PORTLAND wasn’t able to pull off an upset for the ages at Friendly Society Reserve on Saturday, comfortably defeated by Fawkner Soccer Club 7-0 in their Australia Cup clash, but for coach Stephen Von Tunk and the rest of his crew, there’s nothing but positives to take away.

Von Tunk said the result simply came down to them coming up against a more well-drilled and professional opposition which was the better side on the day.

“I did some research into a few of their players before the game and a number of them have played in the (National Premier League, the second highest standard of competition in the country), so we’re talking about some players that are simply a step above,” Von Tunk said.

“Obviously we came in with that dream of a fairytale victory, and while it wasn’t to be I think it was an incredible experience for the team to learn just what kind of standard there is out there, it was certainly an eye-opener for a lot of us

“And I’d say we can hold our heads high with the result, I’ve been a part of Panthers losses which have looked like cricket scores, so I think this was a great effort.

“I think it should give us a lot of confidence coming into our season, this is the toughest game we’ll play in 2024.”

The Australia Cup (formerly the FFA Cup) is the largest soccer knockout competition in the country, with close to 800 teams from across the country from the top flight A-League right down to local clubs competing for the honour of hoisting the trophy aloft at the end of the campaign.

Von Tunk said he felt the entire training process and additional exposure the club has had to the broader community as a result of their return to entering the tournament could only do positive things for the future of the club.

“We’ve seen an uptick in our numbers in the senior ranks, but I think what we might also see take off is our junior numbers, if kids see that their local Panthers are competing in the same competition as the A-League teams, well that’s all the better,” he said.

Von Tunk said the side had also gotten its first look at some new faces to the senior side, and he said the additions could prove valuable to their chances of success this season.

“Seamus O’Kelly was in the line-up, he’s just moved to town, and he proved to be great for us in a centre-midfield type of role,” Von Tunk said.

“He had good game sense and awareness and should be a pretty good asset for us this season.

“Andy Drill was another new player who we got to see, he plays a really physical style and was a good tall presence, he’ll play a variety of positions for us.”

Fawkner will now go on to the next stage of the competition, and in doing so will potentially have the chance to come up against NPL and even A-League teams should they progress far enough in the competition which encompasses up to 800 clubs across the country.

The Panthers will now turn their attention to the upcoming South West Victoria Football Association, with the club set to take part in three friendlies in the lead-up, the first of which will be a home match against Apollo Football Club on March 3.