by Greg Blake
Under the full winter moon beaming over Olympic Village late on Friday night, supporters of a team which – to date – has won nothing, shared a luminous and warming glimpse of just beyond the horizon. Alexander’s 2-0 defeat of Dandenong Thunder offered a vision of a rosy future and world painted in vibrant yellow and black.
Another club record fell. Milestone games for Yaren Sozer, Asahi Yokokawa and skipper Ben Collins were celebrated. Alexander avenged their last defeat back in March. And the manner of Friday night’s triumph elevated this pulsating 2025 thrill-ride into highlight reels and history books territory.
It might have been a slaughter. The Warriors’ breathless and desperate opening half was as commanding as any this season. The home side dominated field position and possession utterly, yet despite pummelling Jamie Young’s goal at the social club end relentlessly, only a 26th minutes Jamal Ali strike separated the two sides.
Shell-shocked Thunder allowed Mo Aidara the time and space to virtually meander along the goal-line before stepping around a challenger and squaring into the goal face for Ali. ‘Whispering Death’ nailed his seventh of the season to break the deadlock, twisting to edge the ball between defender and goalkeeper.
Bul Juach – who else! – sealed the deal inside the hour. Relentless front half pressure was rewarded with a forced turnover and left a triumvirate of threats to swoop in like nesting magpies in Spring. The silky combination of Aidara, Sebit Ngor and Juach ended with Aidara’s cross being met by Juach’s decisive sweeping right-footer to make it 2-0.
It’s no knock on Thunder – a very good side, as this season has consistently shown – to say they were reeling and dizzied in the face of an Alexander onslaught. The Warriors were ‘on’ from there start, hunting with relentless intent, attacking in pulsating waves and defensively faultless for 90 minutes.
Max Bisetto played with renewed spark, architect Anthony Lesiotis is calibrated to metronomical precision, Yokokawa both provides and finishes with equal poise. And Anastasiadis’ bench is rich with talent, options and character.
The depth of threat is matched in breadth. Right-back Ali’s stealth and cunning in both creating and scoring we know, but an emboldened Fletcher Fulton is offering as much out of left-back, if not in style, certainly with intent. Ali was away on World Cup duty and Fulton not yet a starter – he was subbed in and scored – when Thunder beat the Warriors back in round five.
Friday night’s success meant a second all-time club record to fall inside a month. The current 17-game run undefeated in all competitions by this remarkable 2025 team has now surpassed the previous mark of 16 games without loss, set a decade ago.
After Friday night Alexander has beaten every other team in the race at least once this year. They’ve not been held scoreless since round 21 last season. Two years and 31 league games undefeated at home. Two all-time club records eclipsed inside a month. Finals a certainty. Dockerty Cup semi finals beckon. Into the Australia Cup round of 32 for a record-equalling seventh time.
Can’t get better than this? Of course it can. And the road ahead is fraught with peril and potential pitfalls. But if you can’t kick back with a jigger of brandy and embrace these moments, these times and this remarkable young team, you’ve something other than black and yellow blood in your veins.
This Friday night Alexander’s Army is on the march again, this time up to beautiful Broady to face potentially finals-bound Hume City. In the meantime raise a glass and toast Johnny A and his new breed of Warriors. Sure it’s a grand, old team to play for. You bloody bet it is![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
