It’s safe to say Brisbane Roar have had an incredibly disappointing season.

Dysfunction, shock resignations, and under-performing players are what will surely define their 2018-19 season.

While their on-field fortunes have made little change under interim head-coach Darren Davies, there’s at least one positive that can be taken from the rest of a season full of so few for the club.

Davies’ tenure has seen numerous youth team players handed key minutes – two debutantes coming under him.

The most recent of these was budding midfield maestro Jay Barnett, making a 15 minute cameo against Western Sydney Wanderers.

“Yet another one of our youth team products has got a debut this evening, and he  (Barnett) had a positive influence,” said Davies.

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“When he came on, I went ‘go on and enjoy it’.

“I think he was looking at me as if I was drunk when I told him to get in the box for the corner because there was nobody behind him, and he said, ‘what, me?’. I said, ‘yeah, you, get in there’.

“He was good, and he’ll be a good player.”

Barnett was energetic, looking an incredibly composed passer for someone his age.

It’s a key strategy of Davies’ – in a season which Roar are unlikely to make finals, it makes sense to accelerate the development of some younger players – like Barnett and Aaron Reardon – with first team minutes.

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“I think it’s obviously part of my background as a coach in youth development as well, so it gives everybody tremendous joy when somebody comes through the youth team to represent the football club,” Davies said.

“There’s been a few of them in recent weeks, so yes, we should take real positives out of that.

“And as I say, they’re coming on, they’re making influence, and with youngsters they go for it. He (Barnett) did well tonight.”