BRISBANE Roar have signed A-League championship-winning midfielder Stefan Mauk.

Mauk, 22, will start pre-season training with the Roar next week after putting pen to paper on a four-year deal with Brisbane.

The Australian under-23 International, who won an A-League title with Adelaide United in 2016, played last season for Melbourne City on loan from Dutch second division outfit NEC Nijmegen.

Roar coach John Aloisi has been a long-time admirer of Mauk, who is set to be a key figure in Brisbane’s midfield next season.

The acquisition of Mauk continues a busy recruiting period for the Roar, whose revamped squad will also include other fresh faces in former Perth Glory striker Adam Taggart, Danish winger Tobias Mikkelsen and ex-Western Pride attacker Dylan Wenzel-Halls.

However, former Socceroos defender Ivan Franjic has rejected the Roar’s offer to re-sign him.

A three-time championship winner with the Roar, Franjic returned to the club last November after more than three years away.

Aloisi gave Franjic until Monday to accept the Roar’s offer, but the 2015 Asian Cup winner turned them down.

It’s understood Melbourne product Franjic is keen to again head overseas after previous stints in Russia and South Korea.

https://amp.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/a-league/teams/brisbane/aleague-stefan-mauk-signing-bolsters-brisbane-roar-midfield/news-story/e93d3e2d2a5338569bb854652cac2707?__twitter_impression=true

I am happy about this. Whats going on with the roar. Just waiting for the pay issue to happen. It to good to be true. 

The Roar are building nicely.

Probably just need to shore up the defence a little.

I doubt they’re going to sign another defender, they’re pretty well stocked up there unless DeVere cuts n runs. Would be nice to pick up Stefan Nigro though

Taggart and Mauk is a pretty good combo. Would’ve targeted Mauk went to 2nd div with Nimijen and built his reputation. Holman played Dutch 2nd div at 22 and ended up transferring to the EPL about 6 years later.

JA trading in the wheelchairs

Don't we have a new TD or something? Only explanation I can think of.

im sorry to lose him. he's a great signing. ive always liked him. a solid 8 that can pop up and score goals as well as mark people right out of the game. 

years ago i thought he would cut it in europe and be on the NT books by now

franjic to ange.  ange loves him. franjic was a beast the first time around at roar. 

@ Bundoora Brah

Franjic to Ange? That’s a good call, Ange likes his loyal players and Franjic clearly needs the overseas adventure. At 31 he’s got a couple of good years in him even though he’s slowed considerably

Good signing, but I wonder how Aloisi will set up the team. I don't rate Mauk as a #10, I think he's far better moving into the box from deep as he's got fantastic movement and a good eye for goal.  That said, Taggart operates far better with a player playing off him/with him, so you don;t really want him leading the line upfront by himself with no support. 

Holman is still with them isn't he? Mauk was integral to AUFC's championship cus he did all the gruntwork in midfield linking Isias and Carrusca. Allowing Carrusca to lope around doing as he pleased. It would allow Holman to do a similar role at Brisbane playing the lazy/old man no10  role.

he's could still be very solid in the right setup.  remember the south korean RB at the asian cup Cha Du-ri.  was a beast and was 34 or 35 in the cup and causing havoc.

i think franjic can replicate that.  he just needs to stay injury free.

Franjic was fairly ordinary for us last season...but who wasn't ....he was also playing on the left instead of his favoured right . I think he still may have a decent year or two in him.
As for Mauk, can't say I have ever really paid much attention to him . I hope he turns out to be a good fit .

Solid signing. The Roar are looking pretty good. I can see them playing much more attractive football next season with these kind of signings. 

@jlm8695

Aloisi’s preferred set up is 4-2-3-1 which he bastardised this year in to 4-4-1-1 out of necessity. It worked away from home but was a disaster at Suncorp.

Looking at the signings he’s made I’d say he’s going back to what he does best with Taggart up front supported by three mobile midfielders (from Bautheac, Mauk, Holman, Henrique, Mikkelsen,) and supported by two DMs (Kristensen, Mckay, Caletti and we’re told they’re searching for a new visa-marquee DM).

Personally I’d happily take on Nigro as DM/wing back cover to replace Franjic and O’Doherty as the new 10 with Mauk dropping back to a DM role

Will always have a soft spot for Mauk coz of the timing of his half season with us but geez, how many clubs is that in the last 3(?) years now? Heart, United, o/s, City, Roar

@ Davide82

A four year contract might slow that down but let’s be honest, this smacks of two years at Roar and then a transfer overseas.

If he performs well for those two seasons and then garners a transfer fee for the Roar, that's not a bad thing.

@ walnuts.

No it’s not. Arguably the worst outcome is he stays at Roar for four years. But I like the thought the bloke is settled and can relax ... two many on a 2 year contract are thinking about their next club at the end of the first year and not concentrating on their development

Aloisi definitely doesn't want to be interrupted for the next 6 weeks

DDS going to MC shows a real difference in philosophy between MC and Roar.
MC are really concentrating on very technical players.They have Azani,Bratten,Fornaroli and now DDS.I expect they will be passing their way all over the park.
Roar now have very mobile players like Bautheac,Taggart,Mauk and Holman.But only one DM who can pick a pass.So that suggests long balls forward.

@ crimsoncrusoe

DDS won’t be in the A League next season if he has his way, CFG offered him a route to Europe and when it duesnt eventuate we’ll see how DDS reacts. I don’t think it’ll end happily.

But Mauk can pass, TK can pass, O’Toole can pass, Bautheac as well so hold fire. We will play the same way as with Maccers and Borello only defending better.

@waz,

All players can pass the ball.But not all are technically adept at passing the ball forward and finding a team mate in a better position,without turning the ball over.At the moment TK is the only Roar player who can link the backs to the forwards,but he is slow and deep ,so Unless JA implements a very structured way of passing through midfield,I don't yet understand what will be his plan.Other than a long ball philosophy.
A lot rests on the new DM,i guess.

@ crimsoncrusoe

I get where you’re going with this and I do think the focus is on JAs coaching ability here.

Last year is a write-off in terms of his development and the teams.

His successful formula is/was young, coachable, dynamic Australian players and a simple set up based on fast counter attacks and rapid movement of the ball forward either running at the feet or in as few-a-passes as possible.

So we lost Maclaren, Borello, Petratos, Broich and Donachie last winter and only upgraded Donachie (to Avraam).

Everything else was a downgrade - Holman was not as dynamic or as potent as Borello, Maccarone was the polar opposite of Maclaren, FBK was no replacement for Petratos and Broich, irreplaceable (but there’s hope with Bautheac at least).

Recruitment and coaching were a shambles - it looked like someone different did recruitment and someone else the coaching...

Question for Aloisi is can he now recreate the side that got him two third place finishes and, crucially, improve on it and turn them into contenders. That’s a coaching question because so far his recruitment is on the money.

The weak link - as you say - is the TK/Mackay combo at DM.

But if he can go back to the way he played in his first two seasons I’ll be happy. That was entertaining, at least at home.

@waz,I am sure Roar will be better next year.
However I don't believe JA has the ability to pick or coach a winning team,unless he can rely on massive luck,similar to Muscat this year.
For me the winning teams control the midfield.
From Ange to Arnie ,the winning formula relies on a midfield that is at least as good or better than anyone else.All those teams have a great playmaker and good defence in midfield and can transition from defence to attack at speed.

@ crimsoncrusoe

Yeah, I share your suspicions on JA and his ability to coach a winning team. He’s got a good eye for young talent and can coach at an individual level but can he put together a team that can win? Until he wins a trophy the answer has to be no, that’s the nature of sport.

With two slots left, one of them a marquee, they’re probably the two most important decisions of his coaching career

Was touted as one of the most promising talents in Australian football, he was fantastic with Adelaide United in his short stint and then moved to the Eredivisie and thought his career is projecting quite nicely but since his move to NEC Nijmijen his career has gone pair shaped.

Hopefully he can redirected his young career back in a good direction with the Roar. Still a promising player.

@ Barca4life

It’s a common trap our young players fall into. They go from playing in the A League to not playing in Europe at a crucial stage of their development which then stalls as they compete in large squads just to become a fringe squad player, which often fails.

It’s all about game time, game time and game time when you’re young.

4 years, good stuff at least Roar can get some cash off him if he does leave early.