By Greg Blake
Suns out, guns out. After three weeks of theatrical come-from-behind victories in the chill of evening, a burst of welcome afternoon sunshine and record-smashing Alexander instead flexed considerable muscle to put the youngsters from Melbourne Victory away early on Sunday at the Home of he Matildas.
It threatened to rain goals for the Warriors in a whirlwind start, but strikes from Bul Juach and Sebit Ngor inside the opening half hour were sufficient to set up table-topping Heidelberg United’s remarkable tenth consecutive league win and 13th win overall, including a trio of cup victories.
An audacious Jamal Ali goal – is there any other kind? – late in the day transformed a largely unremarkable 2-0 coast to the line into a glowing 3-0 Heidelberg United triumph. Ali’s goal befitting the day when this wonderful 2025 outfit set a new all-time club record of thirteen consecutive victories in all competitions.
The previous record of 12 consecutive wins in all competitions had held firm since July 1960, in Alexander’s first year of senior VASFA (now FV) competition. The club won its opening 12 games of the 1960 season, lost only once and scored 113 goals in clinching the Provisional League title at first attempt. Alexander of the early 1960s earned the nickname ‘Invincibles’.
Sunday’s record-breaking game for the most part lacked sizzle. Melbourne Victory’s academy outfit might have been unnerved but weren’t as the Warrior’s aggressive early assault produced a slew of of largely scrappy chances. Victory were steady to the end, without ever looking likely to reel in Alexander’s lead.
Early goals from the usual suspects – Juach and Ngor – maintained a two goal buffer until Ali added a cheeky exclamation point five minutes from the finish, galloping deep towards the goal-line and close to the right upright, just when it appeared he’d run out of angle Ali deftly hooked a right footer across his body and over the keeper for 3-0. As ever, Ali’s celebratory smile was priceless.
In 2025, Heidelberg United is a team of the moment. Being in the moment is indulgent. A luxury. Maintaining focus on the remaining half season to come is priority. Thus it was without fuss or fanfare that the playing group took on Victory and were only invited to savour the occasion after Sunday’s win.
The record is not important. The silverware is what it’s about. Eyes on the prize. But if the journey is the reward, the magnitude of the record-breaking run should not be lost on coach, John Anastasiadis, and his playing group. ‘JA’ has played and coached somewhere beyond 800 games and he could not recall ever experiencing a winning run such as this one.
As Fitzroy and then Heidelberg United, Alexander has produced some wonderful teams and memorable triumphs over 65 years. Yet it took until Alexander’s 1,869th competitive game last Sunday for this team to re-write history. It’s an achievement deserved of more than a fleeting moment.
Hopefully the playing group will suck it all in and appreciate it as a one-off, once in a lifetime achievement. It won’t happen again. Not with this playing group. And hopefully this game will be somehow commemorated. After all, it was a game 65 years in the making.
But the game is over. The record is broken; let next week begin. That’s simply how it works. So bring on St Albans next Friday night as this marvellous 2025 journey continues
Footnote – When Alexander’s 12-game record was set Australia’s Prime Minister was Sir Robert Menzies. We’ve had 16 Prime Ministers since. The Beatles hadn’t met each other. Our currency was in Pounds, Shilling and Pence and only about 70 percent of Australian households could afford a single black and white television set.
