1999/2000

South qualified for the FIFA World Club Championship in Rio de Janeiro after defeating Nadi 5-1 in the final for the Oceania region. This set up a group stage involving Vasco da Gama, Necaxa and Manchester United. Despite losing all three matches, South put up an exceptional fight and showed that Australian teams could compete with the best in the world. John Anastasiadis’ goal against Necaxa proved a highlight, as did the team’s performance against Vasco in front of over 70,000 of its fans at the Maracana Stadium. Despite the enormous highs of competing so well in such a competition, South had to quickly re-adjust domestically as it searched for a third straight NSL Championship. South began the campaign extremely slowly and struggled to win its catch-up games after it returned from Rio de Janeiro. An unfortunate 2-1 home loss against Perth at Bob Jane Stadium meant South would miss the finals. Despite that disappointment the team finished the season well and had some big wins, including a memorable 5-3 away win against Carlton. Postecoglou announced that he would be vacating his coaching position at Lakeside in order to coach the Australian National Youth side. South demolished Newcastle Breakers 4-0 in the final match of the season to give Postecoglou a well-deserved send-off.

Final League Position:	Tenth out of 16 teams
Tynan-Eyre Cup Placing:	Finalists (unable to play due to Oceania qualifying)
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Michael Curcija (19)
President:	George Vasilopoulos
Coach:	Ange Postecoglou (34 League games)

 

2000/01

South went full-time in an attempt to win the League and qualify for the World Club Championship again, as well as show that Australian football clubs could be professionally run. Mike Petersen was appointed as the new coach and he brought back Con Boutsianis and Mehmet Durakovic, as well as signing Zeljko Susa and Vas Kalogeracos, whilst also promoting promising youngster Patrick Kisnorbo. The move looked to have paid off as South dominated the season and won the Minor Premiership by an enormous eight points. Wollongong beat South 4-2 over the two Major Semi Final legs to qualify for a home Grand Final in NSW, with the 2-1 loss at Bob Jane Stadium being devastating as it was South’s first and only home defeat for the season. Despite this, South picked itself up and beat Sydney Olympic 2-0 in the Preliminary Final, erasing the Preliminary Final hoodoo that had haunted the club throughout the 1990s. Over 2000 South fans travelled to Parramatta Stadium for the Grand Final, hoping that South could keep its 100% success rate in NSL Grand Finals in tact. This was not the case, as two quick goals by Wollongong in the second half opened up a two-goal cushion that South could not peg back despite substitute John Anastasiadis scoring a consolation goal near the end. The 2-1 loss was a cruel way to end a season that had been so promising and entertaining. It was also a sad way to end the playing career of Anastasiadis after 104 League games and 32 League goals for the club, including four goals in three Grand Finals as well as South’s only goal in the FIFA World Club Championship. Petersen was crowned the NSL Coach of the Year and Michael Petkovic was crowned the NSL Goalkeeper of the Year after conceding only 30 goals in 32 games.

Final League Position:	Second out of 14 teams
Tynan-Eyre Cup Placing:	Champions (3-1 against Melbourne Knights)
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Con Boutsianis (14)
President:	George Vasilopoulos
Coach:	Mike Petersen (34 League games)

 

2001/02

Petersen left for the Football Kingz as Eddie Krncevic replaced him as coach. The departures of experienced players in John Anastasiadis, Con Boutsianis, Vas Kalogeracos, Andy Vlahos and Goran Lozanovski meant that Krncevic was forced to experiment with youth, with Steve Manceski, Vince Lia, Massimo Murdocca, Nick Tolios and Ray Sekulovski all given time in the senior side. South kept the core of its defence from the previous season and as a result did not concede many goals, however the lack of experience in midfield and up forward (with the exceptions of Paul Trimboli and Vaughan Coveny) meant that at the halfway point of the season the team was stuck at the bottom of the League. The turning point of the season was when Boutsianis returned, helping South gain a 0-0 draw away against Perth Glory (the first and only time South has picked up a point in Perth). The positive results continued as South smashed title favourites Sydney Olympic 3-0 at Bob Jane Stadium and lost only once in the second half of the season. A win in the final round of the season against Marconi would see South qualify for the finals series. This was achieved thanks to the brilliance of Boutsianis, who opened the scoring with a 35 metre lob of Michael Turnbull in the Marconi goal and then scored directly from a corner kick, as he orchestrated a magnificent 3-1 win. South was suddenly an outside chance to win the Championship when it smashed the Brisbane Strikers 4-1 over two legs in the Elimination Final. However old rivals (and eventual champions) Sydney Olympic ended South’s season by recording a 2-1 win in the Minor Semi Final. In a consolation, Michael Petkovic was awarded the NSL Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second consecutive season, after conceding only 25 goals in 27 games.

Final League Position:	Fourth out of 13 teams
Tynan-Eyre Cup Placing:	Finalists (0-0 against Melbourne Knights, 3-4 on penalties)
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Vaughan Coveny (9)
President:	George Vasilopoulos
Coach:	Eddie Krncevic (27 League games)

 

2002/03

Danny Wright replaced Krncevic as coach as Dean Anastasiadis and Bill Damianos both returned to the club. A slow start to the season was turned around with memorable home wins against Perth Glory (2-0), Sydney Olympic (6-4) and the Melbourne Knights (4-2). New signing Michael Baird quickly became a fan favourite as he scored some memorable goals early in the season, including a brilliant volley against Olympic. Goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic was also given an opportunity to impress, which he did with solid performances including an excellent penalty save against the Football Kingz. Heading into the final five rounds, South was on the verge of qualifying for the finals; however a 2-1 home loss against Adelaide City, a 1-0 away loss against the Melbourne Knights and an embarrassing 4-1 away loss against Parramatta Power made the task extremely difficult. Wright was sacked with two rounds remaining and assistant coach Peter Tsolakis took charge. South recorded a memorable 5-4 away win against the Football Kingz in the final round but this was not enough, as the club failed to qualify for the finals after finishing one point behind sixth-placed Northern Spirit.

Final League Position:	Seventh out of 13 teams
Tynan-Eyre Cup Placing:	Finalists (5-0 halftime lead over Preston)
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Vaughan Coveny (11)
President:	Peter Mitrakas
Coaches:	Danny Wright (22 League games) Peter Tsolakis (2 League games)

 

2003/04

Stuart Munro was appointed coach and he made wholesale changes. Steve Iosifidis, Fausto De Amicis, Bill Damianos, Patrick Kisnorbo, Zeljko Susa and Steve Panopoulos all departed as Michael Curcija returned and Michael Panopoulos, Scott Tunbridge, Kristian Sarkies, Carl Recchia, Steve Laurie, Simon Storey, Levent Osman, Marcus Stergiopoulos and Ante Kovacevic all arrived at Lakeside. Import Max Lohy was also signed but he did not last long and left after featuring in only six matches. South used the opening home match against the Brisbane Strikers as an opportunity to honour its past by wearing the heritage strip (white top with red V), however Brisbane stole the show with an opportunistic win. Despite the inconsistent start to the campaign, South recorded big wins against the Knights (5-0 away and 4-0 at home) and demolished the Kingz 6-0 to sit comfortably in the top six with four rounds remaining. However, only one point from the remaining matches saw South drop into fifth position and enter the finals series in poor form. A nervy 0-0 draw in the Elimination Final first leg against Marconi was quickly turned around with a commanding 2-0 win in the second leg. This set up a Minor Semi Final fixture against League newcomers Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium. Michael Curcija sent the travelling fans wild when he opened the scoring for South, however there was to be heartbreak when Ross Aloisi equalised and then former South player Richie Alagich converted a penalty in extra time to hand Adelaide a 2-1 win. This finished South’s season and its status in the top flight, as the National Soccer League disbanded at the conclusion of the season. Mehmet Durakovic retired after 231 League games and 6 League goals in a ten season career with South as he was chaired off as a club legend.

Final League Position:	Fourth out of 13 teams
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Michael Curcija (13)
Supporters’ MVPs:	Ante Kovacevic (Seniors), Kristian Sarkies (Under-21s)
President:	Peter Mitrakas
Coach:	Stuart Munro (27 League games)

 

2005

South returned to the Victorian Premier League for the first time since 1976 and after a long and unbearable 10 month break. As a result of the inactivity, nearly the entire NSL squad had disbanded, with players joining other VPL clubs or venturing overseas. Legendary former player John Anastasiadis was appointed as coach and he faced the enormous responsibility of leading the club out of a very dark period of its history. Experienced players Con Blatsis (Kocaelispor) and Kosta Salapasidis (Parramatta Power) were signed to help lead the club’s revival and they joined veterans Dean Anastasiadis and Vaughan Coveny, who both remained from the NSL squad. Paul Trimboli also remained and he joined pre-season training. However after 17 seasons, 430 League games and 115 League goals, Trimboli decided to retire, going down as arguably the greatest player in South’s history. Trimboli was recognised with a lap of honour in front of over 11,000 fans at the opening match against Heidelberg. Despite fears of being relegated with such a young and inexperienced squad, South had a great year and finished the season in an impressive third place, only three points behind Minor Premiers Green Gully. South smashed Altona 3-0 in the Elimination Final to set up a Semi Final with Green Gully, with an automatic spot in the Grand Final at stake. A 0-0 draw in normal and extra time sent the match to penalties, where Dean Anastasiadis made two tremendous saves but South could not finish off the shoot-out. In the end a Sam De Vito miss gave Gully the win, which meant South had to face Heidelberg at the Olympic Village for a spot in the Grand Final. Heidelberg took the lead in the second half and held on to win unconvincingly after South missed a series of chances, including a penalty from autumn signing Fernando De Moraes. In somewhat of a consolation, Dean Anastasiadis was crowned the VPL Goalkeeper of the Year.

Final League Position:	Third out of 14 teams
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Vaughan Coveny (8)
Theo Marmaras Medal:	Dean Anastasiadis
Supporters’ MVPs:	Dean Anastasiadis (Seniors), Rama Tavsancioglu (Under-21s)
President:	George Donikian
Coach:	John Anastasiadis (29 League games)

 

2006

Kosta Salapasidis, Robbie Cattanach and Ryan Dinse all left as John Anastasiadis signed Kevin Nelson, Jonas Salley and Tansel Baser, who returned to the club after leaving in 1999 to play overseas. South began the season unconvincingly but recorded important wins over rivals Heidelberg (2-0) and Preston (2-1). Nelson, Peter Koutsoupias and Arthur Tsirtsakis all left halfway through the season and they were replaced by Perth trio Dino Djulbic, Andreas Oliveira and Antonio Naglieri. These three players were crucial signings as South exploded in mid-season and began to demolish sides, including recording an enormous 7-0 win against the Melbourne Knights, the biggest winning margin and highest score by South at Bob Jane Stadium. South finished the season in third place for the second successive season and met Green Gully in the Elimination Final. Three goals in the final ten minutes saw South eliminate Gully, who had embarrassed South 2-0 the previous week. In the Major Semi Final, youngster Gianni De Nittis showed his worth by scoring two late goals that gave South a 2-1 win and an automatic spot in the Grand Final at Bob Jane Stadium. Altona beat Heidelberg in the Preliminary Final and met South again in the Grand Final. Fernando De Moraes had been in devastating form all season and it was his turn and pin-point cross for a De Nittis header that won the match and the League championship for South. Both Anastasiadis brothers had written themselves into another chapter of South Melbourne FC’s history as they lead the club out of darkness to win the State League championship for the eighth time. De Moraes was awarded the Jimmy Rooney Medal for being the best player in the Grand Final, whilst earlier in the week Dean Anastasiadis had been crowned the VPL Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Final League Position:	Champions (out of 14 teams)
Hellenic Cup Placing:	Runners-up (1-2 against Oakleigh Cannons)
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Fernando De Moraes (12)
Theo Marmaras Medal:	Fernando De Moraes
Supporters’ MVPs:	Fernando De Moraes (Seniors), Gianni De Nittis (Under-21s)
President:	Greg Kaias
Coach:	John Anastasiadis (29 League games)

 

2007

John Anastasiadis remained as coach and he signed Ricky Diaco, Trent Waterson, Nathan Caldwell, Frank Drakopoulos and Yusuf Yusuf, as Antonio Naglieri, Andreas Oliveira, Evan Karavitis and Scott MacNicol all left. South began the campaign strongly by winning the Hellenic Cup and earning seven points in the opening three League matches, however the defence that had been so rock-solid for two seasons suddenly began leaking goals. Dean Anastasiadis suffered a season-ending injury in the fourth round so young Mladen Tosic was called into goals. Mitchell Langerak soon arrived on loan from the Melbourne Victory and took over in goals for the rest of the season. Dino Djulbic and Steve O’Dor both departed mid-season after being signed by A-League clubs. This meant that suddenly the core of the defence was missing, with new signing Adam Van Dommelle making no difference as he suffered an injury in his debut game for the club. Despite this, South still recorded important wins against Oakleigh (5-2) and the Melbourne Knights (2-0) and looked to have a finals position secured with five rounds remaining and with mainly relegation-threatened teams left to play against. However only one point from four games, including a disastrous 3-0 loss away to Western Suburbs and a 2-0 home loss against Sunshine George Cross meant that South dropped out of the top six. Despite winning the final match of the season against relegated Kingston, South finished three points outside of the top six, a disastrous finish considering the highs experienced the previous season and with the quality of players at its disposal.

Final League Position:	Seventh out of 16 teams
Hellenic Cup Placing:	Champions (1-1 against Oakleigh Cannons, 4-2 on penalties)
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Ricky Diaco (10)
Theo Marmaras Medal:	Ricky Diaco
Supporters’ MVPs:	Trent Waterson (Seniors), Mitch Langerak (Under-21s)
President:	Paul Dimarelos
Coach:	John Anastasiadis (26 League games)

 

2008

John Anastasiadis remained as coach as Mitch Langerak, Trent Waterson, Frank Drakopoulos, Sam De Vito, Tansel Baser and Arthur Tsonis made way for Shane Nunes, Hamlet Armenian, Goran Zoric, Antonio La Verde and Nik Jelic. Steve O’Dor returned from the A-League and Sam Poutakidis also returned to Bob Jane Stadium. Under-21s player Robbie Wynne had experienced some senior game time in the previous season and Anastasiadis promoted him for the new season. South lost four of its opening five matches before recording a crucial 2-1 victory away to Preston. The following week, Green Gully embarrassed South 3-0 at home, which led to Anastasiadis resigning as coach. He was replaced by former South player Michael Michalakopoulos, who took over a team that was deep in relegation trouble. After a slow start, Michalakopoulos steered South to three victories in a row that pushed the club out of the relegation zone and into finals contention. Mid-season signings Scott MacNicol, Tommi Tomich, Adem Tavsancioglu and Sebastian Petrovic helped add strength to a depleted and injured squad. However eighth position was as high as South got all season, as derby losses to Heidelberg and Preston erased any hope of a finals appearance and in turn sucked the club back into relegation danger. A vital 1-0 home win against Altona meant that South required only a draw against Whittlesea to avoid relegation. Dean Anastasiadis was superb in his final match as he made two crucial saves in a 1-1 draw that got South the point required for safety.

Final League Position:	Ninth out of 14 teams
Hellenic Cup Placing:	Quarter Finalist (0-1 against Bentleigh Greens)
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Fernando De Moraes (9)
Theo Marmaras Medal:	Steve O’Dor
Supporters’ MVPs:	Rama Tavsancioglu (Seniors), Robert Wynne (Under-21s)
President:	Leo Athanasakis
Coaches:	John Anastasiadis (7 League games) Michael Michalakopoulos (19 League games)

 

2009

In the club's 50th year, Michael Michalakopoulos cleaned out the dressing room and signed Joseph Youssef, Rhodri Payne, Eddie Cetkin, Sam Torrens, Stiven Mrkela and Andrew Sfetkopoulos. Vaughan Coveny also returned to Bob Jane Stadium following his retirement from the A-League. Coveny made an immediate impact by scoring important goals to help South win the pre-season Hellenic Cup thanks to a 3-0 win over Heidelberg in the final. The League season opened with two home losses but in the third round South destroyed Preston 7-1 at Connor Reserve, with Goran Zoric scoring four second-half goals. This began an ten game unbeaten run, with several personal achievements along the way. Captain Rama Tavsancioglu and Fernando De Moraes both reached 100 League games with the club and Coveny netted his 100th League goal for South against Hume City. Inconsistent home form towards the end of the season saw South slip from second to fifth and put the club in serious danger of missing the finals again. In the final round, the cheekiest of goals from De Moraes confirmed a finals appearance for the first time in three seasons. South conceded two soft goals against Hume in the Elimination Final to end any chances of winning the League on the momentus occasion of the club's 50th birthday. Despite this letdown, the party continued post-season as the Gala Ball at Crown Palladium saw over 700 guests enjoy a night of high emotion and memories of the club's journey since the forming of South Melbourne Hellas in 1959. Michalakopoulos resigned and was replaced as coach by the retiring Coveny, who hung up his boots after 295 League games and 102 League goals for South.

Final League Position:	Fifth out of 12 teams
Hellenic Cup Placing:	Champions (3-0 against Heidelberg United)
Top Goal Scorer (League):	Goran Zoric (10)
Theo Marmaras Medal:	Sebastian Petrovic
Jim Armstrong Medal:	Francesco Stella
Under-21s MVP:	Jake Vandermey
Supporters' MVPs:	Sebastian Petrovic (Seniors), Francesco Stella (Under-21s)
President:	Leo Athanasakis
Coach:	Michael Michalakopoulos (23 League games)