FORGET what might happen in the upcoming finals series and what has been won in the past — if Brisbane Roar clinch the A-League premiership this weekend it will be the greatest achievement in the club’s history.

That’s right — better than the three championships, the two previous premierships and the 36-match unbeaten run.

The way the Roar have all but risen from the ashes this season has been a remarkable effort.

This was a club that almost folded last year thanks to the mismanagement of the previous administration and the failure of the club’s owners the Bakrie Group to act swiftly.

The club’s debt was astronomical, players and staff weren’t being paid on time and at least twice the Roar was on the verge of being wound up by angry creditors who took court action.

The Roar didn’t even have a place to train before the start of the pre-season, with new coach John Aloisi and then interim CEO David Pourre driving around Brisbane looking for a field.

The work done by Aloisi and Pourre, now the club’s permanent CEO, cannot be underplayed.

media_camera Roar players James Donachie, Daniel Bowles, Corona and Thomas Broich celebrate their win over the Newcastle Jets with fans yesterday. Picture: Getty Images

When the club was in crisis, they stood tall, along with football manager Craig Moore, assistant coach Ross Aloisi, and other staff including Karl Dodd and Tony Ganter.

The players also deserve plenty of credit.

They could have opted out and used the fact they weren’t paid on time as a way to leave the club.

Only one player took advantage of the situation to leave. That was Luke Brattan, and his decision to leave for England has hardly paid off despite him being on the books of Manchester City.

Brattan’s departure has arguably helped the Roar in that it opened the door for Corona to join the club.

The Spanish midfielder has been superb this season, and John Aloisi’s influence in getting him to the club should not be forgotten.

media_camera Jamie McLaren (centre) has been a revelation for the Roar. Picture: Peter Wallis

The same can be said about the acquisition of star striker Jamie Maclaren. If not for Aloisi and Moore, Maclaren — and his goals — would not be at the Roar.

Even if the Roar fall short of their premiership target this weekend, they can be proud of what they have done this season.

At the start of the campaign, every Roar fan would have been happy for their team just to finish in the top six.

That’s been a given for a few weeks now, and who knows what this team can achieve in the last month of what has been a most memorable season.