The football gods sometimes have a way of making themselves known when you least expect them. Perhaps this was why the Western Sydney Wanderers’ fairytale did not have the storybook conclusion.
It is almost fitting the A-League new boys were not allowed to have it all their own way in their debut season, with the Central Coast Mariners instead seizing the opportunity to bury their own grand final demons.
Now Wanderers players, coaches and fans have all been handed a stark reminder – success doesn’t come that easy.
That’s how it should be. You need the heartbreak and pain first so that the good times taste sweeter. No doubt the city of Gosford can vouch for that now.
To have come so far in such a short amount of time, however, is still a success in itself, and there is no doubt the rise of Western Sydney was the highlight of season 2013-12.
There were others. Alessandro Del Piero, for one.
But for some, the sooner version eight of the A-League is wiped from the memory banks, the better. Let’s look back.
Winners
Football
This is number one with a bullet.
The A-League itself is almost unrecognisable to the competition that, this time last year, was marred by ugly dramas at Gold Coast United and Newcastle Jets.
One season later and all the key metrics are up. It’s never looked this good, and we can actually see the growth before our eyes.
It’s exciting, and it’s what season eight will be remembered for.
Melbourne Victory
Another transformation – this one looked just as unlikely. When Jim Magilton was moved on and Harry Kewell left the country, Victory looked stuffed.
Enter Ange Postecoglou. The successful pursuit of his signature now has the A-League’s biggest club poised for long-term success.
Marco Rojas is leaving but you can count on Ange to make sure someone fills his shoes, and that Melbourne Victory will be title challengers next time around.
Mike Mulvey
He’s had his critics but the Brisbane Roar manager is still standing and deserves credit for that.
Whether the team’s emergence from the doldrums is all because of him or because the two-time champions suddenly decided to pull their collective fingers out is not clear.
But in 12 months he went from a stepping stone gig in the W-League to a caretaker position at the reigning champions, and turned that into a two-year contract and the opportunity of his career.
If he’s capable, he can turn Brisbane into a powerhouse again.
Sydney FC
Relevant at long last, and thanks to one man. Or rather, thanks to the men who brought that one man, Alessandro Del Piero, to Australia.
That was a masterstroke that has positioned the Sky Blues as the LA Galaxy of the A-League. You’re doing something right when cheap Sydney knockoff jerseys start popping up across the globe.
But you’ve only truly made it when there’s silverware in the cabinet. That’s next on the agenda.
Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast can give up the charade. The ghosts have been banished – they’ve finally won a toilet seat of their own and in extraordinary circumstances to boot.
They deserve it – the A-League has never seen such a committed, professional club. The celebration of the grand final win said one thing, though – relief, because they had finally won the only trophy that really matters.
Now that it’s done they can rip one star off their chest and move on.
Losers
Ricki Herbert
The unfortunate victim of a misguided decision of the Wellington Phoenix ownership to suddenly become the Barcelona of the Pacific.
He is probably the best coach New Zealand has ever produced and maybe his time at the Phoenix was up, but he didn’t deserve to go in those circumstances and shouldn’t have had to deal with meddling from upstairs.
The Adelaide public
What has Adelaide United become? Once the darling of Australian football, the Reds are now lurching from crisis to embarrassment and back again with worryingly low levels of self-awareness.
Players are agitated, fans are restless and the owners need to change the way they do their business if it’s all going to be reversed.
The Gold Coast United diaspora
At first this looked like the season that Clive Palmer’s generation of young guns would take the A-League by storm. After all, there was a reason Gold Coast’s carcass was so furiously picked apart last year.
Yet none of the GCU refugees have kicked on.
Ben Halloran and James Brown had rough seasons, Daniel Bowles has fallen off the radar in Adelaide and Chris Harold didn’t play anywhere near as often as he should have in Perth.
Only Zac Anderson has made strides, but even he’s not starting yet. There’s Adama Traore, too, who is probably the best left-back in the country – but it’ll take a fair bit of paper-shuffling before we see him in green and gold.
Newcastle Jets
Gary van Egmond’s revolution hasn’t happened and the Newcastle Herald was at pains to point this out when the season wrapped up.
The Jets are still maddeningly inconsistent. The pieces are there, for sure, but in practice Newcastle were not up to scratch this term and deserved to finish where they did.
A bad start to the next campaign would put ‘Dutchy’ under immense scrutiny.
Melbourne Heart
Another side that simply couldn’t string anything good together. John Aloisi has already wielded the axe but it was perhaps 12 months too late, because the red and whites went backwards in their third season in the competition.
The next one has to be pitch perfect for this club to actually start going anywhere.
Ian
Guest
All good Jb. My reply was more at Tezza, (as my comment is indented above from his comment but appears under yours) as he commented Mulvey was responsible for some of that horrible recruitment. As the only players that came on board after MM started were Nijland, North and Lustica but i don't consider any of them bad signings in the a) lack of recruitment category that you mention and b) 2 visa spots on youth players that barely made the team
West
Roar Pro
Vince nice thoughts and football is the winner. But really, no Wanderers team or fans in the winners list, surely they have achieved a great deal in their first ever year and are bigger winners than MV and SFC. And what about Tony Popovic is his first year ever as a head coach in charge of a football team?
Cameron
Roar Guru
It's full of opinion and irony. I don't think I've really used any facts. At least my other one was full of facts :D. And perspective... I've got a piece I want to do on that too. But i'm sure I'll be beaten too it with such busy times at the moment.
philk
Guest
kellett_1992......I look forward to your article, I hope it is based on facts not just opinions. Son (I know we are years apart in age) I like that you are involving yourself so deeply in a sport that has given me so many happy times and so many heartaches but a sense of perspective is handy to keep in mind. Cheers, philk.
Cameron
Roar Guru
I never said that :D I'm just telling you what was said by Arnold. I remember you Philk. You didn't like my article on the mariners... Haha. You'll enjoy my next one that I've prepared. Fingers crossed it goes well.
philk
Guest
'deemed very important' is a long way from being 'the only trophy that matters'.
Cameron
Roar Guru
I'm no expert, but... http://mobile.news.com.au/breaking-news/graham-arnold-reveals-how-wayne-bennett-helped-central-coast-mariners-to-grand-final-glory/story-e6frfkp9-1226625456831 Now you'll know where these opinions came from. I know what Hutcho said, I read everyday. What i'm telling you is a shift and re-focus on goals was undertaken and the grand final, which hadn't been won, was deemed very important By the way.. I didn't answer for him but I was trying to help you. That's what they said...
philk
Guest
I would prefer a reply from Vince ( unless you are him in disguise), however, where do you get the idea that their aim was to win the 'Toilet Seat'?.......as far as I can tell their aim was to win the league.....they failed, just, but won the 'post-season cup'. John Hutchinson said on 'The World Game' program, last Monday, that he considers winning the Premiership to be greater than winning the Grand Final. He will ,of course, accept that winning the said cup was a great achievement by a club that nobody rates and loves to 'have a go at' for a reason that I have not been able to fathom. Maybe some of the 'experts' on this forum can enlighten me.
Realfootbal
Guest
On the Mariners, you write: "the A-League has never seen such a committed, professional club" Honestly, Vince, what a load of utter nonsense on every level. Why on earth did you write it? More committed and professional that the great Victory team of Merrick's best years; more so than Postecoglou's record breaking Roar team? Complete bollocks. Not to mention that the club you eulogise as "professional" several times failed to pay its players despite cast iron commitments that it would do so. In what parallel universe is that considered "professional"?
j binnie
Guest
Ian. You are taking the wrong meaning from the word 'horrible" it was meant to describe the recruitment that WASN'T done to recruit players,not only to replace the players who had left, but to IMPROVE the squad. You will see it explaine,and changed, in my answer to "tezza". jb
nordster
Guest
The clear air is double edged...it means we have a more than five month off season....
Griffo
Roar Guru
I know, it is going to be a long winter without any A-League (-.-) Socceroos are good any time, but we need a longer season, and the start of the FFA Cup to keep our domestic football appetite well nourished during the darkness ;-)
Cameron
Roar Guru
Philk, The Mariners playing group collectively aimed to re-focus on what they wanted, it was unanimous by the players and their aim... Championship! What was their aim along with all the other 9 A-league teams at the start of the season? Premiership!
philk
Guest
Vince......to quote you....'Mariners.......have finally won the only trophy that really matters'. Your opinion not theirs....have you asked Arnie or Hutch?
MV Dave
Guest
The biggest winner this season...are those that love the game of Football...more than ever l believe we have a competition that's living up to the possibilities our game has. Lets hope those running the game can keep steering it on the right path...onwards and upwards for HAL. Seems like our league is also gaining some international recognition; http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/a-league-makes-top-20-of-world-soccers-list-of-best-football-leagues-in-the-world/story-fnddgn65-1226628734989 Making the top 20 leagues in the world and being only 8 years old is pretty decent.
Mark
Guest
One of the masterstrokes remain unacknowledged, the change in the timing of the season starting. The clear air at the start of the season and not having to compete with the other footy codes finals. Give head office some credit
Ian
Guest
i wouldn't call Nijland horrible. an assessment may be he didn't click as he seemed to have technical ability. gee MM only joined December 2012. so apart from nijland he got north and lustica. north and lustica went ok in my book, but lustica is just on loan at the moment. he also did not bring in Takahashi and Do, two visa spots taken up on youth players if i'm right and they played a few minutes. Rado did that one, as much as i like the guy. MM did pretty well in the period of time he had and we still finished 5th and made the 2nd last week.
Michael_Newcastle
Guest
Season 8 is over.... snif. Hey, where's WSW & the RBB? What planet are you on Vince? When they came to Newie and respectively demolished both our football and our active support, I saw the future of football in Australia and it was magnificent!
j binnie
Guest
tezza - The squad Mulvey inherited from Ange & Rado had been decimated from that first team that won the "original" grand final against CCM, the one widely recognised by most as the best Roar team of the HAL period of 8 years.. Gone from the squad since those days have been Susak,Paartalu,Mckay,Barbarrouses,Soleranzo,Mundy,Adnan,De Vere, & of course Smith who has been out for a season necessitating the signing of Jade North. Now if you care to look at the replacements for those players we had Murdocca & Henrique promoted from the bench ( 1st GF) for season 2,but who are now back on the bench with the latest squad.Adnan was signed to replace De Vere but he did not stay,and 2 loan players who are of doubtful long term tenure joined this year. I would say the 2011 side was 'decimated", but had to put my tongue in my cheek when you nominated Visconte and Fitzgerald as moving to GF sides, did you mean the subs bench of those clubs????? Now to your mention of "horrible recruitment" ,you are right ,I should have said "lack of good" recruitment,and that would have been more accurate.That brings me the point of our discussion. I did not say MM was the finished article but he has been given a 2 year contract by the owners,so we, the fans are going to have to wait to see if he has what it takes. Me??? I have an open mind.jb
tezza
Guest
jbinnie, how was the squad decimated,apart from the departure of Eric Partuulu the rest of the players were from the premiership side.Visconte and Fitzgerald were let go and ended up in Grand Final sides and as for the horrible recruitment I beleive Mr Mulvey was responsible for some of that as well.I am not convinced that he has turned the roar around yet but I hope he can for the sake of a great football side and if he does I will be the first to say well done.