They say their focus is on the players, but tomorrow’s Bert Bampton Cup final will be just as much as about the men pulling the strings from the Macedonia Park dugouts.
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Patrolling one sideline will be Wollongong United’s Steve Micevski, on the brink of ending the club’s 34-year trophy drought at a local level after just eight weeks at the helm. There’s also the sub-plot of being confronted with the club he steered to back-to-back grand final wins in 2007-08.
In Albion Park’s corner is Alfredo Esteves, the former East Timor international who as a rookie coach has led the White Eagles to their first Bert Bampton Cup decider - all this despite their struggles in the league.
But try telling the clipboard-carriers the final is all about their stories.
‘‘The publicity, for me, isn’t the big thing,’’ Micevski said. ‘‘For us it’s getting things right on the paddock.
‘‘I’ve obviously got a soft spot for the club [White Eagles] so it’s obviously mixed feelings for me. I want to win the cup and it was a trophy I never managed to win at Albion Park.
‘‘I’ve still got plenty of friends there and a lot of respect for the club.
‘‘[But] it’s about the players having the right attitude on Sunday.’’
Esteves played down the prospect of pulling the boots on for the final after a shock appearance in the semi-final upset of Dapto Dandaloo.
He said the prospect of winning a trophy halfway through his first year at Terry Reserve hadn’t created too much excitement yet.
‘‘To be honest, it doesn’t mean that much,’’ he said.
‘‘It might sound weird. Maybe the reason is I’m not from here.
‘‘What makes me more happy is to see the players having the chance. They were born here and they developed here. They came to the club wanting to win something for the club.
‘‘As a person that’s my biggest reward - when I see my players winning.’’
Another thing Micevski and Esteves agreed on was a free-flowing final full of attacking football.
‘‘We’ve got two teams that enjoy playing football and entertaining the crowd,’’ Micevski said.
‘‘There should be a lot of goalmouth action.’’
Albion Park’s starting line-up is likely to feature three players - Peter Gaffney, Paul Ryrie and Bojan Caric - who signed new deals earlier this week.
