Jon McKain wants to do it again with Phoenix

BY DUNCAN JOHNSTONE
Last updated 13:57 11/03/2010

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Jon McKain is ready to do it again with the Phoenix defender keen to extend his contract with the high-flying Wellington football outfit.

The big Aussie's contract runs out at the end of this season.


Stuff.co.nz will have full coverage, including live blog and photos of the Wellington Phoenix's bid for a place in the A-League grand final on Saturday night.


He postponed renewal talks before Christmas but is looking forward to crunching numbers with his bosses once the action is over.

Whether that is this weekend or the next depends on the Phoenix's preliminary final against Sydney FC across the Tasman on Saturday night.

The loser's campaign is finished with the winner going on to play Melbourne in the grand final.

It's heady times in a remarkable season and McKain clearly feels there is more to come with this club next year.

"I put it on the backburner so I could sit down and weigh up the pros and cons. But I've been enjoying it so it should be a good outcome," McKain said of his future.

"I just wanted to get through to the finals and we will sit down and see where we go from here. But it has been good so far. I've had two enjoyable years here … we have achieved things I personally wanted to achieve this year and I don't want it to end yet. It's positive at the moment."

The 27-year-old spent six years in the tough Romanian league before joining the Phoenix.

A Socceroo with 12 caps and also Olympics experience, he hasn't escaped the attention of the national selectors being involved in Australia's Asian Cup qualifier last week.

"It shows that if you can perform consistently here or in Australia they will take notice of you. So it's been a good thing for me playing here and I'm happy with the way things are going."

McCain has played 18 matches in each of his two seasons at the Phoenix. He was suspended from last Sunday's sensational win against Newcastle and hopes to be back in the mix to play Sydney.

Clearly he'd rather play than watch.

"I'm not good watching games at the best of times let alone elimination semifinals.

Thankfully the boys got through and I was over the moon that we did it in such a way that it was good for the crowd and everyone watching it at home because it was so tense. But that wasn't good for me … it was edge of the seat stuff."

He believes the Phoenix have the form, confidence and the game to beat Sydney despite three losses to them over the season.

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