Author: Skip Fulton

Wednesday night saw a cold and foggy Veneto Club play host to a Quarter Final fixture in the Team App Cup. South Melbourne were on the road to take on the hosts and the top team in Victorian Women’s football, FC Bulleen Lions.

The squad featured yet again a number of new faces with three girls making their debut for South Melbourne and one playing her first match in 2016. They went up against quality opposition who have only lost one match in fourteen in the NPLW and also included two current W-League players. Despite being underdogs the girls went into the match believing they had the ability and the passion to take it to the best and knock them out of the Cup.

From the kick off Bulleen took control and maintained possession with probing attacks focused on getting in behind the back four and crossing the balls in from the wing. They were rewarded in the eleventh minute when Dani Gudelj fired a cross in an found Em Coppock who tapped it in at the near post to open the scoring.

Bulleen would continue to press forward with multiple shots on target being denied by the efforts of Coco Majstorovic wearing the gloves. South caught a break when a defensive error at the back by Bulleen provided the opportunity for Caitlin Greiser to pounce. She capitalised on the loose ball racing forward and reaching the ball just before the rushing keeper Lauren Farrugia. She tipped the ball clear and it continued to bounce into the net much to the delight of the girls who had equalised three minutes before the break.

The confidence and stature of the girls grew in the second half as they started to match the opposition. Bulleen scored again early with a cross and tap in, this time it was Tessa Sernio with the goal. The defensive rallied as Bulleen continued their attacks however they held strong countering and clearing their line on multiple occasions.

Beattie Goad found space and speed through the last line of defence rounding the keeper and putting Bulleen up 3-1. It was only a few minutes later however that South showed what they were made of. Fantastic play on the counter attack resulted in Caitlin Greiser going one on one with Lauren Farrugia in the Bulleen goal. It was a reflex save by Farrugia which prevented the shot finding the net. From the resulting corner however the ball came in and couldn’t be cleared by Bulleen. The scramble in the box saw the ball bobble around and again it was Greiser who got boot to ball and found the net to get South back into the battle.

South lifted and took their play to another level. The ball was locked in the attacking third for a number of minutes with throws and corners desperately trying to find the edge to gain an equaliser. It was through the brilliance of Bulleen’s Keely Lockhart who made the break and sprinted from the half way line all the way to the box edging the shot past Coco Majstorovic to seal the 4-2 result for Bulleen and put them through the Team App Cup Semi Finals.

Whilst a disappointing result for the girls, it was encouraging to show such a youthful and injury-ravaged squad were able to match it with the best in the state.

Caitlin Greiser spent some time with smfc.com.au reflecting on the match saying “it was very challenging. We had a young side playing today with a few State League 2 girls in the squad with some 14, 15 and 16 year old girls playing and we performed so well. That’s probably the best game we have played. We felt so motivated at half time to come out and kick butt and we did.”

Greiser hasn’t been on the pitch for weeks. She has been supporting the team from the sideline and in the media box for the last few fixtures whilst sporting a moon-boot and crutches. Stepping up for a big game and delivering two goals against quality opposition was a positive return to football. “I’m really happy and proud of what we achieved tonight. It was a great team effort and every one of the girls on the pitch tonight contributed to those goals. The passing and combination plays was fantastic and for me to score those two goals was it awesome” she said.

South Melbourne Board Member and Head of Womens Football Gabi Giuliano also shared her encouragement for the girls after the match saying “I am so proud of the girls tonight. Most of them are very young being 14, 15 or 16, we have extensive injuries with five of our starters out of the squad, we have State League 2 girls playing and going up against the best in the NPLW and a team that includes W-League players. I don’t think our team should be feeling disappointed in the result tonight, it was a great showcase of what South Melbourne football is about.”

Captain Alex Cheal was hobbling around the sidelines providing advice and support to the girls whilst lamenting not being out there. She had wanted to take to the pitch however medical advice said otherwise. She could have done permanent damage as opposed to potentially being back on the park in another four to six weeks. Cheal was equally impressed with the performance of the team saying “We fought really hard. It could have gone either way for a while, we definitely gave it to them being the number one NPL team. We definitely gave them a good match. We fought it out to the end and I’m really proud of the girls for their effort. Give the situation with our squad, we weren’t embarrassed out there today. We have a lot to be proud of. Some of the Bulleen players have come over and said how said how impressed they were with how we played and the heart we had. They new girls who came in filled in the spots really well considering they don’t know any of us, haven’t trained with us and don’t know how we play. It was such a fantastic effort tonight”

The girls move forward to the triple header at Lakeside on Sunday when they take on the high flying Melbourne University team. The Uni outfit may be sitting in third on the ladder with a 5-2 record, however they have scored the most of any team in the league finding the net 31 times from just 7 matches. Kick off is at 1pm.

The Senior Women’s team travelled to Fawkner Park on Sunday afternoon to take on South Yarra FC in what was a top of the table clash.

Coach Socrates Nicolaidis returned to lead the girls in this match, having spent the last week in Canberra pursuing his coaching A-Licence. Rachel Jarvis also returned to the pitch for the first time following her recent injury. Both teams were undefeated in the Women’s State League One North-West and as such, the fixture was expected to be a tough one.

South made an impressive start and had the bulk of possession but couldn’t find success on the scoreboard, though both teams had chances to hit the back of the net. Hayley Drain stood tall in goal, making a number of quality saves to prevent Yarra from scoring in one-on-one situations.

The South girls came out firing after the break and continued to have good control of the ball. Sara Alberici was having a superb game up front, forcing saves from the Yarra keeper consistently. After 70 minutes, Alberici latched on to a poor back-pass and went one-on-one with the keeper to finally break the deadlock and put the visitors in front.

Strong defence was the aim of the game from that point on and in the final few minutes Yarra almost scored the equaliser. It wasn’t to be though and South pushed through for a sixth win to remain the only team undefeated and with a 100% winning record in the division in 2016.

Caitlin Greiser spoke to Eliza Gleadell about the result post-match. “We played a good game, particularly in the second half where we came out raring to go and got the winning goal. Our defence was great today. As always Deryal [Aziz] is our big defender who can get rid of it, clear it out when she needs to but also play it on the ground as well. Renee [Laszczak] did really well in the midfield controlling play. The key positive for us today is that we played our style of football.”

Goal scorer Sara Alberici also took a moment from her post-match celebrations to talk with smfc.com.au. “It was pretty tough until the second half. It was a good start for us. They are a physical side and a good team so we tried to play the ball around as much as you can. Keep the ball on the ground and keep it moving. For my goal, to be honest it was very lucky. But we try and try and try, I am so happy. I think we deserved to win and be first on the ladder.”

The girls continue their journey of three matches in eight days when they travel to the Veneto Club on Wednesday evening for the Team App Cup Quarter Finals. South are one of four State League teams remaining in the competition and now face traditional rivals FC Bulleen Lions, who are currently on top of the Women’s NPL Victoria as the best performing team. No Women’s NPL Victoria team has so far lost to a State League team in the Team App Cup, so the opportunity presents itself for a big upset and also the chance to measure our squad performance against Bulleen.

Next Sunday the women will face the strong attacking Melbourne University team. The uni squad are in form and are certainly a team to watch this year. In their first seven matches they have scored an impressive 31 goals and amassed a goal difference of +20.

Coach Nicolaidis has the girls clearly focused on one match at a time and that means Bulleen at Veneto Club this coming Wednesday night.

The Women’s Reserves returned to Lakeside for the second time in 2016, looking to continue their undefeated run against Lara United.

Lara had made a very positive start to their season by winning three of their four matches and finding the back of the net an impressive 22 times. Injuries and illness continue to plague the Senior and Reserves squads, leaving SMFC Reserves Coach Stuart Smith no choice but to field a squad of just eleven players, including two stepping up from the Under 16s.

The first half was a relatively balanced encounter between the two teams, although South had a number of opportunities pushing forward into the final third. After the break, it was Lara that got on the scoreboard first. A defensive error from a back pass allowed Lara striker Maddi Dragt to go one-on-one with keeper Alexia Karatzikos and she made no mistake in giving Lara the advantage.

South lifted immediately and within a minute the girls found space on the counter attack. Surging into the area, the shot was on target but a quality save from the Lara keeper Miki Tatlic prevented the equaliser. The South girls continued to press high and attack using the width of the Lakeside pitch to their advantage. A superbly lofted kick came in from the ‘Clarendon Corner’ side and Ciara Singleton was there to head the ball into the bottom right corner of the net for the equalising goal.

Not content with the draw, the girls continued to push and it was again a fast break that gave them the advantage. Kala Rosebirch provided an excellent through-ball and Bianca Cachia pounced to beat the keeper and put South 2-1 ahead. That’s where it ended, giving the Women’s Reserve team a second win of the season, with the girls still undefeated in 2016.

After the match, Caitlin Greiser spoke with winning goal scorer Bianca Cachia, who shared her thoughts on the match. “I think we played really well as a team. We didn’t start at half-time like we usually do, we started from the first minute. Our midfield came together, played through-balls and helped get the ball up front so we can actually shoot. We took a lot of shots today – something we haven’t been doing lately – and clearly it paid off.”

“Hannah [DeLorenzis] played an absolutely amazing game. She was pressing all the time and did really well. Also Ciara [Singleton] getting the ball up the front, she really moved the game forward for us” added Bianca when talking about the positive influence her team mates had on the match. About the opposition in Lara United, she added that “they are a really respectable team. They kept their heads up throughout the whole game and kept calm about the match. They were a good team to play against.”

Caitlin asked Bianca about her winning goal in the last minute of the match that delivered the win for the home team. “I was injured for the whole game. I tried to stay there and support the passes and play through-balls so we could shoot and get goals. It worked and we did it!”

Caitlin also spoke with Coach Stuart Smith, who reflected on the match. “The 2-1  score says to me that the team that played the better football won, which I credit completely to the girls. We struck to our principles, our game plan and at the end of the day, although we’ve conceded a number of injuries, I thought we were the better team and deserved the points. All eleven of the girls deserve credit, Ciara [Singleton] specifically bossed the game today. She won everything and she got a goal straight from the corner so I am really pleased for her. I thought our forwards did really well when in possession of the ball in the middle.”

“It was really a key that the girls never gave up. We copped a soft goal, I’m not going to lie about that. It was a really poor goal to concede, but they stuck their heads up and stuck to the game plan. So really all eleven girls deserve credit and Ciara is my player of the game. Lara were a really physical team and I can see why they have been scoring goals every week as they are very quick up front. They play some good passing football, however at times we were able to easily break them down. They’ll do well if they keep playing the football they are playing.”

The Women’s Reserves are back in action on Friday night at BT Connor Reserve against the Preston Lions.

The South Women walked on to Lakeside Stadium last Sunday looking to secure a full three points and maintain a perfect winning start to 2016. With five starters missing from the line-up and Lara United sitting one place back in third on the ladder, a competitive fixture was expected.

A vocal supporter group from Lara United graced the grandstand and they were rewarded in the twelfth minute when Izzy Wilkinson fired a rocket from forty yards out that flew into the bottom left of the net, giving the visitors an early lead. South responded in the best way possible and just a few minutes later had equalised when Natalie Martineau set up Eliza Gleadell to easily find the back of the net.

The value of the large Lakeside pitch provided the South girls with the advantage as they used width and pace to attack deep into the final third. Those attacks were rewarded when Sara Alberici scored her seventh goal for the season by chipping the keeper from the edge of the area to put South in front.

Lara United again found the net with another long range shot by Rachel Bennett to make it 2-2.

In the final five minutes of the match, South had multiple shots on goal, coming agonisingly close and even hitting the upright. A free kick awarded some forty yards from goal saw defensive midfielder Stella Rebholz step up for her trademark long-range shot. With the Lakeside scoreboard showing just eight seconds left in regulation time, Stella’s shot flew over the head of every player in the area, including the Lara goalkeeper and into the net triggering screams of delight, high fives and celebrations from the pitch to the grandstand. It was a vital three points for the South squad.

Stella spoke to smfc.com.au after the match, adding that “it was really amazing and frustrating. I was there as centre back working my backside off – let’s put it that way – and we had so many chances but couldn’t get the ball in. I got the free kick at the end and was like ‘ok, all in’. I don’t know how I got it, I just smashed it somehow into the goal. It was an amazing finish.”

“Overall it was really hard to get into the game. We had many players that couldn’t play so we don’t know each other that well, so it was hard. Lara were on us all the time and really aggressive always trying to be the first to the ball. We couldn’t get into our game which we usually play. We have a lot of work to do before the cup game but we’ll be ready. It’s been a positive start to the season but there is a lot more potential to get better.”

Forward Caitlin Greiser and defender Deryl Aziz added that “it was a very intense game, Lara were third on the ladder and we were just above them so we really wanted to go out there and win, get the three points and remain near the top of the ladder. Stella played really well playing in the back line and in the midfield. She kept it together and scored the winning goal. Lara were a pretty good team, very physical and they had a few really fast players up front.”

The Women’s team are back in action on Friday night at BT Connor Reserve against Preston Lions, kicking off at 8:30pm.

The Senior Women took to the pitch on Sunday afternoon for the opening round of the 2016 Women’s State League season. It was a physical encounter in the Melbourne Derby‬ at Somers Street against their arch rivals at Melbourne Knights FC.

In just the second minute, Natalie Martineau was taken out whilst on a run down the left flank. The resulting free kick from captain Alex Cheal was headed back into the fray by Caitlin Greiser. Rachel Jarvis chested it down, turned and her shot found its way past two defenders and the keeper to give South the early lead.

Wednesday evening saw a squad of 22 players stride on to the pitch at Lakeside for the first pre-season friendly against Box Hill United. It was an opportunity for the players to stretch their legs under match conditions and for the coaching team to further evaluate those trialing to make the final squad.

The friendly comprises three 30 minute sessions enabling Chris Taylor to consistently rotate the squad and test various structures to see how players reacted in the different formations. It was the same for Box Hill United coach Greg Kassidas who also made use of a multitude of players off the bench are they prepare for their 2016 NPL2 campaign.

The result was a 2-2 draw with South Melbourne’s first goal scored by trialist Atilla Ofli before he backed it up again with an assist providing Leigh Minopoulos the opportunity to chip the rushing keeper to level the scores. Another highlight of the session was a classy penalty save by new goal keeper Zaim Zanelli.

Talking to smfc.com.au after the match, coach Chris Taylor was asked about the purpose of the friendly so early in the pre-season. “It was about getting some miles in the legs and get a little bit of the rustiness out of the system. There is nothing specific to work on out there other than getting people into shape. Some players had 20 minutes whilst others had longer” he said.

Taylor was also observant of some of the trialists saying “it puts them under a little bit of pressure and lets them express themselves so it helps us see where their strengths and weaknesses are. We use them to keep our players in shape as well”.

The team will travel to the Veneto Club on Monday 21st December to take on FC Bulleen Lions who are preparing for 2016 having been promoted from the NPL this year. Kick-off is at 7:30pm.

Just a few weeks ago, South Melbourne girls Elwen Parbery and Grace Taranto took to the pitch in Adelaide helping to guide the Victorian Under 13 Schoolgirls to a win in the Pacific School Games. The team swept all before them finishing undefeated at the top of the table.

The tournament is the flagship event of School Sports Australia bringing together some 4,000 students from each state and territory and 12 other countries to participate in 9 different sports.

Parbery and Taranto were selected to represent Victoria at Under 13s level joining players from around the state. NSW and Queensland had won all previous tournaments except for 2014 when NSW and Victoria shared the trophy. The result in 2015 therefore was a significant achievement for the girls and their squad.

The two stand-out matches for Victoria were against NSW where the 3-0 win was the first win over those north of the border in 18 years, and a win over Queensland where the girls came back from 0-2 down inside 10 minutes to win 4-2.

Taranto played as a centre forward setting up multiple goals for the Victorian team and scoring 3 of her own. Parbery also provided a number of assists however her real value came as a defender where her strength across the back ensured Victoria conceded just 3 goals across 6 matches.

Parbery joined South Melbourne Womens in early 2015 making the switch with Technical Director Socrates Nicolaides from Northcote City. She played in the Under 16s which was recognition of her maturity and technical ability and when the fixture allowed she graced the pitch in the Under 12s.

Talking to smfc.com.au, Parbery reflected on the recent success with the state team saying “We had a great tournament winning all games and the tournament. We followed our coach’s instructions and played good football with high pressure and quick passing and worked as a team. Plus we never panicked even when we went 2-0 down against Queensland. We enjoyed ourselves and developed new friendships”.

After just a year at South, Parbery will be at a new home in the new year having been selected in the Under 13 squad at the FFV National Training Centre. The opportunities at South will hold her in good stead at the NTC. Talking about her time at South, Parbery said “playing in the Under 16s at South Melbourne this year taught me to be stronger physically and to play faster under more pressure. I think this experience helped me to get into the state team. It is good playing against stronger players to improve your own game. I have improved the way I use my body this year plus first touch, passing and become more confident and aggressive”. Parbery hopes to wear the South Melbourne strip again in the future!

Parbery’s South colleague at the Pacific School Games was Grace Taranto. Grace played in the Under 12 boys team in the National Premier League as part of the squad who finished on top of the ladder. Taranto’s abilities and growth in the game impressed her coach not just on the pitch but also off the pitch.

Youth coach Sasa Kolman spoke with smfc.com.au saying “Grace is a tenacious, aggressive, and very intelligent holding midfielder. She loves to run forward and get involved in attacking actions but exactly knows when is the need to drop back too. Sometimes I feel sorry for opposition when she is playing because she doesn’t let them breathe at all, I absolutely love this kind of player.”

Kolman also looked back over the year on how Taranto has developed as a young player saying “she was a bit unlucky with an ankle injury which affected here but picked it up again at the end of the season and became a better player. She was faster, smarter more attacking and scored some goals. The opportunity to play in the state representative squad, or at any representative level is always welcome. Playing with and against different kids teaches different styles and techniques, its a great learning processs.”

The Victorian team played six matches finishing undefeated on 18 points, scoring 19 goals whilst conceding just 3.

The South Melbourne senior mens team returned to Lakeside on Wednesday night for the first session in their pre-season preparations for 2016. New signings Marcus Schroen, Zaim Zenelli, Jason Hicks and Matt Foschini joined the squad together with a number of players trialling under the watchful eye of Chris Taylor.

The club and Taylor continue to enhance the pre-season program each year and this first session was no different. Twenty four players from the senior squad, Under 20s and those trialling took to the pitch for a variety of fitness exercises and drills throughout the ninety minute session.

Team Physio James Cole spent time working with Kristian Konstantinidis and Michael Eager as they recover from injuries and goal keeping coach Bojo Jevdjevic put Nikola Roganovic, Zaim Zenelli and Rory Brian through their paces.

Chris Taylor spoke to smfc.com.au about the new signings and the squad ahead of the 2016 campaign saying “we are very happy with the new signings. it’s the culmination of two years of work where we have retained the bulk of the squad. We’ve added to it just to top things off and bought in some more quality. I’m still hopefully we use the other visa spot and bring one more player in but its not a case of panicing or anything like that. The way we’ve done it has been a little bit under the radar and like I say our squad now has been two years in the making and not a knee jerk reaction to what happened during the season.”

Stability in the senior squad was noticeable heading into the 2015 season some twelve months ago and was reflective in the dynamics on the pitch and the knowledge in the players teammates and what to expect. This approach is set to continue into 2016 with Taylor explaining “a lot of us felt it was a bit disappointing the way the season ended last year, but if you analyse it winning the Cup and the League it wasn’t that bad an effort. We’ve won the League the last two years so it’s not like you have to go and change the whole squad and bring in new players because you weren’t happy with them.”

“I think there are areas we can improve on and that’s what we are aiming to do. The fact of the matter is these boys have played together and a lot of the other teams out there will have to gel together whereas we have the experience with the bulk of the squad having two years under their belt.”

The players will take a break over the Christmas and New Year period before coming back together for the remainder of the pre-season. A trip away to Sydney is on the cards (details to be released soon) before the club’s first competitive match against Bentleigh Greens in the Community Shield.

Taylor was clear of his vision for player preparation coming into February and the start of the season saying “we are looking to get some kind of consistency with the players so the new boys know how we play and what we want to do. It’s trying to get a consistent level of quality that maybe we didn’t have last year. I thought we ground out games well last year but probably didn’t play as much football as what we would have liked to have done. So its about trying to get the ball on the deck and playing like we know we can and dictating to other teams rather than allowing teams to boss us around a bit.”

The squad continues their pre-season training three days a week at both Lakeside Stadium and Albert Park.