Oli Western: One of our own, coming into his own

The phrase “fairytale story” is often overused in football, but Oli Western's rise through Adelaide City’s ranks is one of the few journeys that truly deserves it.

Western joined Adelaide City as an Under 8s player and spent every year at the club until he reached the Under 16s team, where he was promoted to the Under 18s squad early that season. After rising to the Reserves squad, Western caught the eye of then coach Paul Pezos and began training with the Senior NPL team.

Already a feel-good story about a young footballer progressing through his boyhood club’s academy to the first team, Western’s trajectory skyrocketed when Vas Parhas joined the club as its new senior coach for the 2025 NPL SA season.

“Vas came in and we played the trial matches where he played everyone. I obviously got to play some games against first-team opposition, and I guess I did okay,” Western recalled.

“[Vas] played me for the first game. He said, ‘Well done, Oli. Keep it up.’ And then I don't know, just happened to play all the games. I didn't miss any. It was a surprise, but it was a great honour.”

Parhas wasn't the only one impressed by Western, with Adelaide City fans voting him Man of the Match against FK Beograd on his starting debut in Round One of the 2025 NPL SA season.

Western recalled the adjustment to senior football, where he found himself training alongside experienced players including Nicholas Bucco, Bruce Kamau, Noah Smith and John Hall.

“When I was training with them first, it was a big shock because I wasn't super tall or anything. All the bigger guys knocked the ball around quicker, which took some time to get used to; playing with them wasn't as much of a shift as I'd say the training was.”

Western’s biggest credit is that two high-calibre left backs, Noah Smith and Bailey O’Neil, have arrived since his senior debut, and he remains one of the first names on the team sheet. He credits their additions with raising standards and providing him with a “reminder of the quality that you can get to if you continue working.”

Football South Australia recognised Western's meteoric rise, awarding him the John Aloisi Medal as the NPL SA's most outstanding young player in the 2025 season.

After establishing himself in his first campaign, Western became a vital cog for the team in 2026, playing a key role in Adelaide City's competition-best defence, Premiership-winning run and Grand Final appearance.

After Adelaide City fell two goals behind in the Grand Final, Western ignited his team’s comeback, pulling a goal back from a corner. He also excelled defensively throughout the night against former Adelaide United player Austin Ayoubi.

The Black and White secured their 20th title in a penalty shootout, and despite the pedigree of the players on the pitch on both sides, it was the Adelaide City junior, Western, who was judged as the Man of the Match on the night.

“I was just in the right place at the right time,” he remarked on his goal.

“I've played in a couple of Finals when I was a junior, but that game, 2-0 down at halftime and to make that comeback and win it on penalties was massive.

“[Winning Man of the Match] was a weird feeling. I just go out, play, and do my best. Obviously it’s great but, at the end of the day, I really care just about the result; if we lose and I win Man of the Match, then it means nothing.”

It was a real full-circle moment for Western with photos shared from his family of him as a junior walking out with former Adelaide City captain Matt Halliday for the 2013 Federation Cup Final.

“I can’t believe that made it out; mum had that photo hidden away somewhere!

“I remember the times when I used to come out and watch the first team and cheer them on. Now to be on the other end is a completely different kind of feeling.”

Inspired by Adelaide City's past teams, Western is playing his role in inspiring the next generation by helping return the team to the national stage, a point he says coach Vas Parhas ensured was kept front of mind throughout the year.

“We had Vas telling us the entire year that you leave a legacy if you can do that kind of thing. He talked about how we could be the team that brings the club back to the national stage.

“It’s a big deal but at this club it is also the expectation. That's kind of what we are taught to do; we train to play in and win these sorts of games. We want to win the [Australian] Championship.”

While he is still getting his head around the Adelaide City faithful singing his name along the chant, “he’s one of our own”, Western credited the club’s fans who showed up in big numbers against Avondale.

He said it means the world to the players and club staff, and encourages the community to keep proving that support throughout the rest of the Australian Championship campaign.