Patrick Kisnorbo was one of Melbourne Heart’s most consistent performers during a turbulent Hyundai A-League 2013-14 season.
Patrick Kisnorbo was one of Melbourne Heart’s most consistent performers during a turbulent Hyundai A-League 2013-14 season.
Kisnorbo joined the Club in September last year, a month before the 2013-14 campaign kicked off, strengthening Melbourne’s central defence.
The Australian returned home to Melbourne following a decade playing professional football in the United Kingdom where he had successful spells with Hearts of Midlothian, Leeds United and Leicester City, captaining the latter during their time in the Championship.
Kisnorbo’s Melbourne Heart debut came in Round 1 in the hugely anticipated Melbourne Derby where he was praised for a solid defensive effort.
In a difficult season for Melbourne Heart, Kisnorbo shone on a number of occasions and fast became a favourite among the fans with his no-nonsense tackling, diving headers, leadership and his threat from set pieces.
Who can forget Kisnorbo-s match-saving tackle to thwart Bersart Berisha in the dying seconds of Melbourne Heart-s match against Brisbane Roar in Round 20?
Kisnorbo emerged from 10 metres behind the play to throw himself, with a perfectly-timing sliding tackle, in front of the A-League-s deadliest marksman to preserve a 1-0 lead established by marquee Orlando Engelaar.
The tackle effectively extended Melbourne Heart-s winning streak to four matches and stretched its unbeaten run to six, further establishing him as a cult hero at the Club.
Kisnorbo’s contribution also included crucial headed goals from set-pieces against Adelaide United in a 2-2 draw in Round 16, and in the 2-1 win over Perth Glory in searing heat in Albury in Round 18.
The number 24 was never far from the action and the centre back collected five yellow cards during the season, while a miss-timed lunge on Victory-s Connor Pain in the Melbourne Derby on December 21 was arguably his most forgettable moment as he saw red.
In the 2013-14 season, Kisnorbo made 21 appearances – illustrating his consistency with 20 starts – with one appearance off the substitutes bench.
It was a roller-coaster season for the Melbourne Heart, but Kisnorbo managed to find an element of consistently in his play during a testing period.
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