After a testing pre season, which found the club struggling to develop momentum due to player injury and overseas travel, Olympic fought out a tight three all draw with Cooma Tigers, as part of the NPL: Capital Football Pre-Season Cup. Displaying attacking flair and dogged resilience to come from two nil down, it is clear Olympic has a culture of determination, success and pride in the club. Something Head Coach Frank Cachia has instilled into his players since he started the job.

Frank believes that culture is what is most important for his football club. As well as success, which is often a result of good culture. Requiring all junior teams, NPL teams and seniors train at the same ground on the same night. This is to ingrain into the younger players a desire and resolve to one day play first grade for Olympic. Frank believes this will allow the juniors to “ . . . see a pathway through to first grade.” A dream that by the year 2020, all players in first grade are Olympic juniors. It is a culture taken up and already showing positive results with some under-16’s players benching for under-20’s throughout pre-season. As defending champions, it is Frank’s goal for Olympic to retain the title, though as a characteristic of many coaches and players, Frank is firmly set on the short-term achievements, such as ensuring the team secure a top four finish.

Having previous experience as a coach at Juventus, and spending the past two seasons at Monaro Panthers, Frank maintains coaching is something that comes naturally to him. Picking up the trade after he stopped playing due to university studies, and a self admitted lack of pace as a player. It was something he always enjoyed. Stating that it is “ . . . easier to tell people what to do rather than do it yourself.” But the coach with a relaxed demeanour and sense of humour notes that seeing players “reach their potential” and occasionally surpass expectations is the most rewarding aspect.

2014 sees the induction of the inaugural Football Federation Australia Cup (FFA Cup). This means greater significance has been placed on all the local cup competitions. With the possibility of televised games, travel around the country and even a chance to take on an A-League team, Canberra clubs are hungry for the Federation Cup. However as Frank perceives it, the National Premier League is still the ultimate prize for Olympic. Admitting that the FFA Cup is a great incentive that offers amateur and semi-professional teams something never done before in Australia. He doesn’t see it as a detriment to the Premier League, rather crediting it will likely “enhance” the competition.

A Canberra local through and through, Frank Cachia’s football journey has nearly gone full circle. As an Olympic premiership-winning junior player, it would be a fitting end to his first season as manager, if he were able, through the aforementioned determination and ambition, add premiership coach to his title. Success would be secondary however to the culture and pride of the club that Frank most wants to develop in his time as manager.