Alistair Hogg is a Victory fan and sports journalist.

The announcement we all feared might come, didn't.

Melbourne Victory had issued a press call at AAMI Park with Kevin Muscat in attendance, presumably to announce his decision to walk away from football after 22 years as a professional.

Rather than hang up the boots, the Melbourne skipper announced that he was going to extend his career into a fourth decade; news that will undoubtedly warm the hearts of Victory fans.

In a way, it was the most predictable news of the off-season.

As if Muscat - the hard, competitive and fearless captain of Melbourne would accept that his final action on a football field was missing a penalty kick against arch rivals Sydney in a losing grand final.

How could anyone walk away from the game with that gutting experience burning deep within?

While the opportunity of redemption alone may have been enough to inspire Super Kev to go around again, there were a number of other influences that made it a no-brainer for the dual premiership and championship captain.

Since beginning his career in Melbourne at Sunshine George Cross in 1989, Muscat has lived through the meteoric rise of the sport in Australia. He's seen the establishment of a sustainable, professional league. He's captained his club to two premierships. He's seen the Socceroos crack the global stage. He's seen his country bid to host the World Cup and now he's seen a purpose built stadium erected in his backyard.

With the lure of a packed AAMI Park, how could he possibly retire just months away from the Victory's first official game at the venue?

Another reason in the decision making process for the 36-year old would have been the salivating thought of lining up in the first Melbourne A-League derby.

With Melbourne Heart about to embark upon its debut A-League season, you can bet that Muscat would rather be on the pitch than in the stands when the teams square off for the first time on October 2

Opposition players have always had a professional fear for Muscat. Not necessarily for his trademark hard tackling and competitive nature, but because the 10 other men around him always lift when their inspirational skipper is on the park.

When Muscat tore his hamstring in Melbourne's opening round loss last season, the club that would later reach the grand final registered just one win for the five matches he missed. When he returned, Victory won three in a row to kick-start their season.

When making his decision, Kevin Muscat would have taken the new stadium into account. He would have taken a passionate derby crowd into account. He would have also taken his gut wrenching spot kick on March 20 into account. But above all, the Victory's indomitable leader would have taken his form into account.

Even at 36 years of age and after 102 A-League appearances, Muscat has been in spectacular form. His body shows few signs of letting up, his fitness remains elite and his leadership qualities are among the best in the country.

Kevin Muscat will elicit a lot of joy in playing for Melbourne next season. But not nearly as much as Victory fans and members will take from watching him do it all again.