New Zealand's future in the A-League may now rest in the hands of an Australian with the Wellington Phoenix’s announcement of former Sydney FC captain Mark Rudan as the new coach.
It's been more than three months since they rid themselves of Darije Kalezic, but the Phoenix are confident that they've got the right man.
Rudan is confident too.
"Why Wellington? It's a challenge - love a challenge," he said.
Enshrined across the Tasman as an A-League winning skipper - Rudan can't wait to get stuck into his new job.
"I'm a winner, I hate losing. I'll tell you that right now.
"And the players will find that out very quickly. And there's some fantastic players there. Fantastic players who can win the game at a drop of the hat."
Both on and off the field, Rudan isn't shying away from the Phoenix's need to change either.
"There will be certain non-negotiables along the way, but at the same time it's not a dictatorship."
And for the fans who may feel like the last few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster, he had this to say.
"Well you've got a coach now! And I hope that you not just get behind the coach and the players but the club. It's very important.
"And they've gone through some dark times. I hope that there's a ray of sunshine there for the fans."
Sunshine or not, it feels like the winds of change are about to swirl through the Phoenix.
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