18 years on, Jančevski gets to make her own grand final memory with Victory
Alana Jančevski's first memory of Melbourne Victory was Archie Thompson's five at the Telstra Dome. She idolised Thompson, Gui Finkler, and Enza Barilla. And now, she gets her own grand final chance.
In 2007, Alana Jančevski, less than a month away from her fourth birthday, was one of the 55,436 people who packed into Docklands Stadium to watch Archie Thompson lead Melbourne Victory to a thumping grand final win. Now, nearly 20 years on, she’ll get the chance to make her own mark on the A-League Women’s biggest day, wearing the badge she loves.
Born and raised in Melbourne – her footballing journey began at Bundoora United – Jančevski and her family soon became regulars at newly-born Victory’s games, with that fateful afternoon in which its men romped to a first title in club history serving as a foundational memory from that time.
As it no doubt did for many a youngster watching in the stands or from the coach, it gave rise to a love for the club that has abated little of the years — with Thompson joined in her own personal pantheon by the likes of Carlos Hernández, Gui Finkler, and Marco Rojas.
When Victory became one of the eight founding clubs of the W-League in 2008 she and father Tony were quick to become regulars at their games too, adding Enza Barilla to the list of those she idolised.
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“When I was younger, the women's wasn't in yet, so I watched the men play,” said Jančevski. “And I think my first memory would be that 6-0 win against Adelaide back in 2007 and the stadium erupting.
“I was in the stands high up at the Telstra Dome, back then. And I think when the whistle blew, I looked at my brothers and my cousins and took my jersey off as well. I was just so excited and happy.
“From then on, the love just kept growing and growing. And then when the women came in, if we didn't have anything on, I was always wanting to go to the game, and dad would always take me. The love just continued to grow. And now to actually be able to wear the jersey and try and bring extra history for the club is just so special.”
Rising up through the ranks of Victoria’s NTC program, as well as representing Australia at a Junior Matildas level, Jančevski first got a chance to pull on the Victory shirt during the 2019 AFC Women’s Club Championship campaign, starting their 1-1 draw with Chinese side Jiangsu Suning.
Her A-League Women journey, however, began about as far from AAMI Park as one could possibly get: signed to Perth Glory ahead of the 2021-22 season by Alex Epakis amid his push to recruit unsigned NPL standouts after she netted eight times in ten games for FC Bulleen Lions before the Victorian season was abandoned due to COVID.
Two seasons out West followed, with one of the five goals she scored across her 24 appearances securing the Glory a 1-1 draw with her childhood club at AAMI Park.
She moved further East in 2023-24 when she signed for Adelaide, making 16 starts across 21 appearances for the Reds – one imagines her first footballing memory wasn’t brought up often at Hindmarsh – before she finally made the move back home, to Victory for this season.
Starting 21 of her 22 appearances across the campaign, a wave of injuries saw the 22-year-old pressed into action as a left-back from round eight onwards and she responded in kind, holding down the flank of the league’s best defence as well as securing career highs in goals – five – and assists – three.
And while she likely never imagined back at that 2007 grand final that would be reprising Simon Storey’s role rather than Thompson’s in the future, it’s at fullback where she’ll almost certainly start come Sunday.
“It's such a surreal feeling,” she said. “Over the years, I've worked really hard to grow as a person and a player, and I think it's led me to this moment.
“To be in my first A-League grand final with my girlhood club. To have that much pride. I think that's gonna, yeah, fuel me throughout the game. I really want to do it for the club and the fans.”
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Of course, while this may be Jančevski’s first A-League Women grand final, it’s not her first decider, period. It’s not even her first grand final in the last 12 months.
As a part of the Heidelberg United side that experienced a midseason renaissance under Sven Samild, she scored from the spot as Alexander secured a 3-2 win over Preston Lions in the 2024 NPLW Victoria decider, lifting Steph Galea and company to their first Victorian title of the NPLW era.
“You need to enjoy being in that moment and being together as a team,” Jančevski said of grand final week. “Knowing that we have to work hard together and really dig deep to get the result. And I think that's been the focus all week.”