It's been a long time between drinks for football fans in Sydney's west. Twenty three years, to be exact. If it appears the hype surrounding Western Sydney Wanderers' grand final appearance on Sunday is on the verge of desperation, that's because it is for many fans who've gone more than two decades without having a champion representing their region.

To put that into perspective, the last time the region wore Australian football's crown the average property price in the city was $188,050. Sydney's population was about 3.75 million and Paul Keating was in the middle of his term as prime minister. The RBB's north end of Parramatta Stadium was just a grassy knoll, Tony Popovic was still playing for Sydney United and Wanderers' forward Jaushua Sotirio wasn't even born.

Not since the Marconi side of the 1992/93 National Soccer League season has a team from Sydney's vast west been crowned Australian champions. For all of Sydney United's strength, a title remained elusive. Parramatta Power failed at the final hurdle while Sydney Olympic's nomadic life meant they never had a firm foothold in the region.

"Twenty-three years, geez, that just shows how hard it is to win a grand final," former Marconi midfielder Steve Corica says, trying to remember that fateful day on May 16 at Parramatta.

Fittingly in the context of Sunday's decider between the Wanderers and Adelaide, the 1993 final was the biggest club at the time from western Sydney against Adelaide City in front of a boisterous crowd of 13,376. The two Italian clubs created a passionate atmosphere and the first thing former Marconi defender Luke Casserly remembers was just how tense it was.

"I remember the Adelaide City coffins with 'RIP' walked around the stadium. That stands out the most," he said.

Casserly was a surprise omission for the final squad, having played every game of the second half of the season but the youngster was hard pressed getting into a side containing so many stars; Mark Schwarzer, Jean-Paul De Marigny, Garry Van Egmond, Andy Harper, Kimon Taliadoros, Ian Gray, Ermanno Pelucchi, Matthew Bingley, Corica and a young Ufuk Talay.

They faced the bulk of the Socceroos' back line with Adelaide City marshalled by Tony Vidmar, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin with Robert Zabica in goals. Up front was the ever-dangerous Damien Mori and Carl Veart while the great Zoran Matic sat in the dugout.

For all the stars that lined up for Marconi that day it was the tactician that was the most important. Frank Arok came in that season providing much-needed belief, composure and motivation to a side already well drilled in the tactics of the game.

"He replaced Berti Mariani, who was an excellent coach, a very methodical coach," Harper said. "There was a significant bedrock laid in a tactical sense by Berti. Frank Arok came on top of that with his own incredible energy, insight and passion and his ability to press the right button with players. He provided an enormous reservoir of belief and energy – unforgettable. He was fantastic."

That ability to delve deep into the psyche of players and bring out the best in them led them to one of the most stunning performances in Australian football finals series, perhaps similar to the Wanderers' comeback last week.

Marconi qualified as favourites and hosts of the final with a thumping 7-0 semi-final win over minor premiers South Melbourne while Adelaide had to topple Wollongong and South Melbourne, scoring seven in two games. Two attacking sides, rivals of sorts and boasting plenty of experience across the park – it was a match bubbling with excitement.

Corica still remembers Arok's pre-game speech telling them to relax, further encouraging that free spirited attack.

"Just go play, enjoy yourselves and get the win," he said.

Unfortunately, that failed to deliver.

"It was a very ordinary spectacle as I recall," Harper said.

Corica remembers the excitement outweighed the occasion. "The build-up is so big going into a grand final and sometimes it doesn't deliver," he said.

Casserly's view from the bench made for a more blunt assessment. "It wasn't a great football spectacle," he said.

A drab match was decided by a penalty after Corica was bundled over on the edge of the box when his ankle was grappled by a defender in a challenge he says was more fitting for rugby league. Harper stepped-up to take the spot kick and despite the pressure, he remained calm and stroked the ball comfortably into the net to seal the match.

"I don't remember being nervous, no. The ball just went in and that's all I remember," Harper said.

The benefits of owning a clubhouse and a home made for a great party back in Fairfield after what would be Marconi's last taste of success.

"When we returned back to Club Marconi, the place was just full of supporters and they made a passage way for us to get into the club, up the escalator onto the balcony. It was a superb night," Casserly said.

The decorated halls of the equal greatest club in the history of Australian football make for a poignant house to hold 5000 Wanderers fans at the primary live site on Sunday afternoon. Red and black now drapes Club Marconi in Bossley Park ready for the new football powerhouse of Sydney's west to finally end the region's drought.

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