Archie Thompson’s touching tribute for teammate’s milestone match

When Leigh Broxham arrived at Melbourne Victory, he was a fresh-faced teen, a kit-boy lackey with a dodgy car – and a burning desire to win whenever he took to the pitch.

Now, 15 years later, he’s a legend at one of the biggest clubs in Australia. Five grand finals, three wins.

300 A-League games: the second to reach that mark behind Andrew Durante, and the first to do so at one club. It’s a remarkable feat of longevity and professionalism.

Stream every game of the 2019/20 Hyundai A-League season LIVE & On-Demand with Kayo Sports. Get your 14 day free trial & start streaming instantly>

HE’S BACK: Kruse scores in first A-League start

BIG BLOW: Liverpool cog Fabinho faces a month on the sidelines

They call him ‘Mr Reliable’, a club man who can play at left back, right back, centre back – or preferably, in the midfield.

But a former teammate believes the one-club man can reach an even more remarkable milestone: 400 games.

Ex-Socceroo and Melbourne Victory great Archie Thompson was there when Broxham arrived at the A-League club. Watched him make his debut against Perth Glory in Perth, on January 7, 2007.

And 299 games later, Thompson was covering Broxham’s milestone match for Fox Football. Fittingly, it was against Glory again, this time in front of home fans chanting the name of their veteran man.

Thompson played more games alongside Broxham than any other player had. Hardly a surprise, given they were two of the first names on the Melbourne team sheet for the best part of 15 years.

Archie was full of praise for his long-time teammate.

“I remember when he came to Melbourne Victory and he was the kit-man, he had this bomb of a car and we didn’t know if we were going to get the kit or not. Sometimes it would start in the morning and sometimes it didn’t!”

Broxham had more drive than his car, Archie says.

“You could just sense it. Whenever we stepped out on to the training pitch he was the first to get there and the last to leave. It’s gone on throughout his career at Melbourne Victory.”

It hasn’t all been easy for Broxham. More than once, a manager has put him on the outer. Fans have turned against him at times. Always, he fought back.

As Archie says, “What he doesn’t (have) in ability, he makes up in his tenacity, his willingness to win, his appetite to win.”

And Thompson thinks the 31-year-old shows no signs of slowing.

“I actually think he’s starting to get better and better. We’re talking 300 (games) right now. If he keeps continuing to play like he is … 400 is easy!”

Let’s hope so.