Melbourne Victory confirms that defender Jason Geria will play his final game for the Club on Friday as he is set to transfer to J-1 League Club, Albirex Niigata.
Geria, who played his 200th A-League game (187 of which were for Melbourne Victory) in round 11 this season, first started with the Victory in 2012 under Ange Postecoglou, before returning ahead of the 2021/22 A-Leagues season.
In his current stint with Victory, Geria has lifted the FFA Cup and was named in the PFA Team of the Year (2022).
From the outset, Geria quickly became known for his reliability and energy on the field and has long been a favourite among the fans. Jason’s recent performances have lifted him back into the Australian National Team for recent World Cup Qualifiers and notably he was the Player of the Match in the Socceroos performance against Japan.
“I just have a lot of gratitude.” Geria said.
“This Club has been not only a big part of my career, but it has also been a huge part of my life and my family’s life – Melbourne Victory has helped shape me as a person. I’ve been able to work with, play with, learn from, and build relationships here that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
“The experiences I’ve been able to have at the Club, both on the pitch in front of the greatest fans in the League, and off the pitch (both good and the bad) have helped me grow and I realise how rare a journey like mine is, at a Club like this, and how lucky I am (and have been in my footballing journey so far).
“I will forever feel indebted to Victory and my connection with this Club will always remain regardless of where I play. I feel a huge amount of gratitude and honour for being able to play for the Victory badge for such a large part of my career and I want to thank everyone who has been part of the Victory family over the journey.
“We are extremely grateful for Jason’s contribution to the Club as a player and a person. Jason’s performances have seen him return to the Socceroos squad and in turn have presented him with this opportunity. We are very proud of Jason, and we wish him the very best” said Director of Football, John Didulica.
“It would be great to see the fans come to AAMI Park and give Jason a massive send-off this week.”
Geria will play his final Victory match this Friday 10 January when the team hosts Western United at AAMI Park in Round 13 of the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Tickets are available via Ticketek.
