By Greg Blake
The form guide says Heidelberg United Alexander is a good thing to win its Australian Championship quarter final this coming Saturday against lesser-known Croweaters, North Eastern MetroStars. The track-watchers say otherwise. The Warriors are back on a home deck upon which they’ve lost outright just the once in their last 52 starts in all competitions, dating back to 2023.
And Olympic Village might provide some comfort, but the Warriors ought to be less concerned about venue than addressing a rapid decline in form and a series of increasingly tardy starts. Last weekend – against South Hobart in the last of the group games – was a once unthinkable third consecutive game in which Alexander has fallen behind and played catch-up. And it was just the fourth time in this 45-game – and still counting – 2025 season that the Warriors were left lamenting a half time deficit.
Next Game : Online Tickets
Heidelberg United v Metro Stars
Wrestled comebacks are fine, but the static energy and once simmering and snarling Warrior starts are being replaced by a sluggish lack of vitality. The piper – it seems – is exacting a toll for both the physical and mental demands on part-timers who’ve clocked up in excess of around 70 hours of actual competitive gametime – or a game every six days – plus 100 or more training sessions since the season kicked off on February 6.
Management is sweating on the expected return from overseas this Friday of skipper and anchor, Ben Collins, who may or may not be right to go against the South Australians the very next day. Heidelberg is also reeling from the loss of Jim Rooney Medalist, Max Bisetto, who dislocated his shoulder in a Tassie swimming pool last weekend.
Next Game : Online Tickets
Heidelberg United v Metro Stars
Even Alexander’s Director of Football, Nick Deligiannis, concedes that the rewards for a hugely successful season become something of a duel-edged sword. “Obviously to keep playing so deep into the year means you have been successful”, he iterated, referencing finals, Australia Cup, Dockerty Cup and now Championship fixtures. “But I think yes, we are now seeing a little bit of tiredness in the playing group”.
“I think playing game after game can eventually be a bit wearing”, Deligiannis explained. “But I reckon returning to the knock-out phase will sharpen the focus quite a bit”. The winner of Saturday’s Heidelberg v MetroStars game will move into a semi final match-up against either South Melbourne or NWS Spirit, who meet on Sunday, in one of three of the four quarter finals scheduled to be decided in Melbourne this weekend.
Next Game : Online Tickets
Heidelberg United v Metro Stars
Heidelberg has virtually owned the knock-out phase of every competition in which they’ve been embroiled during 2025. They’ve walked the high-wire in what is surely a record of 13 (6 Dockerty Cup, 5 Australian Cup and two NPL Victoria finals) such games to date, winning eleven times and only faltering in the Australian Cup and Dockerty Cup finals. And it has been those commanding – but recently absent – fast starts have been largely responsible for their success.
Next Game : Online Tickets
Heidelberg United v Metro Stars
The Warriors led at half time in all but two knockout games – against Newcastle it was 1-1 and against Wellington it was scoreless at the interval – and that Jets’ goal was one of only two Heidelberg conceded before half time in all thirteen knock-out matches. A return to a couple of those emphatic starts would be most welcome in the run to the climax of tis inaugural Australian Championship.
And just as a footnote, Alexander led at some stage in every single one of their sudden-death games this season, and they were never beaten outright over 90 minutes. The 3-1 loss to Newcastle Jets came in extra time after a 1-1 finish at full time. And even in that shameful Dockerty Cup final debacle South Melbourne had to wait until 90+5 minutes for the winner to make it 2-1.
For those not familiar with North Eastern MetroStars, the South Australian club can boast a relatively meteoric rise to prominence since formation in 1994. At national level, starting in 2015 they’ve been a relative regular in the Australian Cup Round of 32 and beyond, getting as far as the quarter finals in 2023 and making the Round of 16 this year.
MetroStars also won the old post-season NPL club National Championship in 2014, when they beat Bonnyrigg White Eagles in the final. In 2025 MetroStars finished on top of the NPL South Australia ladder for the third successive year. In this current Championship series they won three and drew one of their Group D games and head into this weekend with, at least statistically, the weakest attack but toughest defence of all the quarter finalists, having scrounged just seven goals in six group games whilst conceding just four. And not given up more than a single goal in any one game.
Alexander hasn’t met a South Australian side in competition for seven years, when they won 4-0 on road trip against the Adelaide Comets in the 2018 Australia Cup. The last South Aussie team to play at Olympic Village was Adelaide United, in a 2017 Australia Cup clash. The Croweaters had quite the day out, trashing the Warriors 4-0.
And just a reminder that Saturday’s game against MetroStars kicks off at precisely 3.35pm, which is a damned sight more amenable than the 1pm starts of recent weeks. Pub lunch, big win and home for dinner sounds brilliant!
