The Gungahlin Jets haven't won a first grade game in 624 days. They have conceded more than 200 points on seven occasions since they last belted out the team song.
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But the Jets have been refuelled. They don't necessarily expect to be contenders this season, but the club is heading straight into "a perfect storm".
At the helm this season is John Love - a three-time premiership player at Belconnen that has been the mastermind behind a host of development programs in the ACT and NSW.
The 32-year-old halfback will look to lead the Jets to their first win since August 5, 2016, when they face the Tuggeranong Hawks at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval on Friday night.
Love spent a last year completely removed from football as he completed a double masters of military studies and strategy, and he was keen to get back into the game this season.
But he hadn't told anybody else that, which made a call from AFL Canberra boss Steve Mahar putting him in touch with the Jets feel like fate.
"It's a completely different culture [at Belconnen] because they’re obviously a more established club. I’ve been trying to build something like that but our own at the Jets," Love said.
"It was just good timing to get back involved with footy. I used to coach some of the talent programs locally when the Giants first came up so it was a good fit. They needed a coach that knew how to develop players.
"I’m excited. We’ve got a young group. At times we will be beaten easily, at times we will surprise the better teams.
"I think it will be good for the competition to have a competitive Gungahlin Jets team in the competition."
Love's appointment is just the start. The club is actively engaging with Gungahlin community groups by volunteering players and officials for events.
It goes all the way down to the junior ranks - the Jets will field a legally blind player in a junior team this year, and his brother and teammate will guide him around the park.
The club's positive off-field approach is something Love hopes to mirror on it with a flavour of positive football he hopes will shatter a losing mentality.
"Then you couple that with all of the recruits that we’ve managed to snag, we’re expecting 12 debutants on Friday, which is half the team. It’s quite significant, so it’s a complete makeover I guess," Love said.
"I’ve gotten about three players that haven’t played footy for a year or two back into the game. They’re very good players that had just had enough of pressure and how rigid some footy clubs are, so they’ve just been floating around and not playing but still in their low 20s.
"Then there’s a few others that we’ve been able to snag from the coast or blokes moving to Canberra that we’ve gotten wind of because they know someone in the club.
"We’ve just been lucky, it’s kind of been like a perfect storm to be honest."
Tuggeranong also have a new mentor in Peter Ashcroft, while the remaining four teams open their campaigns on Saturday.
AFL CANBERRA ROUND ONE
Friday: Gungahlin Jets v Tuggeranong Hawks at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, 6.30pm.
Saturday: Belconnen Magpies v Ainslie Tricolours at The Nest at Kippax Oval, 2pm. Queanbeyan Tigers v Eastlake Demons at Margaret Donoghoe Oval, 5pm.
