Western Sydney Wanderers ready for 2024 / 25 season
with Matt “ Duck Man ” Austin
West Sydney Wanderers are unique . They are the only A League club that has won the full Asian Champions League , and they ’ ve also had a stadium purpose built for them at CommBank Stadium , despite sharing with the Parramatta Eels . And the stadium gets filled out with the presence of the Red and Black Bloc who are the official supporters club of the Wanderers .
The club has gone through some big changes this year with Chairman Paul Lederer , with increasing global business and family commitments affecting his ability to run the club . He still retains a role as a director on the board , but the new chairperson ’ s role has been filled by
Lawrence Thomas leading the Wanderers in 2024 / 5 . Credit : WS Wanderers .
Jefferson Cheng , a Filipino businessman and owner of Filipino Football league club Davao Aguilas .
The seven degrees of separation all start to take place now . Cheng was the team manager of the Philippines ’ Women ’ s National Squad who qualified for their first ever FIFA Women ’ s World Cup in 202 . This was hosted in Australia and the Philippines team was coached by Alen Stajcic .
This is instrumental as the Wanderers changed their head coach for this season after the resignation of Mark Rudan . The new head coach , Alen Stajcic , is back in Western Sydney where it all began for him . He is a former NSW Premier League player with Mt Druitt Town Rangers , and captain at Bonnyrigg White Eagles , Bankstown City
Lions and Sutherland Sharks .
Alen Stajcic gets what it means to be from Western Sydney and to represent the area in the pressure cooker of the A League with the most well known and coveted job in Australian football .
He comes in with some lofty credentials too , being coach of the NSW Saphires women ’ s team , assistant coach of the Young Matildas prior to taking the head coaching role . He was head coach of Suydney FC ’ s women ’ s team , the Matildas national team , the Central Coast Mariners A League team , Philippine women ’ s team , and last season Perth Glory in the men ’ s A League .
Stajcic is looking forward to the new challenge at a club that can seriously challenge for honours and have the wealth to be competitive with the biggest and best clubs in not only the A League , but also in the Asian Football Confederation ( AFC ).
The Wanderers have certainly added some quality to their squad for season 2024 / 25 of the A League . They signed up English Premier League superstar Juan Mata , signing on as the marquee after an illustrious career overseas playing in Spain with Valencia for four seasons , playing 174 games scoring 46 goals . He won the Copa del Rey in Spain , prior to heading to England and joining Chelsea for 3 seasons playing 135 games and scoring 33 goals winning the UEFA Champions League , FA Cup and UEFA Europa League .
He became a household name at Manchester United with 285 games and 51 goals to his credit in 8 seasons including 2 affected by Covid winning the Europa League , FA Cup , EFL Cup and FA Community Shield in his time at United .
He is a genuine star and adds untold
Juan Manta in action for the Wanderers . Credit : APL .
depth to a team already boasting Lawrence Thomas in goals , Bulgarian defender Bozhidar Kraev , Socceroos forward Brandon Borello , South Korean defender Jeong Tae-Wook , former Socceroo Josh Brillante , and Englishman Thomas Beading who played in the Sunderland academy squad and also with Dunfermline Athletic in Scotland .
The squad is jam packed with talent and ready for the challenge for season 2024 / 25 , and despite a loss against local rivals Sydney FC in the round 1 Sydney Derby fixture , the Wanderers are well placed with the right people in charge and a good balance of youth and experience to have a genuine crack at the A League title in 2024 / 25 .
Winston Hills Baseball Club - a league of their own
with Matt “ Duck Man ” Austin
Baseball is an international sport . Many of you might have tried that or tee ball back in your old school days . Ryan O ’ Toole lived around the corner from the field at Col Sutton Park in Baulkham Hills , started playing there in 1987 and played junior and senior baseball . The club started 41 years ago by parents living on the same street . Ryan loves the club that he has grown up with . He played senior state league baseball , and his daughters currently plays there . He is a busy guy and has been president for the last four seasons . He took on this role as he
Winston Hills Warriors after a match . wanted to improve the club .
Since he has been in the hot seat the junior numbers have grown to 14 teams , a rise of 6 , and there are 6 senior teams in the club . There is also an increase in female numbers of 300-400 per cent over the last few years . There are junior girls rep teams and an under 13s girls baseball tournament in NSW . Ryan said that you ’ re much more likely to see women ’ s teams in the higher grades and age groups .
Winston Hills compete in the Hills Junior Baseball Association which has teams in the competition from Baulkham Hills , Blacktown , Carlingford , Castle Hill , Hawkesbury , Oakville , Kellyville , Kings Langley , Rouse Hill and Schofields all competing within the district . The club are the 3 rd biggest in the Hills district . The age ranges at the club are from u7s who play tee ball , through to u17s in juniors and then the senior teams .
Fees for baseball are similar to other sports , you just need a fielding mitt and uniforms , and new members get a hat .
In baseball the ball really needs to go through the strike zone . The games are played in good spirit . There are 9 positions , kids normally try all of them and work out what they like . You can steal bases from u14s up and baseball is suitable for all sizes , speeds and body types . The u7s is called the Incredibles .
They use a lighter ball like a softball . Kids wear helmets with a big focus on safety , and there is some contact like tagging a runner and sometimes collisions . Mod ball teaches the art of pitching and by the time they are in u12s they can play full baseball . The club embraces everyone and is known as a family club . There are a lot of new mums and dads in the senior team that haven ’ t played baseball before and got into it through their kids . It ’ s a very mental game that is important .
The club have had some notable players such as Trent Oeltjen . He played all his juniors at Winston Hills , reps in the Hills and then played for Australia and in the Major League junior system and made it to the Major League for Arizona Diamondbacks and LA Dodgers ,
Trent Oeltjen , LA Dodgers . Credit : MLB .
Milwaukee Brewers .
Josh Guyer was also a member . He is playing for Australia and the Sydney Blue Sox and pitched for Australia vs Japan . He helped win the match and recently got his 300 th strike out for Sydney Blue Sox in the ABL .
Brad Agle , the club vice president and his team won the junior championships and played in the Little League World Series last year in Pennsylvania .
The club really is a field of dreams , and you never know , you might be the next big star .
36 ISSUE 113 // NOVEMBER 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT