AFTER missing out on the 2019 Football Federation Sunraysia (FFS) senior men’s title by one point, Mildura City felt a sense of “accomplishment” when they were crowned 2021 FFS champions.
Mildura City coach Simon Trembath said the title was “really pleasing” as it rewarded players for their work, after FFS cancelled the remainder of the 2021 season.
The side had been motivated after losing the title to Three Colours in 2019, but Trembath said the championship in 2021 brought with it “mixed emotions”.
“The one thing that was probably missing for us is that feeling of … (having) supporters and other players and club and committee around on game day (when they clinched the title).”
Mildura City finished the 2021 season 14-points clear of second-placed Irymple Knights. While attack has been a hallmark of City, Trembath said the side had focused on improving their defence, with City ending the year conceding only five goals.
One reason for City’s improved defense was the move of Justin Lamattina, an attacking player who had been in and out of the senior side, into defence. After City lost their centre back Stuart McKenzie at the end of 2019, Trembath approached Justin Lamattina to make the change.
“Justin had great skills. He just didn’t have the defensive experience … he just grew and grew every time he played that role.
“Anyone who played against him, particularly towards the end of the season, would say he was definitely becoming one of the premier defenders in the league.”
Trembath said a factor in City’s success was their ability to avoid stagnancy and to “continue to evolve as a squad and … evolve different players”.
“We wanted to focus on (controlling) the tempo of games for longer periods of time.”
City didn’t lack for players with flair, but Trembath said adding Tyler Rayson into the midfield helped the side stay in control.
“Tyler’s a young, strong, technically sound player … who we know can get the job done.”
City scored an average of 7.5 goals before the first interruption to the season, and while self-motivation could be tested by interruptions, Trembath said a number of the side’s players negotiated this challenge “really successfully”. It also helped that they were winning.
“If you’re winning, and you’re chalking up points, and you’re playing well … that sort of intrinsic motivation to get back … can push you along.”
Trembath said a “shared accountability” among the players helped drive them towards success. The side had begun training in January and, despite having no games at times during the season, kept training when permitted to do so.
Since 2018, when Mildura City won their first title in 11 years, the side has only lost one match. Trembath said being able to retain experience while bringing in “high-quality youth players” explained their winning run.
“Success for us is really about longevity.
“It’s about looking to the future and … giving those younger players those opportunities to experience what it’s like (in senior football).
“That journey for a lot starts way back in those junior years … as they come through and they start to make those transitions to higher grades, then it’s not as challenging because there are … similarities and expectations about how we want to play and … that makes it a lot easier for our players.”
Trembath said that while the memory of the lean years before 2018 would keep the side focused, trust would help define the way forward.
“You want to make sure you remain fresh, remain open to ideas … (to) look at your squad … and provide opportunities for people to shine.”
