IT’S almost exactly a year ago that Perth Glory were kicked out of the A-League finals for significant breaches of the salary cap.

The fallout was huge, with the nucleus of the squad that had led the competition for seventeen weeks, opting to move on.

When the new campaign started with just one win from their first nine matches, Glory looked set for a season of struggle.

Yet twelve months on from the cap dramas, the club seems to have emerged stronger for their tribulations of 2015. Nicely positioned after a run of nine wins in ten matches, the fans appear to be back on side too, with Glory posting four consecutive five-figure gates for home matches at nib Stadium.

So, what’s the secret? How has a club that was on its knees a year ago, managed to reinvent itself?

Assistant manager, Andrew Ord, says much of the turnaround is down to smart recruitment, and putting a stronger spine in place, to supplement the talents of Diego Castro.

Diego Castro of Perth Glory. Source: Getty Images

“We’ve stiffened up through the middle, that’s the secret. Andy Keogh wanted to come and play for Kenny (Lowe) again - Shane Lowry we tried to sign two years ago, but he wasn’t ready to pack in his European dream. Now, he’s seen that Ange (Postecoglou) is picking players out of the A-League for the national team, so his prospects are just as good back home,” says Ord.

“Krisztian Vadocz came from the same agent as Castro. We had a slice of luck with him really. He wasn’t playing for Alaves in the Segunda Division in Spain - but Hungary have qualified for the Euros, and he’s a fringe player for them. He was desperate to start playing, because he wants to go to France - and he wasn’t going to be considered sitting on the bench.”

Vadocz has not only had an impact on the park, but off it too. Ord says his professionalism has been an inspiration to his team-mates, and staff, who have become more analytical, and critical in their approach to games.

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“Vadocz is a winner. He’s made everyone else realize what professionalism means. He doesn’t drink alcohol or even coffee, he’s gym obsessed - and he doesn’t have conversations about anything but football.

“He’s put his life on hold to get to the Euros - and he’s demanding from everyone else. Lowry and Keogh do it too. Those three together have totally changed the dynamic.”

But Diego Castro remains the magic ingredient. The little Spaniard has scored 12 times already this season, and is benefiting from the sum of the parts around him.

“Castro couldn’t do it on his own. He is still the glue, the one that makes things happen. Now he has a platform to do it - we’ve got the ball a lot more. We’re not conceding as many, so his work isn’t wasted.” says Ord.

Changing perceptions off the park has been crucial for Glory too. With outspoken owner, Tony Sage, taking a back seat (at least publicly), CEO Peter Filopoulos has become the face of the club for off-field issues.

“There’s been a lot of work put in - we’ve had open and honest dialogue with fans. We’ve been writing to them, working with Football West, and trying to engage them with our brand. We have acknowledged our faults - we said sorry at the fan forum, and I think they appreciated that. “The message we have been delivering, is that we’re not the first club to have gone through such a saga - but the key is how do we respond? Do we dust ourselves off, and get on with it; or do we let it define the club? Melbourne Storm got on with it, and made the Preliminary Final the next year,” says Filopoulos.

Perth Glory celebrate a goal by Krisztian Vadocz Source: Getty Images

While finals is the short-term goal, there are longer-term goals in place too. Glory have set out a four-year plan for the future development of the two-time NSL champion, entitled “The Perth Glory Way,” while Sage is in the process of constructing an Advisory Board, with inaugural coach, Gary Marocchi, slated to be one of the members.

Filopoulos meantime, has even tried to heal the divide between Tony Sage and former owner, Nick Tana, still a regular attendee at Glory games.

“Nick Tana and Paul Afkos both have corporate boxes - we don’t treat them differently to any other people in those boxes. I’m big on history - I’ve developed relationships with them,” says Filopoulos, who wouldn’t be drawn as to whether Tana could be persuaded to have a more formal involvement in the club.

With Melbourne City (Home), and Sydney FC (Away) still to come, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility Glory could finish in the top two, and secure a home final. That would be a fitting reward for their long-suffering fans, who still wait for a first trophy of the A-League era.