“We Want To Respect Melbourne Victory Without Losing Our Own Identity”

Jon Fenech by Nikki Long

At such a busy time I greatly appreciated Jon’s willingness to agree to my email to be interviewed.

There was something in Jon Fenech's email that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading it.

It wasn't his analysis of Melbourne Victory.

It wasn't his thoughts on tactics.

It wasn't even the enormity of Kingborough Lions hosting one of Australia's biggest football clubs in the Australia Cup Round of 32.

It was this.

"Go easy on me and be kind! I'm really just trying to highlight that we're very much the underdogs. We know how difficult this challenge will be, so our main aim is to represent the club, our players and our community in the best possible way, and stay in the game for as long as we can."

Then, almost as an afterthought, came another line.

"If Ken has any tips or suggestions, I'd really appreciate them as well."

That told me a great deal about the man preparing for Sunday's game.

Here was a coach facing arguably the biggest match in his club's history, yet he wasn't pretending to have all the answers. He was still learning. Still listening. Still willing to seek advice from those with more experience.

When I first sent Jon my questions, I expected pages of tactical discussion about Melbourne Victory.

Instead, I found myself reading about people.

Players.

Volunteers.

Coaching colleagues.

Community.

It became obvious very quickly that while Sunday's match might carry Jon Fenech's name as head coach, he doesn't see it that way at all.

This is a club effort.

Perhaps that's why I wanted to tell this story from the coach's perspective.

The headlines this weekend will be about Melbourne Victory travelling to Tasmania. The television cameras will capture the atmosphere. Thousands will pack Kitchen Centre Park. Around the country people will wonder whether another Australia Cup cupset might be about to unfold.

But what fascinated me was something different.

How does a coach prepare a group of part-time footballers to face one of Australia's biggest clubs?

Reading through Jon's responses, I found very little about Jon.

Instead, I found a coach talking about everyone else.

The Occasion Belongs to Everyone

When Kingborough Lions drew Melbourne Victory, Jon's thoughts weren't about formations or famous names.

"My first thought was what an incredible moment it was for everyone involved with Kingborough Lions. It guarantees a spotlight for our club on the national stage, and that's something everyone connected with Kingborough should be really proud of."

"Personally, it's a privilege to lead the club into what is arguably the biggest game in its history, and hopefully it's an occasion that inspires the next generation of young Tasmanian footballers by showing them what's possible."

He immediately looked beyond the result.

"To showcase our players, our club, our facilities, our volunteers and the wider Kingborough and Tasmanian football community on a national stage is something we'll never take for granted."

Then came perhaps the quote that best sums up the occasion.

"We also knew a fixture like this doesn't just happen. It takes an enormous amount of work behind the scenes, and so many people have put in countless hours to make it possible. This occasion belongs to everyone who has contributed to the club over many years, not just the current playing group or coaching staff."

One thing became impossible to ignore as I worked through Jon's answers.

He rarely spoke about himself.

Almost every answer became "we".

The players.

The coaches.

The volunteers.

The club.

The community.

Perhaps that says everything about the culture Kingborough Lions has built.

The Coach Takes Over

Once the excitement of the draw faded, reality arrived.

"You're coming up against one of Australia's biggest football clubs, and you know it's going to be a huge challenge. As coaches, that's when your focus immediately shifts from the occasion to the preparation."

"Our responsibility is to prepare the players as well as we possibly can, give them the confidence to embrace the challenge, and make sure we represent our club, our members and our community in a way they can all be proud of."

One answer particularly resonated with me.

"I'm still relatively early in my journey as a head coach, so every game is a learning opportunity for me."

There is no false bravado in that statement.

Instead, there is a quiet confidence built around preparation and process.

"Over that time, though, I've developed a preparation process that I believe in, and I think it's important to stay true to it rather than trying to reinvent everything because of the opposition."

"The process itself doesn't really change. We analyse, we prepare and we build a game plan. The level of detail might increase because you're facing a different calibre of opponent, but if you completely change who you are, you can confuse your own players."

Preparing for Melbourne Victory has brought another challenge.

Victory arrive under recently appointed head coach Giovanni Savarese. A new coach often means new ideas, different structures and fewer clues for opposition analysts. Jon acknowledged that uncertainty, but his philosophy didn't change. Analyse what you can, prepare thoroughly, trust your process and be ready to adapt once the game begins.

Respect... Without Fear

Jon has no illusions about the size of the task.

"Being well into our season certainly helps with fitness, rhythm and understanding between players. But they're still a full-time professional environment with exceptional quality. We'd be naïve to ignore that."

He also understands where professional football separates itself.

"Professional players execute actions at a very high level over and over again. Their decision-making under pressure is quicker, their movement without the ball is excellent and they punish mistakes more often."

Yet despite that respect, Kingborough won't abandon what has brought them this far.

"Our principles stay the same. We'll respect Melbourne Victory, but we won't lose sight of what has made us successful."

Then came the sentence that became the title of this article.

"We want to respect Melbourne Victory without losing our own identity."

For me, that wasn't just a coaching philosophy.

It was a life lesson.

Respect your opponent.

Never lose yourself.

Belief Is Built During the Week

One of my favourite responses came when Jon explained where belief comes from.

"I think belief comes from preparation. You can't just tell players to believe; they need to feel prepared."

It's a wonderfully simple sentence.

But it probably explains his coaching philosophy better than anything else he wrote.

"Our role as coaches is to create an environment where they're confident because they know exactly what's expected of them. Once the game starts, the players have to bring that belief to life together."

Without revealing too much tactically, Jon also outlined what will matter most.

"Our organisation without the ball, our communication and our discipline will be really important. When we win the ball, we need to be brave enough to play rather than simply survive."

He also returned to something every coach understands.

Control the controllables.

"Our attitude, our work rate, our concentration, how well we stick to the game plan and how we respond to difficult moments. We can't control who we're playing or what happens externally, but we can control our effort and our behaviour."

When asked what success would look like, Jon's answer wasn't defined purely by the scoreboard.

It was about competing.

Remaining together.

Representing Kingborough Lions with pride.

Leaving the field knowing every player had given everything they had.

Football Is About People

Reading Jon's responses, I expected to learn about Melbourne Victory.

Instead, I learnt far more about Kingborough Lions.

His admiration for his players shines through.

"They make sacrifices because they genuinely love the game. They train after work, they support each other and they represent the club with real pride."

"Without that commitment, nights like Sunday simply wouldn't be possible."

He also deliberately acknowledged the people standing beside him.

Alex Tatnell.

Nick Atwell.

Sam Rossetto.

Michael Simeyoni.

That wasn't accidental.

Throughout every answer, Jon directed praise towards others.

"I'm incredibly fortunate to have people around me who challenge ideas, share knowledge and are willing to have honest conversations about the game. We all know we don't have every answer, but we're passionate about continuing to learn and improve."

He also acknowledged the generosity of the wider football community.

"The willingness of people to share insights, offer support and pass on their best wishes over the past few weeks has been greatly appreciated."

For a coach preparing for the biggest match of his career, there was no ego.

Only gratitude.

Sunday Belongs to the Players

By the time I'd finished reading Jon's responses, one thing had become very clear.

This isn't a coach trying to talk his team into an upset.

This is a coach trying to prepare his players for the biggest challenge of their football lives.

"If we compete with courage, remain disciplined, stay together and leave everything on the pitch, then I think we've represented ourselves and our club well."

"We go into every game wanting to win, regardless of the opponent, but I also want people to walk away recognising that we competed, contested the game, showed real character and played football in a way that reflects who we are."

There have already been several cupsets around Australia this season.

Perhaps there will be another.

Why not?

Melbourne Victory deserve to start as favourites.

Nobody disputes that.

But football has always had a wonderful habit of ignoring reputations once the whistle blows.

Jon Fenech and his coaching staff have done everything they can. The planning is complete. The preparation is complete.

Now comes the part no coach can control.

Ninety minutes.

Twenty-two players.

One football.

Kitchen Centre Park won't simply host an Australia Cup match on Sunday. It will showcase what a committed community club, built over many years by players, coaches, volunteers and supporters, can achieve.

Long after the final whistle, many of the volunteers who helped create this occasion will still be there packing away goals, collecting rubbish, taking down signs and reflecting on a day their club will never forget.

One final thought.

Sometimes, as Tasmanians, we're too quick to label ourselves as underdogs before a ball has even been kicked.

On Sunday, shrug that off.

Respect the opponent, absolutely.

Never fear them.

Jon and his coaching staff have prepared this group as well as they possibly can.

Now it's over to the players.

Play with courage.

Play with belief.

Play for each other.

And if the opportunity presents itself, write your own chapter in Australia Cup history.

Go Kingborough.