A proud club with a rich history, 10-time ACT champions Belconnen United are determined to once again play their football in the NPL and gain promotion after a two-year hiatus from the top-flight.
After a stellar start to their 2024 season, the side won five of their first six games in the league and were sitting on top of the table, however, four games without a win has seen Belconnen drop to fourth, eight points behind league leaders Queanbeyan.
2022 marked the first time that the Blue Devils had suffered relegation since joining the ACT men’s competition in 1975. Belconnen narrowly missed out on finals by a single point in their debut CPL campaign last season.
At the start of this year the club reappointed former assistant Angelo Zaris as first grade Head Coach who believes that restoring the winning nature and standards of the men’s side is a key objective this year. The team’s significant reputation and history necessitate a return to playing in trophy deciding games according to Zaris.
“A club like Belconnen should be playing finals whether it’s in CPL or NPL,” Zaris said. “We should be playing finals so that’s what we’ll keep aiming for. Belconnen is known for winning so we want to make sure we continue to build that culture.”
Although there is a positive atmosphere around the club being placed in a finals position halfway through the season, Zaris believes the team’s finishing in front of goal needs improving.
“We definitely need some more goals, we’re playing great football, we’re knocking the ball around really well,” Zaris confirmed. “It’s just once we get into that final third, we’re missing too many opportunities, we just need to be a bit more clinical. We want to build a style of football that we can sustain whether we’re in the CPL next year or we get promoted.”
Zaris claims a personal love for the club as he comprehends and respects the weight of the responsibility that he carries considering Belconnen’s glittering past.
“I’m from Sydney, so I remember the Belconnen boys when they were always playing in the NSW Premier League, so coaching at this club means a lot to me personally because they were the first to give me an opportunity when I moved down from Sydney,” he commented.
“This club here hits my heartstrings a little bit, so I’m proud to be the leader. As an assistant coach a few years back for first grade I loved it, unfortunately I decided to move away but now that I’m back I’m very honoured.”
Although achieving promotion is a considerable priority, the CPL this year is closely contested and unpredictable as many teams are stacked with high quality players wanting to go up to NPL.
“The CPL is a very, very tough comp, it’s week in week out, depends on who rocks up, you can be the bottom team and still beat the top team,” Zaris admitted. “I noticed that last year with my previous club as well that you can’t take any team lightly, especially when you have to travel to places like Wagga, it makes it really difficult as well, the level of the CPL is very strong.”
Belconnen are ultimately satisfied with the start to their second year in CPL football but are aware there is still space for them to develop further.
“I wouldn’t say we’re exceeding expectations; we’re working towards it.” said Zaris. “We’re quite happy with where we’re at the moment but like anything there’s always room for improvement and that’s what we’re focusing on week in week out.”
Words: William Rumgay
