By Greg Blake
It was so near mission impossible that even Ethan Hunt and his crew would have said no. “You want me to what”?, followed by a click and dial tone. Heidelberg at Olympic Village and coming in off a couple of defeats, credit outgoing South Hobart boss, Max Clarke, for grabbing the clipboard and having once last crack at it, before making way for Peter Edwards.
Unfortunately for Clarke there was no fond farewell. Heidelberg slaughtered South Hobart 6-1in this third round Australian Championship game at Alexander’s Catalina Street fortress on Sunday. Heidelberg blasted its way to a six-goal lead by half time, but mercifully tossed the playing group about and coasted to the line, with youngster Eli Wright getting a very late consolation goal for the beleaguered visitors.
Ironically, the fierce sporting rivalry – enmity even – of the long-standing ‘north-south’ divide between Hobart and Launceston became an incidental feature of Sunday’s clash. Launceston-raised Fletcher Fulton played, if not his best, at least his most influential half of football for the season. Which is saying something, given that he’s been a revelation at left back.
He started Sunday at right back and didn’t miss a beat. He only needed a half anyway. Fulton is as quick and powerful as a Scorpion Tank, his running assertive, his decision-making bold, his intent deadly. He played a significant part in the build-up to every one of Alexander’s first half goals and ended a ferocious first 45 minutes by scoring one of his own.
If the F-Bombs’ Launceston lineage wasn’t enough to haunt South Hobart, Sunday’s rout started inside three minutes. Ciaran Bramwell provided the set-up and recently signed Launceston City sharpshooter, Angus Taylor, delivered a delightful package to open the scoring. There’s an unhurried, artfulness to Taylor’s finishing and his sweet right-footer into the far post top corner was a beauty.
The mercury plummeted and a soaking deluge persisted, yet the Warriors seemed to revel in the conditions. Eleven minutes in and a dogged Fulton drive deflected and looped almost perfectly for Bul Juach, who belted home from close range for 2-0.
A swift and decisive Fulton, Bramwell and Choc Dau combination slashed South Hobart open and the ‘Raging Bul’ grabbed his second on 26 minutes to make it 3-0. A ‘brace’ apparently. So does that become a brace of braces, when two players score twice, as happened on Sunday? Brace yourselves.
It was another deflected effort from Fulton on just on the half hour, opening the door for Juach’s hat-trick but thwarted by South Hobart goalkeeper, Kieran Brown. The ball popped airborne and lurking Bramwell’s unchallenged header into an open goal pretty much ended winless and wounded South Hobart’s Australian Championship quest to a grinding finality, for 2025 at least.
With Marcus Humbert critical to both goals, Bramwell scored another heading into the shadows of half time and Fulton got his scoreboard reward three minutes into first half stoppage time. At 6-0 call it cue in the rack.
South Hobart lifted enough to at least allow Ryan Govan – into the game at half time – some spotlight time. His double stop ten minutes out of the break was a spectacular second half rarity.
Sunday’s success was John Anastasiadis’ 50th win coaching Alexander, in 76 starts. And the team’s six goals takes the team goalscoring tally in all games this season to 98, just two away from the elusive century. Only two Victorian clubs – Avondale in 2023 and Melbourne Croatia back in 1983 – have managed to score 100 or more in all games in a season since the great Hakoah sides of the 1950’s.
And Sunday’s game fell on the 45th anniversary of Alexander’s most celebrated of successes, the 1980 NSL Grand Final flogging of Sydney City. On October 26, 1980.
As coach, John Anastasiadis might eschew the notion, but there is not a way in the known universe he would have allowed his side to lose this game on this day. J.A would have been about 12 years-of-age – with black and yellow in his veins – when the Warriors made history all those years ago.
More immediately, the result against South Hobart leaves Heidelberg clear of the top of Group B and needing just one more win to stake a claim for the final eight. Second-placed Marconi has found some form.
I suspect Heidelberg’s journey to take on the Stallions next weekend may be the most compelling game of this tournament to date. Can’t wait. Warrior Nation.
