FEW people would have bet back in the summer of 2006 on Gary van Egmond sticking with the Newcastle Jets, let alone celebrate his 100th match in charge.
Van Egmond has seen one owner, Con Constantine, go broke, and the new one, beleaguered coalmining and racing entrepreneur Nathan Tinkler, threaten to hand back the licence.
Then a month ago Sydney FC came calling with a four-year deal worth a king's ransom.
"But I've come to love the city, and the broader Hunter community," van Egmond told The Australian yesterday.
As a player he was not one to put down any solid roots, never overstaying his welcome at any club.
In a 14-year, 231-game career in the former NSL in addition to an extended spell with the Socceroos from the late 1980s, van Egmond spent time at Apia, Blacktown, Footscray, Marconi and the Wollongong Wolves.
Back in 2006 after the Jets started the year winless after seven rounds, then owner Constantine sacked Nick Theodorakopoulos and took a punt on giving the previously untried van Egmond the head coaching job.
His only previous senior experience was with the Manly club in the NSW State League after a brief 12-month spell as youth coach under Lawrie McKinna at Northern Spirit.
Within 18 months of being in charge of the Jets he'd won Newcastle a championship. A year later the former Socceroo was seemingly on his way out after the Jets claimed the wooden spoon.
"That's football," he said on the eve of tonight's away game against the Victory, the first of a road double in Melbourne over three days.
"The 100-game milestone is also a bit like when you get to a certain age you don't want to be reminded about birthdays any more.
"Still it's nice to do it at the one club. I'm very proud of that. It's a job I've grown into."
Van Egmond hopes to propel the Jets towards another championship with Englishman Emile Heskey leading the attack before he eventually steps aside to take the role of Jets' technical director.
"But right now all I'm worried about is taking all three points against the Victory, then backing up in a couple of days' time and do the same against the Heart."
Not surprisingly, he's stuck with the same core group of players that played the Sky Blues off the park last Saturday.
"Our record against the Victory at AAMI Park stacks up pretty good overall; we've been their bogey side over the last few seasons," he said.
"They'll certainly miss Mark Milligan and especially captain Adrian Leijer through suspension, while at the other end of the park Archie Thompson has been in the best form of his career.
"Defensively if we can stop Archie, then we're in for a real shake."
Meanwhile, Victory coach Ange Postecoglou has recalled Matthew Foschini and drafted in Leigh Broxham and Sam Gallagher to fill the yawning gaps left by the absent Milligan and Leijer.
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