A year ago, Brimbank Stallions players were heartbroken, devastated at a championship slipping through their fingers on the final day of the FFV men’s state league 4 west season.
The Stallions have been able to erase those painful memories this season, atoning for the disappointment in the best possible way with a title, won in a canter three weeks before the season’s scheduled end.
Stallions president Sam Raniolo described the devastating scenes of last year as worlds apart to the joy he witnessed when his team clinched the championship.
“We had to get a draw on the last day of last season and we ended up losing with five minutes to go,” he recalled.
“We lost the championship on goal difference by one goal
then went into the playoffs and made it to the final and lost with five minutes to go.
“I’ve never seen grown-up players crying after a game like that.
“The majority of guys hung around this season and really wanted to show what they can achieve, and they did it in style.”
Brimbank secured the title in fitting style with a 5-1 win over Altona North in round 19.
It was a true reflection of the Stallions’ dominance over the competition this season.
That got the party started for them and now they can just enjoy the remaining games in the season.
“It was good to wrap it up with three games to go,” Raniolo said. “With the pressure off now, we can go out there and show everyone what we can do.”
Brimbank was spot-on with its execution in attack and defence.
The Stallions have conceded by far the fewest goals in the league, surely the foundation of their title run.
But they were not short of a goal either, ranked third in that department without relying on one or two players to produce a winning score.
You won’t find a Brimbank player in the top five on the league’s goalscoring chart, but they have five players with five goals or more in the season: Riccardo Ventaglio (eight goals), Brad Cashion, Hayden Formosa (both seven), Paul Muscat (six) and Thomas Galea (five).
“It’s been a real team effort,” Raniolo said. “We haven’t had one outstanding player. A lot of other teams have a striker with 15 goals, but we don’t do that. We’ve been playing as a team from the very first game right up to last week.
“They’re playing for each other; for the team, not the individual.”
The architect of Brimbank’s rags to riches story is coach Zoran Kitanovski, who took over the Stallions at the start of the 2015 season after the club had narrowly avoided relegation.
Kitanovski rejuvenated the squad, sold his game plan to the players and provided hope for the club’s supporters, and it has culminated in the ecstasy they’ve all experienced in recent weeks.
“He’s been absolutely fantastic,” Raniolo said. “At the end of last year, the last game, I appointed him straightaway because I could see the belief of where we were going and he had the respect of everyone.
“It’s worked out this year. It’s a big squad with about 21 players in the seniors, so to juggle them all, he’s done brilliantly.”
The newly crowned champions have this weekend off before their penultimate-round clash with Surf Coast at Club Italia Sporting Club on Saturday-week, which will be their last game in front of their home fans this season.
