In the 50 plus games he has been in charge there have been many different players pull on the purple shirt, but only a handful have been there since the beginning. 

One of those believes that this is the season the purple machine will finally claim the club’s first ever Championship.

American midfielder Nikki Stanton has been an almost ever-present player in those four seasons and is relishing her second finals campaign, having been part of the Glory team that was beaten by Melbourne City in the 2017 grand final.

She is determined to avoid a repeat of that disappointment and feels that the spirit in the team this season is going to see them claim the Championship.

The 28-year-old described the team as close and tight knit, and talked about the campaign as being one where “we had to fight a little bit more (than in previous seasons) in some of the games and I think that we’ve played with a lot of heart”.

She felt they had grown as a team during the campaign.

“We’ve had a few bumps along the way, but we’ve had a consistent gradual build with our game," Stanton said. 

"That comes with consistency from our players and there’s a lot of positivity and lot more energy."

Their opponents in the semi-final on Sunday are the Premiers Melbourne Victory, and they have beaten the West Australian side twice already this season, wrapping up the minor premiership after the win in Perth last Friday.

Despite these losses, Stanton feels very confident going into the semifinal and puts that down to the team spirit within the squad.