Author: George Kouroumalis

In a tightly contested encounter, South Melbourne maintained their undefeated streak in the league after a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Oakleigh on Friday night.

South Melbourne opted for two changes in their starting lineup, bringing in the experienced duo of Andy Brennan and Ross Archibald. However, their plans were disrupted early on when Nahuel Bonada was forced off the field due to injury following a dangerous challenge.

Despite the setback, South Melbourne started brightly, creating early opportunities that they failed to convert into goals. Goalkeeper Javi Lopez proved pivotal for South Melbourne with a crucial save to deny Oakleigh, ensuring the score remained level at half-time.

The second half continued in a similar fashion, with both teams struggling to break the deadlock. Long-range attempts from either side lacked precision, failing to trouble the opposing goalkeepers.

Ultimately, neither team could find the breakthrough, and the match ended in a stalemate. With this result, both South Melbourne and Oakleigh maintain their unbeaten records after seven rounds of the season.

Looking ahead, South Melbourne will shift their focus to the Australia Cup, where they are set to face Melbourne Knights in a highly anticipated derby at Knights Stadium on Thursday, March 28th, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 PM.

In the opening fixture of the 2024 NPLW Victoria season, reigning champions South Melbourne demonstrated their strength with a commanding performance against Bentleigh at the iconic Lakeside Stadium.

Despite missing several key senior players, including captain Danielle Micallef, South Melbourne came out of the gates with a determined attacking mindset. The synergy between Tayla Christensen and Francesca Iermano bore fruit early on as they combined to break the deadlock. Christensen’s exquisite through ball found Iermano in a prime position, and the latter calmly slotted the ball past the Bentleigh keeper to give South Melbourne an early lead.

Building on their momentum, South Melbourne continued to assert their dominance throughout the first half. Christensen, displaying her scoring ability, extended South’s advantage with a sensational long-range effort, leaving Bentleigh trailing by two goals as the teams headed into halftime.

After the break, South Melbourne picked up right where they left off, maintaining their attacking intensity. Christensen, once again showcasing her talent, notched her second goal of the game with a powerful strike that nestled into the roof of the net, further widening the gap between the two sides.

The hosts didn’t stop there. Grace Taranto embarked on a mesmerizing run, carving through Bentleigh’s defense before supplying the ball to Bella Sewards, who marked her club debut with a goal, much to the delight of the South Melbourne faithful.

Despite Bentleigh managing to pull one back late in the game, it was merely a consolation as South Melbourne comfortably secured their first victory of the season at Lakeside Stadium. With such a convincing display, South Melbourne has set a high standard for themselves as they look to defend their NPLW Victoria title in the 2024 season.

South Melbourne came into the match against Altona Magic with Emile Peios and Cooper Halfpenny starting, two young players eager to make an impact. The match started with South Melbourne displaying their attacking power early on.

The breakthrough came when Max Mikkola capitalised on a loose ball from the Altona defence, confidently slotting it past goalkeeper Rossi to give South Melbourne a 1-0 lead. Despite dominating possession for the remainder of the first half, South Melbourne couldn’t extend their lead further, with some missed chances and impressive saves from the Altona goalkeeper keeping the score at 1-0 going into halftime.

After the break, South Melbourne continued to assert their dominance on the game. Nahuel Bonada doubled their lead with a beautifully taken finish from just inside the area. The momentum was firmly with South Melbourne as they pressed forward.

Harrison Sawyer further extended South Melbourne’s lead by converting a penalty, before Ross Archibald added his name to the scoresheet by capitalising on a loose ball following his initial header hitting the bar.

Altona Magic managed to pull one back in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to halt South Melbourne’s charge. With this victory, South Melbourne extended their unbeaten run to six games and cemented their position at the top of the table.

The next fixture promises to be a thrilling encounter as South Melbourne faces Oakleigh away on Friday night in a clash between two undefeated teams. Both sides will be eager to maintain their impressive form and secure another important victory.

In a highly anticipated Round 5 NPL Victoria Derby clash against their arch-rivals Heidelberg United, South Melbourne FC showcased a strong lineup with the return of experienced players Javi Lopez and Andy Brennan, bolstering their squad with much-needed experience.

There was plenty of Blue and White in the stands, adding to the electric atmosphere of the match.

South Melbourne FC wasted no time asserting their dominance as they took an early lead courtesy of Harrison Sawyer, who expertly capitalised on a precise pass from Andy Brennan from the right flank.

However, Heidelberg United responded with a moment of brilliance from Joshua Pin, equalising the score just over the 20-minute mark with a stunning long range bomb that left Javi Lopez unable to intervene.

South could have gone into the break in front, where Nahuel Bonada found himself with a chance but his diving header narrowly missed the target.

As the game progressed into the second half, South Melbourne FC had several opportunities to clinch the victory.

Max Mikkola came agonisingly close to putting South Melbourne ahead with a glancing header that struck the crossbar. Mario Barcia also tested the Heidelberg keeper with a powerful long-range effort following some excellent build-up play by Cooper Halfpenny.

Despite a late attempt by Heidelberg’s Josh Pin, who was denied by a brilliant save from Javi Lopez, neither side could break the deadlock. The match ultimately ended in a hard-fought draw, with both teams remaining undefeated after Round 5.

The result ensured that both teams earned a well-deserved point in what was an enthralling encounter between two fierce rivals.

In an electrifying encounter at Petty’s Reserve, South Melbourne emerged victorious in a scintillating battle against Manningham. This marked the first-ever meeting between the two sides in senior football, with Manningham entering as a newly promoted side from NPL 2.

The match kicked off with South Melbourne initially struggling to find their rhythm, allowing Manningham to seize an early advantage. Ben Everson capitalised on a deflection off the post to put Manningham ahead 1-0. The home crowd erupted as Everson produced a moment of brilliance, lobbing the goalkeeper from nearly halfway to extend Manningham’s lead to 2-0.

However, South Melbourne quickly rallied, demonstrating their resilience and determination. Harrison Sawyer initiated the comeback, narrowing the deficit with a well-taken goal. Just before halftime, Nahuel Bonada found the back of the net, levelling the score and injecting renewed energy into the South camp.

Sawyer continued his heroics, rising to the occasion once again with a crucial goal moments before halftime, propelling South Melbourne into an unexpected lead at the break.

The second half belonged entirely to South Melbourne, as they showcased a dominant performance, relentlessly peppering Manningham’s goal with nearly 30 opportunities. Harrison Sawyer completed his hat-trick in style heading in a cross from Marco Jankovic, while Jordon Lampard marked his debut for the club with a clinical finish at the near post, sealing a comprehensive 5-2 victory on the road.

With this impressive win, South Melbourne extended their undefeated streak to four matches at the start of the season, sending a clear message of intent to their rivals.

South Melbourne kicked off their season with a strong performance, despite an early setback when a goal was controversially disallowed despite protests from South players that the ball had crossed the line. Nonetheless, they quickly bounced back as Sawyer capitalised on a loose ball from a Mikkola throw-in, giving South Melbourne a 1-0 lead over the Knights.

The match saw the starting debut of several new faces including Nahuel Bonada, Mario Barcia, Jordon Lampard, and Ross Archibald, with Harrison Sawyer leading the team as captain for the first time since his return to the club.

South Melbourne dominated the first half, creating numerous scoring opportunities and heading into halftime with a deserved 1-0 lead.

The second half proved to be a tighter affair, with both teams testing each other’s defences. Javi Lopez and Chris Oldfield, the respective goalkeepers, were called into action multiple times but both stood firm to deny any further goals.

Despite South Melbourne’s dominance, their best chance of the half fell to Bonada, who was unable to beat Oldfield with a low shot.

In his post-match reflection, Coach Esteban Quintas praised the team’s resilience and ability to see out the result, stating, “We showed plenty of fight and were able to close out the match when needed. I am encouraged by the start and we are looking to build on this performance in the coming weeks.”

South Melbourne’s next challenge will be against Moreland City on Saturday at CB Smith Reserve.

South Melbourne FC is thrilled to announce the signing of fan favourite Harrison Sawyer ahead of the 2024 NPL Victoria season.

Harrison returned home after an incredibly successful stint in Finland where he was a huge part of Vaasan Palloseura’ 17 game unbeaten streak. The unbeaten run was the catalyst behind Vaasan reaching next season’s European competitions.

In his time with South Melbourne prior, Sawyer was regarded as the premier forward in the NPL after capturing the 2022 Golden Boot and leading the club to the Premiership. Overall he scored 24 times in 42 games with the club.

With a new look squad set to be unveiled alongside Harrison, we cannot wait to see the big forward go another level in blue and white this year.

Welcome home, Harrison.

South Melbourne FC is thrilled to announce the signing for Yagoub Mustafa for the remainder of the 2023 season.

The South Sudanese international joins us following a short spell with Hume City, however many South fans would know him from his time at Bentleigh
where he linked up with Ajak Riak and was a key reason why the Greens were crowned 2022 Dockerty Cup Champions.

He also spent time at Perth Glory in Western Australia’s NPL system before reaching to play at A-League level.

Mustafa brings another attacking option that can play across the front three and combines explosive pace with an ability to score. He joins Luka Ninkovic as our mid season signings which we hope will significantly bolster our attack in the back end of the season.

Speaking to SMFC Media, Football Director Andrew Mesourouni welcomed Mustafa to the club. “Yagoub provides us with another attacking option and he can play numerous roles in attacking third. We look forward to seeing him link up with his former teammate Ajak Riak, new signing Luka Ninkovic, as well as the likes of Max Mikkola, Alun Webb, Andy Brennan, Marcus Schroen and Ali Sulemani in creating a formidable attacking force.”

Yagoub has been cleared to play and will be available for selection from this week’s game.

South Melbourne FC would like to confirm that Luka Ninkovic has signed for the club ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

Luka is a powerful forward who has experience across the top tier of the National Premier League here in Victoria. He joined the club after playing for Bentleigh earlier this year, though many South fans would know him from his days at Heidelberg United where he was part of the Warriors Championship winning squad.

He adds significant depth to our attacking third and will be looking to link up with our other forwards to provide another big target and goal scoring option in the box.

Speaking to SMFC Media, Football Director Andrew Mesourouni was pleased with the signing.

“Luka is a proven goal scorer , technically balanced and strong in the air. An explosive player and a great guy , giving us additional strength up front.”
He will join us in the window and will be available for selection soon after.”

Luka will replace Danny Kim on our roster, with the midfielder departing the club also during the window.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce that Akeisha Sandhu and Danielle Wise will lead the club in 2023, with both players selected as co-captains for our NPLW Victoria Womens squad.

Sandhu continues on from her role as captain last season, where she was able to provide the club with outstanding leadership during some difficult moments throughout the season as well as continue to perform on the park. Wise joins us in 2023 and has immediately pushed a new standard through the women’s training program, leading the way and challenging her playing group along the way.

Speaking to SMFC Media, Senior Coach George Georgiadis was excited with the appointment. “I feel that it provides a great reward to Akeisha for the work she has put over the past 12 months to enhance herself as a leader at this level and of our club. Danielle came to our club and young group as someone who we felt would add not only a great amount of experience on the park but also throughout the club having been an excellent player in the NPLW for numerous seasons now. Both girls have their own unique way of leading and I am extremely pleased that they have been able to work with one another to drive standards throughout a very challenging pre-season to date.”

The club can also confirm that Janna Lawson and Brianne Reed will also form part of the extended leadership group as Vice Captain and Deputy Vice Captain.

We congratulate all four individuals on their appointment and look forward to seeing them represent the club in their new roles on March 18th at Lakeside Stadium.