Archie Thompson: A-League's best ever?

Do you remember the young Archie Thompson at Gippsland Falcons in the old National Soccer League.

He was young then, played in front of a few hundred, but took your eye with his pace and skill.

That was in 1996.

In 2008 Archie plays in front of 30,000, and has been the superstar of the A-League in my book.

Sure we have John Aloisi, I loved your penalty John, and Joel Griffiths is playing some wonderful football this season. Kevin Muscat had a great year last year, Nicky Carle and others have made me get to the edge of my seat. Dwight Yorke was poetry in motion and could control a game. Who else can?

But Archie never lets you down.

His team has been abysmal at times this year. But Archie has worked his socks off. And you know with Archie he's always going to give you something.

His pace, and trickery, produce opportunities for himself and others at will. Or so it seems. And true if he'd converted a few, just a few, of the chances he had this season Victory may have still won the league.

But I'm a neutral, and when I watch a game, any game, it's the forward players who I love.

And Archie can drift in and out. Beat players with pace. Delightful, and best of all with pure skill.

He can lift a fan out of his seat with his audacious and humorous attitude to the game and the supporters.

And of course he can set a player up. Why else has Danny Allsopp resurfaced as a goalscorer.

And yesterday in Sydney in front of a record crowd Sydney fans knew there was one team, but more importantly one man, Archie, who you don't want to be facing when you need to win, to win the league.

And he let no-one down. He got time and space all day. Who could catch him?

Danny Allsopp outpaced Iain Fyfe, again, and latched on to a wonderful, precise cross from the elusive Thompson.

And of course he should have won the game, finishing or more probably passing to Carlos Hernandez to score the winner. Bolton saved, but Thompson smiled as his team had defied Sydney. And the Mariners didn't care, did they?

Archie, good enough to lead the line against Qatar. Not sure about that. International football is very different to the A-League.

But in the A-League, Archie lights a ground up. Any kid, any fan would have loved to watch him yesterday. Sydney fans held went tense, silent when he got the ball. Melbourne fans lifted and roared. It was wonderful wonderful theatre. And Archie knew it.

He scored and outshone Dwight Yorke on the opening day of the A-League three years ago with a joyous dashing performance

He scored five in a Grand Final last year and had 50,000 salute him as he took an early mark with a few minutes to go.

And yesterday he was in Melbourne speak "best on ground" by someway.

Enjoy him while he is at his peak. He's an Australian with skill and wizardry to burn. A sense of humour. Archie is great for the game.

Has he been the best over the three seasons? I think so.