Mike Mulvey with his A-League coach-of-the-year award. Credit:Getty Images But the Roar are already plotting ways to ensure Mulvey goes nowhere. Money yells but the Roar are also aiming to feather the nest with a support staff to rival the elite sides in any of the Australian football codes, a move they hope will sweeten any prospective deal. Brisbane general manager Sean Dobson said the dialogue between club and coach was ongoing, as was the planning for a football department that he believes will be the envy of every other A-League franchise. "A big part of what we’re doing is how do we expand our coaching roster," Dobson said. "A-League clubs have one head coach, one assistant and a conditioner. Why not have a specialist video analyst? Why not have a technical coach? Why have an old-school European coach? Why not expand that coaching repertoire from one to two or three or four? "There are no restrictions on what A-League clubs can spend on their coaching staff. It’s those sort of conversations that get Mike excited at the same time. We’re trying to forge a bigger path in Australian football."

Former coach Ange Postecoglou often spoke about creating a dynasty at the Roar, only to be lured away to his home town of Melbourne and eventually the Socceroos. Mulvey has far stronger links to Brisbane and Dobson is bullish he will want to stay on to build on the work he's done. "The reality is that we’re working very closely in terms of planning," he said. "We’re starting to drop the first few layers of the building on top of the foundations built by Ange. If you’re part of that design, you tend to want to be part of the execution." A key part of that planning includes finding a replacement for Berisha, who has not only been a highly effective goal-scorer but a cult figure among Roar fans. That search has already started and Dobson said managers had also been inundating the club and offering some high-quality candidates. "Australia is seen as a very safe and positive environment to play football," he said. "Given that we’re back in the [Asian] Champions League next year and we’ve had very good results this year, we’re finding that the calibre of individuals interested in us is quite strong. "But that’s not how we work. These guys come in and offer up some big names and offer up some small names. Every single one, in their manager’s eyes, is the right solution for us. We have a very deliberate process in identifying the right type of player, both in talent and personality."

Berisha hasn't spoken to the media for months, apart from post-game TV commitments, and hasn't been available for interviews before the grand final. Dobson said he understood that move had created some issues but believed it was the best way to ensure their prized assassin was at his best after a tumultuous few matches. "He likes to prepare in his own way, in his own environment," he said. "Bes prefers to leave it all on the park and he has a very deliberate focus. A little bit of what we’ve had to manage is people like yourself [media] that don’t have access. I know that causes issues, but I think it’s fair to say we’ve got the best out of him over the past three years."