Westie who's the bestie: Michael Beauchamp, one of the local boys who has come back and made good. Picture: Brendan Esposito
THE Wanderers came from behind to beat the Brisbane Roar 2-1 in the A-League soccer competition on Sunday.
Alessandro del Piero scored four as Sydney FC thrashed Wellington Phoenix 7-1 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Penrith Panthers announced plans for a rugby league academy near their stadium and the Western Sydney Giants announced their player numbers for the 2013 AFL season.
There's a connecting thread there.
First, the Wanderers.
Their defeat of struggling defending premiers, The Roar, in Brisbane was their first come-from-behind win in their romantic debut season, whose success has exceeded even the most deluded dreamer's hopes.
They're now on 29 points, three from second-placed Adelaide and eight clear of the Melbourne Heart and Newcastle.
Although there are nine rounds left, the Wanderers would have to break several legs to miss the top six.
The team of battlers and locals returned home have come to define the fabled three CS — courage, character and commitment.
The man who has harnessed it all, coach Tony Popovic, was both expansive and composed after Sunday's escape, praising his players for believing in themselves when behind, and saying once the midfield asserted itself, he knew the goals would come.
The first came when Bridge calmly slotted home a right-foot shot in the 64th minute.
Four minutes later, Dino Kresinger headed a ball into the path of an offside Shinji Ono, who left it for a flying Youssoof Hersi.
"The players are doing great," Popovic said.
"There are a lot of firsts at this club.
"The first game, the first win, the first goal and today was another step forward for us to come from behind.
"And it just shows the character and belief of this squad and it has been a great response since our loss to Central Coast."
That won't be lost on Penrith Panthers general manager Phil Gould.
The Panthers' plan for a nursery-academy will maintain its status as the world's biggest junior rugby league nursery, but the proposed academy emphasises how the code is becoming elitist at junior level.