Flash forward to the here and now and Hamburg-based Der Kiezkicker - coached by 29-year-old upstart Fabian Hürzeler - are on a historic 10-match winning streak.
 
They sit just seven points off an automatic promotion place with a game in hand, and are re-defining expectations with each passing week.
 
Now one of Australia’s elder statesman, having just turned 30, 55-cap Irvine isn’t given to hyperbole.
 
But when it comes to assessing St Pauli’s transformation under Hürzeler - European football’s youngest head coach - the word “extraordinary” slips from his lips.
 
Promoted from his role as assistant to replace head man Timo Schultz before Christmas, former Bayern Munich youth coach Hürzeler has masterminded the resurrection, whilst skipper Irvine has also led from the front, netting seven goals in 26 games this season, operating alongside fellow Socceroo Connor Metcalfe in a highly efficient midfield unit.
 
“It has been absolutely extraordinarily, our winning run of matches has equalled the best ever in the division, and the turnaround we’ve had has been absolutely incredible,” Irvine told FTBL.
 
“We’re trying to ride this wave as long as we can, and just keep it going. To be fair, even when results weren’t going our way I don’t think our position in the table reflected the way we were playing.
 
“We were better than that. I think we had eight draws in the first half of the season but now it feels that in every game the balance seems to be swinging our way. There have been some great performances as well.
 
“Even when we’ve not been at our best we’ve found ways to get results. It’s a sign of a good team when you can win while not being at the top of your game.”
 
Irvine, who captained Australia for the first time in last month’s 2-1 friendly loss to Ecuador, has become the heartbeat of the German club he joined from Hibernian in 2021 in what was a meeting of minds as much as anything.
 
A free thinking, guitar playing, philosophical presence off the pitch, Irvine has found his natural habit at a non-conformist club which bucks convention, takes on political causes and thumbs its nose at the establishment.
 
But he’s all business on the field, leading by example as the Bundesliga beckons with seven matches left to secure automatic promotion or a playoff against the third last finisher in the top division.
 
Weighing the equation on the home stretch, Irvine added: “Realistically, we still have to play two of the top three teams (Darmstadt and Hamburg) away,” he said ahead of Sunday’s home fixture against lowly Eintracht Braunschweig.
 
"If you look back to December we never imagined being in the thick of a promotion race (St Pauli are six points behind third placed Hamburg).
 
“We know the run probably can’t last forever but at the same time we think we’re capable of winning every game.
 
“We do have the toughest run in of the teams around us but we just have to keep picking up points wherever we can so we can make it interesting all the way to the end.
 
“At this point anything is possible. It’s the old football cliche: one game at a time. Even our match against Eintracht Braunschweig on Sunday, they’re coming in on a hot streak of form having won four in a row.
 
“In this division, every game is difficult. We have to keep up the intensity and not get bored of winning. That sounds strange but every week it gets harder and harder and you have to stay hungry for that.
 
“There’s a buoyant feeling around the club right now. We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
 
Irvine is delighted for compatriot Metcalfe, who returned to the Socceroos fold in the internationals against Ecuador after the heartbreak of missing out on World Cup selection.
 
A regular starter now after a bumpy baptism following his move from Melbourne City, the attacking midfielder has featured 23 times and is becoming a fans’ favourite alongside Irvine.
 
“It was a slower start for him when he arrived but under the new coach he’s really found his feet in a slightly different role most people in Australia aren't used to seeing him play,” explained Irvine.
 
"He’s learning and getting better - and it’s good for his development to adapt to playing in different areas. He’s chipped in with a couple of goals and has become a key player for us now.
 
“He’s come to a new country, a new language and different style of play, and it took him a little bit of time to adjust.
 
“The general speed of the game probably took him by surprise at first but he’s at ease with it now and looks every bit the player we know he can be.”