“Oooooh, John Aloisi. Ohhhh, John Aloisi!”
“Johnny A for a place in the World Cup.”
These aren’t words from the terraces; these are Western United’s players.
Moments after claiming the club’s first piece of silverware, minutes after Josh Risdon and Alessandro Diamanti hoisted the famous toilet seat into the sky, Western’s stars were chanting for their boss.
He was next up in the sky, chaired by his players.
And as they threw their coach in the air, embraced him on the pitch, or interrupted his press conference, the sense of respect, and admiration for their coach was palpable.
This is a man whose name almost transcends football, and seeps into the mainstream; whose iconic moment is part of people’s lives.
So to his players, there is that aura – but – besides inspiring a sense of affection, and respect, it has not interfered with an ability to re-build this team, inspire this playing group and coach them to a level worthy of silverware.
Indeed, his desire to roll his sleeves up despite that notoriety has been a common theme from players talking about the club’s culture in recent weeks.
It tells you plenty about how the side, which slipped out of the top two in the final fortnight of the regular season, didn’t just rally in the finals; they went to the next level – a level that unquestionably meant they deserved to become the newest name on the Isuzu UTE A-League’s Roll of Honour.
They didn’t just knock off Melbourne Victory, many people’s competition favourites. They thrashed them.
They didn’t just edge Melbourne City, a side aiming to win back-to-back Premierships and Championships. Their win was dominant.
And so 10 months after returning to coaching, inheriting a side that finished third last, Aloisi assembled an eclectic gaggle of players with a winning mentality and a point to prove; a mix of young locals, grizzled A-Leagues veterans and shrewdly acquired foreigners.
It was all on display in a final that proved how far they have come, played with an intensity that rocked City with an early goal and with a zip in midfield, and tactical superiority that meant they were largely in control of their Grand Final destiny, and had City’s much vaunted front three largely in the pockets of their admirable back four.
Over the last three weeks, they have played a brand of football with intensity, quality, and ruthlessness that their rivals could not match.
And all the individual threads that defined their season coalesced to the perfect performance on the most important night.
Steven Lustica, back in midfield despite racing the fitness clock, was immense alongside Neil Kilkenny, who raced to embrace his family during the lap of honour, reward for a season of sacrifice while they remained in Perth.
Jamie Young, the veteran goalkeeper, was jubilant, enjoying his first Championship at 36 years of age.
Josh Risdon, the captain, at right-back, sat hunched early in the first-half, yet he battled on in an immense display, the culmination of a finals series where he returned to action within two months of surgery. Risdon, with Ben Garuccio, are two of the unsung heroes, showing their quality in contests where the likes of Leckie, Nabbout, Tilio, Rojas, Folami, Ikonomidis and co were supposed to shine.
Tomoki Imai and Leo Lacroix looked like they hardly broke stride, such was their organisation and quality against a Socceroos’ credentialed attacking line-up.
It helped, ahead of them, they have as hard working attacking unit as there is in the league. Lachie Wales, Dylan Wenzel-Halls and Connor Pain won’t make many headlines, but Western United would not have triumphed without their work ethic, speed and improving quality.
The headlines, of course, went to Aleksandar Prijovic – the Joe Marston Medal winner.
Lingering behind them, during their lap of honour, was their talisman Alessandro Diamanti. In tears. Is this the end? We don’t know, but such an integral figure to this club’s fledgling history could not hide what it meant to him. Neither could Nikolai Topor-Stanley, the A-Leagues’ most capped player who, after four attempts, finally goes home with a Grand Final medal, bittersweet as it may be.
The fact both were there inspiring and supporting their peers despite their own personal disappointment tells you much about the culture built.
Now, attention turns to building a club and fan base, and moments like this can only assist – hopefully turbo charge – that big project.
With Aloisi at the helm, they no longer just have an Australian football icon to help with that. They have an A-Leagues Grand Final winning coach, who has proved all the doubters wrong.
