Logan Rogerson celebrates the equalising goal for Auckland FC against Adelaide United. Photo: Photosport
Logan Rogerson clearly wasn't content with making Auckland FC history just once this season.
After becoming the first player to score for the club, he's doubled down on that milestone. Perhaps spurred on by the technicality that, technically, Harry van der Saag scored the club's first goal - albeit into his own net in the A-League opener against Brisbane Roar - the 26-year-old made sure there was no asterisk this time, becoming the first Auckland player to score in the A-League Finals Series over the weekend.
Not a bad turnaround for someone who was riding the bench in Armenia this time last year. In fact, it's almost a year to the day that he watched on as FC Noah lost 3-0 to Pyunik to essentially lose their Armenian Premier League title hopes. He didn't play another game for the club named after the biblical ark and owned by a former Armenian Armed Forces general - capping his time with the club to just seven appearances and no goals.
Logan Rogerson. Photo: Photosport
But Auckland FC's shunt into existence has kick-started Rogerson's career. He's gone from playing in a town the size of Invercargill, with winter temperatures that would make the Southern Man reach for a snood, to becoming a forever hero of a potentially history-making homeland team.
Without Auckland, it is hard to see how Rogerson would have pulled it off. His previous experience with the Wellington Phoenix, his only other shot at professional football in Aotearoa, ended on a sour note. It's hard to imagine the welcome mat would have been rolled out for a Sky Stadium return - which probably made his hat-trick against the capital side even sweeter during the 6-1 Kiwi Clasico victory earlier this season.
Logan Rogerson during the round six A-League Men match between Auckland FC and Newcastle Jets at Go Media Stadium. Photo: Michael Bradley/Getty Images
The Black Knights were a perfect option for a player meandering around the outer reaches of European football to come home and find career-best form. Compared to 12 months ago, Rogerson now looks like one of the first names on the team sheet for Steve Corica. In fact, other than a small dip in form at the turn of the year, the wideman has been an ever-present for the Auckland boss.
With competition from the likes of Jesse Randall, Marlee Francois, Neyder Moreno and Liam Gillion, that's no mean feat. But Rogerson's defensive output, bravery, physical conditioning and ability to poach a goal has made him the outstanding wide option amid a strong cohort.
Much like the man who set him up on Saturday, Francis de Vries, Auckland FC have offered Rogerson a much-needed career glow-up and now, he's shining.
In other football news:
Wellington Phoenix will play in the Australia Cup proper next season after getting the better of Brisbane Roar in their play-off fixture. Young guns Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues and Luke Brooke-Smith shone in a 1-0 win which saw plenty of drama - including a missed Roar penalty and an Alex Rufer red card.
Kosta Barbarouses scored the only goal of that game but it might have been his last goal for the club. He is still yet to sign an extension to a deal which expires soon. Scott Wootton and Sam Sutton did say farewell in Darwin, as they will join Perth Glory next season.
Auckland United have claimed back-to-back OFC Women's Champions League titles. A 1-0 win over Papua New Guinea's Hekari United was enough to claim the title for a second successive year.
With one game remaining Chris Wood's Nottingham Forest remain in contention for a potential third-place finish in the Premier League. They are seventh after a 2-1 win over West Ham but just one point behind Wood's former team Newcastle United in third. They play fellow European hopefuls Chelsea on the final day next weekend.
