The year started in sensational style when the Crystal Palace captain led his team to its first piece of major silverware when the Socceroos won the Asian Cup on home soil. Australia had tasted success in the Oceania Championships in the past, but this was a triumph at an altogether higher level against far tougher opposition.

That was very much the highpoint of Jedinak's year to-date. While he was Down Under Palace parted company with manager Neil Warnock and brought in Alan Pardew, a favourite son at Selhurst Park and a man who came with a plan to shake things up in South London.

Jedinak sustained an injury while in Australia and when he returned he didn't find it easy to break straight back into the side. When he did he picked up a lengthy suspension, ensuring that his finish to the campaign - Palace's best in what is now the Premier League - was more muted than he would have wanted.

Things haven't been that much better in the early weeks of the new Premiership season.

Jedinak hadn't started any of the club's first three league matches, and it seems typical of his luck post Asian Cup that when he did - in a League Cup tie against Shrewsbury early this week - he picked up the hamstring injury that has ruled him out of the two upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Tajikistan.

The first of those takes place in Perth next Thursday, and while Jedinak will not be there to lead his team, he will be watching more keenly than most.

Although he has just turned 31, the former Central Coast Mariners midfielder, one of the quiet achievers of the local game, is determined to wear the armband at a World Cup a second time in Russia in 2018.

Success in these two matches will go a long way towards ensuring Australia wraps up a spot in the final Asian qualifying group ahead of schedule, giving Jedinak plenty of time to return from his hamstring injury without any pressure on him or the team when it faces Jordan away from home in October.

He is now one of the senior citizens in what is a team in transition following the retirement of Mark Bresciano and a number of men who had been key players in the Pim Verbeek and Holger Osieck years.

Only Tim Cahill of the golden generation soldiers on, but ask Jedinak if this younger Australian team can carry on the good work from the Asian Cup and make a splash in Russia and the answer is an unequivocal yes.

Speaking in London earlier this month Jedinak made it clear that while the Socceroos might no longer boast the big names they once did, the team is a highly focused unit which, under Australian coach Ange Postecoglou, has self-belief by the bucketload - enough to make it a handful for any team it might encounter on any stage.

Jedinak is enthusiastic about a core of younger players who have now collected a critical mass of caps and are cementing themselves as the core of the team for not just the Russia campaign but the defence of the Asian Cup in four years' time.

Mat Ryan in goal, Jason Davidson at fullback, Trent Sainsbury in the middle, Mathew Leckie up front and Massimo Luongo in midfield are the sort of players who possess that compelling mixture of youth and experience that every international team needs at its heart, says Jedinak.

He also cites Postecoglou's preparedness to experiment, try players out and give people a chance irrespective of their reputation - and stick with them if they are doing the job - as a major reason to be optimistic for the future.

"It's about seeing the response of some of the guys when they come in, and them growing in the camps they have been involved in.

"That for me has been the biggest part [of Australia's transition], them becoming more comfortable within the group. They have the pressure and expectation of doing well, but you put that on yourself most times anyway. You want to do well when you play for your country.

"We are in a decent position. There are a lot of the group there with 10, 15, 20 caps and they are the guys that are coming through to build on for the future. That's a lot of experience. It might not seem a lot, but it is.

"Trent Sainsbury, Jason Davidson, Massimo Luongo, Mat Leckie, they are well and truly a part of it. When they have been called on they have shown up to this point they are not going to shy away from the challenge. A lot of the boys have responded well.

"We have had Danny Da Silva in camp last time, he handled himself really well, it will be interesting to see how he progresses and develops.

"One guy I am really hoping gets back to full fitness is Tom Rogic. He has had a torrid time with injury, so seeing him being able to score the other week for Celtic was encouraging. Hopefully he is on the right path, it would be great to see him in those colours again.

"Chris Ikonomidis [the youngster who is with Serie A club Lazio in Italy] has handled himself really well. He has been given a little bit of game time, but it's more so what he has shown. He has got all the right attributes. Given the opportunity I have no doubt that he will do well when called upon.

"He has to keep persisting and working hard to make sure he is doing well at Lazio. He is on the radar, people have taken notice of him. As long as he keeps bringing his levels when he comes into camp, I don't see any reason why he should not establish himself."

Having made his Socceroo debut under Verbeek and then played under Osieck, Jedinak is in a perfect position to understand the difference made by their successor, Postecoglou, although he is far too diplomatic to make comparisons between the man-management style and the tactical approach of all three.

Nevertheless, he says that Postecoglou's Australian-ness, the fact that he simply gets what it means to pull on the national team shirt, makes a huge difference, not just to the established players but those coming into camp as new boys looking to make a mark.

"I think the biggest difference is probably giving the group the belief to play, the belief and encouragement to not shy away from the challenge, to implement a style and stick by it, even when it might get a little bit sticky sometimes.

"Just giving everyone the belief, that it's 11 Aussies out there going into battle and you wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. I think it helps him having a history with Australian football. Having played for the national team and represented the country he knows what it means.

"It got taken away from him at a young age, but he was involved at junior level for years with the younger national teams as a coach and he has always evoked that passion from his players. He has carried it right through to the national team, and he won't stop until we get  to where we want to be.

"I had him in the under-20s so I knew him a little bit. That has helped, he knows people, although several people have grown and changed a bit, their playing styles have altered, so in a way we have had to get to know each other again. But once you step out on the pitch you know what the boss wants and you can use it in your game going forward.

"Ange has never wavered in his belief. The only way you are going to blood new players is give them the opportunity and not shy away from it. He will reward people who are doing well, and rightly so. Its a great aspect of what he is doing.

"It's still up to them to make sure they make an impression when they come into camp."

Several already have, and the Asian Cup is testament to their achievements. But there are now bigger fish to fry, and a place in Russia in three years' time to secure.