How Central Coast Mariners went from anchoring the A-League ladder to surging toward domestic title

For the first time in a decade, the Central Coast Mariners will play in the A-League Grand Final on Saturday night – a feat many of their loyal fans would have widely mocked just a few years ago.

A-League deciders in 2006, 2008 and 2011 set the tone early on, and in 2013 – on their fourth call – they finally broke their duck by beating the Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 to the current Socceroos coach Graham Arnold in charge.

When Arnold left the club to take up a role with Japan’s Vegalta Sendai, assistant Phil Moss took over – and that was the start of a worrying decline at Gosford.

For a club that has produced Socceroos like Mat Ryan, Mile Jedinak, Tom Rogic and Garang Kuol, fortunes plummeted dramatically.

Four wooden spoons followed, a succession of coaches and labeled by some sections of the media as the ‘worst professional football team in Australia’.

The Mariners are a club that thrive as underdogs (pictured, striker Jason Cummings)

The resurgence began in 2019, starting with former Matildas boss Alen Stajcic at the helm, before Nick Montgomery took over in July 2021.

Club favorite ‘Monty’, who also made 113 midfield appearances for the Central Coast between 2012 and 2017 before turning his attention to coaching, stressed that patience was key.

He was keen to harness talent coming from the club’s academy and watch elite footballers immerse themselves in the club’s culture beyond the square.

There were players like Scottish-born striker Jason Cummings and this season’s electric Brazilian Marco Tulio.

This season, the Mariners finished second behind Melbourne City, a remarkable achievement considering their tight budget compared to those of Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory.

Max Balard and Josh Nisbet were the unsung heroes at the center of the park, with Vanuatu-born defender Brian Kaltak and veteran goalkeeper Danny Vukovic also impressing.

Melbourne City – the opponents of this weekend’s grand final owned by the City Football Group – are embarrassed for raiding riches on their team sheet, led by golden boot winner Jamie Maclaren.

Fellow footballers Aiden O’Neill, Jordan Bos and Mat Leckie offer a touch of class, while young striker Marco Tilio can change the course of a match in an instant as he charges at tricked defenders.

Marco Tilio has been electric for Melbourne City all season and will be eager to win even more silverware

Danny Vukovic lost an A-League Grand Final in 2008 with the Mariners – 15 years later he has a chance at redemption

It presents a David versus Goliath Grand Final – and the Mariners have embraced the underdogs tag with gusto.

CEO Shaun Mielekamp – who previously called on the Mariners to fold in troubled times – has been humbled by the backlash on NSW’s central coast over the past two weeks.

Always a club that has embraced their community, winning the silverware for the fans is the plan.

“It has not escaped our notice that Melbourne City has everything at their disposal,” said Mielekamp.

“But we’ll give it our all, that’s the way of the Mariners.”

Kick-off at Sydney’s Commbank Stadium is at 7.45pm, with the match on Paramount+ and free on Channel 10.