Rebuilding a Club 101: How Western Sydney went from worst to best in 5 months

It's not surprising, given Heffernan's relative inexperience of female football, that his ability to listen to his own players' advice is resulting in incredible football.

However, for a manager who's April arrival truly marks the beginning of the Wanderers resurgence, we can admit it's impressive from an ego perspective.

THEN, YOU GET THE WOMEN

The elephants in the room here are reigning NWSL champions, North Carolina Courage's star imports, Denise O'Sullivan, Lynn Williams and Kristen Hamilton.

All of whom have a realistic stake to be considered the best in the W-League in their relevant positions.

Then you add a dynamic prodigious youngster like Kyra Cooney-Cross, a seasoned midfielder like Ella Mastrantonio and a rock-solid centreback partnership and, well, you have a turnaround like this.

• The Wanderers are now unbeaten in six consecutive games for the first time in their club’s history.
• The Wanderers have now equalled their record for the greatest number of wins in a single season.  
• Last night's 4-0 win comes off the back of their biggest ever victory last week against derby rivals Sydney FC.  
• Kyra Cooney-Cross and Lynn Williams both became the first (and second) Wanderers to score twice in a game.

Lynn Williams expressed best how important the Wanderers success, from the cellar of Australian football to the pinnacle, is to increasing the quality of the W-League.

"If the Wanderers can come from last year and step up our game, it's only going to continue to push this league more and more, and I'm so happy to be a part of it," she said.

However, just how easy it's seemed, doesn't exactly help excuse Western Sydney's past ineptitude.

THE PROBLEMS OF THE PAST

Before this season the Wanderers had never made the finals and never won more than four games in any single campaign. It all led to just 19 wins from 84 games in total, failing to ever make a finals appearance.

• Wanderers have never finished above sixth place, in their debut season, finishing eighth or ninth five out of seven times.
• While they currently possess the best defensive record in the league, they shipped no less than 21 goals in their previous seven seasons.
• In October, 2014 they were demolished 10-1 by Perth Glory, on their way to conceding a horror 42 goals in a single season.
• Goal scoring has been a persistent issue until this season, scoring 11 in 12 matches last campaign.
• In 2015, the Wanderers top scorer only managed two goals, for the last two seasons, it was three both times.

Only four players from last season have been retained for good reason.

The culture at the club that led last season's campaigners to finish last with one win, one draw, 10 losses and a goal difference of -19 has been harangued by former stars like Remy Siemsen.

The current golden boot leader swapped back to Sydney FC this season just to be slammed by the Wanderers in the derby.

"Sydney are consistent and have a successful history, that's something that the Wanderers didn't have," she said.

"Our performances were very inconsistent and they didn't have the leadership you'd hope the team had."

THE PROMISE OF THE FUTURE

But despite the journey it's taken for the club to get to this point, there remains one key factor in the turnaround that has gone under the radar.

Even while the club was performing terribly by its now lofty standards, there were a community of people behind the scenes and on the pitch like Erica Halloway.

The club veteran of 50 appearances embodies a passion that only truly exists among fans and players who have had to endure the tough times, before they've discovered success.

She, in a nutshell, is why the increased investment, attention and success is so richly deserved.