Wangaratta striker Adam Burchell was in talks with Albury United over the summer

The prolific Englishman has become synonymous with the red and black of Wangaratta, breaking records and winning titles during his time with the club, and he remains arguably the league's most feared striker at 31.

But, like all good things, it's a a partnership which will eventually come to an end as Burchell considers the next stage of life for his family after they were granted permanent residency in Australia six months ago.

"The next step would be to become citizens if we wanted to go down that road and I know that Wangaratta's not where we want to end up," Burchell said.

"It's been a big part of our lives since 2015 but it's also been a stepping stone. The pipe dream is to move somewhere like Queensland, maybe the Gold Coast, because we love being on the beach.

"I talk to James Coutts quite a bit because he's up there and he says the lifestyle is so good for families. I think our end goal is to end up there but it won't be happening this year."

Burchell will line up against Albury United on Sunday as the AWFA season begins with a bang at South Wangaratta Reserve.

The two clubs could only be separated by goal-difference at the top of the ladder last year and the decision was taken to name them as joint-champions, leaving plenty of unfinished business rolling into the rematch.

Jordan Hore and Ryan Luty have since crossed from Wangaratta to United and Burchell almost did likewise, speaking and training with the Greens in pre-season before eventually re-committing to the Devils.

"I felt, at 31 and still being effective in this league, do I go to United and have a good season?" he said.

"Me and Jordy linked up really well, that was a big thing, me and 'Fatty' get on really well, we work with each other and then there's people like 'Roy' (Albury United captain Caleb Martin).

"Roy reached out a couple of times when my old man passed and that's something I haven't forgotten. Yes, I play against him but the fact he did that shows what type of bloke he is.

"We've always spoken about having a season together before we retire and this year was going to be the year but I had a couple of people, right at the last moment, who said 'if you stay, you've got a legacy at Wang' and that people will look look back on that decision of staying at Wang and not going to another club.

"I feel like I'm good enough and I want to win still.

"We've got some good blokes coming through and I feel I've got a responsibility to stay here for this year and try to help those guys reach their potential.

"We had one of the best teams last year and it was a bit of a cop-out how it ended. United will think that as well."

Sunday's clash has certainly sharpened the focus of both clubs in pre-season, knowing the importance of getting an early advantage in what looks set to be another hard-fought title race.

The first 50/50 challenge won't be for the faint-hearted, with players in both camps fiercely determined to prove themselves as the undisputed standouts this year.

"Playing in England, that will to win was just built into me when I was young," Burchell said.

"Even when you drop out of pro football, it's already in your head that you've got to keep fit and keep on top of your game, even if you train twice a week for a semi-pro club.

"It's the old saying, champions train when no-one's watching, and if you actually want to win and better yourself, that's what you do.

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"I still talk to a few of the older heads about 2015, the likes of Mario Antonello and Evo Madeira, our coach at the time.

"We weren't expected to win anything back then and that's why it was probably better than 2019 - even though we partied harder in 2019.

"The fact Wang had been down the bottom for so many years, it was the first year myself and Stoycho (Ivanov) came in and getting to the final, for me, was an unreal moment.

"The year before, I got to the grand final with Shepparton South and we lost. The reason Evo wanted to get me back was to give it another shot and try to win something.

"In my first two seasons in Australia, to get to a grand final, you think 'this is easy' but then it didn't happen again until 2019. It's a lot harder than you think and it definitely comes down to your players' mindset and if they really want to win.

"There's even a little bit of doubt in my mind, that I feel 2019 might have been the last time because I know not everyone has that same mentality.

"If you want to win something, you have to be in it together and that means turning up for training on a wet Tuesday night in July."

Increased responsibility in the sporting arena mirrors what's happening in Burchell's personal life, with son Alexis now approaching his second birthday.

"I can't party as much as I used to," Burchell laughed.

"It's difficult having family back in England so Kirsty and I have to be a team even more than normal. We're pretty laid-back and I think it reflects in Alexis' attitude because he's such a happy, outgoing boy.

"Our first date night without him was in London, when we went back to England in December. That was the first time my Mum had met Alexis and she looked after him."

The game between Wangaratta and United is one of four being played on Sunday.

There's a battle of the new coaches at Alexandra Park, where Josh O'Farrell's St Pats take on John Irvine's Albury Hotspurs, while Melrose start life under Josh Fluss with a home game against Albury City.

Vince Iannucci's first league game in charge of Cobram is at home to Myrtleford, the Roar having knocked Wodonga Diamonds out of the FA Cup in midweek.

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