Central Coast Mariners coach Nick Montgomery spearheaded an incredible underdog story on Saturday night with an unprecedented A-League Grand Final win.
The Mariners stunned everyone in the 2022/23 season, with a youthful side that finished in second position and eventually upset a heavily favoured Melbourne City in the league’s deciding game.
Having the smallest budget in the league and having a payroll that went significantly under the salary cap, the Mariners’ underdog story culminated in an incredible 6-1 Grand Final victory.
Heading into Saturday night’s final, City captain Scott Jamieson fired shots at the Mariners and specifically the club’s head of athletic development and Australian football legend Andy Bernal.
“A lot of the Central Coast wouldn’t have played in a Grand Final in the A-League, respectfully, a lot of new stuff for them and not a lot of new stuff for us, they have their vibe manager (Bernal) that will help them, and we have our players,” Jamieson said via A-Leagues All Access.
The video of Jamieson was watched by the entire squad in the days leading up to the final and was something that Montgomery found disrespectful to an icon of the sport in Australia.
“I gave him the title vibe manager because he’s a good guy and the guys love him,” Montgomery said to SEN.com.au.
“It was a bit of dig at Andy Bernal who is a really important member of our club and is a legend of Australian football, he was the first ever Australian to play in La Liga as well as becoming David Beckham’s agent.
“He’s had some really tough times, he’s involved in the youngest team in the A-League with the smallest budget, he’s got an important role, that was surprising that he had a dig at him, it was out of order.
“I was surprised, he (Jamieson) was the captain of the club, but he hardly played all season, he was the one that was the most vocal in the lead-up and obviously he underestimated the Mariners, there was maybe a little lack of respect.
“I found it strange that a player who has hardly played all season had so much to say when the rest of their squad seemed quite humble.”
Montgomery continued with his belief that City was too confident heading into the Grand Final and underestimated what the Mariners were capable of.
“When they turned up at the game and I saw some of them with shorts on and some of them with tracksuits on, I just thought to turn up the Grand Final, with shorts on, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” he said.
The Mariners’ record in developing some of the best youngsters in the country has been instrumental to the team’s success but there is one person who Montgomery acknowledged is the backbone of the youth system.
Anton Tagliaferro, an Australian businessman single handled funded scholarships for the likes of Garang and Alou Koul, Nectar Triantis, Sam Silveira and Harrison Steele, helping them become crucial members of the first team.
“Anton is a benefactor of the academy, he’s a guy that, ever since I took the job, he paid for the first-ever scholarship at the club, which was Joe Gauci,” Montgomery added.
“His passion is helping young players, he loves football, ever since I got the job with Sergio (Raimundo) he’s supported us when you look at the players that have come through this scholarship.
“Obviously we have the lowest budget in the league, so to have someone funding them (scholarships), just look at the success there, it’s really about the strength of the conveyor belt of the young talent that has come through the Mariners.
“The last two years, the young players that have been coming through they’ve been the heart and the soul of the team… it would’ve been very hard to have all those young players playing full-time football without his support.”
Whilst the Mariners players continue to celebrate the Grand Final win, work has already begun in preparation for a title defence in the 2023/24 A-League Men’s season.