“It’s not just on the park. I see my job here at this football club being more holistic – a lot of long days and long nights. But I’ve bought into this and I won’t be making any excuses.

“It’s a fantastic club, great people behind the scenes that are working hard.

“I’m in it for the long haul – or as long as they want me – I’m going to be here. We work extremely hard at the club, behind the scenes nobody sees the work that goes in.

Multiplying the difficulties for Rudan has been the ground-hopping he and his squad have been forced into in their first season in the A-League.

Sunday’s contest in front of 2,973 fans at Mars Stadium was the third different venue his squad had used in their previous three “home” fixtures. Their round 16 loss to Adelaide United was played at Whitten Oval and their round 15 win over Central Coast Mariners was at Kardinia Park.

Though such outreach efforts – especially during the wait for the club’s promised purpose-built stadium in Tarneit – are to be expected for a club that’s bombastically declared that its goal was to unite everyone west of the Westgate, such circumstances aren’t exactly conducive to fostering continuity and a home ground advantage.

Of the three home games remaining on their slate, one will be at Kardinia Park and the other two will be back in Ballarat. 

“It was almost like an away game today,” said Rudan.

“Because we, as a squad, came in yesterday and trained at Ballarat and stayed overnight. That in and of itself, you almost treat it as an away game. It is what it is.

“We wanted to give the players the best way to prepare for this game because last game we played against Wellington, the players drove in an hour and a half, two hours and felt a bit tired getting out of their cars and playing the game.

“We got some feedback from the players and we all thought that this was something they wanted to do. And we’re thankful for the club for giving us the opportunity because there’s a lot of costs involved in that as well.

“We all came in, had lunch and trained and stayed overnight, had breakfast and went for our walk. Normal routine for an away game.”

Nonetheless, though things aren't all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows for United, the season is not over yet. 

The club still has nine games to overturn the four-point gap that exists between themselves and sixth-placed Roar, and they will be attempting to do so in a league where, apart from Sydney FC, every side has gone through patches of form where they have eminently beatable. 

“I think anyone can still make the top six,” Rudan said. “The bottom teams, the way they’re’ playing, probably not getting results, but anyone can go on a run of games in this competition.

“Brisbane came from nowhere with a run of games and now find themselves in the top six.

“[United’s form] makes it a little bit harder, but at the same time, it makes it more rewarding. The bigger the challenge the more rewarding it becomes.”