Yet again, as October has come, the warmer weather has settled in, and the A-League Men season is near. Previewing the picture out west for Perth Glory, a new dawn and what is a blank canvas for essentially the fifth season running has arrived. So where can the club go in 2024/25, and has new head coach David Zdrilic cooked up something exciting to end the long-awaited finals drought, with new owners and new ambition to bring back the Glory days of old?
David Zdrilic will oversee the start to another new era at the Perth Glory in 2024/25. (Image: Perth Glory)
The eyes of Perth Glory fans this upcoming A-League Men season are focused on the homecoming of beloved and, at times, controversial local players, the signing of unfamiliar foreigners, David Zdrilic's exciting foray into the world of professional management, and a young core who already look set to provide multiple breakout seasons to excite the region over.
Starting from scratch is difficult, though. Knowing that this run of lacklustre consistency, a terrible away record, and defensive fragility that could make your eyes water has been a problem since Richard Garcia's appointment in 2020, removing these scars is a heavy task for the new era of the club.
The lack of stability during this time has done more harm than good. Last season's financial issues, which Alen Stajcic and co faced, were beyond manageable and perhaps a grave sign that little could have been done to help the club at its lowest point of the decade and arguably ever.
Speaking with Front Page Football, Glory's Jarrod Carluccio, whose signing came amidst the club's financial peril, addressed the future. Knowing just how difficult last season was, he presented an air of forward momentum as he answered questions about where the team can go in 2024/25.
"It was a tough time last year, not just for myself but everyone involved with the club. What really kept me positive is the culture we have tried to build over the last three or four months, in particular, this off-season; I think we're really starting to gel into what team we know we want to be," Carluccio said.
Continuing on the theme of what this team wants to be, look no further than the positive start manifested during the Australia Cup, a young core created with an above-average work ethic that outperformed A-League Men opposition on two separate occasions with tactical nous that was a treat to the eye under new coach Zdrilic.
Carluccio commented that positivity is high, leaving a desire to do and learn more as the current regime moulds into a team hoping to be in finals contention.
"Creating what the coaching staff want this to be, that's really positive. Things are looking positive; it does feel a lot more upbeat and energetic. I think we just want to rip into this season and leave behind whatever has happened in the past to start fresh and go from there," he added.
Carluccio (centre left) has been at Perth Glory during the club's transition to new ownership. (Image: Tom McCarthy)
Of course, the positivity has been heavily aided by the outburst of young starlets, the likes of Abdul Faisal, who is highly touted for success; Nathanael Blair, who has been successful in attack; Khoa Ngo, who offers unmatched levels of energy, and Adam Bugarija, who seems to step up in a very admirable way, scoring a clutch equaliser against Melbourne City in the Australia Cup Round of 32 and crucially at times for the club's NPL side during their recent relegation battle.
Complementing the young core are veterans who mean a lot to the A-League Men and even more to Glory. Starting with a sacrificial David Williams doing whatever he can for the team, the ever-reliable homegrown talent Adam Taggart, and fellow West Australians Brandon O'Neill and Josh Risdon, who add unmatched passion for the club in a time of need.
Carluccio addressed what this quartet adds to the team, believing the value of their presence is impossible to replace and teaches everything required to get the club's younger core to develop many areas of their game.
"They're invaluable, especially for players like myself and the majority of the younger players we have in this squad. We can't put a value on what they've done and the lessons they can show us through their habits every day in training and also in different areas on and off the park," he said.
He commented further on the veterans' experience and what that can do for the team in a time when stability and results are required in equal measure.
"Even guys like David Williams or Oli Sail, who have experienced the international game and know all the highs and lows you can feel in the A-League in particular, is just something that we really can't put a value on, so you look to take everything you can from them."
Outside the younger core and older presence also lies the international flair provided by South American recruits, Ecuadorian playmaker Cristian Caicedo and the much-needed sturdy centre-back Luis Cangá.
"They're two top characters; they are eager to learn and obviously have not been here for the whole of our pre-season, which is not a detriment; I think it's actually a good opportunity to have the fresh blood in with a little bit more energy with new faces around the place," Carluccio said on how the two new signings are integrating into the set-up.
One aspect of the inclusion of such talent is the communication that the Spanish-speaking figures involved have had to impart during their time at the club. Assisted by newly acquired Colombian assistant manager and analyst Andres Clavijo, the two South Americans have a familiar face and voice passing on the information that Zdrilic puts out, meaning instruction comes from a second-hand source.
It remains to be seen what kind of influence something like this could have, especially when it comes to being integrated into the wider team culture Carluccio spoke so highly of. The former Western Sydney Wanderers man eased concerns about the language barrier that may affect Caicedo and Cangá's fit at the club.
"They have bonded with the boys already. There is a little bit of a language barrier, but this comes with international footballers being exposed to the league, so it's definitely something we embrace, and [we] are just excited to see how they can help the team."
The question of what should be defined as success for Glory may be too subjective to answer, given the Pelligra Group's takeover, the thorough reassessment of operations, and the subsequent appointment of Zdrillic, along with the plethora of new talent bought into the club.
However, noting what the club is doing right, many within its walls and even those loosely associated will tell you one thing: the vibe is different, and the word on that is quite strongly echoed all the way from staff to reporters and the very players and coaches embarking on this next journey in the club's history.
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A final word from Carluccio on the eve of the season says most about what one can understand as positive rhetoric. The club feel more together, simply because they are. More are willing to act in the name of the jersey, more is being done behind the scenes to make it feel like a complete place, and as the winger says, the objectives are ambitious and clear.
"I am someone who will always make my personal goals the team goal, and our objective is to be there come crunch time at the end of the season and to improve every week. I think if we focus on ourselves and keep things on our own performance while we're building something, we really can become a force to be reckoned with, and I am keen to be a part of that, so I'm keen to help the team as much as I can."
The results, as always, will judge the success of this season. Will Glory finally iron out their dreaded habit of leaking goals at will? Can the new signings provide enough to prove a winning formula has been built? Does Zdrillic have such solid tactical nous that expectations will easily be exceeded?
Only time will tell as we near the first ball being kicked.
Perth Glory will begin their 2024/25 A-League Men's season at Campbelltown Sports Stadium this Sunday, the 20th of October, against Australia Cup winners Macarthur FC.
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