Hard work pays off for Granville Rage’s Over 35s

As the clock winds down on their football careers, the victorious Granville Rage Over 35’s can look back on this season with a smile knowing their passion for football has delivered them to their ultimate goal: Football NSW State Cup silverware.

Having defeated Eastern Suburbs Football Association’s Dunbar Rovers in the State Cup final last month, player/coach of the Granville Rage Sal Zulllo said he was immensely proud of his under manned team as they held on for a 2-1 win.

“I think we played really well in that game We had a few boys not there. About 5 of our guys had just come back from injury in the last 2 weeks, having hamstring tears. So it was a bit of a battle. But we came out strong, we scored the couple of goals that we needed and then played smart and stuck to our fantastic game plan.”

Zullo said his team had made a plan prior to the season to target the Football NSW State Cup, having never has the chance to play in a major final like this before.

“It’s very hard to get that type of competitiveness during the regular season. So when you get to Football NSW’s State Cup’s and things like this, it’s a different level; better players and better teams. We definitely had that extra desire.”

The fact that Zullo and his team still have the opportunity to compete at an elite level at a mature age is a driving factor behind the popularity of the Over 35’s competition.

“As a team, we had a conversation recently where we were wondering what this experience would have been like back then when we were younger,” said Zullo.

“It’s amazing. I was saying this to my wife, I’ve won everything in my life except the Football NSW State Cup so it was special to be able to do that. It’s always a good feeling putting the hard work in and getting the result.

“You still stay competitive as you get older, the passion for soccer doesn’t leave you. You don’t start it at 35, you’re coming to the end of your career so you’ve learnt a lot along the way.”

Despite the demands of having young families and work to take care of, Zullo says the health and well-being benefits of football play a big part in his desire to keep playing the game, as well as inspiring the next generation.

“I coach young kids and I use that to sort of give them a role model to follow and try to inspire them. Football will always keep you fit. Injuries are more just from wear and tear of playing soccer. After that many years, you’ve always got little injuries you carry with you, but it doesn’t stop us.”

The members of the victorious Rage Over 35s had all played for many seasons as various clubs over the years in the Granville & Districts Soccer Football Association (GDSFA), and Zullo says bringing that experience together was invaluable for the team.

“We’ve all played together in the past somewhere, but we all got together this year and we’ve played pretty well as a team. Over the years we’ve got to know one another either playing with or against each other, so it was to get everyone together.

With the Football NSW State Cup done and dusted, Zullo says his team is closely eyeing off more silverware.

“We’re in the PUMA Champions of Champions now. And you sort of play for them more than you play for the regular season. That’s where the elite competition is, where the better teams are.”