By Greg Blake
The Home of the Matildas was comfortably full. The contest was red-hot. The 2025 Dockerty Cup final was memorable. South Melbourne hung in and came from behind to steal a 2-1 win. Good on ‘em. And Alexander supporters weren’t disappointed. Deflated, defeated and disgusted, absolutely yes. But not disappointed.
Heidelberg did everything conceivable to win the game. But two weeks of demoralising game-on-the-line decisions to savagely impact the Warriors’ season has bled into an eye-rolling third. Another spate of second half yellow cards, another pair of goals disallowed, another credible penalty shout turned down. Cup final over.
Alexander welcomed back Jamal Ali and an inspirational Fletcher Fulton and the Warriors took the lead just four minutes in. Mo Aidara set up Asahi Yokokawa, who opted for skidding precision. His left-footer across the body from the top of the penalty area, angled neatly inside the far post and kick-started a blistering end-to-end first half. Yaren Sozer and Javier Lopez made critical stops. Heidelberg still led at the break.
Hellas half time substitute, Campbell Dovison – who went on to grab the match-winner five minutes into second half stoppage time – scored with his first touch to level the game just 40 seconds after the re-start. Dovison’s bouncing header was ruled over the goal line despite Jamal Ali’s desperate leap to hook the ball clear. Replays were inconclusive.
Shortly thereafter Pope’s desperate slide which swept Mo Aidara’s legs from under him deep inside the penalty area went un-challenged and Aidara’s reward was a yellow card as he pled a case to the referee.
Controversy. Aidara goal disallowed for Offside
Seventy minutes in produced the worst call of the game. Mikkola’s errant under pressure back-pass to his goalkeeper forced Lopez wide of the goal face and into a desperate slide to keep the ball in play. The ball bobbles to Max Bisetto, who angles into an empty net.
The far side assistant – who flagged the ball out of play – could hardly be conclusive that the ball was completely over the line, with Lopez’s body angled such that he had his back to the official and obscuring any view of his lower legs as they made contact and cannoned the ball back towards Bisetto. Before the ball was completely over the line.
Same assistant, same flag, around 60 seconds later. Yokokawa’s corner – one of the many racked up by Alexander after the break – is nodded into a crowd by Ryan Lethlean and Aidara taps home from close range, only for his goal to be annulled by an offside call which was either very marginally right or more likely not.
Ali gets booked, followed by Lesiotis. The game clock ticks away. Lopez stops a ripper from Jay McGowan. South Melbourne launches one last raid deep into stoppage time and a magnificent double save by Sozer from Bonada isn’t enough, the ball spilling for Leech to tee up Dovison for the winner.
Stand-in skipper, Sozer, paid credit to Hellas and spoke with great affection about his teammates in a post game address. He also had the courage and integrity to address the issue of the massive elephant squeezing its way into the room. “We showed so much heart, but, you know, some poor decisions by the referee …. but that’s football”. I suspect he may have liked to say more, but remaining circumspect was wise.
A perfectly good but disallowed winner against Hellas a couple of weeks back and the inexplicable final half hour debacle at Avondale last weekend – including a slew of bookings and the Ben Collins send off – and aberration becomes thematic. The cup is done, the premiership is unlikely and the players have just three days to prepare for Western Sydney Wanderers in the national cup.
Collins couldn’t captain his side on Saturday – or interact with teammates an hour either side of the cup final – for fear of further punitive action. He probably had to pay to get into Saturday’s game! Like long-term injured champ, AJ Fetahagic, Collins had to step back and benignly watch his teammates go down. Part of it, but, you know, not really. And they couldn’t do a damned thing to help.
Those utterly gleeful at Alexander’s demise are circling like vultures desperate to pick at the carcass, and right now there is real uncertainty about a team which has produced sustained excellence for months on end. Be it the fates conspiring against us, ineptitude or something even darker, the best team in the competition is now in the once unimaginable position of coming away from 2025 with nothing at all.
Deflated, defeated and disgusted. You bet we are. As well as defiant and determined. Bring on Tuesday night. Just give these boys a fair go. Warrior Nation!
