Against the backdrop of incumbent owner Tony Sage and the Australian Professional Leagues searching for a buyer, Tana has become increasingly concerned by the plight of the club he exited in 2006.
 
It’s been asserted that the APL has been paying player wages in recent weeks, and whilst Sage denies those claims, it’s clear that unless he is able to inject fresh funds, his 15-year tenure at the helm is nearing its nadir.
 
There are rumours of two potential buyers waiting in the wings, but with Glory valued at around $20 million there has been no rush by any entity to put pen to paper.
 
Tana - who amassed a $200 million fortune through fast food chains, property and horticulture - hasn’t been approached directly to throw his hat back in the ring.
 
However, the still rabid Glory fan has been sounded out by intermediaries and he has a stark message to Sage, and by extension the APL management team.
 
“I’ve made it clear previously I’m not in the market to buy it back,” the tycoon told FTBL. "What I will say is that when I handed the licence back in 2006 the club was in a much better condition than what it is now.
 
“I still have a passion for the game but that would only now stretch to the extent of not allowing the club to fold, certainly not to the extent of building it for others.
 
“I’ve said publicly before I’d never let it go to the wall and I wouldn’t go back on that statement.
I will spend money on the game but I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay for something that’s basically in diabolical straits at the moment. Nor would I put a penny in Tony Sage’s pockets.
 
“At the end of the day you want to build the game yet they (Sage and the APL) still want money for it, and expect somebody to splash out. Well, good luck. Go and find somebody.
 
“They may well do so but whoever it is is going to need really deep pockets.”
 
Tana believes an over emphasis on the fortunes of the Socceroos during the Frank Lowy era -- at the expense of the A-League - has come back to haunt the competition.
 
With the current mood among large swathes of fans oscillating between apathy and anger, Tana looks back on what he sees as wasted years and several wrong turns by the game’s rulers.
 
“It’s not a basket case but the league as a whole has big issues, whether that be in attendances, sponsorships or media rights,” he said.
 
“Every aspect of it has gone backwards over the last 10 years, so what are you actually buying (in respect of Perth Glory)?
 
“There are very few instances where you can say ‘wow things are stepping up a notch here’.
 
“I feel sad to the extent that I saw so much potential previously - and while you can’t blame Frank Lowy, who did well for the game, I said all along that prioritising the national team over the A-League was always going to be problematic.
 
“The green and gold looks after itself - there will always be a Socceroos and they’ll always have a following.
 
“But if you don’t have a strong national club competition full of home-based talent then it’s difficult for the game to move forward, and I don’t believe it has.
 
“My understanding was that Glory had a potential buyer from the eastern states but that’s all gone cold.
 
“Whatever happens they need somebody with deep pockets. Unless they’re prepared to pump in between $25-35 million, and know that’s what it will cost before they may break even, then good luck. It’s not going to happen.
 
“My gut tells me they can’t undervalue the club because that diminishes the value of the existing licenses, and others have paid quite substantial sums.
 
“It’s going to need someone who looks at $20-30 million as petty cash, and there aren’t too many of them around.
 
“I don’t think the APL will be in a mad rush - they’ll mark time with the club before finding a new buyer, and that wouldn’t be good for Perth Glory.”
 
Now in his 70s, and removed from the day to day running of the businesses he created, Tana would much prefer to remain nothing more than a Glory supporter, free from the pressure of running a football club.
 
“These days I feel like Marlon Brando in the Godfather, wearing my berretto and tending my little gardening patch," he added.
 
“I’m more than happy to keep on doing that and spending quality time with my
grandkids.”