At the start of every NPL season there’s discussion around who might do what, which clubs might make the top four and finals football, and which might challenge for the title. In 2021, for the first time in sixteen years, there was also the added conversation about who would be relegated. With promotion and relegation to NPL2 on the agenda, it brought a whole new degree of purpose to pre-season predictions.

When analysing which clubs might achieve, underachieve, or fall short in all categories, there are various ingredients to take into consideration. Firstly, historical records are looked at, results from the previous campaign, the arrival or departure of key players and their relative experience, how many games have they played at the top level? How many goals have they scored? How many have they conceded? It’s not an exact science by any means, but it generally gives the reader an insight and an indication as to what to expect for the forthcoming campaign.

As much as this can work there are other, often more important aspects to consider and those are the intangibles that outsiders, such as commentators, analysts and supporters do not see or aren’t privy to. What does a player bring to the environment in which they find themselves? How do they fit into the team structure? Do they add, or improve, the team culture? These are the questions that coaches ask which, when predicting final league placings, can lead even the most knowledgeable of experts with the proverbial egg on their face.

Once in a while a team comes along that makes a mockery of all of the analytical tools that are at our disposal, all of the statistics and records, previous results and league placings and tips the form book on its head. In 2021 that team has been the West Canberra Wanderers.

A year on from a season in which they failed to score for the first four games and struggled for consistency, Ulisses Da Silva’s group found themselves at the top of the pile after eight rounds. Even having lost their core of 2020, the quality of the Barisic brothers, Mate and Nikola, the goals of Jai Seldon to Melbourne, and the guile of Roy Anderson more locally, the midfielder heading to Gungahlin United, they defied prognostications of their imminent demise. So just how did the Wanderers do it?

Q. How much of a blow to your planning and recruitment for 2021 was losing both Barisic brothers, Jai Seldon and Roy Anderson, as well as Willem Lejuene? Or did you already have a plan in mind?
 
Yes, we already had planned for this scenario. All of these players are quality players, and they were fantastic for us last year.  We saw the constraints imposed from COVID-19 disturb plans for a lot of players and we were fortunate to be the beneficiaries of these players who were forced to relocate. Willem came back from Queensland. Jai from the USA, Mate and Miguel came back from Melbourne. I called them our ‘COVID Orphans’. We always knew that these players were going to be a short-term arrangement and we already were working towards a succession plan for 2021.
 
Q. How important is the ‘proper fit’ for you when assessing what a player brings to the team? Do you look at their attitude as much as their technical ability?
 
I typically assess players across 3 key capacities including technical, tactical and mentality, which is where I consider the ‘proper fit’. In my opinion, each of these capacities have the same value or importance. If the player’s mentality and the type of energy they provide is detrimental to the group, it doesn’t matter how strong the player is technically or tactically, the outcome will always be suboptimal. The ‘proper fit’ and attitude is the most difficult area for me to assess and I don’t always get it correct straight away. Like most coaches I can assess the player’s technical ability and tactical understanding fairly quickly. However, it sometimes takes more time or only when players are faced with real challenges or adversity before they show their attitude or true colours. All three capacities are learnt and developed by the players. As a coach, I always try to work with players to always look to improve different areas of their game, including their attitude.   We had a longer pre-season this year and I am so happy with the players I am working with this year. They all have shown the necessary attitude and the ‘proper fit’ for us to be successful.
 
Q. Did you find it difficult to attract players to West Canberra Wanderers considering the implications of where the club ended on the league table in 2020?
 
Not at all. Everyone agrees that the 2020 competition was heavily compromised by COVID and our season was reduced to only 7 games. We got off to a very slow start, which is no surprise when you have a new coach, new players, multiple interruptions to pre-season and all the serious COVID restrictions. Despite the slow start, we were able to get some better results and display stronger performances to finish the season and play-off series. Unfortunately for us, we ran out of games to continue our improved form. Nevertheless, our style of play and improved results did get noticed by a few people and it clearly made it easier to attract players to the club. Our challenge was to identify the players with the ‘proper fit’ we discussed above.  
 
Q. You picked up some really interesting signings in pre-season and they’ve made a considerable step-up to be a vital part of your squad, I’m thinking, Ospina, Pena, Jadric for example. Where do you find these players and what was your selling point to get them to the club?
 
These players have all been great for us and each have a different story. Sebastian is new to Canberra and has come from Colombia, via Sydney. He has brought a wealth of experience and a strong mentality to the group. Most importantly he is a great guy, and we love having him part of the family. Alessandro has returned to Canberra after spending a few years living in Chile with his family. A lot of people were interested in Alessandro’s return, and he continues to attract attention with his good performances this year. Marko is a Canberra product who has thrived beyond expectations with the Wanderers. Marko has worked extremely hard since joining and forced his way into the starting line-up. He is clearly enjoying the environment and we love seeing him play with so much energy. I am really bad at promoting, marketing and selling anything, so I don’t even try to find a selling point for players. What I am good at is building relationships and trust with my players. So I think that is the main way I got them to the club…Or maybe it was the truckload of cash!
 
Q. What targets did you set yourself, and the players, at the commencement of the 2021 season? Did the West Canberra Wanderers board set you any targets?

At the beginning of the year, the players agreed to set a number of targets for the end of Round 1. It is a long season this year and they thought it would be better to break it down to shorter term targets. Although we achieved our target for the number of points, the players acknowledged that we have many areas to improve. We recently completed a review of Round 1 and the players are now establishing our next targets. The Wanderers’ board have been fantastic. I also met with all the new board members at the beginning of the year and from the start, they were fully supportive of the team. There has been a noticeable difference with all the energy, assistance and support provided. Although they did not set any specific targets for us, they had already established a number of initiatives to support a successful season in 2021. Our relationship with the Board has been excellent and continues to get stronger.
 
Q. In your opinion, what is it that has enabled the club to achieve what it has done in the first third of the season, defying most expectations to lead the table?
 
“Teamwork makes the dream work”. The players, the coaches, the management, the board are all aligned and working together towards a common goal. There is a strong bond between the players and a sense of family with the club. We invested a lot of time and money at the beginning of the year to establish a positive and performance-based culture for the team. Everyone clearly understands their role, and everyone has contributed to our achievement so far. Don’t get me wrong, it is not always sunshine and flowers, but we are trying to protect the culture we need to be successful. To be fair, I did not pay a lot of attention to the expectations from others. I knew the player quality we had, the culture we wanted and all the support we had to achieve better performances. Sometimes the results in pre-season did not always reflect our situation but I always had 100% confidence we were heading in the right direction.  
 
Q. Given the start you have made, what are the expectations you have placed, if any, on the group and what constitutes success from here on in for West Canberra Wanderers?
 

In a similar vein with targets, we discussed above, the expectations for the group are discussed and set by the players. My role is to ensure we keep on track to meeting those expectations.

The players recently used a motivational quote “Success is never owned, and rent is due every day” and we all understand that making a good start is only the beginning of our story this season. Everyone is still focused on the process and working together towards an even better ending for 2021.