Western Sydney Wanderers have clinched the Premiers Plate only a year after being mooted Western Sydney Wanderers crowned A-League premiers in their debut season. WHAT a difference a year makes. This Thursday will mark the first anniversary of the groundbreaking announcement that a western Sydney franchise would be established in the A-League. Pessimists at the time decried the move as a frantic, poorly conceived move to replace Gold Coast United. Pragmatists were concerned that a hastily cobbled together team would struggle to match it with the A-League's elite. And the optimists? Few enough to hold a meeting in a phone box, the positivity was more about the prospect of a western Sydney club connecting with the western suburbs. On the field success would gave to wait, because that's what first-year teams do. The Wanderers proved everyone wrong, even those of us who supported the venture as a piece of bravery rather than stupidity. Another effective outing last night secured the fledgling franchise an 18th victory this season, the most improbable of Premiers' Plates and a unique place in Australia's sporting annals. The estimated 10,000 Western Sydney fans who made the two-and-a-half hour trek to Hunter Stadium last night were rewarded for their passion as the Wanderers ensured they would enter the A-League finals riding a 12-game unbeaten streak. They did so in emphatic fashion - a 3-0 victory over the Jets - and with a cohesion, tempo and work ethic all their own. Just four months ago bookmakers had installed Western Sydney $51 outsiders to claim the title. Then again, this is a franchise that has defied odds for 359 consecutive days. What price is the future?