Juan Mata's Melbourne Victory teammates are ready to help the superstar inspire a finals run, then do whatever it takes to keep him at the club.
Mata has parked discussions on whether to re-sign with Victory until after the season but looms as a key figure in the finals.
The Spaniard has enjoyed a stunning first season at Melbourne, notching 13 assists and five goals and returned from his fractured elbow for a short cameo off the bench against Western Sydney last weekend.
Mata trained normally with his left arm in a compression sleeve on his 38th birthday on Tuesday and appears in contention to start against Sydney FC in Saturday's elimination final.
"If the coaching staff decide to start him, it's a great bonus for the team. And if that's not the case, he's an X-factor," defender Jason Davidson said.
Victory made it to the past two grand finals but fell short.
Defender Brendan Hamill hopes Mata can provide the difference this year.
"It's moments, it's taking the moment. It's minimising errors," Hamill said.
"Victory's a big club. We're used to being in these sorts of situations - big games, finals, home finals.
"So all that experience, and then you add someone like Juan Mata, all the ingredients are there, and it's about execution."
Hamill joked of his pitch to help Victory keep Mata: "He can walk back - I'll defend for him.
"But yeah, if he comes back next year, it'd be great for Victory and great for the league.
"I think he likes it here. I need the Melbourne weather to turn on the way it has done the past couple of weeks.
"But hopefully for the league and for Aussie football - great addition, long may it continue."
Saturday's do-or-die match also marks Sydney interim boss Patrick Kisnorbo's first game against Victory since he left them seven ALM games into a three-year deal in December 2024.
Hamill insisted that didn't add extra spice to the fierce rivalry, but is aware of the test a Kisnorbo-led team poses.
"That was a while, quite a while ago. Now he was here once - that happens - you come across old coaches, old teammates, that happens in football," Hamill said.
"I hope you guys (the media) have fun with it. But for us, it's kind of business as usual, and going about our business as we have done for the past 26 rounds.
"His teams in A-League history have been regularly at the top, championship-winning teams.
"What we can take is that we know that he's going to have a team that's ready to fight with and without the ball."
