Author: John Kyrou

Last Friday night saw South Melbourne FC hold one of its annual fundraising events, with the 2015 Jersey Presentation Night taking place at Principal Partner Beachcomber Cafe in St Kilda. The Jersey Night sees Corporate Partners, members, players and coaching staff gather to enjoy an informal evening together and over 200 guests were in attendance.

The host for the evening was Fox Sports Football’s Tara Rushton, who welcomed the guests to the event and opened the evening by acknowledging the support from the Club’s Corporate Partners, including Major Sponsor Plastamasta / Knauf.

South Melbourne FC President Leo Athanasakis welcomed the guests and thanked the Principal Partners for their continued support. Mr Athanasakis then presented Tara Rushton with a South Melbourne FC membership, making her an honorary member of the Club in 2015.

Under 20s coach Sasa Kolman was then invited to the stage to give a brief summary of the Under 20s so far in 2015. Mr Kolman then introduced the Under 20s players onto the stage as the up-and-coming youngsters were properly acknowledged by the South Melbourne family.

Following the dinner break, Tara Rushton invited Tom Kalas to chair a panel discussion involving Kimon Taliadoros (former SMFC player and currently with Football Federation Victoria), Mal Impiombato (General Manager of the Westfield FFA Cup and PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues), Santo Cilauro (entertainer) and current SMFC Head Coach Chris Taylor. The discussion covered the issue of promotion/relegation in the A-League as well as the current performance of the Socceroos under SMFC legend Ange Postecoglou and the importance of the Westfield FFA Cup and the NPL competitions Australia-wide.

The Honourable Martin Foley MP was then invited to address the guests and outlined that a deadline had been set for the end of April to provide a resolution to the ongoing social club issue. Mr Foley also went on to explain how proud he was that he was the Club’s number one ticket holder for an eighth consecutive year.

The annual Player Auctions then commenced, with auctioneer George Metax from Barry Plant Preston taking over the microphone and securing the highest bids from Corporate Partners for each player in the Senior squad.

Nearly 400 raffle tickets were also sold throughout the night, with the lucky winners receiving the following prizes:

1st Prize – $1000 Bob Jane T-Marts gift card – Jimmy Lambropoulos
2nd Prize – BenQ Portable Electrostatic Speaker worth $400 – Nick Katsis
3rd Prize – e.l.f. Cosmetics pack worth $200 – Bill Papastergiadis
4th Prize – Signed 2015 SMFC playing shirt – John Piccione

South Melbourne FC would particularly like to thank Steve and Jim Paraskevas, as well as Michael Dean from Beachcomber Cafe for their tremendous support and warm hospitality in assisting the Club to hold another successful event at their wonderful venue.

Furthermore, South Melbourne FC would like to thank its Corporate Partners who contributed to the fundraising activities on the night as well as all the guests in attendance.

The successful Corporate Partners in the Player Auction are listed below:

01. Nikola Roganovic – Blue Thunder Security
02. Tim Mala – K&A Accountants
03. Kristian Konstantinidis – MW Lomax
04. Michael Eagar (C) – Veale Partners
05. Luke Adams – Sports Camps Australia
06. Bonel Obradovic – GPZ Legal
07. Nick Epifano – Mirabella Lighting
08. Mathew Theodore – Blue Thunder Security
09. Milos Lujic – Moray and Agnew Lawyers
10. David Stirton – Tom Kalas
11. Brad Norton (VC) – Advantage Pharmacy / e.l.f. Cosmetics
12. Iqi Jawadi – Plastamasta / Knauf
13. Dane Milovanovic – MW Lomax
15. Cody Martindale – AIS Insurance
17. Andy Brennan – Clean Energy Australia
21. Jake Barker-Daish – K&A Accountants
23. Andy Kecojevic – K&A Accountants
27. Leigh Minopoulos – Configuration Management Services
77. Stephen Hatzikostas – Victoria Fruit Palace
Coach. Chris Taylor – Moray and Agnew Lawyers

South Melbourne FC won through to the Fifth Round of the Dockerty Cup / Westfield FFA Cup qualifying with a comfortable 0-5 victory in the Fourth Round against Whittlesea United at Thomas Street Reserve on Saturday afternoon.

Several changes were made to the line-up that defeated Werribee City the previous weekend, with Mathew Theodore, Cody Martindale, Andy Brennan and Leigh Minopoulos all starting. David Stirton, Tim Mala and Nick Epifano were all rested. Centre-half Kristian Konstantinidis – who limped off at halftime at Werribee after coming off worse for wear in a tackle against him – will sadly be out of action for at least three months following medical advice received during the week.

South started the match strongly against a side five divisions below them in Victorian football, however the State League 3 based Whittlesea United battled bravely in the opening half hour. Their defence, led by their captain and South Melbourne NSL and VPL Championship player Tansel Baser, worked hard to keep out any chances created by South. Baser almost gave the home side a shock lead after fifteen minutes with a fine shot from a free kick that hit Nikola Roganovic’s crossbar. The 36 year old was Whittlesea United’s best player on the park and led by example all afternoon.

The away side opened the scoring eight minutes before halftime, when Brad Norton’s perfect cross from the left side was met by Milos Lujic and the centre-forward made no mistake by heading the ball into the back of the net. South doubled its advantage right on the 45th minute when Brennan was put through on goal and he neatly tucked the ball past goalkeeper for his second goal of the season across all competitions.

Theodore – making his first appearance for the Club in 2015 following hip surgery in the off-season – sealed the victory only six minutes after the halftime break with a low left-footed drive from the edge of the area. With just over twenty minutes remaining, centre-half Luke Adams found himself unmarked and scored his first goal for South with a header from a corner kick. With fifteen minutes remaining, Iqi Jawadi took on several Whittlesea United defenders before hitting a shot that the goalkeeper could only parry into the path of substitute Kecojevic to score his first ever goal for South Melbourne, with the youngster very pleased with the occasion.

With ten minutes remaining, coach Chris Taylor made a goalkeeping change and substituted Roganovic to give 16 year old Rory Brian his debut for the Senior side. With Kecojevic also 16 years old and playing very well on the field, Taylor proved that he is prepared to give opportunities to the younger players when possible.

South Melbourne FC returns to PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria action this Friday night (20 March), with a tough test against the Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. Kick-off is at 8:15pm.

FINAL SCORE: WHITTLESEA UNITED 0-5 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-2)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Milos Lujic (37′)
0-2: Andy Brennan (45′)
0-3: Mathew Theodore (51′)
0-4: Luke Adams (69′)
0-5: Andy Kecojevic (75′)

Whittlesea United:
Starting XI: Goksal GULER (GK), Daniel CHIODO, Taner KORKMAZ, Zafer AYGUN, Tansel BASER (C), Alptekin KALAYCI, Kadir IRFANOGLU, Yasin SAHIN, Sinan MIRIK, Emin SELE, Ugur YILDIZ.
Substitutes: Metekan YILMAZ, Josh ABAK, Fatih OZTAS.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) (22. Rory BRIAN 81′), 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 5. Luke ADAMS, 6. Bonel OBRADOVIC (13. Dane MILOVANOVIC 52′), 8. Mathew THEODORE (23. Andy KECOJEVIC 55′), 9. Milos LUJIC, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqi JAWADI, 15. Cody MARTINDALE, 17. Andy BRENNAN, 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS.

Fix Hellas Man of the Match: Brad Norton
Venue: Thomas Street Reserve
Date: Saturday 14 March 2015

South Melbourne FC wishes to advise that the 2015 Jersey Presentation Night will be held at Principal Partner Beachcomber Cafe on Friday 27 March from 7pm. A two course meal will be provided inclusive of beer, wine and soft drink.

Fox Sports Football presenter and 2015 Logie nominee Tara Rushton will host the event, with a cast of football guests including Santo Cilauro and Kimon Taliadoros joining South Melbourne FC Head Coach Chris Taylor on stage to discuss the future landscape of Australian football. There will also be further guests that will be confirmed closer to the date as part of this discussion.

All players from the 2015 South Melbourne FC Senior Squad will be presented with their playing jersey, with all guests invited to bid for each player in the annual Player Auction. The winning bidder will be recognised as the player’s official sponsor for the 2015 season, with public acknowledgements throughout the season.

There will be also be prizes on the night as well as the opportunity for coaches, players, sponsors and supporters to enjoy a relaxed night ahead of the derby against traditional rivals Heidelberg United two days later on the Sunday.

For bookings email the club at multimedia@smfc.com.au.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce that Fix Hellas Beer will continue as a Corporate Partner during the 2015 PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria season.

Fix Hellas Beer is exclusively imported by Agora Merchandising Group and is the first and most historical Greek-owned beer. Fix Hellas Beer is exported to twenty countries and is the Greek Beer Ambassador internationally.

The partnership between Fix Hellas Beer and South Melbourne FC began in 2014 and Chairman of the Agora Merchandising Group, George Iliopoulos, was very pleased to continue the relationship in 2015. “South Melbourne is a big club with a great history. We were very happy being involved last season when South won the NPL Victoria title and we look forward to continuing a long-term relationship with the club and seeing it grow both on and off the field.”

South Melbourne FC Director of Corporate Sales Nick Maikousis was equally pleased. “We are delighted that the Agora Merchandising Group and Fix Hellas Beer have re-committed as the Club’s official beverage supplier. We will continue to work closely with George Iliopoulos to establish a long-term partnership between Fix Hellas Beer and South Melbourne FC.”

South Melbourne FC is pleased to welcome The Water Rat Hotel as the Club’s Official Local Hotel in 2015.

The Water Rat Hotel has recently been refurbished and now boasts several eating and drinking areas, with a function area that can be configured to suit anything from a small gathering to a cocktail party for up to 250 people. The Water Rat Hotel also has range of menu options on offer and can be tailored to suit the individual needs of its customers.

The Water Rat Hotel will provide drinks for the President’s Room during 2015 and is also providing the following offers to South Melbourne FC members ahead of this Thursday night’s match against Oakleigh:

1. Happy Hour (between 5pm-7pm) – $5 pints excluding Peroni beer.
2. $15 burger with hand cut chips and aioli.
3. $15 linguine puttanesca.

Speaking with smfc.com.au, South Melbourne FC Marketing Manager George Kouroumalis was very excited about the new partnership. “The Water Rat Hotel has undergone a refurbishment and looks fantastic. I have no doubt that South fans will enjoy having a pint and something to eat there before going to watch the team play at Lakeside Stadium.”

South Melbourne FC looks forward to a successful partnership with The Water Rat Hotel.

South Melbourne FC is very pleased to announce a new partnership with Mad Mex South Melbourne for the 2015 National Premier League season.

Mad Mex is a quick service restaurant that prides itself on producing fresh, fast and delicious inspired Mexican food for its customers. With over 50 stores across Australia and New Zealand, Mad Mex has big plans to continue growth in 2015, including within Victoria where they already have nine stores, including one of the latest to the portfolio, South Melbourne located at 261 Clarendon Street.

Mad Mex South Melbourne has signed on to provide catering in the President’s Room for several of South Melbourne FC’s home matches throughout the 2015 season as well as donate the Club’s Junior’s with weekly free Mad Mex vouchers. Mad Mex South Melbourne will also sponsor the “SMFC Fan of the Week”, where one lucky fan will receive a free Mad Mex voucher in return for their support. Not to mention each South Melbourne member receiving a 10% discount on all purchases in the South Melbourne store throughout the season.

Speaking with smfc.com.au, South Melbourne FC Marketing Manager George Kouroumalis was very excited about the new partnership. “It is fantastic to have secured Mad Mex South Melbourne as one of the catering partners in 2015. More significantly, Mad Mex provides us with some excellent local area marketing opportunities, which means greater exposure and spread of the Club’s brand throughout the local community, as well as providing anyone around South Melbourne with a place to enjoy a meal with their family and friends”

South Melbourne FC looks forward to a successful partnership with Mad Mex South Melbourne in 2015.

South Melbourne FC wishes to advise that the Club will have a stall at the 2015 Lonsdale Street festival this coming Saturday 14 February. We will be there from 4pm, following our family day commitments in the morning!

The Lonsdale Street Festival (formerly Antipodes) attracts thousands of people each year and is a free street party in Melbourne’s Greek Precinct.

South Melbourne FC will have a stall set up selling special passes to this week’s opening round match against Oakleigh Cannons FC, as well as memberships and merchandise.

Come past and say hello, we look forward to seeing you there!

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic ahead of the PlayStation 4 National Premier League season kicking off in a week’s time.

Roganovic returns to football in 2015 after having a two-year break from the game to establish his own business. Prior to his break, he represented Springvale White Eagles, Altona Magic and Green Gully in the Victorian Premier League. He was in between the sticks when Altona won the 2009 VPL Grand Final before switching to Green Gully and playing in their back-to-back Championships in 2010 and 2011. Roganovic then represented Melbourne Heart briefly before taking a break from the game.

He returns to South Melbourne FC eleven years after winning the National Youth League title with the Club in 2004. He will be competing with Peter Gavalas for a starting berth in between the sticks in 2015.

Speaking with smfc.com.au, South Melbourne FC Football Director Nicholas Maikousis was excited about Roganovic’s signing. “Nikola has been training with us for quite a while now. I am pleased that we have managed to sort out the goalkeeping situation, with Peter Gavalas and Nikola now both competing for a starting berth next Thursday night against Oakleigh.”

South Melbourne FC welcomes Nikola Roganovic to the Club and wishes him the best for the upcoming season.

South Melbourne FC wishes to confirm the departures of NPL Victoria Championship winning players Jason Saldaris, Andrew Mullett and Kobbie Boahene.

Saldaris represented South Melbourne over two stints (2012 and 2014) and played in 26 matches across all competitions. He was in between the sticks when South won their opening eleven League matches in 2014 and he kept eleven clean sheets throughout the course of the NPL Victoria season.

Andrew Mullett made 12 appearances for the Club across all competitions in 2014. He made several appearances earlier on in the season when South Melbourne embarked on a fourteen match winning streak across all competitions.

Kobbie Boahene made 13 appearances for the Club across all competitions in 2014. He played in all four Dockerty Cup ties and scored two goals during those matches. He will best be remembered for scoring the winning goal in the third minute of extra time in the Dockerty Cup tie against Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve on Wednesday 28 May.

South Melbourne FC wishes all three players the best for the future and thanks them for playing their role in winning the 2014 NPL Victoria Championship.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of Cody Martindale ahead of the start of the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria season next week.

Martindale played for Noble Park in State League 1 during the 2014 season. He developed a reputation for being a hard-working midfielder as Noble Park finished the season in fourth place on the League table.

Over the summer, Martindale has been trialling with South Melbourne FC and has impressed Chris Taylor over a series of friendly matches. He travelled with the squad to Adelaide last weekend and took part in both games against West Adelaide Hellas and Adelaide Blue Eagles.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, South Melbourne FC Football Director Nicholas Maikousis said that “Cody is another young and promising player that we have signed after he impressed during the pre-season. Along with Andy Kecojevic, Cody is a player for the future.”

South Melbourne FC welcomes Cody Martindale to the Club and wishes him the best for the upcoming season.