Simon reveals his ‘shaka’ celebration’s meaning

Matt

Simon

started his show by providing the assist for his side’s first goal in the 41

st

minute, which proved to be

Jaden

Casella's

first-ever A-League goal. After that, he converted a 57

th

-minute penalty that he had won himself.

Simon

couldn't help but open up to the emotions he had after showing off his uniquely aggressive approach to football.

"It was a huge night,"

Simon

admitted to FOX Sports post-match.

"It didn’t really hit me, the milestone, until I got to the ground where the club had organised a function beforehand… it sort of hit me then, just before I went into the change room, that it was a pretty big game.

"I’m just happy that we could get the result in the end, I think the boys put in a huge effort and I think we deserved the three points in the end.

"I thought we were ok in the game, I think it was just a couple of moments that killed us.

"I was hoping we could come back and show the resilience we have at the start of the year, I think before we might have dropped our heads and it could have been anything but I think the goal came at a good time, just before half-time, and we were worthy of that goal.

"We spoke at half time that we just needed to keep going, I think it was five chances to two to us in the first half, so if we kept playing the way we were playing in the first half I knew we were going to get on top."

Among the match’s highlights was

Simon’s

unique celebration that was shared with his daughter, decoding its meaning, the Australian said:

"The [shaka celebration] is a shoutout to my young daughter who was born in Hawaii.

"It’s [been] one of my favourite years playing in front of my family and my kids.

"They understand what dad’s job is now, and obviously the shaka is a 'mahalo' [Hawaiian for 'thanks, gratitude'] to my daughter. Hopefully I can keep scoring goals so I can keep waving to her."

FOX Sports presenter,

Andy

Harper

, went on to praise

Matt

Simon

in post-match as he helped his team to secure a win that took the Mariners to top of the A-League table.

"To turn up tonight as a local junior, he was a [plasterer] just desperate to be a footballer, [to do] anything to be a footballer,"

Harper

said.

"He broke through under [former Mariners boss] Lawrie McKinna. 200 games later, he’s beating one of the competition’s favourites and leading the way for his team with his family watching, setting up the first goal, scoring the second goal.

"A telling contribution of great leadership and really strong character.

“Despite the opinions people might form watching him play, there’s not a former teammate of his who you’ll find speaking ill of him.

“A very, very cherished member of every dressing room he’s been in."