“I asked the leadership group, a few of the senior boys, to discuss what they want this team to be. What do they want us to be thought of by our fans?”
That was the question posed by head coach Adam Griffiths in his post-match press conference, following Perth Glory’s 3–1 win over the Macarthur Bulls at HBF Park on Sunday night.
What made the result particularly intriguing wasn’t just the scoreline, but the spectrum of reactions that followed. Some embraced the immediacy of the win: three points, goals and perhaps signs of better days ahead.
Others viewed it through the broader lens of a season nearing its conclusion, one that’s already revealed most of what this side is. With only a handful of games remaining, it feels unlikely that anything between now and the final whistle of the campaign will fundamentally reshape our understanding of this team.
There were, of course, genuine positives. Seeing Gabriel Popovic and Arion Sulemani open their professional accounts was a moment worth acknowledging. Both have endured their share of frustration this season, and to see that persistence finally rewarded, even in isolation, matters. Those moments carry weight, particularly for young players trying to find their footing.
And yet, stepping back from the individual narratives, I found myself largely unmoved. It was a win that prompted a blunt internal response: so what? Harsh, perhaps. But not unfounded. Because the reality is, we’ve seen this before.
This performance didn’t introduce anything new.
Across the season, Perth Glory have demonstrated that they are capable of producing results and performances of this standard, whether away to Macarthur earlier in the campaign, against Melbourne City FC in December, or at home to the Central Coast Mariners in January. The issue has never been capability. It has been continuity. Sustainability. The ability to replicate a method, not just a moment.
Which brings us back to Griffiths’ original question and perhaps the only one that truly matters as the club looks ahead: what does Perth Glory want to be?
For this piece, that question sits squarely on the pitch.
Throughout the season, the idea of evolution has lingered as the central theme. Could this side’s model of play develop into something that consistently stands up against the league’s best? That, ultimately, will shape the club’s off-season decisions, from Griffiths’ future to the composition of the squad itself.
From my perspective, when assessing the season in its entirety, the answer leans toward no, or at the very least, not yet. The distinction matters. Because while there have been flashes, games that hint at a coherent identity, moments where the system appears to click, they have not proven sustainable over time.
There will be counterarguments. Some will point to those isolated performances as evidence of progress. Others will highlight injuries, player turnover, or the absence of a full pre-season under Griffiths as mitigating factors. All are valid to a degree.
But the core issue remains unchanged: evolution cannot be measured in moments. It has to be visible in patterns. In habits. In something repeatable.
The underlying numbers paint a remarkably consistent picture of Adam Griffiths’ tenure.
Across both Opta and FotMob data, Perth Glory have more often than not been second-best in chance quality. Expected goals against frequently outweigh expected goals for, and while there have been occasional attacking spikes, they’ve lacked the consistency required to suggest anything resembling a sustainable offensive identity. More concerningly, there has been little sign of defensive stabilisation as the sample size has grown, an area where you would typically expect incremental improvement, even amid broader inconsistencies.
For a side working under a new coach, you’re generally looking for one of two indicators: a clear upward trajectory in performance levels, or the emergence of a defined and recognisable game model. At present, neither has convincingly materialised. Contextual factors, be it injuries, squad turnover or the absence of a full pre-season, may offer a partial explanation. But the data in isolation makes it difficult to construct a compelling case for extending Griffiths beyond the end of the campaign.
Which leads to a more fundamental question: what exactly is Perth Glory’s playing identity?
What is their style? What are the repeatable behaviours with the ball, without it, and in transition that signal a coherent idea underpinning their performances? Right now, those answers remain unclear. While this uncertainty is often framed within the scope of Griffiths’ tenure, it arguably stretches further back, to the period following Tony Popovic’s departure, where any previously distinct identity began to erode.
At its core, this is a significant issue. For a club that has misstepped across multiple decision points in recent years, defining a clear identity and, just as importantly, outlining how that identity is expected to evolve over time, has to become a central priority. It’s something that should be scrutinised heavily by the fanbase, not just in terms of what is promised, but what is tangibly delivered on the pitch.
While wins like the recent result against Macarthur provide moments of short-term satisfaction, they do little to resolve the underlying concern. Without replicability, without sustainability, and without visible evolution in performance, those moments remain isolated.
Until that changes, the same question will continue to linger, not just after defeats, but even after wins: where, exactly, is the next win coming from?
All images courtesy of Tom McCarthy.
