Is there glory on Perth’s horizon at long last?
Fans of the Western Australian side often enter the season with feelings of trepidation and wariness. Since the A-League began, so often has the team promised to deliver, only to let their fans down with a season to forget. However, for once, there is a sense of hope that this current incarnation of the Glory may actually be the one which delivers the club’s first silverware since 2004.
A barnstorming finish to their previous campaign which saw them to jump into the finals, the retaining of star player Diego Castro and a superb off-season recruitment drive has made the Perth faithful hopeful of a maiden A-League title. In addition, a revitalized connection with the club and an influx of home-grown players has fans feeling excited about the Glory for the first time in a while.
Perth entered the offseason with the aim to launch a bid for the title in 2016-17, and they certainly made a splash in the transfer market. Ex-Middlesbrough captain and Perth boy Rhys Williams headlined the signings, with former midfielder Rostyn Griffiths returning. Fellow WA products Nick Feely and Brandon Wilson were also landed.
English left-back Joseph Mills and goalkeeper Liam Reddy also made the move to nib Stadium, and both figure to slot straight into the starting XI. With Socceroo Josh Risdon, the uncompromising Shane Lowry and the young Alex Grant (who kept Dino Djulbic out of the side last season) filling out the rest of what promises to be a miserly defence, Perth will be well protected at the back. Williams can also slot in at centre-back or right-back, while his brother Aryn and Marc Warren proved solid options last season.
On paper, Williams and Griffiths are the best central-midfield paring in the league and the creative Nebojsa Marinkovic should benefit from having more freedom further up the pitch. Mitch Oxborrow impressed last season and will battle with Wilson for the backup spot in the middle of the park, while the club is expected to announce the capture of Serbian Milan Smiljanic soon.
Dashing Johnny Warren medallist Diego Castro returns as the marquee man and creative force in the final-third, and his partnership with the clinical Andy Keogh should once again give opposing defenders nightmares. Ex-Golden Boot winner Adam Taggart is also in the mix to start, but he will face competition from Chris Harold, coming off his best season yet. Veteran Richie Garcia and lively youngsters Kosta Petratos and Jamal Reiners round out the strikers.
A lot of praise must go the way of coach Kenny Lowe for assembling a squad of this calibre. He has faced criticism during his two-and-a-half years in Perth, but is finally receiving the plaudits he deserves and his record over the last two seasons (third among all coaches in win ratio) speaks for itself. After his team found themselves in ninth spot halfway through the season, Lowe’s masterful motivation skills came to play and upon finding a formation which suited, the Glory rarely looked like losing. His background in the WA youth setup saw him work with some of the state’s best players today, and his links with the likes of Williams, Taggart, Griffiths and Wilson encouraged them to return home.
Also integral to their return was the work of CEO Peter Filopoulos. Since arriving in Perth last year, Filopoulos has worked hard behind the scenes to put the current chess pieces in place. He has strived to make Perth Glory a household name once again and unlike his predecessors, seems to have a clear vision for the club. Indeed, his Four Year Plan has set the club some lofty goals, but his confidence in reaching them has proved infecting. Perhaps most importantly, Filopoulos recognized the importance of fans – and his constant interaction with them has gone a long way to mending the once-fractured relationship between the two parties.
For the first time in recent memory, things look on the up in Western Australia. Of course, Glory fans have experienced false dawns before so some caution remains, but there is enough to suggest this Perth outfit may be the one who finally fulfills their potential. They have a quality first XI, great depth, confidence in their coach and the off-field distractions of past look to have been put to bed.
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