Macarthur FC have finished the 2024-25 season five points behind the team that clinched the last finals spot.
Nine wins, six draws and 11 losses meant they failed to make the finals this season.
The Bulls also finished the season with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Wanderers last Saturday night.
One bright spot from that game was the crowd figure, more than 9,000, the biggest home crowd for the Bulls in their five year history.
Indeed, there were signs of green shoots, especially early in the season, of steady growth in support for Macarthur FC.
The club did win some silverware this season, the Australia Cup, the second such title coming to Campbelltown.
But the holy grail in Australian football is the A-League.
The Bulls were actually tracking very well up until the January window, comfortably inside the top six from the start of the season.
But the departure of speed demon Jed Drew, and Oliver Jones, coming soon after Ariath Piol left for greener pastures overseas, did not help the cause.
Compounding it all was the unexpected decision by Frenchman Valere Germain to take up an offer to play in Asia.
While Drew was a young star on the rise, Germain was the glue that held the Bulls together since his arrival in Campbelltown last year.
The Frenchman was inspirational on so many levels, including scoring goals, that he was almost irreplacable.
Macarthur battled on bravely during the 2025 part of the home and away season, and only fell away from finals contention in the last three to four rounds.
On Monday night the club held its medal presentation night.
The big one, the Macarthur Medal, went to Kealy Admson, with other honours going to captain Luke Brattan (members player of the year), and Marin Jakolis (golden boot).
All three deserved their honours, especially for their performances after the depletion of the squad during the January window.
Coach Mile Sterjovski must also be commended for getting on with the job after the departure of so many star players.
So, Bulls fans, stay calm because the beauty of sport is that there’s always next year.
