FROM SUNDAY CHAMPIONS TO SATURDAY CONTENDERS

I’m very happy with how the season has gone. We made the jump into this league knowing we’d need to build on what we achieved last year, and I think we’ve done exactly that and more.

Finishing third, securing finals football and reaching the quarter-finals of the ESFA Cup is something the group can be really proud of.

We started the season strongly and there were definitely periods where we looked capable of winning the league. We had a few setbacks with player availability and injuries, but that’s football.

We only lost three games all season, fewer than the league winners, but a few draws at key moments probably held us back from finishing even higher.

After winning both the league and finals last season, it felt like the right time for us to challenge ourselves further.

We wanted to test ourselves in a stronger competition against better opposition and see where we measured up. As a group, we were excited by that challenge and confident we could compete.

I don’t think the jump has been too drastic. The biggest difference is probably the depth of quality across the league.

There are five or six teams capable of beating anyone on their day, whereas in Sunday football there were probably only a couple of teams consistently challenging near the top.

Having said that, it was never anything we felt we couldn’t handle.

I’m very proud. It’s the highest Randwick finish in the AA1 division, which is a great achievement for the club and the squad.

At the same time, we genuinely believed from the start that we could compete for the title. We had a really strong pre-season and there was a lot of belief within the group.

We’ve always backed ourselves and had the mindset that, on our day, we can beat anyone in the division.

The togetherness of the squad has been massive. We brought in a number of new players this year and they settled in straight away. The morale around the group has been excellent and everyone has bought into what we’re trying to achieve.

I’ve had really positive feedback from the players around the standards we’ve set from pre-season — training twice a week, maintaining that consistency and making sure the energy levels stay high throughout the year.

I think that preparation has definitely flowed into our performances on matchday.

I think our unbeaten run was probably the point where belief really started to grow throughout the squad.

We always took things one game at a time, but during that period the group really saw what we were capable of.

The reality is that we believed from the start that we could compete with every team in the division, but that run definitely reinforced it.

Absolutely.

We’ve finished the league strongly with two good wins and we’ll look to carry that momentum into Saturday and beyond.

The boys are excited for finals and we genuinely believe we’re capable of winning the next three games.

We’ll prepare well, stick to our football and maintain our standards. That’s the formula that got us here, and we believe it’s the formula that can win us finals.

For us, the approach stays largely the same.

We focus on playing our football, winning individual battles and competing for first and second balls. We’ve shown all season that we’re at our best when we do the basics well.

The key is not letting the occasion change how we play. We trust the process and the standards that have brought us this far.

The way the group has come together has probably impressed me most. New players have come in and immediately felt part of the squad, while the lads who have been here for years have been really welcoming.

I’ve had feedback from a few of the players about how strong the environment has felt this season and how quickly everyone has integrated, which is obviously great to hear.

On the field, we’ve got leaders everywhere. The communication, encouragement and accountability within the group has gone to another level.

Off the field, there’s a great bond as well. The lads genuinely enjoy spending time together away from football and I think that carries onto the pitch.

I think we’ve shown this season that we’re capable of winning another league title.

We finished only five points off top spot and there were periods where we were right in that race.

The challenge now is finding another level and turning a strong season into a title-winning one.

We know we’re capable of going all the way and competing for a league and cup double. Once you’ve had success, that becomes the standard you expect of yourselves.

The ambition is always to keep pushing forward.

Looking towards the MPL, we genuinely believe we have what it takes to compete at that level as well.

This group backs itself and we’d embrace the challenge of testing ourselves against the best teams in ESFA.