“Come at the king, you best not miss,” utters Omar Little in The Wire, one of the acclaimed series’ most iconic quotes.
With Melbourne Victory once the undisputed king – and queen – of football across both genders in the state, Melbourne City’s (nee Heart) arrival marked a new challenger to the throne.
While the club has struggled to make inroads at an A-League level, it looks set to encroach Victory’s W-League territory and take everything with it.
The raid started with the appointment of Joe Montemurro off the pitch, and has moved to Lisa De Vanna and Brianna Davey on it, with captain Steph Catley likely the next to go.
It would be comparable to a new Melbourne A-League rival poaching Kevin Muscat as coach, along with Archie Thompson and Besart Berisha as its key players.
Their playing and coaching stocks are being decimated, and there’s seemingly no end in sight.
The Corner Flag understands anywhere up to seven past and present Victory players will don the sky blue by season’s start.
So, what are the 2013 Champions doing to stop the purge?
It’s difficult to tell, as most of the action is happening behind the scenes.
However, the longer the Victory camp remains publicly quiet about its developments, the louder the power shift seems to become.
The City 2015/16 lineup is set to be a who’s who of Matildas, ex-Victory stalwarts and young local Victorian talent.
On the other hand, not a single player has been confirmed to play for the navy blues in 2015/16, nor has a coaching announcement been made.
The Corner Flag believes the club has brought back Dave Edmonson as coach, who will have his work cut out to essentially build a team from scratch.
Many questions regarding the players available to him – City have already trialled 30 from the WPL – or who will form his backroom staff, remain unanswered.
For anyone away from dedicated Victory fans, City’s statement of intent is welcoming.
Melbourne will bear witness to the best players in the competition, who may finally be earning a wage closer to what they deserve for their craft.
Years of haphazardness in regards to player signings and club vision across the league has been exposed in one pre-season.
While the player movement was to be expected due to City Football Group’s financial muscle, their cross-town rivals’ silence with less than two months until the season commences has been unsettling.
At the moment, the new challenger is coming fully armed at the king, and certainly doesn’t look like missing.