Author: George Kouroumalis

South Melbourne FC can confirm that it has successfully met all licensing requirements and has been approved to compete in the OFC Pro League for the 2027 season.

All eight clubs from the inaugural 2026 competition have received approval for their 2027 Club Licence applications following a meeting of the OFC Executive Committee in Fiji this week.

For South Melbourne, this provides our players with a continued opportunity to compete in professional football, while proudly representing Australia across Oceania and the Pacific.

We look forward to once again taking South Melbourne and Australian football onto the international stage in 2027, while continuing to work closely with the OFC and exploring opportunities to contribute to the continued growth and development of the competition in the years ahead.

The club also looks forward to bringing a festival of football to Lakeside, with OFC Pro League matches set to be hosted at Lakeside Stadium early in the new year.

Co-President Bill Papastergiadis said the club was proud to continue representing Australian football in the competition.

“This is another important step for South Melbourne and an opportunity for our club, our players and our supporters to be part of professional football on an international stage. We look forward to working closely with the OFC and playing our part in the continued growth of the competition.”

Co-President Andrew Mesourouni said bringing the competition to Lakeside would be a highlight of the 2027 season.

“We are particularly excited to bring OFC Pro League football to Lakeside. We want to create a real festival of football and give our supporters and the wider Melbourne football community the opportunity to experience the competition here at our home.”

CEO Strati Xynas said preparations for the club’s second OFC Pro League campaign were already an important focus.

“The OFC Pro League provides another important platform for our players and our club to compete in a professional environment. There is plenty of work ahead as we prepare for 2027, both on and off the pitch, and we look forward to working with the OFC to deliver a successful season and a fantastic series of matches at Lakeside.”

For all media enquiries contact George Kouroumalis at media@smfc.com.au

South Melbourne FC wishes to signal its intention to open formal dialogue with the Australian Professional Leagues and relevant stakeholders regarding the prospect of securing future A-League Men’s and A-League Women’s licences.

The club believes the time is right to explore a return to the highest level of domestic football, building on the significant progress South Melbourne has made both on and off the pitch.

South Melbourne won the inaugural Australian Championship in 2025 and currently represents Australia in the Oceania Professional League, a competition that has received support from both the Federal and Victorian Governments.

Participation in the OFC competition has seen South Melbourne become Australia’s 13th professional football club and accelerate its transition towards a full time professional football environment.

On the pitch, the club continues to compete strongly across multiple competitions and is currently a Quarter Finalist in the 2026 Australia Cup.

Importantly, South Melbourne does not see participation in the A-Leagues as replacing its existing football commitments.

The club’s ambition is to maintain its presence in the Oceania Professional League, Australian Championship and NPL Victoria while exploring the opportunity to add A-League Men’s and A-League Women’s teams to its football structure.

Co-President Bill Papastergiadis said South Melbourne had always been an aspirational football club and should continue looking for opportunities to compete at the highest possible level.

“South Melbourne has always been an ambitious and aspirational club. That has been part of our DNA throughout our history and it remains the case today,” Papastergiadis said.

“Winning the Australian Championship, representing Australia in Oceania as a professional club and competing on the national stage through the Australia Cup have demonstrated what this club is capable of.

“We are incredibly proud of where we have come from, but we are equally excited about where we can go.

“Our ambition is not to leave behind the competitions that have been important to our journey. We want to continue competing in the NPL, Australian Championship and Oceania Professional League while exploring whether South Melbourne can also have a place in the A-Leagues. This will open up even more opportunities for players across Victoria to play at a higher level.

“We believe South Melbourne should always aspire to compete at the highest level available to us, and we believe the time is right to begin that conversation.”

The club enters that conversation from a position of significant strength.

More than 150 businesses are supporting South Melbourne in 2026, providing strong financial and commercial backing and demonstrating confidence in the club’s long term direction.

South Melbourne also operates from Lakeside Stadium under a long term lease arrangement, providing an established professional home, strong matchday infrastructure and a highly profitable operating model.

Co-President Andrew Mesourouni said the club’s passionate and established supporter base was central to its ambitions.

“Our supporters have continually shown up in significant numbers for our biggest matches, creating an atmosphere at Lakeside that demonstrates the appetite that already exists around this club,” Mesourouni said.

“South Melbourne is ready made. We know who we are, we know our identity and we have generations of supporters who have grown up with this club.

“We are proud of our history, but equally proud of what we are building today. Through our growing network of partner clubs, schools and community programs, we are connecting with more young people, families and communities across Melbourne.

“We believe there is a genuine opportunity to bring that history, identity, supporter base and growing community to the A-Leagues. Through our history and location, there is an opportunity for ready-made derby matches, and we also believe there will be strong commercial interest in our participation, including via broadcast.”

The women’s game would be integral to any future A-Leagues discussions.

South Melbourne has invested significantly in its female football program and believes any future professional licence should encompass both A-League Men and A-League Women, providing genuine pathways from junior football through to the highest levels of the Australian game, regardless of gender.

With more than six decades of history, an established supporter base, significant commercial backing, professional football operations, an expanding community footprint and a long term home at Lakeside Stadium, South Melbourne believes it has a compelling foundation from which to explore the opportunity.

The club acknowledges that any future expansion or licensing process would require extensive consultation with the Australian Professional Leagues, Football Australia and other relevant stakeholders.

At this stage, South Melbourne is signalling its intention to commence that dialogue and formally explore what a future pathway into the A-Leagues could look like.

The club looks forward to engaging constructively with all relevant parties about what role South Melbourne can play in the future of professional football in Australia.

For all media enquiries, please contact George Kouroumalis at media@smfc.com.au.

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South Melbourne FC has appointed Peter Smith as the club’s Boys Youth Technical Director.

Smith joins the club after working closely with South Melbourne FC during the club’s recent OFC Professional League campaign.

He relocates to Australia with his family after three successful seasons with New Zealand National League club Bay Olympic FC, where he served as Men’s Premier Head Coach and Senior Technical Director.

Smith brings extensive experience across elite youth development and high-performance football. Prior to Bay Olympic, he was Head Coach at Tauranga City FC and spent four seasons with WaiBOP United in New Zealand’s ASB Premiership.

Throughout his career, Smith has earned a reputation for technical excellence, player development and building high-performance football environments. His appointment further strengthens South Melbourne FC’s football department and reinforces the club’s commitment to continuous improvement across its football programme.

Speaking on his appointment, Smith said:

“I am very excited to be joining such a historic and prestigious club as South Melbourne FC and cannot wait to get started in the role. It has always been my ambition to work alongside quality people in a high-performance football environment.”

Commenting on Smith’s appointment, Youth Football Director Tass Roufos said:

“Throughout the recruitment process, it was important that we identified someone with the technical expertise to support our coaches, strengthen our football methodology and continue driving standards across our football programme. Peter’s professionalism, communication skills, football knowledge and alignment with our football philosophy made him an excellent fit.

South Melbourne FC continues to build an integrated football programme from junior to senior football. Through our participation in the Australian Championship and the OFC Professional League, we are able to provide our players with additional football experiences and development opportunities as they progress through the club.

Peter’s appointment further strengthens the alignment between our junior and senior football departments, ensuring our football philosophy, coaching methodology and player development remain connected across the entire programme.

I would also like to acknowledge the important contribution Goran Stajic has made as Interim Technical Director. Goran has provided strong leadership during this period and will continue to play a key role as Senior Men’s Reserves Coach and as a valued member of our Senior Football Committee, working closely with our Junior Football Department.

Everyone at South Melbourne FC welcomes Peter and his family and looks forward to the contribution he will make to the continued development of the club’s football programme.

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce the signing of Korean-born attacker David Yoo for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Yoo joins the club from fellow Oceania Professional League side South Island United, bringing with him experience from the international stage. After developing in New Zealand and spending four years in Portugal, Yoo featured for Auckland City at the FIFA Club World Cup, starting against Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors, and was part of the side that secured a famous draw against the Argentine giants.

Hellas supporters will already be familiar with Yoo’s quality, with the dynamic forward finding the back of the net against South Melbourne during this year’s Oceania Professional League. Blessed with pace, technical ability and an eye for goal, Yoo adds further depth and attacking versatility as the club prepares for an important run across the Australia Cup, NPL Victoria and Australian Championship.

“We know David’s qualities well, having seen them first hand this season,” Senior Football Director Peter Kokotis said. “He’s a quick, exciting attacking player who can create and score from anywhere on the pitch. We’re delighted to bring him to South Melbourne and believe he’ll be a valuable addition for the challenges ahead.”

Hellas showed character and resilience to secure a point in a dramatic Oceania Professional League encounter, battling back after early setbacks in what marked the competition’s first South side derby.

The match began in difficult fashion for Hellas, who fell behind early after an unfortunate defensive error was punished. The setback prompted an immediate response, with Hellas lifting their tempo and control in possession.

The equaliser arrived through Yuki Uchida, who brought Hellas back on level terms to make it 1–1. Momentum continued to build, and Hellas were rewarded again when Uchida was brought down in the penalty area following a collision with Van Dijk. Max Mikkola stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, sending Hellas into the break with a 2–1 advantage.

The second half proved more challenging, with Hellas struggling to regain rhythm after the restart. Two defensive lapses were punished, allowing the opposition to strike twice and turn the contest on its head, leaving Hellas trailing 3–2.

Refusing to relent, Hellas pushed forward once more and found a crucial equaliser through Jordan Swibel, who made a sharp near-post run to latch onto a dangerous cross from Cocks, finishing clinically to restore parity.

The closing stages were played at high intensity, with both sides searching for a winner, but neither could find the decisive breakthrough as the points were shared.

Hellas now turn their focus to the next challenge, set to face Bula FC on Wednesday as Circuit 2 continues in Port Moresby.

Photo Credit: OFC Media by Phototek