The colours green and black adorn the inside of a small cafe on a main road in Melbourne's western suburbs.
Streamers and balloons hang from the wall, homemade green and black biscuits sit on the counter, and mum and son co-owners Rhonda and Lee Hayhow proudly wear their Western United scarves while they serve coffee.
"When we first learnt there was a going to be a club out in the west we knew we had to get on board," Lee said.
"'Westies are really good at supporting each other out in the community.
Lee and Rhonda are excited. On Saturday Western United will play the biggest game in their short history.
In just its third season, the fledgling club representing Western Victoria has reached the A-League men's grand final.
United face a mammoth task against defending champions Melbourne City, an established club with bigger names and more resources.
"'Westies are used to being underdogs in sport and in a whole lot of other ways," Lee said.
"No-one tipped us to beat Melbourne Victory, but here we are."
If United had not already put Australian football on notice, last week's win over Victory would have done the job.
United defied the odds to reach the decider with a 4-1 triumph in the second leg of the semi-final, ending Victory's 16-match unbeaten run and thwarting Victory's own fairytale story.
"Just making the first final [against Victory] was exciting … and then to get all the way through the grand final, I think, was beyond everybody's expectations," Rhonda said.
A field of dreams
It's been a tough beginning for United.
After three seasons, their promised stadium in Tarneit is still mostly dirt, with the board conceding its initial two-year construction time line was ambitious.
Building, however, has begun and the completion is slated for May 2023.
It's meant they've played home games in Geelong, Ballarat, Melbourne and even Tasmania, asking a lot of its developing supporter base.
"A lot of people were talking about, 'Are they really going to build their own stadium?'" said coach John Aloisi of those who questioned the team's poor performance last season.
"'Are they really going to build their own training facility? Do they really represent the West?'
"Well, we do, and there's been a lot of hard work put into it."
New kids on the block
United's fan base may be small in number but it's big in spirit.
"As the new club, people are always going to try and write you off and [say] that you're irrelevant, you shouldn't be here," fan Jay Sutcliffe said.
Jay is from the Western Service Crew, a group of 30 to 40 passionate, mostly local, supporters who are happy to travel far and wide to loudly cheer United.
They meet at a pub before the game and discuss tactics on social media during the week.
"Honestly, I couldn't be more proud of the team," Jay said.
"We've struggled at times. Especially not having our own purpose-built stadium, we've moved around a lot. But they've dug deep and they've played some brilliant football.
"Whether or not we go all the way on the weekend, we'll still be very, very proud of how far the club has come in three short, COVID-affected years."
United as underdogs: 'We'll show you'
For some of United's players, like Sudanese-born Adisu Bayew, playing for the club is a dream come true, having grown up in the western suburbs.
"Once Western United came about, honestly, it was an amazing thing for me," Bayew said.
The emerging talent rose through the ranks of junior club Green Gully and then earned his chance in United's senior side after starring in the National Premier League.
"[United] was not far from where I lived," he said.
"I had friends that played here as well."
United head into the grand final against Melbourne City as underdogs, a tag they're using as motivation.
"We've been one of the best teams all year and we've been overlooked," winger and western suburbs local Dylan Pierias said.
"Going into every game, we were underdogs, even when we went on a streak of five or six wins in a row … and we just kind of accepted it and said, 'Well, we'll show you.'"
Win or lose, players and fans said the team had earnt the respect it deserved.
"I think it will be great for the A-League in general to see a team that's only been here for three years that they can do it."
