Brad Maloney

NSL Career: APIA, Newcastle Breakers, Sydney Olympic, Marconi, Perth, Parramatta Power 330 (88) / 1990/91 - 2003/04

Socceroos Career: 6 (2) A Internationals / 3 (0) B Internationals

The NSL was host to a plethora of goal scoring defenders and midfielders in comparison to the A-League. AIS product Brad 'Bugsy' Maloney was the highest scoring of them all and one of the league's best players during the late 1990s. Maloney was a hardworking box-to-box midfielder who was good in transition and had a knack for making goal scoring runs in to the box.

A Blacktown junior, Maloney earned a scholarship to the prestigious AIS Soccer Program at the age of 17 and made his first team debut for Blacktown in the NSW Division One a year later. Maloney joined NSL club APIA for the 1990/91 season, becoming a regular in his debut NSL season before returning to the NSW Division One in the off-season with Canberra Metro.

Maloney joined NSL club Newcastle Breakers for their inaugural season in 1991/92 and scored eight goals in 40 appearances over two seasons. Maloney briefly returned to former club APIA, who were now competing in the NSW Super League, scoring seven goals in 11 league appearances before returning to the NSL with Sydney Olympic.

At Olympic, Maloney played in the NSL Finals Series for the first time as the club reached the 1993/94 Elimination Semi-Finals before spending the off-season with NSW Super League side Canterbury. Maloney scored the winning goal to send Olympic through to the 1994/95 NSL Cup Quarter-Finals before getting sent off in the club's semi-final clash with Heidelberg (Olympic lost two-three). 

Signing for Marconi at the end of the 1994/95 season, Maloney and Wollongong defender Martin Bourke joined Chinese Jia-A League (later Chinese Super League) side Guangzhou Apollo on a short-term loan deal, opening a new Asian market for Australian footballers. The pair made a single appearance each and Maloney returned to Marconi where he became a key part of the side that finished minor premiers before scoring a brace in Marconi's preliminary final win over Adelaide City.

Marconi lost the grand final to Melbourne Knights before reaching the NSL Cup Final the following season, where they lost one-nil to new franchise club Collingwood Warriors. Maloney's time at Marconi had seen him develop in to the club's most consistent goalscorer, winning Marconi's golden boot award in the 1997/98 season and scored in the minor semi-final that saw Marconi progress to the preliminary final.

Marconi conceded a last minute goal to Carlton in the preliminary final before the goal scoring midfielder reached his peak in the 1998/99 season - making his Socceroos debut in Australia's 1998 Oceania Nations Cup campaign, winning the Johnny Warren Medal and finishing equal runner-up in the NSL Golden Boot standings.

Maloney spent another season at Marconi before being lured to Perth Glory who looked to compensate for the losses of talented midfielders Troy Halpin, Ivan Ergić and dead-ball specialist Con Boutsianis. Maloney was a key part of Perth's free scoring side over his two seasons at the club but missed crucial finals series matches due to injury - missing the first leg of the 2000/01 elimination final and the 2001/02 grand final. 

Maloney joined Parramatta Power for the 2002/03 season, helping the club qualify for the finals series for the first time before returning to Marconi for the final season of the NSL, scoring seven goals in 19 games as the club reached the elimination final. The veteran midfielder remained with the club as they competed in the NSW Premier League before hanging up his boots at the age of 34. Maloney has gone on to become an important coach in Malaysian football, with roles in the national team's senior and youth set-ups.