Sharks finish season with heads held high

Following a disappointing 2007 TeleChoice Premier League competition, former Blacktown City Demons and Marconi Stallions boss Brian Brown teamed-up with Cliff Pointer to lead a Sutherland Sharks side – full of potential though lacking the ?killer punch? ? into a new season where all was to be gained.
With a new found determination and the hard work ethic bestowed upon his players, ?Bomber? Brown created a monster, leading his side to a Johnny Warren Cup Final, a Tiger Turf Cup semi-final, the Premiership title and a Grand Final appearance in the Championship Series; a giant killing run that included a twenty-four match unbeaten streak over ninety-minutes of football, between League and Cup fixtures.
?It has been a remarkable season by this wonderful group of players. I am very proud of each and everyone of the boys and am satisfied that we gave it our best shot this season,? commented Brian Brown following the Sharks Grand Final loss at the hands of Wollongong FC.
?It is hard to lose a Grand Final, no-one wants to go through such a feeling so as you can imagine there are some very disappointed players tonight.?
Sutherland Sharks campaign was successful both on and off the field, with the people from the Shire leading the competition ? along with Wollongong FC ? as one of the best supporter groups in the competition; a telling factor has been Brown?s ability to bring a winning mentality to the Club.
?At the start of the season no-one expected Sutherland to do as well as we have and it was ultimately a season where we needed to win everyone?s respect and make others take notice of us. We won the Premiership, Grand Finalist in the Johnny Warren Cup and semi-finalist in the Tiger Turf Cup; I think we have achieved that.?
Despite the disappointment of the loss, Club captain George Souris remained adamant that he would return for one more season in Football NSW?s top-flight competition.
?I feel responsible for not playing to my best ability this afternoon (against Wollongong FC) and I am extremely disappointed,? commented the soon to be 39-year-old.
?I want to play one more season, though I will need to await ?Bomber?s? decision to see whether he can still use me in the team,? added Souris, a question that prompted an immediate ?yes? from Brian Brown.
The impact of Brian Brown, and his Assistant Cliff Pointer, has been vital to the Sharks success, and the Sharks? players were quick to praise the efforts of the coaching staff.
Souris continued: ?Brian Brown and Cliff Pointer are two champions. These guys have transformed this team; we were a mid-table side last season and the belief that these two men have brought to the club has been fantastic.?
Sharks midfielder Nick Stavroulakis echoed the point on the coaching influence this season: ?You can tell from the fitness levels of the players, from the understanding on the field throughout the season and from our results. The influence of both ?Bomber? and ?Cliffy? has been immense.?
Stavroulakis expressed his disappointment at the Grand Final loss, though remained convinced that the Sharks deserved the plaudits for a great campaign.
?As has been already said by many people, we really did come out of no-where and we turned a number of heads. Even though the disappointment of this Grand Final loss will remain with the boys, we are more than aware of our great performances and achievements this season.?
On a personal level, Stavroulakis enjoyed an exceptional finish to the campaign coinciding with a healthy run into the tail-end of the competition.
?I feel that the last two months of the competition have been great for me personally. I had a knee operation early in the season which put me behind in preparing for a big season, though I am satisfied with my personal contribution once I returned.?
Nick Stavroulakis scored the Sharks opening goal against Wollongong FC on Sunday, though it wasn?t enough to seal success for his side.
?It is great to score goals, especially in a Grand Final. I was concerned as I suffered a slight tear in my calf moments later, though I managed to continue out there and I gave it my best shot,? concluded Stavroulakis.
-By Joseph Carlucci