When a Sydney Derby comes around it's the hottest ticket in town – I can't think of many that haven't been sellouts. In terms of atmosphere, it's without question the biggest rivalry in Australian sport. Nothing else comes close.

I started out in the National Soccer League and played for Marconi Stallions in some of those big matches against Sydney Olympic. There was a different football culture back then and there was always lot of heart behind the support during a derby but the way Australian football has grown since has given way to a new culture and a new kind of atmosphere at big games.

It's a massive game for our fans and we want them to walk out of the stadium after the game singing as loudly as they were when they walked in. When Sydney FC come to visit it's always something to witness and it's the people in the stands, as much as the ones on the pitch, who set the tone for the derby and create the atmosphere.

There's never a free seat for a Sydney derby at Pirtek Stadium and while people ask about taking the game to ANZ Stadium, Parramatta is home. The fans are packed in close to the field and that creates an intensity that only rises when you're playing in a big game.

We've played eight derbies against Sydney FC now and we're tied at three wins apiece but those statistics never really enter your mind – there's always an incentive to beat your rival regardless of what the tally board says.

The derby fires up a bit differently to others but we approach every game the same way and that's going in to win. Whether or not it's Sydney FC, we prepare and play to win.

This is the game that you look for when the fixtures come out before the season even starts but when it comes to the day of the match it's important not to be caught up in the hype. Once you're on the field it becomes another game that you want to win.

I love being involved in every match of football that I play and that's enough motivation for me to want to keep playing well for as long as I can but you can't take games like the derby for granted. One day, when I do retire, they're the matches that will live longest in my memory.

As a team we weren't expecting to be where we are right now with only one win from 15 matches. It has been disappointing and frustrating but the reality is that we're in a position that we can't change.

The AFC Champions League was something different to look forward to during the week but we've got no intention of putting all our eggs in one basket and disregarding the A-League. I'd be disappointed if anyone thinks that we should.

Wherever we finish at the end of the season I want to know we're there because we fought hard for it and deserved to be there.

We've still got 11 games left and we'll go into them wanting to win every single one – starting with the team from eastern Sydney.

Ante Covic is the goalkeeper for Western Sydney Wanderers.