Author: SMFC Media

Monday, 30 July 2012 10:42 AM

South Melbourne FC scored two goals in second half injury time to record a thrilling 3-2 victory against Southern Stars on Saturday night at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. The victory was all the more incredible considering the way the side had been decimated with injuries and suspensions in the week leading up to the game.

South came into the game on the back of two horrible home defeats against Green Gully and Richmond. This left the Club in 10th position on the Victorian Premier League ladder, five points from the top five but also seven points from the relegation zone. This meant that while South could still aim for finals, it had to start picking up points to erase the slight possibility of relegation. With Southern Stars only two points ahead of South going into the game following a 2-2 draw at Heidelberg last weekend, it presented the Blues with a great opportunity to jump up the ladder. However South was missing several players such as Tom Matthews (serving the second of his four game suspension), Trent Rixon (12 game suspension that will be heard at the Tribunal this week), Shaun Kelly (1 week suspension), DImi Tsiaras (1 week suspension) plus the long-term injury to Dimi Hatzimouratis and the 2-3 week injury sustained by captain Steven O’Dor last week.

The first half was an ordinary one for South as the makeshift three-man defence of Rhodri Payne, Luke Byles and Brad Norton struggled to contain the Stars’ runs down the flanks. The Stars took the lead in the 10th minute when Nick Harrhy was put through on goal and he rounded Peter Gavalas before placing the ball into the back of the net as the South defence continued to appeal for offside. South was reduced to only a handful of half-chances in the first half and was unable to capitalise. Fernando De Moraes’ curling shot forced a sharp save from Frazer Siddal before the Futsalroo danced through the Stars midfield before firing a shot that went just wide of Siddal’s goal on the stroke of halftime.

The away side came out inspired in the second half and levelled the scoring after just 45 seconds, when Phil Petreski’s cross from the left was deflected in for an own goal by Luke Fitzpatrick. De Moraes and Marinos Gasparis more than doubled their first half work-rate and were involved in everything as South poured forward in search of a second goal. On the hour Joe Keenan was replaced by youngster Nick Jacobs, who made his first League appearance in 2012 and only his second appearance since the Statewide Knockout Cup match against Malvern City on 29 April.

Shortly after Jacobs’ arrival on the park, Gasparis skipped past his Stars marker before firing in a cross from the right that found an unmarked Steve Burton at the top of the six yard box, but the striker failed to connect with the header at all as South missed a golden opportunity to go 2-1 up. As has happened all season, that miss proved to be costly barely a minute later when Stars ventured down the other end and scored with their first genuine chance of the half. Again it was Harrhy that was the goal scorer as he beat the offside trap for a second time before finishing neatly past Gavalas’ near post.

South heads may have dropped at that point but the team kept pushing for an equalising goal. Gasparis had been exceptional but was cramping up and he was duly substituted as young Andrew Cartanos made his debut for the Club. With five minutes remaining, a De Moraes cross from the right was met powerfully by Jacobs but Siddal made an outstanding fingertip save to deny the youngster a headed goal. With the match into the first minute of injury time and with the away side wondering what it had to do to score again, Rhodri Payne’s shot from outside the area fell to Burton with his back to goal. The striker’s quick turn and left foot shot rocketed past Siddal, bounced off the right post and went into the back of the net for a deserved equaliser.

Stars won a free kick in a dangerous position from kickoff but failed to capitalise as South won possession in the 94th minute and poured forward again. The youngsters were the heroes for the away side, as Cartanos linked up with Petreski who took on and beat his marker before firing in a cross from the left. Siddal did well to block Burton’s shot on goal but could only parry the ball into the path of the incoming Jacobs, who had the easy task of heading the ball into the empty net to send the away bench and the away supporters wild on the far side of the ground. South had conjured up one of the great escapes with a threadbare squad and in the process kept its finals chances well and truly alive.

It was another high-scoring affair in the Under-21s, as South defeated Southern Stars 3-2. South had a 2-0 lead erased before finding the winning goal in the final 10 minutes.

With six games remaining, South sits four points from fifth placed Northcote City. South now has a wonderful opportunity to close this gap even further with a home game against Hume City next Sunday afternoon at Lakeside Stadium at 5:00PM.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTHERN STARS 2-3 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Nick Harrhy (10′)
1-1: Luke Fitzpatrick OG (46′)
2-1: Nick Harrhy (67′)
2-2: Steve Burton (90+1′)
2-3: Nick Jacobs (90+4′)

Southern Stars: Frazer SIDDAL (GK), Ryan DARRAGH, John FITZGERALD, Luke FITZPATRICK, Kieran FITZGERALD, Alan MULCAHY, Alan KEARNEY, Josh WOOD, David STIRTON, Liam MCCORMACK, Nicholas HARRHY

South Melbourne FC: 1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 5. Phillip PETRESKI, 7. Joe KEENAN (24. Nick JACOBS 62’), 10. Glen TRIFIRO, 11. Bradley NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Andy VLAHOS, 15. Fernando DE MORAES, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (20. Andrew CARTANOS 85’)

SMFC Man of the Match: Fernando De Moraes
Venue: Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Date: Saturday 28 July 2012

Thursday, 26 July 2012 3:19 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC travels to Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Saturday evening to take on the Southern Stars in a match of extreme importance for the Blues. With South sitting five points from the top 5 but at the same time only seven points from the relegation zone, the result of Saturday’s game will be a huge factor in determining whether South’s season will end with the team either fighting relegation or pushing to make the finals.

South goes into the game on the back of two horrible home losses against Green Gully (0-2) and Richmond (1-3), with the team finishing last week’s game against the Eagles with only nine men following the red cards given to Shaun Kelly and Trent Rixon. Tom Matthews will again be missing after receiving a four game ban following his red card against Gully. In more bad news for South, Dimi Tsiaras will miss the Southern Stars game after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend, incurring an automatic one game ban. In addition, it seems likely that captain Steven O’Dor will also miss after being substituted early in the Richmond game due to a hamstring injury.

With so many injuries and suspensions, South faces a monumental battle against a Southern Stars side that defeated South 0-2 at Lakeside Stadium earlier this season on Friday 4 May. The Stars have adjusted well after being promoted into the Victorian Premier League at the end of last season and currently have 20 points and sit above South in 9th spot on the League ladder. Southern Stars come into this weekend’s match on the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw against Heidelberg last Sunday, with the Stars leading 2-1 before conceding a late goal.

South will most likely start Andy Vlahos up forward with Steve Burton, with the veteran impressing last Friday against Richmond. Forgotten man Rhodri Payne was substituted on for O’Dor against the Eagles and had an excellent match and will no doubt be deployed in defence again this weekend. Joe Keenan limped off last week but is expected to be fine to make at least an appearance off the bench against the Stars. The Trifiro brothers were on the substitute’s bench against Richmond and will be expected to step up and perform on Saturday.

Saturday’s match kicks off at 7:00PM at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex.

Last time we met

Monday, 23 July 2012 8:52 AM

By John Kyrou

Richmond inflicted South Melbourne FC’s fifth home loss in 2012 and condemned South to 10th spot on the Victorian Premier League ladder when it defeated the Blues 3-1 at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night. The match ended bizarrely, with South’s Shaun Kelly, Trent Rixon and then coach Peter Tsolakis all sent off in the final 20 minutes.

South simply cannot take a trick in 2012, and the events of the Richmond match were just a reflection of what has been a disastrous season for the Club. The home side looked good in the first half, as Andy Vlahos dominated on the left side, however that was not reflected on the scoreboard. Vlahos had the best chance for South after cutting in past his Richmond marker, however his final shot was hit straight at Stjepan Gal in the Richmond goal. Richmond’s best chance of the half fell to Tom Cahill, whose shot from outside the area beat Peter Gavalas as well as the far post, with the home side breathing a sigh of relief as the ball rolled out for a goal kick.

Jason Trifiro replaced Joe Keenan at halftime and it was the midfielder that had the next best chance for South in the 66th minute, when a mix-up in the Richmond defence resulted in the ball deflecting straight to him but catching him off-guard. Trifiro managed to get the ball on target and the ball was rolling into the back of the net but Gal’s spectacular goal-line clearance with his foot deflected the ball off the post and out to safety. With all the possession but nothing to show on the scoreboard, it was only a matter of time before the Eagles were due to punish the home side and it occurred barely a minute later. Daniel Visevic took on and beat Kelly on the left flank before crossing to the back post where the unmarked substitute and former South player Hamlet Armenian was on hand to slot home. Having already substituted Rhodri Payne for the injured Steven O’Dor as well as Jason Trifiro for Keenan, coach Tsolakis played his final roll of the dice by introducing Rixon to the action (in place of Marinos Gasparis) in an attempt to level the scoreline.

The night turned from bad to worse for the home side in five minutes of madness. In the 78th minute, a hopeful, non-dangerous long ball by Armenian wasn’t cleared properly by Kelly. Cahill intercepted and was through on goal before being brought down by Kelly, resulting in a penalty being awarded and Kelly being sent off for a second yellow card. Cahill took the penalty and made no mistake, sending Gavalas the wrong way. From the resulting kick-off, South played the ball down the other end and Steve Burton played a wonderful through-ball for Rixon to split the Richmond defence and slot past the advancing Gal and halve South’s deficit. There was an incident involving Rixon that resulted in him being shown a straight red card which prompted coach Tsolakis to protest, also resulting in him being issued a red card by the referee Shaun Evans.

Ironically, South’s best passages of play had been when the team had been down to ten men and then nine. South continued to press forward urgently seeking an equaliser, however this left them horribly exposed at the back. Richmond took advantage on a counter-attack and Armenian had the easy task of passing into an empty goal and seal the 3-1 win. Even with nine men and a two goal deficit and the match in its 95th minute, South still almost scored but Burton’s final shot from Fernando De Moraes’ cut-back was cleared off the line by the Richmond defence. The final whistle moments later confirmed another miserable home result for South, its fifth loss at home in the League in 2012 and sixth in all competitions. South now sits five points from fifth spot, but also worryingly is only seven points from the relegation zone with seven matches remaining.

It was more misery for South in the Under-21s, with Richmond triumphing 4-1.

With several injuries and potential suspensions, South now faces a monumental task away from home against the Southern Stars next Saturday night at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. Kick-off is at 7PM.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-3 RICHMOND EAGLES (HT: 0-0)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Hamlet Armenian (68′)
0-2: Tom Cahill (79′ pk)
1-2: Trent Rixon (80′)
1-3: Hamlet Armenian (90+5′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 4. Steven O’DOR (3. Rhodri PAYNE 17’), 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 7. Joe KEENAN (23. Jason TRIFIRO 46’), 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Andy VLAHOS, 15. Fernando DE MORAES, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (9. Trent RIXON 74′ [sent off 85′]), 19. Shaun KELLY (sent off 78′)

Richmond Eagles:
1. Stjepan GAL (GK), 3. Erhan KARAHAN, 4. Antun KOVACIC (2. Andrew VIOLA 46’), 5. Liam CANNELL, 6. Tom MILARDOVIC (30. Michael FARNHAM 86’), 7. Timmy PURCELL, 9. Tom CAHILL, 10. Kyle JORYEFF, 14. Daniel VISEVIC, 13. Davey VAN’T SCHIP (19. Hamlet ARMENIAN 65’), 23. Scott MUIRHEAD

SMFC Man of the Match: Andy Vlahos
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Friday 20 July 2012

Friday, 20 July 2012 9:39 AM

By George Kouroumalis

South Melbourne FC take on Richmond tonight, in a must win game at Lakeside Stadium.

After a disappointing result at home last week to Green Gully, South need to bounce back immediately if they are to have any chance of playing finals football in 2012.

In a big loss for the home side, South will go into the game without Tom Matthews, who has been suspended for a month after being sent off for dissent. Matthews is expected to be replaced by fellow Englishman Shaun Kelly, who will be looking to make a mark in his debut game for the club. Kelly is a fast and versatile defender, who will hopefully fill the massive void that has been created by Matthews’ suspension.

In the attacking third, South will need to break down a stubborn Richmond defence, with the Rixon-Burton combination needing to fire for South to take the three points. Rixon’s last goal for the club was in the Round 4 against Richmond, and he is in desperate need to find the back of the net as a reward for his hard work in the past month.

Richmond will not be an easy opponent, with the Eagles also sitting on 18 points and eyeing off a spot in the top five.

While being a team known for its defensive strength, Richmond will be keen to get the ball to the feet of a potent attacking trio of Tom Cahill, Daniel Visevic and Kyle Joryeff. Joryeff is well known to South fans, having recently transfered from South Melbourne to Richmond during the transfer window. Cahill also joined the club during the transfer window and scored a double last Friday against Heidelberg United, whilst Visevic is a slick attacking player who will look to break down the South defence.

In the last meeting between the two clubs, an early goal by Richmond was cancelled out by a Trent Rixon header for a one all draw.

The match at Lakeside Stadium kicks off at 8.30pm.

Last time we met

Tuesday, 17 July 2012 9:50 AM

By George Kouroumalis (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

After three games without defeat, South Melbourne FC have fallen at home to reigning champions Green Gully, after a brace by Brian Vanega brace sealed the win for the Cavaliers at Lakeside Stadium.

Following a comprehensive win over Oakleigh the previous week, South came out of blocks firing and could have scored early after some fantastic lead up work culminated with Steve Burton’s close range shot saved by Gully custodian Rhyss Keane.

South should have had the lead moments later when a wonderful run by Tom Matthews saw the Englishman fire a perfect cross into the path of Trent Rixon. The big striker, who has not scored since Round 4 against Richmond, smashed his shot into the bar. Marinos Gasparis latched onto the resulting rebound and also a stinging drive onto the bar.

Whilst South were playing some exciting and free-flowing football, that would be their only real chance of the opening 30 minutes, as Gully were content with absorbing the South attack and breaking on the counter attack at any chance they got.

This plan worked perfectly in the 33rd minute, when a cross into the area was poorly dealt with by Matthews, enabling the ball to fall directly into the feet of Vanega. He then hit a wonderful volley into the bottom corner to give his side the 0-1 lead.

Gully should have doubled their lead just before the break, when a shot by Brent Fisher striking the upright from just inside the box.

Whilst the first half was generally played on South’s terms, the second was completely opposite, with Gully strangling South at every opportunity.

The first serious chance of the half fell once again to Burton, who hit a speculative long drive from 30 yards, only to see the ball fly out.

With the crowd increasingly voicing their frustration, Peter Tsolakis tried to change things up by bringing Joe Keenan and Andy Vlahos off the bench in an attempt to spark the team.

Moments later it would be Gully that would score a second and seal the game. An innocuous cross from the right hand side was once again poorly dealt with at the back by South. Like the opening goal, Vanega was in the right position, latching onto the loose ball and smashing the ball into the back of the net.

South found energy in the last 10 minutes, and should have been rewarded in injury time, with a stunning run by Matthews finishing with yet another cross being played into the area. On this occasion however the ball looked to strike the arm of a Gully defender on the way though, with the referee waving play on. Vlahos then latched onto possession and hit a goal-bound shot onto the target, only for it to be cleared off the line.

The Blues then lost Matthews moments later, after being given a straight red card for something he may have said to the assistant referee.

It was more bad news for South in the Under-21s, with the Green Gully youngsters triumphing 3-1.

South are now four points out of the top five and must re-group against Richmond on Friday night. Kick-off at Lakeside Stadium is at 8:30PM.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 0-2 GREEN GULLY (HT: 0-1)

Goal Scorers: 
0-1: Brian Vanega (33′)
0-2: Brian Vanega (74′)

South Melbourne FC: 
1. Peter GAVALAS, 2. Tom MATTHEWS (sent off 90+3′), 4. Steven O’DOR, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 9. Trent RIXON (15. Fernando DE MORAES 78’), 10. Glen TRIFIRO (14. Andy VLAHOS 68’), 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (7. Joe KEENAN 65’), 23. Jason TRIFIRO

Green Gully Cavaliers: 
Rhyss KEANE, Daniel JONES, Rodrigo VARGAS, Stephen DOWNES, Brent FISHER (Joel NIKOLIC 84’), Scott ROBSON, Mathew SANDERS (Anthony SELEMIDIS 89’), Mile MEDJEDOVIC, Andy VARGAS (Jason HAYNE 78’), Brian VANEGA, Osagie EDERARO.

SMFC Man of the Match: Dimi Tsiaras
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 15 July 2012

Friday, 13 July 2012 9:16 AM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC host Green Gully at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday afternoon in what is shaping up to be a blockbuster match. A win for South could see the Club end the round in the top five, an amazing turnaround in fortunes from three weeks ago when it was in ninth position on the Victorian Premier League ladder and only a few points away from dropping into the relegation zone.

South’s good form in recent weeks has seen victories against rivals Heidelberg (2-1) and Oakleigh (2-1) as well as being desperately unlucky not to defeat the Moreland Zebras in an exciting 2-2 draw. These results have seen the Blues slowly climb up the VPL ladder and be in a position where a victory over the reigning VPL champions this Sunday has the potential to have South creep to within a point of third place on the ladder, the position currently occupied by Gully.

New signing Steve Burton excelled on debut for South last weekend against Oakleigh and was unlucky not to score at least twice in the 2-1 victory against the Cannons. Instead South had Glen Trifiro and man of the match Dimi Tsiaras to thank for getting the goals that secured the three points against the Cannons, who gave South a late scare in the final minute when Ricky Diaco’s free kick deflected off Tom Matthews’ foot and wrong-footed Peter Gavalas. South old boy Andy Vlahos returned for his second stint at Lakeside Stadium and his late appearance off the substitutes’ bench showed that he hadn’t lost his trademark pace and skill. More positive signs from South was Joe Keenan appearing off the bench following a recent injury, as well as the excellent performances by Tsiaras and Matthews and a big general improvement by all players. This will need to be repeated on Sunday against what will be a very difficult opponent.

Green Gully will not be giving three points up easily this weekend, as the Cavaliers traditionally are a very tough opponent to break down and are masters of grinding out results. South has never defeated Gully at Green Gully Reserve since returning to the VPL in 2005 and has achieved mixed home results against them. In the eight League matches played between the two sides at South’s home ground (either Lakeside Stadium or John Cain Memorial Park), South has won 3, drawn 3 and lost twice. In the corresponding match played in the opening round of last season (Sunday 20 February 2011), Jesse Krncevic’s early goal was cancelled out by Brent Fisher’s second half goal in the 1-1 draw at John Cain Memorial Park. South’s last match against Gully at Lakeside Stadium was the season before (Sunday 21 March 2010), when a Fernando De Moraes double, including a penalty and a wonder goal from outside the area, was enough to defeat Gully 2-1 despite Gary Wales’ goal for the Cavaliers. Earlier this season in round 3 (Saturday 14 April), Gully smashed South 3-1 at Green Gully Reserve to bring the Blues back to Earth after South began the season with two big wins. The home side will be hoping that there is no repeat of this on the weekend.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 5:00PM at Lakeside Stadium. South fans are encouraged to come down in numbers and support their team as they strive to end the round back in the top five.

Last time we met

Friday, 13 July 2012 9:03 AM

South Melbourne FC will be without youngster Dimi Hatzimouratis for the rest of the 2012 Victorian Premier League season as the 22 year old attacking player has been ruled out through injury.

Hatzimouratis requires surgery on his foot, with a screw needing to be inserted in the foot in order to assist healing the fracture that has been haunting him ever since the pre-season. The surgery will mean that he will more than likely miss the rest of this season.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Hatzimouratis was naturally disappointed but was optimistic for the future. “I have felt quite a bit of pain of late when running and putting pressure on my foot, so there was no surprise to see some damage in there. It is really frustrating though with the team now starting to gel, playing well and getting good results. I would love to be amongst it but I’ll have to miss out for the time being. On the bright side, I can now have a full pre-season and really ensure that I am at peak fitness for the 2013 season.”

Hatzimouratis joined South at the start of this year and so far to date has scored three goals in 11 League and Cup appearances in 2012.

We wish Dimi all the best with his surgery and in his recovery and hope to see him back on the park as soon as possible.

Monday, 9 July 2012 9:02 AM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC turned its 2012 Victorian Premier League fortunes around thanks to a thoroughly deserved 2-1 victory against the Oakleigh Cannons at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday night. A wonderful free kick in the first half by Glen Trifiro and a second half goal by man of the match Dimi Tsiaras saw off the Cannons in style.

Following a very inconsistent first half of the season, South took advantage of the mid-season transfer window to add some quality to the side. Football West Gold Medal winner Steve Burton, previously of Balcatta SC in Perth, started up front with Trent Rixon and had an immediate impact by creating and almost finishing several chances against Oakleigh. His presence up front allowed some pressure off Rixon, who also played well despite also not scoring. South old boy Andy Vlahos arrived during the week for a second stint at Lakeside Stadium and he started the Oakleigh game on the bench before coming on in the 83rd minute.

South began the match inspired and deservedly took the lead in the 13th minute. A free kick was won thirty yards from goal and Glen Trifiro stepped up to curl a wonderful shot beyond Lewis Italiano in the Oakleigh goal, sending the home fans into raptures. It was the first time that South had opened the scoring in a League game since Dimi Hatzimouratis scored against Dandenong Thunder in the 1-1 draw at George Andrews Reserve on 26 May. Glen Trifiro almost turned from scorer to provider when he got behind the Cannons defence and pulled the ball across for Burton on the six yard box but Italiano made a great block to deny Burton a debut goal. Italiano then made another block at his near post to prevent Jason Trifiro from scoring. Oakleigh had claims for a penalty when Ricky Diaco went down in the penalty area after a foul by Tom Matthews, however the referee waved play on. Diaco also had a free kick saved by Gavalas as South went into the halftime break with a deserved 1-0 lead.

The home side continued the onslaught after the halftime break and should have been 2-0 ahead after only 45 seconds but Rixon blasted a shot over the bar. Jason Trifiro then hit a stinging shot from outside the area that smashed the post and stayed out. South finally had a second goal just after the hour mark when Glen Trifiro’s corner fell to an unmarked Tsiaras at the back post to prod past a helpless Italiano. The Cannons custodian was the sole reason the away side didn’t concede a third goal only a minute later when he saved Burton’s goal-bound shot after the South striker found himself one-on-one and hit his shot at the top right corner of the goal. South should have been at least four goals ahead by the time Oakleigh found their consolation goal only a minute before the end, when Ricky Diaco’s free kick took a deflection off Tom Matthews and wrong-footed Gavalas. There were some nervy moments in the three minutes of added time but South held on for a thoroughly deserved victory.

The three points lifts South into seventh place and more importantly places the Club four points from third-placed Green Gully (who South play next Sunday) and only a point from fifth-placed Bentleigh Greens. South has now gone on a three-game unbeaten run and the team is looking more steady defensively whilst also looking much more dangerous going forward.

The Under-21s result was exactly the same as the Seniors game, with South taking a 2-0 lead before Oakleigh scored a late goal to make the end result 2-1. One of South’s goals was from a terrific overhead kick from youngster Anthony Giannopoulos.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 2-1 OAKLEIGH CANNONS (HT: 1-1)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Glen Trifiro (13′)
2-0: Dimi Tsiaras (62′)
2-1: Ricky Diaco (89′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tom MATTHEWS, 4. Steven O’DOR, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 9. Trent RIXON (15. Fernando DE MORAES 80’), 10. Glen TRIFIRO (14. Andy VLAHOS 83’), 11. Bradley NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (7. Joe KEENAN 80’), 23. Jason TRIFIRO

Oakleigh Cannons:
Lewis ITALIANO (GK), Aristidis DRAKOS, Jeremy WALKER, James CUMMINGS, Samuel MITCHINSON, Luke WALKER, Hayden DOYLE, Goran ZORIC (Evan CHRISTODOULOU 65’), Ricky DIACO, Jesse KRNCEVIC, Zac WALKER

SMFC Man of the Match: Dimi Tsiaras
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 8 July 2012

Monday, 9 July 2012 8:00 AM

South Melbourne FC wishes to advise that Gianni De Nittis has been released by the Club.

Gianni De Nittis was part of John Anastasiadis’ inaugural Victorian Premier League squad in 2005 and was at South until midway through 2011 when Eddie Krncevic released him to Northcote City. When current coach Peter Tsolakis joined South from Northcote this pre-season, he brought De Nittis back to Lakeside Stadium for a second stint at the Club. In his eight seasons at South, De Nittis played 123 Premier League games, scoring 31 goals in the process. He also played three State Knockout Cup games and three Singapore Cup games, scoring two goals in each competition.

What South fans will never forget about De Nittis’ contribution to the Club was his two late goals against Altona Magic in the 2006 Major Semi Final (10 September) and his bullet header from Fernando De Moraes’ cross two weeks later in the Grand Final against the same opponent (24 September) that clinched South’s eighth State League Championship. On ANZAC Day in 2010, De Nittis became only the ninth player in South Melbourne FC history to score four goals in a League game when he scored twice in each half as South demolished Hume City 6-0 at Broadmeadows Valley Park.

Unfortunately for Gianni, he could only manage six appearances off the substitutes’ bench (with no goals) in the VPL in 2012.

We wish Gianni De Nittis the very best for his future and thank him for his valuable contribution to our Club over the last eight seasons.

Friday, 6 July 2012 4:10 PM

South Melbourne FC wishes to announce that Kyle Joryeff has been released by the Club and has signed with Richmond Eagles for the rest of this Victorian Premier League season.

Kyle Joryeff transferred from Sunshine George Cross to South Melbourne FC in 2010 and made his debut for Vaughan Coveny’s side in the famous 2-1 victory over Gombak United in the RHB Singapore Cup First Round on Wednesday 26 May 2010. Joryeff played in all four of South’s RHB Singapore Cup matches, as well as making four appearances in FFV State Knockout Cup competition (scoring two goals in the State Cup). 

More importantly, Joryeff made 43 Victorian Premier League appearances for the Club, scoring 9 goals in the process. His most memorable goal for many South supporters would be the goal he scored against the Bentleigh Greens at John Cain Memorial Park on Sunday 6 May 2011 to put South 2-1 ahead and ultimately prove to be the winning goal in that game.

Unfortunately for Kyle, his impact at South throughout his career was usually reduced to substitute appearances (he started only 20 of his 43 League games) but his time on the field was usually productive. Despite only starting in four Victorian Premier League matches in 2012, Joryeff has to be commended for scoring a double in the opening match against Moreland Zebras at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 25 March, as well as coming off the bench against the same opponent last weekend at Epping Stadium and setting up Jason Trifiro’s equalising goal in the 88th minute in what ultimately was his final game as a South player.

We wish Kyle Joryeff all the best for the future and thank him for his contribution to the Club over the past three seasons.