{"id":330387,"date":"2025-10-10T18:28:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T07:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wswanderersfc.com.au\/?p=330387"},"modified":"2025-10-10T18:28:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T07:28:42","slug":"how-a-premier-league-great-is-helping-mould-the-a-leagues-next-socceroo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wswanderersfc.com.au\/news\/how-a-premier-league-great-is-helping-mould-the-a-leagues-next-socceroo\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Premier League great is helping mould the A-Leagues\u2019 next Socceroo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Having established himself as one of the best young central defenders in Australia, the sky is seemingly the limit for Western Sydney\u2019s Alex Bonetig.\u00a0aleagues.com.au<\/strong>\u00a0caught up with the 23-year-old ahead of the new Isuzu UTE A-League campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only six outfield players tallied more minutes in the Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 regular season than Western Sydney Wanderers\u2019 imperious young defender Alex Bonetig managed last term.

In fact, if you drill down into the numbers even more so then you\u2019ll see the 23-year-old was the second-youngest player on that list last season behind Adelaide United\u2019s 21-year-old star Ethan Alagich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s the key to his consistency?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d say, firstly, the people around me, in terms of the coaching staff, and also the boys on the pitch, because it\u2019s not just me defending, it\u2019s it\u2019s the back four, it\u2019s a keeper, it\u2019s everyone \u2013 the whole 11 on that pitch,\u201d Bonetig told aleagues.com.au<\/strong> ahead of a Round 1 showdown against defending champions Melbourne City on October 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo a lot of gratitude to them and then obviously the coaching side. We\u2019d spend a lot of time after sessions, going through clips, even on the pitch, doing extras, whether it\u2019s just me and Panta (defensive partner Anthony Pantazopoulos), especially at the back end of the season, going through things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 16: Harrison Sawyer of Macarthur FC kicks the ball during the round 19 A-League Men match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Macarthur FC at CommBank Stadium, on February 16, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think all those little one-percenters assisted with the strengthening for that last probably 13 or 14 games we went unbeaten.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonetig started all 26 of the Wanderers games in season 2024-25 and racked up a whopping 2,295 minutes of game time in the process, a total which would have been even bigger were it not for his decision to withdraw himself from the action at half-time of Western Sydney\u2019s final game of the season due to an injury issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS TO SEE WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside the aforementioned Pantazopoulos, Bonetig formed one of the best defensive pairings in the Isuzu UTE A-League last season, as their \u2018chalk and cheese\u2019 characteristics meshed perfectly to help propel Alen Stajcic\u2019s side back into the Finals Series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Panatazopoulos, you have the aggressor. A self-confessed \u2018old-school\u2019 defender who relishes the physical contest. In Bonetig, you have the low-key leader. The composed central defender who quietly dominates in the air whilst also excelling with the ball at his feet, as is highlighted by the fact that he was one of the competition\u2019s best when it came to progressing the football from within his own half last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together they\u2019ve quickly formed a formidable defensive duo and after spending some time in Bonetig\u2019s company, you quickly realise the 23-year-old doesn\u2019t miss a beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If he makes a mistake, he wants to know why so it doesn\u2019t happen again. And if he\u2019s done something well then there\u2019s every chance it\u2019s because he\u2019s accounted for that situation arising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extras at training help, as do countless hours of analysis sessions with the Wanderers coaching staff. However the key to Bonetig\u2019s improvement comes from watching and learning, with one current global superstar playing a central role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ve got to watch football to learn,\u201d said Bonetig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cBecause I know where I am, I\u2019m not a complete footballer yet. I\u2019m not the best of the best, and so if I\u2019m not the best, then I\u2019ve got to work at something, right?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo watching, for instance, my favourite player Virgil Van Dijk as I\u2019m a Liverpool supporter. He\u2019s a centre back and he\u2019s obviously right-footed, but he plays in my position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo watching players like that, and usually full matches, because you can\u2019t watch enough with just highlights, but seeing them in certain situations helps me a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI rarely just watch the game to just enjoy it. Most of the time, especially in the Premier League, I\u2019ll make sure I watch those centre-backs, watch their mannerisms, even the way they lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut also on the ball, other decision making in certain situations, because you find you do get in similar situations in your own games, and if I\u2019m not exposed to them on the pitch, then at least I know what I can get out of those situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t stress enough, especially for young footballers, how important it is to watch the best, but also your own games and reflect on them, to learn and get better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ll find most footballers from even in the A-League or grassroots, whatever, they\u2019ll watch a game, but they won\u2019t watch to learn or pick up little bits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cAnd you can watch all you want, but if you\u2019re not watching with intent and looking to pick up on things and learn from things, study the game, then you kind of feel you\u2019re wasting your time.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably the easiest form of learning, in my opinion, just sitting on the couch and watching a game, but watching a game with a bit of purpose, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As is often the case when you have an impressive season in the Isuzu UTE A-League, teams from overseas begin to circle and take a keen interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intriguingly though there was another high-ranking football official who took a keen interest in the his performances; CommBank Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic, who in June selected Bonetig to be a part of his pre-World Cup qualifying training camp in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cObviously I was a late call-up and I\u2019d be lying if I say I wasn\u2019t a bit nervous,\u201d said Bonetig when discussing his Socceroos camp experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI found out the night before and flew in the next day, but I had a good group of boys around me, especially (Brandon) Borrello, (Alex) Gersbach and (Nicolas) Milanovic at the time (who were) all teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEspecially Borrello, he\u2019s been in that set-up a couple of times now, and he helped me around a bit and helped me settle in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I\u2019d say that the big difference is just every little detail, you know, as you get to obviously the highest level \u2013 the Socceroos. So every little detail they\u2019re looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bonetig during the Socceroos training camp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not enough to just perform on the pitch, you\u2019ve got to perform off the pitch as well. Whether it be the way you shake a hand or what you\u2019re eating, having enough salad or getting enough sleep, taking your supplements, stuff like that, which at that level, do make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, it\u2019s not enough to just rock up on the pitch, you\u2019ve got to do all the preparations beforehand. So, yeah, it was an amazing experience. The boss over there was great with me and I learnt a lot from him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continued: \u201cBoth himself and Hayden Fox, (It was) more so with the whole team, it wasn\u2019t individual stuff, but just simple things like body positioning and stuff like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere before, I might get caught out in those situations, now, because you practice it over there, you come back and you pick up on those things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cObviously you\u2019ve got the coaches, but you\u2019ve got players who were playing in the Premier League last year. In my position (there was) Cameron Burgess. He comes in. You\u2019re like, okay, that\u2019s where I\u2019ve got to be. That\u2019s how I\u2019ve got to perform. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve got to do.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know players like that. I\u2019m 23 (and) I\u2019m looking up to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now armed with the knowledge that the Socceroos hierarchy are keeping tabs on him as well as several overseas clubs, Bonetig is primed for another Isuzu UTE A-League campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However season 2025-26 brings with it an added layer of intrigue for Bonetig, given this season younger brother Liam will also be playing in the competition having signed for reigning Champions Melbourne City on a multi-year deal from Scottish giants Celtic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And who should the Wanderers be playing in Round 1? Why Melbourne City, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo be honest, I think we\u2019re both excited to play against each other, but we rarely talk about football with each other, because we like To talk about other things,\u201d laughed Bonetig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWhen the 90 minutes happen, I don\u2019t care, you know? I\u2019m gonna play and I\u2019m gonna win.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cOn and off the pitch we\u2019re brothers but we rarely talk about football. To be honest, not much has been said so far. And I like it like that. I think he likes it like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re focusing on our own games. It\u2019s like any other game. You can call it a brotherly rivalry, but we\u2019re not looking at like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think maybe a few things under our breath might be said,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA few little touches or whatever you know, like trying to get him offside or whatever. But no, I\u2019m looking forward to it. Hopefully I can get a goal!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":222,"featured_media":330391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[364],"tags":[],"competition":[],"acf":{"match_card_embed_league":null,"match_card_embed_club":null,"match_card_embed_match":false,"match_card_embed_disable":true,"auto_publish_updates":true,"reference_article":null,"article_featured_video":"","article_featured_video_tagline":"","article_byline":"James Dodd \/ A-Leagues.com.au","article_media_type":"news","article_video":"","gallery":"","shared_ffa_source":"keepup","shared_hide_in_app":false,"article_player":"","article_team":"","article_competition":"","article_match":"","credit":"","related_articles":"","push_to_social":false,"priority":1,"sport":false,"language":"en","private_content":false,"access_level":"","article_id":"","app_featured_image":null,"article_content_group":"news"},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"http:\/\/wswanderersfc.com.au\/news\/how-a-premier-league-great-is-helping-mould-the-a-leagues-next-socceroo\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"How a Premier League great is helping mould the A-Leagues\u2019 next Socceroo","url":"http:\/\/wswanderersfc.com.au\/news\/how-a-premier-league-great-is-helping-mould-the-a-leagues-next-socceroo\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/wswanderersfc.com.au\/news\/how-a-premier-league-great-is-helping-mould-the-a-leagues-next-socceroo\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wswanderersfc.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/10\/Bonetig_Editorial_JamesDodd.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/wswanderersfc.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/10\/Bonetig_Editorial_JamesDodd.png"},"articleSection":"Academy News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"jcsaszar"}],"creator":["jcsaszar"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Western Sydney Wanderers","logo":"https:\/\/wswanderersfc.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/cropped-Western_Sydney_Wanderers_FC-2.png"},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2025-10-10T07:28:40Z","datePublished":"2025-10-10T07:28:40Z","dateModified":"2025-10-10T07:28:42Z"},"rendered":"