A look back at the final standings in the first three seasons of the NPL indicates a remarkable consistency among South Melbourne, Bentleigh Greens and Heidelberg United.

The trio have all finished in the top four at the end of each of the three seasons, and unsurprisingly, they have done it with the same coaching line-ups.
Yet while South and the Greens have captured all the silverware on offer at state level over those three seasons, Heidelberg United is still looking for its first trophy in the NPL era.

Last season, the Bergers improved on a third-place finish in each of the first two seasons, by finishing runner-up to the Greens. However, for the second consecutive finals series the team suffered a disappointing exit first up, at the hands of old enemy and eventual champion South Melbourne, despite the presence of former A-League star Archie Thompson in their forward line.

The Bergers’ longest-serving coach, George Katsakis, says he’s used the disappointment of that defeat to motivate the playing group in preparation for another assault on the peak of NPL success.

“I think the positive is we can always reflect back to that and use it as an incentive. When they remember the despair and heartache after the game, it’s something that helps me motivate them enormously. We’ve certainly used a lot of that tactic during the pre-season. I think the boys themselves have become a lot hungrier and they’re certainly looking forward to the year, to be honest. I think they can’t wait.”

With a budget focus on upgrading and building new facilities at Olympic Village this season Katsakis says, “our main emphasis at the moment is to build the club and make do with the players that we have − and that’s not to say we don’t have good players. We certainly have what I believe is probably the best squad in the league. We put the emphasis elsewhere and if a championship comes, then fantastic”.

The Heidelberg team will have a familiar look about it, retaining the bulk of last season’s squad, with just three new additions in experienced Queensland midfielder Paul O’Brien, attacking mid/forward Adrian Zahra and keeper Chris Pavlidis.

Katsakis says his squad is complete. “In terms of depth it’s been at its best since the introduction of the NPL. I think this is our strongest squad to date, with two players competing for almost every spot on the park.”

The coach explained his recruitment strategy as looking for players that could fit into the close knit team that has developed at the Village. “We’re not looking for high-profile players. We’re looking for the characters that are going to fit our environment, our room. Because our room is quite special − our changing room. The boys in there, the camaraderie between them is just second to none. I’ve never seen anything like it in many years of football.”

Two stalwarts of the team and an important part of the leadership group are centre backs Luke Byles and Steven Pace, for whom Katsakis is full of praise. “Absolutely two great leaders. At the moment they’re flying for their age, and obviously the experience they bring to the table, they’re an impeccable part of what we’re trying to do.”

The coach is confident that his team possesses not only a collective strength but also individual talent that leads to success. “I think we’ve got an abundance of special players. They’re all special to me. But when you have the likes of Kenny Athiu, who can create something out of nothing, or an Adrian Zahra when he’s moving into the last third of the park, you don’t know what to expect. Or a Sean Ellis when he’s going down the left side of the park − Reuben Way can become special and very dangerous.”

The squad has been undergoing an intensive fitness and conditioning program in the pre-season.

“We know, and most clubs know, that we roll up our sleeve and work hard on the pitch and we obviously work with our strengths,” Katsakis says. “That’s where we’re really dynamic. We’re strong. We work on specific areas we know we’re going to hurt other teams. And then it’s a matter of them counteracting us more than us counteracting them.
“We let others worry about us and not us worry about them. I think that’s the attitude we’ve had over the last couple of years and that’s been the reason of our success.”

Heidelberg starts the new league season with four straight home matches at Olympic Village, all played on Saturday evenings rather than the customary Sunday afternoons. First up is a Greek derby against Port Melbourne Sharks on 11 February.