Grand final victory over City will do much to secure the A-League Men expansion club’s place in Melbourne’s football hierarchy“We deserve to be in the grand final,” John Alosi boomed to the Western United dressing room, his voice raised to take command of a space that had burst into rapturous chants of his name as he entered.Earlier, the 46-year-old was sprinting onto the field and pumping his fists in celebration before being grabbed in a bear hug by his players. In the foreground, Connor Pain and Dylan Wenzel-Halls were sliding on their knees towards the United fanbase assembled in AAMI Park’s grandstand, celebrating the 98th-minute goal that lifted them to a 4-2 aggregate lead over Melbourne Victory and secured a...
The post-Ash Barty era would have started on a bleak note had it not been for the injury-prone baseliner’s maiden win in ParisWith the light fading in Paris on Sunday night, a one-time prodigy of Australian tennis enjoyed arguably the finest moment of a career that has been sadly restricted by injury. Well over a decade after matching the junior deeds of 13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal, Jason Kubler finally broke through for his first ever win at Roland Garros.After making it through qualifying in his fourth visit to Paris as a senior, Kubler was able to hold his nerve at critical times when defeating American Denis Kudla 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). He closed out the triumph...
When you’re a big, polarising club and nothing’s going right, it can feel like the footy world’s closing in on youA few years ago, the Sunday Age columnist Tim Boyle recalled a conversation with Kevin Sheedy at a draft camp. The teenager was spooning some mashed potatoes when Sheedy sidled up to him. “Ever hit anyone, Boyley?” he asked. That was the era. And that was Sheedy. He was always wary of cerebral types. He preferred tradies and farmers. His teams, particularly in the early days, lunched on the meek. “Half the time you were playing for self-preservation,” Dermott Brereton once said of Essendon games. “You didn’t know if you would be whacked, split open, broken nose, have your ear...
What better way to drum up immediate curiosity than borrowing someone else’s fame? But what then?To marquee or not to marquee? That is the question for A-Leagues operators the Australian Professional Leagues. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and Covid chaos, or to take arms against a sea of troubles?A key pillar in the league’s short-term strategy to emerge from its horror 2021-22 campaign was unveiled mid-week, as APL managing director Danny Townsend revealed that a list of 35 potential “world-class” signings had been earmarked by the league as potential “sugar hits” for what is hoped will be a reinvigorating 2022-23. Continue reading...
Cameron can claim credit for moulding a club with a purpose, a hard edge and an identifiable brandLeon Cameron coached his last game on Sunday. He choked up as he addressed his players beforehand. He told them he had no silverware, but no regrets. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told you on day one,” he said. ‘She’s on.” But when Carlton slammed on four goals in the first 10 minutes, she was over. Afterwards, Cameron limped through a guard of honour of the league chief executive and both teams. He looked relieved. He looked exhausted. He is nearly 50, and has worked full time in football since he was 16. Coaching was “zapping”, he said. It was time...