Among them was Jeremy Brockie, a player who has experienced the highs and lows of professional football. A third trip to the world’s most populous nation evokes memories of a watershed moment in his career.
While some may consider him a veteran many forget that the Nelson native is still in his mid-twenties.
Brockie burst onto the scene as a dreadlocked 17-year-old for the New Zealand Knights after turning out in the national league with Canterbury United. The young striker made an impact with the now-defunct franchise scoring four goals from nine starts, ending the season as the club’s joint top scorer and making his All Whites debut against Malaysia in Christchurch in February 2006.
His performances earned him the interest of several A-League clubs, with Brockie eventually settling on a move to “FC Bling” – the inaugural champions Sydney FC – complete with playboy footballer Dwight Yorke in tow.
The rising star made just seven appearances across the ditch, mostly off the bench, and was given an early release from his two-year contract. The boy wonder had dropped off the radar, chewed up and spat out by the harsh reality of professional football.
Wellington Phoenix assistant coach Jonathan Gould snapped him up for Hawke’s Bay United, along with a clutch of other Olympic hopefuls. Brockie set about rebuilding his confidence and form at Bluewater Stadium in Napier.
After a solid domestic campaign, Brockie was selected in the Oly Whites squad to make the trip to Beijing.
On August 7 2008 in Shenyang, he created history by becoming the first New Zealander to score a goal at the Olympic Games. In a flowing 53rd minute move against the run-of-play, Craig Henderson chested the ball down near the Chinese box and flicked it to a running Brockie, who duly slammed it into the back of the net.
Reeling away, the look on his face said it all.
“Everyone sort of jumped on my back when I didn’t do so well at Sydney FC and I had to come back to Hawke’s Bay United to play. I wasn’t really hitting my straps at that stage and it took a lot of hard work to make sure I got my fitness levels right to make sure I even made that Olympic team.
“To score the first for your country on an occasion like that, at one of the biggest stages you can, in front of 41,000, with my dad in the crowd, it was such an amazing feeling. Definitely my career highlight to date and reward for the difficult times I experienced leading up to that moment,” Brockie says.
The Oly Whites succumbed to a last gasp equalizer from the hosts, after Steven Old had earlier been sent off for his second cautionable offence.
“I think that played a part in my reaction as well, we were playing China who were the home nation and we were down to 10-men and everyone had written us off before that game,” Brockie recalls.
The goal proved to be the catalyst for Brockie to revive his childhood dream of being a professional footballer and after two season absence he landed another shot at the A-League with the expansion North Queensland Fury franchise and later the Newcastle Jets.
Last season was undoubtedly Brockie’s best in the A-League with nine goals for the Jets, including a couple of contenders for ‘goal of the season’. Despite playing week-in and week-out as a striker at club level he was something of a utility player in Herbert’s All Whites, lining up as a wing back in the 1-1 draw with China in Wuhan.
“All I remember from the first 20 minutes is that they just kept hitting diagonal balls in behind me so I did a lot of defending that night and I wasn’t able to get forward too much.
“Over the last few matches I’ve moved into more of a striker’s role with the national team but I’m still trying to get my first goal for the All Whites, hopefully I get another opportunity this time to put one in the back of the net,” says Brockie, who is yet to score an ‘A’ international goal after 34 appearances.
Brockie had also struggled to bulge the net for his new club this season but broke his competitive goal scoring duck for the Wellington Phoenix in their away defeat to the Melbourne Victory last week after setting the pre-season alight with 18 goals.
He added to his A-League highlights reel with an entertaining brace in the 2-3 loss after sweeping home from the edge of the area for his first before potting a curling free-kick in stoppage time.
With Chris Killen not travelling and Shane Smeltz under an injury cloud there is a good chance Brockie will enjoy extended game time in Shanghai.
The stage is set for Brockie to add another career highlight in China.
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
For more on New Zealand Football visit www.nzfootball.co.nz

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