aleagues.com.au looks back at a season of progress for Western Sydney Wanderers under Alen Stajcic.
As the full-time whistle blew on Saturday night, there was disbelief on the faces of Western Sydney Wanderers players and fans.
This is not how it was meant to go.
A first Isuzu UTE A-League Semi-Final since finishing runners-up in 2015-16 was within touching distance amid Western Sydney’s best of run of form in 12 years, but the Wanderers fell short of rivals Melbourne Victory at CommBank Stadium.
The pain and frustration was obvious around Western Sydney, but there is so much to take away from the Wanderers’ season.
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With Alen Stajcic at the helm in his first season, the Wanderers are a club rejuvenated. Just look at the crowd of more than 16,000 supporters on Saturday night or the travelling fans for trips to Campbelltown and Gosford earlier this season.
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The former CommBank Matildas boss has galvanised a supporter base and a region amid the 12-game winning streak that was snapped on the weekend.
The football did the talking in 2024-25. A league-high 58 goals – spearheaded by an exciting attacking trio comprising in-demand star Nicolas Milanovic, Socceroo Brandon Borrello and Zac Sapsford. Then throw in the emergence of the league’s new exciting centre-back duo – young guns Alex Bonetig and Anthony Pantazopoulos.
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“There’s obviously a lot to look forward to and a lot to be proud of,” Stajcic reflected after the 2-1 loss against Victory. “I’m proud of my staff. I think I’ve got the best staff in the league, and probably that I’ve ever had.
“So an amazing football staff, an amazing bunch of football players, you know, from one through to 25 – everyone’s working hard for a spot, that’s unique in the football landscape.
“They have such a good, cohesive football playing group, and united and aligned. (I) couldn’t be any prouder of the way they’ve carried themselves, whether they’re playing, starting on the bench, coming off the bench, or not even in the squad.
“It’s just a brilliant group of human beings. For that, it’s probably the saddest part that we can’t go and share a real victory together.
“We had a lot of accomplishments: the amount of goals we scored, the winning streak, bringing the crowds back in, the engagement with the members again, and all massive foundations, the culture we’ve created around the club. They’re all massive accomplishments
“But the achievement is winning things and that’s the one we’ve got to keep striving for and ensuring that this is a good platform for the future, and we keep building on that platform.
“Hopefully we can produce a little bit better when we need it next year.”
There is a mix of pride and sadness as Stajcic reflected. but the future is bright for the 2014 AFC Champions League winners.
While Socceroo-in-waiting Milanovic is reportedly tipped to move abroad, Stajcic has an exciting young core at his disposal.
Just look at Pantazopoulos, Bonetig, Oscar Priestman and Aydan Hammond. That is before you even get to Dylan Scicluna. The former Wolves youngster was in red-hot form when a serious knee injury cut short his breakout season. Throw in the 20-year-old midfielder and the Wanderers look even more ominous in 2025-26.
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There is also talk talented teenager Marcus Younis could be set to return to Wanderland following a loan stint at Dutch giants PSV, where he has been starring for their reserve team.
A long off-season is ahead for Western Sydney, however, the foundations are in place.
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“I look at Melbourne Storm in rugby league – they’ve been at the top for 20 odd years with Craig Bellamy,” Stajcic said last week. “I look at the Penrith Panthers in the rugby league.
“You look at what Manchester United did under Alex Ferguson. I’m not comparing us to them for one second. I’m just saying the platforms they built within their teams and within their cultures are built for long-term success.
“This is the club that should have that for me. We’re the club best suited to have all those things in place, from our junior Academy to fee free for the kids, to the nursery of talent around this whole geography to the fan base, to young aspiring families who live in the western suburbs, to the migrant population.
“I’ve said it for a long time, we have the best chance of being the most successful club in the country, and it’s up to us to put all that together.”
