Nikolai Topor-Stanley didn't expect to be playing for Lambton Jaffas on Sunday. And a few years ago, he didn't expect to be playing at all beyond his A-League career.
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But after a winning start against Broadmeadow, the 38-year-old defender has certainly raised expectations of the Jaffas pushing for silverware this season - and perhaps again next year.
The centre-back played a key 90-minute role for Lambton in the 1-0 win which kept them sixth, just three goals from the top five in what is shaping as a seven-way fight for finals with six rounds left.
The effort came just two days after the 380-game A-League veteran completed a move back to Newcastle from Melbourne, where he played for Western United.
"I didn't expect to play," Topor-Stanley said. "I got back in on the Friday and they asked if I could do it and I said I would give it my best shot.
"It was good to get a hit-out and get a win. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, getting 90 minutes coming off a road trip to Melbourne and three months of not playing.
"But I'm happy to get that win, come through unscathed and help the boys.
"It's a tight comp, so we'll see where we end up. Hopefully I can add a bit of quality and stability to the team.
"This team has got pedigree though. They've been very successful for a number of years, so it won't just be me. The foundation is built."
He said returning to Newcastle, where he played seven seasons, was always the plan for his family. Staying on the pitch, though, wasn't always on his mind.
"If you asked me five years ago if I saw myself playing after the A-League, it probably would have been a different answer," he said.
"But I guess as the time came around, I felt I still had legs in me and a willingness to still compete and play.
"It was a decision to kind of keep fit and stay connected to the game locally and hopefully teach some young kids a few things and just add to good people who run the club at Lambton Jaffas.
"It's a way for me to stay socially active as well, because I think that will be a big thing that I'll miss from professional sport, that camaraderie that you develop with your teammates, so I'm glad I've still got that connection."
And the former Socceroo, who led Western Sydney to the Asian Champions League title in 2015, could carry that connection into 2024.
"I'll see how this season goes and how the body goes, and how life goes in the transition out of football," he said. "But if all goes well and I'm enjoying it, and the club's happy to have me around, it would be nice to keep on going."
He is also staying connected via his new role at Hunter Sports High School as an assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Topor-Stanley, who has studied exercise sports science and is completing a masters in strength and conditioning, starts the job next term.
"They've been good enough to offer me a full-time role and that will give me connection to the area and emerging sportspeople," he said.
"I think it will be gratifying for me on a personal level, helping sporting talent develop."
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