What was once the destination of choice for the best players in the country has evolved into a last-chance saloon, but Perth Glory coach David Mitchell is determined to put the pride back into the famous purple shirt, and the early indications are promising.
A dominant force in the old NSL, Glory have been also-rans in the first three seasons of the A-League, but the mood on the eve of the new campaign is more optimistic than in previous years.
Success starts in the dressing room, not the field, and Mitchell's drive to create a more professional attitude is set to pay dividends. The only players who'll play this season are the ones who want to be there - a vast improvement on the clique-ridden, apathetic team culture that blighted performances in recent years. The fact that Mitchell has brought club favourite Jamie Harnwell in from the cold of the Ron Smith era - plus Mitchell's tough decision not to give Stan Lazaridis a new deal - says plenty about the business-like way things will be approached this season.
It's believed some serial under-performers saw what was coming and tried to escape, only to find no takers, so the balance of power seems to have swung in the right direction. Mitchell doesn't necessarily want his players to like him, just respect him.
For all that, the question is whether Mitchell has brought in enough quality to build on what was an encouraging second half of last season. Attitude is important, but results are everything.
And having finally fixed New Zealand's problems, it's fair to say Football Federation Australia desperately needs Perth to have a successful season.
The word is Glory might have found a diamond in the rough in Argentine playmaker Adrian Trinidad, whose CV hardly inspires excitement. But if third-tier football in his homeland and three seasons in Indonesia don't amount to much, Trinidad's pre-season contribution suggests he's ready to blossom in a role that has proved problematic for Perth since the A-League began.
At the other end of the midfield diamond, Mitchell has secured a player whose resume is as good as any in the competition - former Brazilian international Amaral. The ex-Fiorentina man may be 35, but by all accounts has kept himself incredibly fit, and he should slip seamlessly into the anchorman's role left by the departed Simon Colosimo.
The jury is out on the third new foreigner, French striker Eugene Dadi, but with Harnwell and young gun Nikita Rukavytsya in tow, and honest toiler James Robinson showing a new lease of life, the Glory seem to have enough goal-scoring options.
Mitchell's success in persuading Rukavytsya to sign a new deal in the face of overseas interest was a symbolic breakthrough for a club that through a combination of modest wages, expensive living costs and geographical isolation finds it hard to keep, or recruit, the best Australian talent.
It's a slow process overcoming the handicaps, but Mitchell - back from the coaching wilderness - doesn't have time to wait.
Results will help bring back the crowds, the crowds will help generate corporate and media interest, which in turn might bring fresh investment to the club. With the A-League set for expansion, Perth need to make the most of their head start. The good news for the long-suffering Glory fans is that in terms of the title chase, they seem to have as much chance as anyone. AT A GLANCE Major losses : Simon Colosimo (Sydney FC), Billy Celeski (Melbourne Victory), Mitchell Prentice (Sydney FC), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix).
Major gains : Eugene Dadi (Hapoel Acre, Israel), Amaral (Gremio Barueri, Brazil), Adrian Trinidad (Persiba Balikpapan, Indonesia), Frank Juric (Hannover 96).
X-Factor : The electrifying pace of Jimmy Downey.
Likely First XI (4-4-2): Juric; Coyne, Foxe, Tarka, Topor-Stanley; Downey, Amaral, Trinidad, Lee; Dadi, Rukavytsya.
What the coach says : "We've had a good preparation, we've got some new players who give us extra quality in the right areas, and hopefully we'll be able to score more goals. It's a massive season for the club, but I'm quietly confident," David Mitchell
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