‘‘Top four. We have not done that for many years and that’s our goal for next year,’’ he said.

‘‘I want to expand on what we have done this year with more attacking and more goals for, on the same principle of not letting goals against.’’

The 51-year-old father-of-three, who works for the Tasmanian Fire Service, completed a Northern hat-trick at the Victory League awards after Northern Rangers midfielder Yitay Towns won the player of the season and former Riverside Olympic junior Luke Eyles (now Olympia) claimed the rising star.

Sciulli’s first year in charge at Mitsubishi Park saw a major turnaround for a club accustomed to vying with Glenorchy for the wooden spoon.

City finished fifth, and while they may have ended up with 10 losses and a negative goal difference, Sciulli pointed to the solitary goal conceded in the team’s seven league wins as evidence of their potential.

‘‘We lost a few games we should not have. We had two thumpings, so could have done better, and that gives us something to work on next year.

‘‘Overall it’s been a good year. It’s a bit daunting with all the media commitments and everything that you’re not really ready for, and the football was a tough gig. You go to bed thinking about it and it’s back when you wake up. It’s been tougher than I thought but I think I’m starting to get the knack of it.

‘‘We went a bit tighter in defence to stop a lot of the goals going in.

‘‘We’ve always been a very powerful club. It’s just the last eight or nine years that we’ve started to struggle, but a lot of hard work from the committee, players and coaches have started to turn us around.

‘‘We won the under-18s this year and the Victory League is picking up, so we’re starting to bear fruit.’’

Launceston-born  Sciulli was  destined to join City.

The former Charles Street Primary and Queechy High student played on field until his late 40s, prolonged his career by going in goal, and now gets his kicks in the club’s Sunday social side.

‘‘I do that to get away from the stresses. It’s quite enjoyable playing with the old timers,’’  he said.

‘‘It’s my first year coaching in the Victory League but I’ve been coaching under-20s and juniors for five or six years and been at the club for 27 years all up.

‘‘I love the people there. It’s always been an extremely friendly club.’’

As for how he felt to be judged the state’s top coach, Sciulli added: ‘‘I was delighted. It’s a bit daunting to be decided by your peers and I was a little bit surprised. You don’t go to these events expecting to win but I was happy to get it.’’

LAUNCESTON CITY’S 2015 VICTORY LEAGUE WINS: Round 3 d Kingborough 2-0; Round 8 d Glenorchy 6-0; Round 11 d South Hobart 1-0; Round 12 d Devonport 1-0; Round 15 d Glenorchy 3-0; Round 16 d Northern Rangers 3-1; Round 19 d Devonport 5-0.