Young Matildas star Alexia Apostolakis has only been at Melbourne City for one season, but the teenage defender has made quite the impression at the Ninja A-League Premiers through her debut campaign at the club.
The 18-year-old defender has played in all 24 of City’s games in 2024-25, and is yet to taste defeat in club colours; only two of her teammates – Taylor Otto and Laura Hughes – have clocked more match minutes than Apostolakis’ 2,050 this season.
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The 2006-born Australian youth international has a senior Matildas career in her future, that much is certain – but for now, Apostolakis’ sole focus is on turning this season’s Premiership title into a trophy double as City head into the second leg of their Semi-Final tie with Central Coast Mariners locked level at 2-2, with the winner of Sunday’s return leg at ctrl:cyber Pitch set to earn a place in this season’s Grand Final.
Apostolakis has enjoyed a consistent season at City but has taken her game to a new level of late, thanks to head coach Michael Matricciani entrusting her with greater responsibility in the team’s attacking phases.
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The teenager’s evolving role was analysed on this week’s episode of Dub Zone, as A-Leagues commentator Teo Pellizzeri and Sydney FC legend Teresa Polias highlighted Apostolakis as a player capable of breaking Sunday’s Semi-Final second leg apart to send City through to the title decider.
“Very subtly, either Apostalakis has made this decision or they’ve devised a plan,” Pellizzeri said.
“In the first 22 games of the season, she only had 20 progressive carries, which is running more than 10 yards with the ball and retaining possession for your team. She’s had 14 in the last three games.
“So she’s exploded. (She’s) breaking up the pitch.
“Being at the venue (for the Semi-Final first leg), it was so noticeable how she is coming up to join the attack. It could just be a product of her being switched to left back and Roestbakken into right back, and because she’s not on her preferred foot, she’s more inclined to run into the middle of the pitch.
“But it’s very, very noticeable, and as we saw with that assist for Bryleeh Henry, it’s really taking effect.”
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Apostolakis notched her fourth assist of the season against the Mariners, with an incisive through ball to Bryleeh Henry after a driving run into midfield.
“Yeah, I’d love to pick her brain about that,” added Polias. “But it also could be a product of really good coaching of Matricciani as well.”
Apostolakis’ shift in gears has coincided with a purple patch of form put together by Henry, the player who benefited from Apostolakis’ through ball to score City’s second goal in a 2-2 draw against the Mariners last weekend.
Henry has been utilised as a substitute in eight of her 20 appearances this season but similarly to Apostolakis, has become more important to City’s success of late, scoring four of her five goals for the season in her last five appearances.
Those goals have come right when City have needed them most. An ankle injury to Venezuela international Mariana Speckmaier in late March saw Henry thrust into the starting XI and in Speckmaier’s absence, Henry has made three consecutive starts. She’s scored in all three games leading into the Semi-Final second leg.
Speckmaier was close to returning to the squad last weekend, and is expected to make her long-awaited return to the City squad on Sunday afternoon.
With fellow attacking star Lourdes Bosch ruled out of the first leg with soreness, and Matildas gun Holly McNamara reduced to a bench role due to a training niggle in the build-up to the first leg, Henry shouldered the offensive burden.
Now, despite the expected return of both Bosch and Speckmaier, plus the likely reintroduction of McNamara into Matricciani’s strongest XI, the Dub Zone panel backed Henry to retain her starting role and continue her hot streak at ctrl:cyber Pitch.
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“I have to ask the question here: you take one risk on one player carrying an injury, but how many players have to be under a cloud before you have to basically play the ones who are fit and in form?” Pellizzeri said.
“Bryleeh Henry has scored five in eight (games) now. She’s only had one streak of scoring goals like this previously in her career.
“But do they stick with Bryleeh Henry, if Lourdes Bosch isn’t good to start, if Mariana Speckmaier, even after a month out, isn’t ready to give 90 minutes from kickoff?”
“Well, she certainly deserves the start,” Polias replied. “But when you’re going into a second leg Semi and you’ve got to think about extra-time and penalties, I think logically, teams start with players coming back from injury, because you never know what’s going to happen if they have to come off early, if you put them on later and then they need to come off, you lose a sub.
“Although she does thoroughly deserve it. I think we’ll see Bryleeh Henry starting.”
LOCKED IN: Ninja A-League Semi-Final second leg fixtures confirmed
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