Topor-Stanley’s 350 Not Out: The home truth that changed it all

Western United defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley hit 350 A-League appearances over the weekend, becoming only the second to do so, writes Tom Smithies.

Nikolai Topor-Stanley is talking about the finish line, but not in the way you might expect.

Just at the point where the defender is poised to set another A-League record, Topor-Stanley is using sprints to illustrate why his marathon career isn’t about to wind up.

Western United beat Melbourne City 1-0 on Saturday as Topor-Stanley reached 350 A-League appearances – only the second player to do so after Andrew Durante – adding another layer to a sweeping career that has taken in the high of winning the Asian Champions League to the lows of losing four grand finals.

Inevitably such a milestone, especially in a player 36 years old, raises questions of how much more there is left to give, but the answer is pretty simple. Topor-Stanley was, he says, “gratified” when it was pointed out to him this week that in a season where he has regularly played less than 90 minutes, he has clearly been the player working hardest in the post-match sprints that subs have to undertake.

Having been told that “you’re one of the only people making the line and not pulling up before the line”, Topor-Stanley smiled. “I thought, you know, thanks for noticing – because that’s kind of a standard that you would think it’s not that hard to do, but not many people do,” he tells KEEPUP.

Topor-Stanley with Tony Popovic after winning the ACL with Western Sydney in 2014.

“People are inherently lazy and they try and take shortcuts, and that’s just human nature. You want to take the easiest way to whatever your goal is, and I guess, having people that have kind of drilled a certain attitude into me, it’s kind of become second nature.

“If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it to 100% of my ability, and I’m not going to go 99% of the way. The standard that I got held up to by people far better than me, and far harder than me, has kind of rubbed off on me. I can uphold that and maybe set an example.”

Prime among those football people was Tony Popovic, who signed Topor-Stanley for Western Sydney Wanderers in 2012 and promptly told him some home truths about his preparation, lifestyle and attitude. The fact a decade later Topor-Stanley has so many appearances to his name is testament to how much he absorbed that tough love, and reaped the benefits.

It’s a major reason why John Aloisi signed Topor-Stanley for Western United last July as he rebuilt a nascent club’s dressing room. “You know about someone and you know, from playing and coaching against them, what they’re going to be like, but I didn’t expect him to be so good,” says Aloisi.

“It’s because of the way he drives the change room, his professionalism, the way he looks after himself, the intensity trains at every day. I don’t see him stopping anytime soon, so I think he could get to the 400(-game) mark.”

Losing the 2018 Grand Final with Newcastle was Topor-Stanley’s fourth such defeat.

In some ways Topor-Stanley is content to enjoy every moment from here on, having stared briefly at the prospect that his career might have come to a natural halt anyway after he left Newcastle last year.

“To be honest with you, in the offseason I didn’t know if that phone would ever ring,” he said. “It did, and I’m thankful for it, and I guess I stayed mentally and physically ready.

“It does take two to tango, right? Contracts don’t appear out of thin air, you have to earn them by form and people have to want you to be involved.

“I still feel good and the moment I can’t, that I feel I can’t contribute in a meaningful way, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up to say I don’t want to keep playing just for the sake of staying in football. I kind of want to go out with a bit of dignity.

“We’ll see where that takes me.”