Adelaide United have surged to the top of the Isuzu UTE A-League table – and they’ve done so with a squad brimming with South Australian talent.
Saturday night’s pulsating 3-2 win over bitter rivals Melbourne Victory at a sold-out Coopers Stadium felt significant for the club. Not only did the Reds go top with an epic Original Rivalry triumph, but they finished the game with eight South Australian footballing products on the pitch.
Nine, if you ask head coach Carl Veart, who counts Spanish club legend and now Australian citizen IsaÃas among the club’s many Adelaideans.
MATCH REPORT: Adelaide United go top of the table after pipping Victory in thrilling Original Rivalry clash
14,151 fans packed into Coopers Stadium for Saturday night’s Original Rivalry and the sellout crowd added to the magic of a game decided by a match-winning goal scored by Ethan Alagich, son of Reds legend Richie, whose progression from a kid walking the halls of the club alongside his father to a bona fide star of the first team has epitomised Veart’s approach to fostering local talent.
“It’s fantastic. It’s something I’m very proud of,” Veart said post-game.
“Having spent a long time here at, not (only) this club but the club before Adelaide United as well, Adelaide City (in the NSL) – they were (also) very strong with South Australian players. I’ve made no secret about that, about my time being at the club. I’m very proud of that.
“At the end of the game, I think only Bart (Vriends) and Isa (IsaÃas) were the only ones that weren’t South Australian – but we count Isa as South Australian now, he’s been here that long.
“Very happy for the club and I think everyone in South Australian football, all the clubs and the federation should be proud as well because they all play a big part in developing our young players.”
Of Adelaide’s 11 players on the park at full-time in the Original Rivalry, Alagich, Ethan Cox, Panagiotis Kikianis, Jay Barnett, Jonny Yull, Ryan White, Yaya Dukuly and Luka Jovanovic all grew up in Adelaide.
Of those eight players, Veart singled out 19-year-old centre-back Kikianis and match-winning midfielder Alagich, 21, for special praise following their respective contributions to the 3-2 win.
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Earlier this season, Veart spoke of a continuing fine system he has put in place for every time Alagich fires a shot over the crossbar, in a challenge to the young midfielder to add goals to his game.
Alagich didn’t score a single goal in his first 48 appearances for the club, but now has two goals in his last four games – including the decisive strike in the Original Rivalry
“I think he looked at me (after scoring),” Veart said.
“He knew he owed me a hundred bucks when he shot in the first half, because he put it over the bar – and goals cancel that out for him.
“Very pleased. Ethan gets through a lot of work. When he moved to left-back when Ryan went off as well, I thought he was excellent in a position he’s never played before.
“Again, a young player we’ve got a lot of belief in and we’ve given a lot of opportunities to grow, and he’s definitely doing that.”
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Then, there was Kikianis. The teenage defender who, in 2024, signed a new five-year deal with the club – the first of its kind in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Kikianis supplied the assist for Adelaide’s first goal of the night, picking out Stefan Mauk with a lofted through ball delivered into space in behind Victory’s defence, and in the aftermath of the equalising goal at 1-1, was spotted gathering the Adelaide squad together on the pitch to deliver a motivating message to the playing group.
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Veart lauded Kikianis for his impact against Victory, describing the 19-year-old as a player with a unique set of attributes that set him apart from defenders around the league.
“Pana, I don’t think you’ll find another central defender in the league that plays the way he does,” Veart said.
“Some of the passes he plays, he breaks the lines, his organisation, he’s ticked a lot of boxes and made a lot of improvement in his game this season – and he’s still only 19 years of age.
“He’s come a long way, he’s had some tough injuries over the last two years so we’re starting to see a consistent run of games for him. You’re starting to see the real qualities we’ve seen in him for a long time.”
Adelaide fans don’t have to wait long to return to Coopers Stadium to watch their league-leading side in action, with Wednesday night’s top-of-the-table clash with second-placed Auckland FC which, in the context of their season, promises to be an occasion of similar importance to the win over Victory.
Having just witnessed a sold-out crowd produce a pulsating atmosphere fitting to the occasion of Saturday’s Original Rivalry, Veart challenged the fans to show up in strong numbers once again to play the role of 12th man at Coopers Stadium for the top-two blockbuster.
“I think it would be great to be able to get this support every home game,” Veart added.
“The first two years in the A-League, and even the first year of the club, that was the crowd we were getting every week, and it would be fantastic to get that back, to get more members.
“We’re a very proud South Australian club and we need all our supporters to get behind us – especially with the way we’re tracking this year. Get out, become a member of the club and make sure you get here Wednesday night.”
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