 After his first season with Tampa, Alston returned to Australia to play for struggling Canberra City, who were managed by his former international teammate Johnny Warren as a guest player.Earning a fraction of his Rowdies wages, he scored on his debut, during a 4–0 victory over Sydney Olympic, and made a total of ten appearances and scored three times as he helped the side escape relegation before returning to Tampa.During his second season in the US, Alston suffered a knee injury that would eventually force him to retire from professional football after his studs were caught in the pitch while his knee was hit by an opposing player.