Following up last weekend's win over Red Sox Manawatu, it's Athletic's dream to go deep in this year's Chatham Cup, starting today with New Plymouth Rangers.
It's Cup day.
The heart beats a little faster and the anticipation jostles with the apprehension for Whanganui's travelling Central League teams as they face the first and possibly the last weekend of sudden-death style football during the regular season.
Taking this first step on the journey towards the 94-year-old Chatham Cup is a dream for Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic's first year coach Jason King.
On the face of it, a Wembley Park rematch from the 2-1 Lotto Federation League defeat to New Plymouth Rangers on their home turf should be very encouraging for Athletic, who despite that loss sit above the Taranaki side on the League table, albeit with an extra game played.
However, the unique nature of Cup fixtures, with many clubs splitting their talent across both the Chatham and Lotto Federation Cup draws, means King is expecting a very different makeup to the visitors this afternoon.
The semi-professional Team Taranaki, who won their way up to Central League last season, are ineligible for Chatham Cup, so a number of their players are expected to be released to play for their native clubs today.
"I'm expecting to see them with 4-6 of those players. But at the end of the day, it's just another go at Rangers," said King.
"It's Cup football - this is what football is made of. It's the FA Cup of New Zealand."
Among them will be Whanganui resident Josh Smith, who still lives at home while travelling north to play for his adoptive side.
Smith does relish facing his old clubmates, as evidenced by his wrecking havoc during Team Taranaki's 8-0 thumping of Athletic at Yarrow Stadium last year.
For King, the ultimate dream would be to emulate the 1970 Athletic team, which made the final round of 16 clubs, or even the great 1996 squad which reached the quarterfinals.
"Getting a few rounds in would show we're on the right path.
"Fortune favours the brave. We may have to 'park the bus' a little bit, and then take chances when we can, but that's football."
The team will not have Calvin Hove due to an ankle injury, and so have brought Steve Burney into the lineup, while also promoting GVCA Wanganui Athletic Reserves captain Richard Dalby.
"He's certainly somebody who will be up for the occasion of the day," said King.
Calvin's brother Raymond is coming off a hat trick in the win over Red Sox Manawatu, while the Burney family connection continues as Scott scored the other goal last week.
The scheduling of every Federation Cup first round game in Napier today is also a logistical headache for Athletic, as the Reserves prepare to take on the Gisborne Thistle - previously vanquished by the Athletic firsts after the long trip to the East Coast.
King explained that under the competition rules, once a club player has been selected for either the Chatham or Federation competition on a given weekend, they are then "Cup-tied" to remain with that same squad for the duration of their survival in the knockout tournament.
And unfortunately, as well as Chatham being priority, the Reserves will be missing other key players for the long trip away.
"It does take a little bit of planning and thought. Being my rookie year, it's a challenge," said King.
"It's a bit annoying for us, these younger guys, we've got a few tied up in the high school production and it's their last night.
"It's going to be a different team that goes over there."
Most of the Wembley Park junior and senior grounds have been closed today due to the heavy rain, however officials were going to leave a final decision on using fields No1 or No2 until 8am.
"With the Chatham and Federation Cup games played at Whanganui, they like those to go ahead, because they can't really shuffle them around."
The Big Orange Wanganui City 1sts are eager for whatever comes on their trip to Napier to face Clubs Hastings Western Rangers as they open and hopefully continue their Federation Cup campaign.
Running around training his City juniors last night, coach Kelvin Francis said full focus will be on the pitch, because even with other teams around them, there is little point in scouting due to the second Cup round being a random draw - chosen on Tuesday from today's winners.
"I've seen a little video of Club Hastings Western Rangers - that Napier Marist posted.
"I've seen their league position, but Cup football is a different thing.
"With Cup football, anybody registered to their club is eligible to play.
"We go there and just implement our game plan and doing what we do well, which is moving the ball."
City, who were the inaugural winners of the Cup in 2009, want to get back a little piece of the good history as since that time, they have been departing in either the first or second round.
"Hawera knocked us out twice," Francis lamented.
Rested last weekend for the hammering of Marist Development in the Horizons Premiership, joint-leading goal scorer Anthony Bell is back on the park and not showing any effects from the sprig which went into the top of his foot.
"Anthony's right to go, trained twice this week," said Francis.
"The whole group had two good sessions, Tuesday was really good, to be honest."
His fellow goal hunter Kyle Graham-Luke is under a slight cloud after a groin niggle during the week, and despite his eagerness to play through, Francis was leaving final assessment until this morning.
Desperate to settle the nerves, Francis wants his team to score early and then make the Rangers chase the game, being concerned that if it is close coming to crunch time, the local team will find another gear.
Their game kicks off at 1pm, while the Athletic Reserves face the Thistle at 2pm, the same time as their firsts meet New Plymouth at Wembley Park.