Date: May 28th 2010
Author: Ben Somerford
From: Four Four Two Australia

NEW Melbourne Heart defender Dean Heffernan can't wait for the new Hyundai A-League season to begin and is looking forward to the first local Victorian derby.

Heffernan, 30, spent the last six months on loan at England club Huddersfield Town where he played in the intense West Yorkshire derby against the Terriers' local rivals Leeds United.

Melbourne Heart don't face crosstown rivals Victory until early October but Heffernan can not wait for another derby.

"Playing in the Town-Leeds game was a fantastic experience," Heffernan told the Huddersfield Examiner.

"If the Melbourne match-up generates 20 per cent of the feeling the West Yorkshire derby does, it will be brilliant."

The Sydney-born leftback added he was excited about moving to Melbourne, having played all his domestic football in Australia with New South Wales clubs.

"It's a great sporting city, and the people there really get behind their teams," Heffernan said.

"The Melbourne derby is a new thing in the A-League, and it will be one of the highlights of the season."

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/130118,heff-eyeing-off-melbourne-derby.aspx