THirTy-ninTH eDiTion • SeASon 2014/15 ROUND 21 | VS MELBOURNE ViCTORY prouDLY BrougHT To you By the FORMAtiVE YEARS INSIDE THIS editiON SpirAnovic vS Delpierre • A TAle of Two meDAlS ronAlD mcDonAlD HouSe • A Hat-Trick of AwArDS PLUS our DuBiouS converSATion wiTH JoHn AloiSi This MATCH This MATCH 05 from our cHAriTy ParTner 08 06 Warm up 08 THe formative yeArS 13 plAyerS To WatcH: SPIRANOVIC VS DELPIERRE 14 A tale of Two meDAlS 18 viSion for THe fuTure 20 ToDAy'S matcH 22 ronAlD mcDonAlD HouSe 26 SLAV'S SpoT THe Difference 27 cASTle Hill HyunDAi A platinum DeAlerSHip 29 take five wiTH nikolAi Topor-Stanley 30 guArDiAn funerAlS 14 22 WanDercrew memBer of THe week: cAm liTTler 31 A DuBiouS conversation wiTH JoHn AloiSi 32 in THe running for A hat-Trick of AwArDS 34 Seoul SeArcHing in THe cHAmpionS leAgue 37 THe ArcHive 38 our pArTnerS The views in this publication are not necessarily the views of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers FC. Material in this publication is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written permission of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers FC. All photography courtesy of Getty Images, Steve Christo, Jarred Stedman, Ali Erhan and Sebastian Giunta. Stay connecTeD VISIT wSwAnDererSfc.com.Au FOLLOW US @wSwAnDererSfc WATCH wSWanDererSTv PROUD SUPPORTERS OF 2014/15 CORPORATE PARTNER ENJOY A HAHN SUPERDRY ON GAME DAY AT ONE OF THESE LICENSED VENUES FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN WSW GEAR Parramatta RSL Check with each venue for Terms & Conditions. 03 Stay connecTeD | viSiT wSwAnDererSfc.com.Au FROM OUR CHARitY PARtneR n behalf of all the families, Santalab as our amazing Ronald Visit www.buildinglove.org.au to volunteers and staff at Ronald McDonald House Westmead Ambassador find out how you can help Ronald OMcDonald House Westmead we who goes above and beyond in supporting McDonald House Westmead and are very excited to be a charity partner our house and what we do for the families. with the ongoing support from the for the Western Sydney Wanderers. Their Every time he visits our house the children Wanderers we are a step closer. ongoing support is invaluable to all of our light up to see one of their football heroes Thank you for your ongoing support kids and their families that stay with us spending time with them and making their and good luck tonight. from all over NSW, interstate and overseas. day a little bit brighter. Come on you Wanderers! Ronald McDonald House Westmead Unfortunately we cannot accommodate is a ‘home away from home’ for everyone and are constantly turning seriously ill children and their families families away – we have launched our MIKE THOMAS while they are being treated at the Building Love campaign where we need to execuTive officer Children’s Hospital at Westmead. raise $30m to build a new house three times ronAlD mcDonAlD HouSe We are honoured to have Brendon the size – but we need everyone’s help. weSTmeAD 05 Stay connecTeD | follow @wSwAnDererSfc WARM UP IN the SHEDS wiTH iAn crook @ChippYCROOK63 oday we’re celebrating and Gold Coast where there’s a question mark promoting the good work done over how much the clubs put back into Tby Ronald McDonald House their community. They didn’t end up Westmead. It’s important that the lasting long whereas here the club wants Wanderers back community charities nothing but to make a positive difference such as RMH Westmead because the in Western Sydney. community and our fans are the lifeblood If there’s one thing this club has done of this club: we don’t run without them. well since day is its association with I’ve had experience with community the community and it’s something we work overseas especially with Norwich need to continue. It’s important for the ON this DAY and its tight-knit community – you work players to get involved too, as Santa courTeSy of AnDrew Howe hard to build the community up and in has done as Ambassador of Ronald @ANDYHOWE_stAttO turn they build the club up. McDonald House Westmead, as it’s the If you don’t commit to the community players that the community link to and ost nation Australia was caught then the community won’t commit to make heroes of. up in U20 World Cup excitement you and eventually there won’t be a club. It means everything to us to Hon this day in 1993 with a Quarter Look at examples like North QLD and support local charity. Final confrontation against Uruguay in Brisbane. With the likes of Western Sydney players Aaron Holst from Marconi We ARE ON the LINE FIXTURES & RESULTS and Sydney Croatia pair Ante Milicic & Ante Moric playing for the Young You may have noticed these odd Scan the QR code below for all score Socceroos, the match was tied at 1-1 after looking barcodes (see below right) updates across our Hyundai A-League, 90 minutes before Anthony Carbone throughout this edition of The Wanderer. Westfield W-League and Foxtel National scored a golden goal winner for Australia To get the best experience simply follow Youth League matches. in extra-time. Carbone’s goal was the first these three easy steps: official match anywhere in the world to be STEP 1 Download a QR scanner app on won with a golden goal where the match your smart device concluded with the extra-time goal. The STEP 2 Open the app and scan each golden goal was abolished by FIFA in QR code in The Wanderer 2004. Australia eventually finished fourth STEP 3 Enjoy your interactive in the 1993 U20 World Cup. Wanderers content BURLINGTON — Stone inspired porcelain tile DI LORENZO TILES Pty Ltd Tile Merchants | www.dilorenzo.com.au Bella Vista 02 8818 2999 | Redfern 02 9698 8737 | Newcastle 02 4962 5775 | Willoughby 02 8602 1470 1855-28 06 rounD 21 | WanDererS fc vS melBourne vicTory WARM UP #HASHTAG Every edition we’ll publish the best tweets and Instagram pics you guys tag us in. FIELD REPORteR wiTH DeAn HeffernAn @HEFF35 t is very important that as a footballer emphasizes this. They are not only we must somehow give back to the brightening up a child’s day but they Icommunity through charitable works. are also trying to present positive role The local communities of football clubs models to not the future of Western give so much by supporting us, it is only Sydney and the future of Australia. fair then that we support them when they The Club is in a very lucky position frankiesanabria Saturday #derby are in need. due to their popularity to give back #date night #wSw @eymieprieto During my time in the A-League to charitable organisations and by @FRANKiesANABRIA and particularly my time at the doing this they raise awareness about Wanderers all players were involved in a variety of issues that many fans may charitable works to raise awareness of not have heard about. issues in the region. The Red & Black’s involvement The club’s involvement with many with Ronald McDonald House charitable organisations further is certainly something that the cements the fact that they are a players are passionate about and I community club and their involvement call upon all Wanderers fans to be with Ronald McDonald House the same. wSwの公式Twitterの写真に自分発 見!! この間のACLの時のだね★ we HAve HAD #wSw MATCH DAY PARtneR @_EEMMY_ 24inDiviDuAl GOAL SCORERS Thank you @matt_Spiranovic - class Since our on & off the field... Two very happy 2 boys! @wswanderersfc FORMAtiON 4 @CHOFI1910 MERCH HOT LINE 0451 750 560 Text YOUR NAME, BAY AND SEAT NUMBER FROM KiCK-OFF TO the 80th MInute AND ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY stAFF MEMBERS WILL stOP BY AND TAKE YOUR ORdeR SHow your memBerSHip cArD To receive 10% OFF your purcHASe 07 Stay connecTeD | WatcH wSWanDererSTv the FORMAtiVE YEARS 08 rounD 21 | WanDererS fc vS melBourne vicTory the FORMAtiVE YEARS STory By cHriSTiAn lAylAnD @LAYles89 t’s the battle of the football powerhouses. The biggest club of Ithe opening decade of the Hyundai A-League against the club that threatens to become the biggest one in the next. With strong membership numbers, passionate fan bases, great crowds and a healthy trophy cabinets, it’s no surprise that fans and media often enjoy debating the merits of each club against the other. The truth is that the stories of the two clubs are very similar, especially in the formative years of each team. A club formed in a strong footballing region that engages the community, encourages active support and is the envy of their neighbours across the city. Sound familiar? It should do, as it rings true for both of tonight’s combatants. Melbourne Victory were established in the inaugural Hyundai A-League season to fanfare and expectations and while results didn’t go their way – finishing as the bottom Australian club – their average crowd was a healthy 14,785. 09 Stay connecTeD | viSiT wSwAnDererSfc.com.Au 10 rounD 21 | WanDererS fc vS melBourne vicTory Outgrowing their venue Olympic Park, they moved to Docklands Stadium (now Etihad) and by the end of their second season they saw a crowd increase of 112%. This coincided with improved performances on the pitch where the Victorian outfit walked away with the Hyundai A-League Premiership and Championship. Their fans are passionate, demanding of success and until the Wanderers came around, acknowledged as the best in the league. Comparable with the Victory’s early years, the Wanderers also had a healthy crowd in their inaugural season and followed that up with huge growth in the second. An increase of Membership of 141% for the Wanderers saw Pirtek Stadium packed for the majority of matches in the second season.