Building from the Ground Up: Inside the Rams’ 2026 Surge

Perhaps the feel-good story of the Football NSW League One Men’s competition so far in 2026 has been the revival of the Macarthur Rams, who have gone from just surviving in the competition to sitting in a top four position.

As such, on the back of a positive run of form, we thought we’d dig a little deeper and speak to head coach Dan Mijovic about how their season has played out so far and how they’ve turned their fortunes around.

Mijovic arrived at the club with four games left last season and was given a blank canvas to work with, something he has found beneficial.

“My experience as interim Head Coach last season at Northern Tigers definitely helped prepare me for this opportunity, but the most rewarding aspect has been building something from a blank canvas.

“Establishing new training processes, creating new standards, implementing a new game model, setting expectations, building culture and leading people through that journey has been incredibly fulfilling.”

He was also surprised by the quality already at the club.

“To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality within the playing group. Looking from the outside, I think many people would have assumed there was a significant gap between the Rams and some of the competition’s stronger clubs. Very quickly, I realised that wasn’t the case.

“I could immediately see a core group of players who were capable of competing at the top end of the league rather than battling at the bottom.”

“With the building blocks in place, the most pleasing factor regarding this season has been how the squad has developed.

“The most pleasing aspect isn’t necessarily where we sit on the ladder, but the fact that we continue to evolve every single week. The team that played our first pre-season match is different to the team we are today.

“Our playing style has developed significantly, the unity within the squad continues to strengthen, and we’ve seen a genuine shift in the culture of the club.”

Indeed, that’s a big factor in their rise up the table, with the squad now believing they can match it with anyone in the competition.

“As the season has progressed, I think the group now genuinely believes that themselves. It’s no longer just words from a coach — they’ve proven it through their performances.

“One of the most rewarding parts of coaching is helping players become better footballers and better versions of themselves. Watching the growth of this group over the past several months has been incredibly satisfying.”

Off the field, the club has made changes behind the scenes to support this development and ensure they remain competitive going forward.

“From a club perspective, our vision has always been much broader than league position alone.

“When I arrived, our long-term focus centred around four key pillars: competitive success, creating a genuine senior football environment, strengthening club culture and developing youth players.

“Like many association-owned clubs, first-grade budgets aren’t unlimited, and in many cases we’re competing against clubs that can invest significantly more financially than we can.

“That raises an important question: how do you close the gap between financial resources and on-field performance.

“We wanted to provide a performance environment that mirrored what players would find in NPL 1 or higher — that would challenge them, develop them, and help them become better footballers.”

As for what the future holds for his Rams side, who sit two points off second, he continued.

“On the field, our goal this season was to consolidate and establish ourselves as a top-half side before continuing to build in Years 2 and 3.

“It’s pleasing to see us tracking well against those objectives, and even more pleasing that the players have embraced even bigger goals so early in the journey.

“Hopefully we can continue performing strongly and achieve those targets by season’s end.”

By Justin Smith