CAMDEN Haven Redbacks started their 2020 Football Mid North Coast campaign with high hopes of at least making the finals of the newly formed Zone Premier League.
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They finished a class or two above the rest of their opposition as they cruised through their men's northern league season undefeated.
When the ZPL was canned following health concerns relating to COVID-19, the Redbacks still remained hungry for success.
They found the back of the net 79 times across 12 games as they dropped back to the northern league and only had to pick the ball out of their own onion bag twice.
We spoke about it in games that we wanted to be hungry; if we scored one, we wanted two and if we got to a point where we had eight, we wanted nine.
- Camden Haven Redbacks coach Riley Papas
Coach Riley Papas admitted he was confident his team was primed for a successful season when they bowed out in the fourth round of the FFA Cup back in March.
"When we had that really good run through the FFA Cup at the start of the season it showed we had the ability to match any team in the region," he said.
Papas admitted it had been one of the club's more successful seasons in a long time.
"We spoke about it in games that we wanted to be hungry; if we scored one, we wanted two and if we got to a point where we had eight, we wanted nine," he said.
"We've got a very young team and they can switch off when they're in cruise mode but we wanted to be ruthless and kick on with it."
A 12-0 hammering of Kempsey Saints Green on September 5 proved what the Redbacks were capable of.
"There was one game where we hit double figures and we couldn't break that for most of the year so I felt a bit sorry for the opposition because they just got us on a bad night," Papas said.
"We were still playing some of our best football last week to what we were at the start of the year because the boys wanted to keep improving."
The Redbacks are likely to be challenged more when the ZPL makes a return in 2021, but Papas was confident his team would be ready to go.
There was one game where we hit double figures and we couldn't break that for most of the year so I felt a bit sorry for the opposition because they just got us on a bad night.
- Riley Papas
"It should bring out the best teams that are still in the northern and southern divisions outside of those who went up to the Coastal Premier League," he said.
"With teams like Forster, Wallis Lake and Wingham it will still be a strong competition and we want to come out on top if possible.
"We'll have a couple of months off and then be ready to get back into it."
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