By Max Hatzoglou
North Sunshine are striving for high honours in their second season in the National Premier League 3 division following a strong summer, which saw the club score a brand new facility and grow in its participants.
The Eagles had its female participants triple to over 50 players from last season while the male teams continued steady growth in player numbers with the senior side bringing in some experienced players.
Since being promoted to the NPL following a second place finish in State League 1 in 2019, the Eagles have been able to maintain loyalty on and off the field, which senior men’s coach Ben Isai says has been the key to their success.
“It’s personnel, it’s the same personnel in terms of the committee, it’s the same personnel in terms of a lot of the coaching staff,” Isai said.
“We’ve kept a really strong core group of people together from an admin point of view and from a footballing point of view for the last seven, eight years and even longer in some cases.
“We’ve held onto personnel, they have all got a very big vested interest in the club so that’s probably been the biggest driving force, just the consistency of people that are running the club.
“When this current committee took over 10 or 12 years ago, what they wanted to do is bring loyalty and respect back to the club and make sure that we put on a consistent brand every year.
“We didn’t want to be known for having a great year in 2020 and then a poor year in 2021.
“So we’ve managed to do that and when the people have got such a vested interest in the club, it makes things easier when you’re running a club of North Sunshine’s size.”
Isai is going into his seventh year as coach of the senior team which is totalling 21 years at the club where he started as a junior player.
He said loyalty in the senior playing group has also helped the club immensely.
“In the current starting lineup, there are about five players who have been at the club for six years or more and that’s massive so that’s held us in good stead.
“Again, it’s that consistency of personnel.”
The club has also been able to recruit three experienced players from NPL’s top division who Isai believes will help the team strive for another promotion this season.
“I have got a real emotional attachment to winning so I have always pushed for the club to be in those promotion spots,” he said.
“Again, we’re aiming for that; top two, top four is what I have gone back to the club with.
“In terms of the squad we have got this year, I think we are capable of doing that.”
Over the off season, the Eagles scored a new $9 million facility at More Park in Ardeer which will be used by its juniors once works are completed.
Isai said the club is excited for its opening game of the season which begins this Saturday at Larissa Reserve in St Albans at 3pm.
The Eagles will take on last season’s ladder leaders, Preston Lions, who are one of the biggest supported clubs in the state.
The game is expected to have over 2,000 people attending in St Albans.
