Perth Glory 2024/25 season preview: The Glory days ahead define new chapter in club history
Matt Olsen 
Perth Glory 2024/25 A-League season preview. Photo: Texi Smith. Design: Round Ball Australia
Coming from five years of various stages of defeat, heartbreak, peril and many other negative emotions unusual for clubs at this level, Perth Glory as the beloved former giant has bounced back from nearly facing a football doomsday that would have shattered the landscape within the sport in the state and country.
For now however, things are very different. New ownership and an ambitious and highly qualified new manager will take the reigns overseeing an extremely talented and equal parts experienced team, set to redefine what the Perth Glory name is all about.
The Manager: David Zdrilic
Look no further for a new sense of belief and positivity than what has been said at the club’s season launch by new manager David Zdrilic.
Zdrilic noted what the changes have been like to go through, the confidence and understanding they have installed in him, and a hint of a promise to deliver a better team to the fans and club community.
“This is a totally different culture and entity,” he said.
“I know people in Perth and Western Australia have maybe seen similar, but with the change in ownership what you see are massive changes within the administration, the coaching staff and the playing group which is very different, so we’re only looking forward and aim to get the whole state to embrace what we’re doing, to really gain a following that becomes the envy of the A-League,” he said.
You can back someone of the talent of Zdrilic to say this and mean it, after all his judgment of career decisions in the professional game have a history of being wise and forthright, looking at his long time managing in the secondary levels of the game and how his journey brought him to the club.
“I could have jumped into head coach management a lot earlier and I chose not to. I wanted to educate myself in the toughest of environments and that’s why I chose to go to RB Leipzig,” he said.
“If I jumped into management earlier I would never be standing here with the experiences and depth of understanding that I have now, though how that ends up playing out is a different story.
“Embarking on this as my first journey into a senior coach role, it does not really feel like that ahead of this season with Glory.”
A club rebuild may not always be the stated goal, but the A-Leagues’ dynamics and more over in this era of budget cuts and micromanagement in all facets of the game, likely lend themselves to a turned over club having a greater chance for success.
The same way Glory bounced back to host a grand final under Tony Popovic the season after finishing in eighth place under Kenny Lowe.
The Squad
Talking of the squad assembled by Zdrilic, his blend of young talent from New South Wales such as that of Nathanel Blair and Abdul Faisal have set the marker for what breakouts stars can look like in the A-Leagues, while academy players from Western Australia such as Khoa Ngo will reward the club’s commitment to its total operations.
This has also been blended with the homecoming of veterans such as Brandon O’Neill and Joshua Risdon ready to give back far more to the club in its current guise than you would ever expect.
They also join South Americans Luis Canga and Cristian Caicedo, the former of which will form a centre back pairing with Lachlan Barr that will be season defining for the typically leaky defence Glory have had in seasons prior.
Speaking at the launch alongside Zdrilic, captain Adam Taggart says this blend of players will initially be an issue but says the club have a clear a goal and that the fans deserve the sweet hint of success widely promised in camp in the last few months.
“The biggest challenge for us so far is the amount of fresh faces coming in,” he said.
“It is fantastic to see that we’ve got young talent while bringing back some great Perth players, but these things take a bit of time to gel with everyone getting used to each other.”
What lies as the biggest factor in a changing of the guard for a successful Glory is something any Perth team will tell you is crucial to their ability to achieve, their ability to travel well and gain points in any environment factoring in the weight of expectations to boot.
“I think we need to look at the top six as an absolute minimum,” Taggart said.
“I know everyone can say that, but for the club to have not played in the finals for several seasons, it’s something that needs to be rectified and a clear goal for all of us to create that identity of Perth Glory with a strong home record and even away from home, thinking back to when we beat Western Sydney and the vibe that created and helped us kick on a winning streak, so breaking it down that will be vital,” Taggart concluded.
The Off-Field: A new dawn
Ultimately this is a new era at the club with the mentality of it being ‘season one’ for the new Pelligra run organisation, a feeling that is bought into by its players, staff and for sure the fans.
Questions will then turn towards how the club can go forward should the building blocks be in place and forward momentum presented.
Does Zdrilic end up staying long term for the project, and are the likes of Faisal stars that could even threaten the national team call up stocks?
Ultimately that marker of success is a conversation many out West will say, is good conversation should it even be pondered and the road to glory define the years to come.
Expectations
What becomes reasonably expected for the club in season one of the Pelligra Group’s full enforcement of their mode of operations is a fascinating question to ponder.
The club having overseen the arrival of a manager and close confidante they clearly believe in, likely implies – certainly by the picture created and comments made by senior figures such as that of Stan Lazaridis – that they are going all out and expect results.
The more realistic eyed supporter would be inclined to say things feel better, and they do widely speaking, though as the A-League is built in the name of equality this places Glory firmly in the mixer with all other clubs tussling for some fresh air within the A-League Men’s top six.
Similar comments have echoed from players in camp over the pre-season regarding abilities of the team and expectations ranging from top six to league winning, but with confidence and a tough spirit being at the heart of any athlete, this should be on par with what they should say before a ball is kicked.
Though the vibes being different really has been echoed as something noticeable, not just during pre-season, but within the way the players and staff all communicate and want that sense of achievement for the organisation.