Royals Secure Young Midfielder Lucas Alessi for 2026
Essendon Royals are pleased to confirm the signing of Lucas Alessi, who joins the club after spending the past three seasons with Melbourne Victory’s NPL program, including senior football exposure at the top-flight level in 2025.
Alessi arrives as part of an exciting younger group set to play a growing role in the Royals’ senior squad. Despite his age, he brings meaningful senior minutes and a strong development pedigree through some of Victoria’s most respected pathways.
His football journey started at Pascoe Vale, where he played his early junior years, before a move to Bulleen and then Melbourne Victory. Throughout those formative years, Alessi had a familiar figure guiding him – Royals President Vitale Ferrante, who coached him across several seasons and whose son, Oscar, was his teammate.
“I’ve got a long history with Vitale. He coached me all through my juniors at Paco and we’ve stayed in touch,” Alessi told Royals Media. “When we spoke again, he said to come in for a meeting. I met with him and Michael, they told me the club’s intentions, and it got me pretty excited.”
Alessi said stepping into the senior environment over the past year helped shape his readiness for the jump.
“After coming back from injury last year, I got some good minutes in NPL1. It was another good experience, and I hope to bring that into the Royals team this year,” he said.
He described himself as an energetic midfielder who loves both sides of the game.
“I like playing as an attacking midfielder – as an eight or a ten. I’ve got a good tank, I like to run, and I enjoy finding the back of the net. That’s probably my biggest strength.”
A week into pre-season, the quality around him has already stood out.
“We’ve only just started training, but coming in and seeing players like Vinnie Lia and Brad Norton – big names with real experience – I’m keen to learn off them. The training standards they set are exciting.”
As he prepares for his first year in red, Alessi’s focus is clear.
“It looks like we have a really good squad and environment. I just want to make sure I’m there giving 100 per cent every week, doing everything I can to help get this team up into VPL1.”
Essendon Royals welcome Lucas Alessi to the club for the 2026 campaign.