The year was 2002.
Shakira was at her hip-shaking peak, a fresh-faced if angst-ridden Avril Lavigne was feeling’Complicated’ and DJ Otzi’s ‘Hey, Baby (Ooh, Ahh)’ was luring ‘tied and emotional’ party-goers onto dancefloors across the country.
But a very different set of records were front and centre as far as Glory fans were concerned.
Before going on, it’s important to acknowledge that the 2001-02 National Soccer League campaign did not end in Grand Final glory.
While Olympic Sharks prevailed on that frustrating May afternoon at Subiaco Oval, however, the overall campaign cannot be denied its rightful place in club folklore.
Records were not just broken, they were smashed to pieces and ground into the dirt as Mich d’Avray’s men swept all before them.
They made the best start ever to an NSL season by winning their opening eight games, conceding only five goals in the process, clinched the Premiership with four games remaining, earlier than any other club had previously managed and became the only side in NSL history to complete the regular campaign with just one defeat.
Damian Mori claimed the Golden Boot with 17 goals, while also joining Jamie Harnwell in rocking some bang-on-trend blonde highlights and as if that wasn’t enough, the two-legged Major Semi-Final against Newcastle United contained a season’s worth of drama and tension in itself.
Heady days indeed, even if a maiden Championship triumph would have to wait another year.
As always, we’d love to hear your memories of one of the truly great Glory years, so feel free to join the conversation on Facebook HERE or Twitter HERE.
#OneGlory
