By Greg Blake
Although the starting line-up is undecided, hopefully this weekend will allow a happy homecoming of sorts for Heidelberg United Alexander’s red-hot goalscoring golden boot, Bul Juach, when the Warriors take on Wollongong this weekend.
Juach was a teenager in 2019, but very much a part of Wollongong’s last major national success, when the Luke Wilkshire-coached Wolves won the now-defunct NPL National Championship.
In a thrilling final against Brisbane Lions, Juach came off the bench and scored inside ten minutes to break a 2-2 extra time deadlock, with Wollongong eventually getting over the line 4-3. Also in the Wollongong side that day – and a goal scorer in the final – was Takeru Okada, who later also spent a season at Olympic Village.
A humid 21 degrees and light rain all day is the weather predicted to greet Alexander when they take on the Wollongong at the Wolves’ Figtree home in the second round of the newly-minted Australian Championship series on Saturday.
And Heidelberg’s first game played outside of metropolitan Melbourne since August 30, 2023 – a remarkable 75 games in all competitions since they travelled to beat Mount Druitt Town in an Australian Cup tie – will not be a sight-seeing sojourn for a playing group about to face off in their 41st competitive game since February this year.
According to Alexander’s Director of Football, Nick Delegiannis, despite Wollongong boasting some of the best surf beaches on the east coast, it will be “quick in-and-out” 1,700km round trip to face the Wolves, flying in on Friday night and returning after what he hopes will be a successful hit-and-run mission. “The boys have trained well and are fit and ready to go again”, he said.
Deligiannis predicted the same squad which edged Marconi 1-0 in the opening round would make the trip, with the starting line-up still undecided. Wollongong finished eighth of the 16 team-strong NSW State League in 2025, but finished a disappointing campaign strongly and despatched South Hobart 3-1 in Tassie in their championship opener last weekend.
The last time Heidelberg United played away against Wollongong was back in round nine of Alexander’s final National Soccer League season, played over the summer of 1994/95. A couple of Andy Vlahos goals twice put the Warriors ahead on the way to a 2-1 win at the now demolished Brandon Park.
Alexander also won the return game 4-3 in a thriller which turned out to be their very last game against the Wolves for the next three decades.
