach. One man who knows more about the Brisbane youth set-up is Melbourne Heart midfielder Massimo Murdocca. Until the start of this season, Murdocca had been a one-club man with Brisbane, having been part of Bleiberg's original team. He, too, was a youngster back then, given his chance as a 20-year-old, and he believes Brisbane has had such success with kids because managers have not been afraid to give youth its chance. I think it's just the fact that the club are prepared to put them in and give them a go. It's been very good at blending the mix, bringing in youngsters with senior players gradually," he said. ..." They are very clever the way they do it, and are smart about who they play and when they play them. It's all about gradually blending them in. They all start in the youth team, and then, when they are doing very well there, they might be called into the first team to train maybe once a week, then twice a week, then maybe a bit longer if you continue to progress. Then in one game you will be named on the bench. No one ever gets thrown in at the deep end. Murdocca has seen all of Brisbane's talented teens come through and says watching them develop is inspirational for older players. "I was there when they were nobodies coming through and saw them all working hard and eventually becoming good enough to push into the first team," he said. It's a great thing as a player actually to look back to see where these really good players who go on to have big careers start out. It's actually quite inspiring to see them start off behind you and then go on to surpass where you are. It definitely keeps you on your toes. I remember being surprised when they overlooked Dario [Vidosic] in that first season. I played a trial there in 2004 and I remember thinking 'this kid is a gun' and wondering why they didn't sign him. But he was only about 17, so they were bringing him along slowly. He trained with them in that first A-League season, then got his deal in the second season. Murdocca thinks hard when asked who impressed him the most at first before selecting Kruse, now with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, and Zullo, who had several seasons in Utrecht, Holland, before returning to Adelaide United on loan this season. I think Krusey and Zullo got their debuts together from Frank Farina. They were incredible. Both played really well, they played with no fear, as so many young boys do. Both were quick and skilful. Farina was very big on giving the best kids a go," he said. He brought in Krusey, Zullo, Mitch Nichols all at the one time and played them. Mitch was the slowest to develop but he got better every year to the point now where he is a very good player with great prospects. He's at the best level I have ever seen him.