This year it is unequivocal. The sporting gods love an underdog and the A-League has two of the biggest in Australian sport.
The Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners have had little to cheer about in recent memory.
Newcastle have not made the finals since 2010.
To add to their woes they have also finished bottom of the table twice since winning their only title in 2008 (making them equal record holders for the number of last place finishes).
As for the Mariners, they could combine their total points from the last two seasons and would still have failed to qualify for the finals last year. That’s 54 games to get more points than a team who finished in the bottom half of the league.
The evidence speaks for itself; the region has shared tumultuous off-seasons.
Both clubs are desperate for change. Both parted company with their managers during the pre-season.
Both once were, great clubs. So why will this year be any different?
Is it not excessively optimistic to assume that the horrors of recent times will be done away with in one season?
Put simply, no.
The two have hit their rock bottoms – at least one would hope – and are now looking to rise from the Ashes.
The objectives are different for these two clubs.
The expectations after the Mariners 4-0 loss to Sydney will be vastly different to Newcastle, at the other end of the scale picking up an impressive 4-0 win.
Having said that, the Mariners need to look beyond the results this season, much like Newcastle did last year.
The Mariners team risk becoming out of touch with the clubs base if they continue down the track the last two seasons has led them. If politics can teach us anything, it’s all about the base.
Getting back in touch with the underdog mentality that lead the Mariners to years of consistent strong, gutsy, overachieving is what is needed.
In recent times, making the club into a stable business has been the owners focus.
There is some good that can come out of the shrewd operations of the Mariners, with the club reportedly in better financial shape than ever.
However, there needs to be serious investment in the team and more than just infrastructure.
The recruitment needs to improve; a marquee of serious stature would be a welcome change and potentially financially beneficial in the long-run.
If the club can show the people of Gosford that this team is one that will be strong going forward, they can take the Mariners to their past glories and beyond.
As for Newcastle, things are looking up in the Hunter.
New owners, new players and new results – i.e. winning for a change – with a bit of promotion and an FFA guest player in January Newcastle might just have some new fans.
It’s easier said than done, plenty will write off Newcastle, despite a start that has exceeded expectations thus far.
In terms of the base of the Jets’ support, they know the dangers of leaving fans high and dry.
Under the ownership of Nathan Tinkler – who seemed to like the idea of owning a football club a lot more than the practice of it – delayed payments to staff and player revolts plagued his ownership and worse yet, there was no connection to the club or the sport more broadly.
But a lot has changed off the field, including the addition of Lawrie McKinna – a man who unlike Nathan Tinkler – lives and breathes football.
At the Jets Central Coast rivals, McKinna managed the Mariners to a grand final and was critical in backroom operations in the club’s heyday.
The hard-line business model approach at the Mariners has meant gems like McKinna have been lost.
Let’s hope that his presence at Newcastle can translate to consistent performance on the field.
After all, to have a competition ruined by a division between the haves and have-nots would be terrible for the future growth of the game.
In a year where battlers like the Cavaliers in the NBA, Leicester in England, Footscray in the AFL and even the damned Cronulla Sharks can achieve the impossible, why can’t it happen for the A-League’s ugly ducklings?
Indeed it probably won’t be the material success of a grand final victory, but that shouldn’t be the only measure of success for these two clubs.
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