Casting his mind back to his first meeting with the iron-willed and iron-fisted Tony Popovic, the previously long-suffering Glory owner was beguiled by the former Socceroo’s matter-of-fact declaration on finally delivering his long-held expectations.
“When you sign a coach with a clear plan to win a championship, you believe them,” explained Sage ahead of Sunday’s A-League decider between minor premiers Glory and Sydney FC, to be staged in front of over 52,000 at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
Especially when that coach is Popovic, winner of the 2014 AFC Champions League and an A-League Premiers Plate with Western Sydney Wanderers.
Not to mention three previous A-League grand finals, and two second place finishes on the A-League ladder.
“I was very optimistic at the beginning of the year,” added Sage.
“The plan was to finish top four and get to a grand final.
“Well, we finished top one and Tony has got us to a grand final.
“That was the overriding aim of the year. That and to get that Asian Champions League spot as well.
“So, am I surprised we’ve accomplished all that? If you meet Tony Popovic one-on-one then you’d have to say I’m not surprised at all.”
But there is still a hoodoo to get off the back of both coach and club against an uncompromising, well drilled Sydney FC more than capable of hijacking the Perth party.
“We’re perennial second place finishers,” pointed out Sage.
“Six finals - one A-League, three W-League and two FFA Cups - and we’ve lost every single one.
“Tony Popovic has not won one either in his three attempts, so we’re out to prove history wrong and undo the bad luck we’ve had over the past decade or so.”
Just to add an extra degree of difficulty - despite the home advantage - Steve Corica’s Sydney side have won 10 of their last 11 A-League clashes against Glory and cruised to a 3-0 victory in their only previous finals meeting.
How does Sage, the football nut who watches every ball kicked from the stands, see the game unfolding?
“I think it will (at least to start with) be a dour, tough game,” he prophesied.
“I can’t see a repeat our 3-3 with Adelaide United the other night, or Sydney hitting six against Melbourne Victory.
“You just don’t want to concede that first goal. But once that goes in the other team will have come out all guns blazing and it will be hugely entertaining from that point on.
“We’re confident, even though our record against them isn’t the best. They have the wood over us, so of course nobody at our club is taking anything for granted.
“But we have over 50,000 fans barracking for us and a couple of thousand for Sydney, and that will make a difference, even though we’re not on our home pitch (HBF Park).”
Looking towards an adventure in Asia to come, especially with Popovic at the helm, Sage believes Glory are perfectly positioned - geographically as much as anything - to fly the Aussie flag with distinction.
“In that sense we’re the Australian club closest to Asia in terms of distance and time zones,” he said.
“So if any Australian club has a chance of winning the Asian Champions League again, if travel is a big part of it, then it’s us.
“We don’t have that extra distance time that the other clubs do and we’re well set for it.
“Hopefully we’ll have (new signing) Bruno Fornaroli and Andy Keogh as Australian citizens by then also (to give Popovic greater flexibility in his selections).”
