Rockdale City’s derby against Sutherland on Sunday is unlikely to phase Ante Covic, the man who once helped Swedish giants Hammarby vanquish the “Rasunda ghost”.
The former Socceroos goalkeeper and A-League and AFC Champions League winner joined Rockdale at the start of the season and has helped lead the Suns to a strong position heading into the final stretch of the NPL 1 season.
While he has spent much of his glittering professional career overseas, Covic still understands the rivalry between clubs from St George and the shire better than most. A Hurstville Zagreb junior, Covic grew up at Sans Souci and moved back to the area after leaving Perth Glory at the end of the 2015-16 A-League season.
Rockdale welcome Sutherland to the Ilinden Sports Centre on Sunday looking to maintain the pressure on Blacktown City at the top of the table, with the Suns still pushing for the league title as well as the chance to retain the Leader Cup.
But the 42-year-old is unlikely to feel any pressure heading into the derby. It was during his time in Sweden that Covic was given his first taste of what real derby pressure was as part of the fierce Stockholm derby between Hammarby and AIK.
“Sweden is maybe not one of the very top leagues in the world but the Stockholm derby, that stadium was full every time with 35,000 people,” Covic told the Leader.
“It was always an amazing atmosphere. You had flares being let off and tifos. It was a huge event with so much pride and passion from the supporters. It was probably the first time I had a real taste of a proper derby atmosphere with two teams from the same city where the fans really hated each other and I was lucky to play in quite a few.
“Every single game was special but before I arrived we hadn’t won at AIK’s [Rasunda Stadium] for many years. The AIK fans kept taunting us year after year about the “ghost of Rasunda”. In my second year we beat them there and I remember it was such a big event for the fans of the club.
“Afterwards everyone went back to the clubhouse and had an all-nighter in the office with the supporters. It was like a weight being lifted off everyone’s shoulders. Until then I didn’t understand the full gravity of what it meant to them.
“It’s nice to have a bit of pride in where you come from and in a derby regardless at what level it’s at you want to beat your neighbour.”
Sutherland have improved under new coach Grant Lee and will be out to cause an upset against their nearest geographical rivals.
But they won’t have it easy against a hungry Rockdale team who have learned their lesson after taking Hakoah Sydney City East lightly in the FFA Cup last month – and being eliminated.
“In any league if you start going in with the mentality that you can just go through the motions and get the three points you’ll be punished,” Covic said.
“They’re a seriously good side, they’ve had some good results lately. They’ll be no pushover but if we go in with the right mentality I can’t see us being beaten.
“They’re our local rivals from down the road. Sutho haven’t had the season they wanted and have been struggling a little bit. We had a good win there earlier in the season but for us this is an extremely important game.”
That importance comes from Rockdale’s hunt for trophies. Player-coach Paul Reid set a marker down for his side at the start of the season to challenge for both the NPL 1 premiership and grand final.
The Suns are fourth with a game in hand against lowly Parramatta next Wednesday night and, with Blacktown and APIA Leichhardt still to play, Covic said Rockdale were still chasing silverware.
“Here in the state league with the quality of players we have [who are] as good as anyone else in the competition, I don’t question us at all,” he said.
“After the first few weeks I definitely believed this squad could push for honours. It’s still in our hands. Everything is riding on us and the focus is on ourselves.”
Kick-off is at 3pm.