Nothing beats the cold, hard touch of silverware, and for the first time in their 93-year history the Socceroos have their hands on a major trophy. For a sport which for far too long has struggled for self-belief, this was the final frontier. An epic final against a gallant South Korea was the perfect graduation ceremony, and things will never be the same again. Winning the Asian Cup delivers legitimacy on so many levels, and the game is ready to make the most of it.

Australia had tried hard to join Asia before the Asians finally opened the door in 2005. A decade later we've delivered a best-ever Asian Cup – record television ratings and average crowds of 20,000 – and a final fitting of the occasion. For the first time in history one country provides the champions of Asia at both club and international level at the same time. That country is Australia. Don't underestimate the ramifications.

Of course, we always understood how much we would benefit from the alliance with Asia. What we didn't know was how much Asia would benefit from having us. Now we can say everyone wins, despite the grumblings of a handful of Gulf states.

Australia and Asia have a lot to gain by being closer together – economically, politically and culturally. Over the last three weeks, football has shown it possesses the power to help make that happen. From now on the possibilities are endless. No wonder some rival sports are nervous.

Much of this wouldn't have happened, of course, without the success of the Socceroos. The tournament hinged on the performance of the host nation, and the team rose magnificently to the occasion. All 23 players –including three who didn't get on the park (Eugene Galekovic, Terry Antonis and Mitch Langerak) – have etched their names in history, and the squad was suitably feted in downtown Sydney on Sunday afternoon. But some, it can be said, contributed more than others.

The coming of age of Matthew Spiranovic, Trent Sainsbury, Mat Ryan and Massimo Luongo is the first tangible reward for Ange Postecoglou's determined focus on regeneration. That's a foundation for a new era right there. Tim Cahill didn't finish the final and Mark Bresciano didn't participate in it. Passing of the baton? It certainly looked like it.

After a turbulent 15 months of trial and error, the Socceroos are now a team moulded in the image of their coach. There's a lot to look forward to.

Luongo's goal epitomised the Postecoglou way. Sainsbury and Spiranovic had tried and failed several times to play vertically out of defence. South Korea knew this was the key ball for Australia, and shut down the lanes and the space to try and force Sainsbury and Spiranovic to go wide, where fullbacks Ivan Franjic and Jason Davidson were immediately hustled out of possession. For most of the first half, the Socceroos couldn't adjust.

But if you play for Postecoglou, you're always encouraged to back yourself. So Sainsbury tried once more with the straight pass, the ball cut through the lines, and a sweet turn and shot from Luongo did the rest. Now that's how the coach expects his team to play. Having a go. It's the Australian way.

No one believes more in Australian football – its culture, its history, its style – than Postecoglou. The good news is he's now untouchable. The Socceroos couldn't have a better mentor as they gear up for the next World Cup campaign, nor could the game as a whole have a better guardian.

Those World Cup qualifiers kick off in June, with the draw to be made in late March. As champions of Asia, there will now be a different kind of pressure on the players, and Postecoglou will keep a close eye on how they react. Unlike the recent past, there are no longer any guarantees.

What we can say is that the Socceroos have their mojo back, and will bring the football community along with them.

World Cup qualifiers are set to be played in smaller centres like Newcastle, Canberra and Wollongong as recognition of their recent support. The nation has fallen in love with the Socceroos again, and having conquered Asia, Postecoglou now wants to conquer the world. Who'd bet against him?