Author: SMFC Media

Following a thorough consultative process that has included all key stakeholders of the Club, South Melbourne FC confirms that it will continue to work with and support Senior player Nicholas Epifano.

Epifano breached the South Melbourne FC Player Code of Conduct following an inappropriate comment on social media and was then involved in an incident at the match at Green Gully last Saturday.

Following a review, the Club has chosen to continue to support Nicholas off the field but at the same time tighten up the Club’s Code of Conduct as a means to prevent similar incidents happening again in the future.

Over the past week since the Green Gully incident, Nicholas has shown extreme remorse at what happened. He is also seeking to repair the damaged relationships with those internally as well as elements of the South Melbourne supporter base.

The Football Department, headed by Football Director Nicholas Maikousis and Head Coach Chris Taylor, will ensure that the right form of support is afforded to Nicholas as the Club tries to assist him through this period. Other key members of the SMFC staff will also be on hand to assist and mentor Nicholas along the way, most notably the SMFC Senior Leadership Group, headed by Captain Michael Eagar who is in full support of this decision.

In the short term, Nicholas will be disciplined by the Club for his actions. He will not feature in the starting line-up for the match against the Melbourne Knights tomorrow and will also face further Club imposed sanctions.

Moving forward, South Melbourne FC has banned all Senior Squad players from commenting on official South Melbourne FC social media platforms as well as any other social media platforms concerning the Club, until such time as the Club’s Social Media policy is implemented.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nicholas Maikousis was adamant that the Club as a whole needed to support Nicholas. “We have made it clear to the members at our AGM that we want a football club and playing group with a strong culture and with quality individuals. Our opinion on this has not changed and despite the outbursts over the past few weeks, we want to look after Nicholas & his welfare more than anything and guide him through this process rather than abandoning him.”

Head of Football & Senior Coach Chris Taylor added “Whilst not condoning the regrettable incidents that have taken place, we as a group (coaching staff & players) feel it is our duty of care to help and assist Nick by guiding and mentoring him through these issues. Nick is a very talented young footballer who will develop as a player & as a person. It is our responsibility as a club to support him through these issues, through good leadership, strong culture and management.”

South Melbourne FC thanks all stakeholders for their invaluable input over this past week and looks forward to seeing everyone at Lakeside Stadium for tomorrow’s big game against the Melbourne Knights

e.l.f. cosmetics Australia joins the South Melbourne Football Club Family as our new Principal Partner for the 2015 National Premier League season – use code SMFC01* for 30% off all orders over $30 at www.elfcosmetics.com.au!

Available online through their website and in all Kmart stores throughout Australia and New Zealand, elf cosmetics is one of the fastest growing cosmetic brands in Australia!

e.l.f. are working their magic to have everyone looking absolutely gorgeous without sacrificing budget. e.l.f. believes that quality, innovation and style shouldn’t be limited to prestige brands. Every woman at every age should have the opportunity to enjoy luxury products without burning a hole in her pocket.

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e.l.f. products are available at Kmart Australia & New Zealand, Advantage Pharmacies and Chemist Discount Centres and online at www.elfcosmetics.com.au.

SMFC01* for 30% off all orders over $30, not including shipping, valid until Midnight AEST 31 March 2015

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce it has extended its partnership with Principal Partner Bob Jane T-Marts for a further 12 months.

Over the years, the Bob Jane T-Marts brand has been closely associated with the Club, with Lakeside Stadium being known as Bob Jane Stadium between the years 1995-2011. Furthermore, Bob Jane T-Marts logo proudly featured on the back of the South Melbourne playing shirt during the mid 1990s as well. The partnership was renewed in 2013, when Bob Jane T-Marts joined the Club as a Principal Partner, and Major Sponsor of SMFC TV screened on Channel 31, and the online version hosted on YouTube.

During the 2014 NPL Victoria season, South Melbourne and Bob Jane T-Marts teamed up to promote the Fatality Free Friday campaign, Australia’s only national community based road safety program. The South Melbourne playing squad pledged their support for Fatality Free Friday by signing both a large pledge board as well as a large inflatable car, which was used by Bob Jane T-Marts to promote the road safety campaign.

Bob Jane T-Marts has a total commitment to effectively serve the motorists of Australia with a level of service beyond their expectations, using the highest quality products and at the most competitive price. As an independent Australian business, Bob Jane T-Marts has a national network of franchised and company owned tyre retail stores, making them Australia’s largest independent tyre retailer.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, SMFC President Leo Athanasakis said “we are delighted to extend our partnership with Bob Jane T Marts for another season. The support provided to SMFC TV ensures a quality programme that is the envy of sporting clubs around Australia. I would like to take this opportunity to thank National Marketing Manager Zsuzsa Zalatnai and her team for her commitment and passion to our partnership. We look forward to working closely in 2015 to achieve our partnership objectives”.

For all media enquiries, please contact the club on (03) 9645 9797.

South Melbourne FC wishes to advise of the following changes to the Club’s Board of Management and its Administrative staff ahead of the 2015 season.

Dr George Triantos has decided to step down from being on the Board of Management to instead focus on his professional career. Dr Triantos has been a Director of the Club since 2007 and has overseen many events and key moments in the Club’s recent history. Dr Triantos’ main portfolios involved being Director of Corporate Sales, Events, Media and Marketing, as well as assisting across a number of other portfolios. He has also been at the forefront of the media team which over the past 5 years has established itself as one of the most innovative in Australian football. By doing so, he has also assisted with the growing South social media pages and the implementation of major projects such as SMFC TV.

He will also be best remembered for the two major events that assisted us in celebrating our magical 50 year milestone. This included a memorable season launch on the pitch at Bob Jane Stadium and of course the glittering anniversary Gala Ball hosted at Crown Palladium.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Club President Leo Athanasakis was deeply saddened by the news. “We would like to thank George for his enormous eight years on the board of our club. His work with our Corporate Partners, throughout the media and marketing and organising all of our club events has been magnificent and we will miss having him involved around the club. We would like to wish him the best for the new chapter in his life.”

Peter Kokotis was appointed as the South Melbourne FC General Manager in late 2011. Throughout his three years in the role, Peter contributed enormously as the Club drove to increase corporate sponsorship. As a result of his hard work, close to forty businesses committed to the Club in 2014. While Peter was unable to commit to the role in 2015, South Melbourne FC’s Board of Management have decided to restructure the General Manager’s role. As a result, Peter will continue to assist the Club albeit in a different capacity whilst also pursuing other business interests.

South Melbourne FC is very pleased to confirm the appointment of John Kyrou as the Club’s Office Manager. Many would know John from his work as presenter on both SMFC TV and South Radio over the last five years. The life-long South fan has been volunteering at the Club for the past decade and has also played a leading role in the Media and Marketing team. John will commence his new role in late January and will be joined in the office by George Kouroumalis, who will continue to oversee the operations of the Club’s Marketing and Media department on a daily basis.

South Melbourne FC thanks Dr George Triantos for all of his excellent work throughout the past eight years and wishes him the very best for the future. The Club also thanks Peter Kokotis for his hard work as General Manager over the past three years and looks forward to working with him in a different capacity in 2015.

Finally, South Melbourne FC wishes both John Kyrou and George Kouroumalis the very best as they look to drive the Club into a new and fresh era in 2015.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to launch its membership campaign ahead of the 2015 National Premier League Victoria season.

The ‘We are South Melbourne’ slogan will not only be used for the 2015 membership campaign, but will also feature prominently throughout the Club’s marketing strategy for the new season.

South Melbourne FC is an iconic football club, and has played a leading and integral part in the sport, not only in Victoria but Australia wide. Apart from being the inaugural NPL Victoria champions, South Melbourne is Australia’s most successful football club.

For 2015, we have simplified our membership packages and sought feedback through the online survey and social media from our members on what was important to them, and what would add additional value to our membership program.

Members advised they experienced great frustration in relation to the ticketing delays for the Dockerty Cup match against the Melbourne Knights and the NPL Finals match against MetroStars, which were not included in the 2014 membership package. In response to this, 2015 South Melbourne FC members will be given free entry to all HOME Cup fixtures. This includes all Dockerty Cup and FFA Cup, pending qualification to these competitions.

Whether you attend every single match or follow the Club from afar, there are membership packages that allows everyone to connect with South Melbourne FC.

For those who cannot attend matches, simply sign up to the FREE online membership to show your commitment.

It is very important that you support us by purchasing your membership. We want success both on and off the park and we are aiming to increase and broaden our membership base.

Please review the membership booklet to assist you with purchasing your membership.

Please note : Memberships purchased online can be collected from our opening home match of the season against Oakleigh Cannons on Thursday February 19th at Lakeside Stadium. Should you be wishing to purchase a membership as a christmas gift, the South Melbourne membership team will provide you with a personalised voucher for you to print out and give as a present
on Christmas Day.

We are South Melbourne!

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce the renewal of its partnership with AIS Insurance, with its logo proudly featuring on the front of the playing shorts for the 2015 National Premier League Victoria season.

The company was founded in October 1990 by Brendon Davis as a one-person business specialising in insuring all forms of business and commercial risks. AIS initially operated from leased premises in Burwood, and in June 1991, AIS moved to South Melbourne where it has been based ever since. The organisation has steadily grown to become the leading autonomous Victorian based Insurance Broker. Clients work closely with AIS Insurance Brokers, knowing they receive superior advice and that they will recommend the insurance program and insurer that provide the best protection for their business, rather than an insurer or option which offers an incentive to AIS.

AIS Insurance negotiate specific corporate and commercial insurance placement for clients in a variety of industry classifications and also niche products developed for special client groups. AIS Insurance has several specialist teams including: Property and Construction Team, Professional Indemnity and Directors Liability, Workers Compensation and Workcover, and Claims Management.

AIS have over 30 staff with in house specialists in most general insurance disciplines. The organisation is one of the few Victorian Brokers admitted as coverholders at Lloyds of London since 1994.

Brendon Davis, founder of AIS Insurance, has been a generous financial contributor to South Melbourne FC through event and signage sponsorship, purchasing players at player auctions, and general assistance over the years. Brendon commenced sponsoring South Melbourne FC in the 1997/98 National Soccer League season, and was also awarded the Sam Papasavas Award for his contribution to the Club in 2006.

SMFC General Manager Peter Kokotis told smfc.com.au “we once again are proud to announce AIS Insurance as a commercial partner in 2015. This culminates in 19 years of ongoing support from Brendon and we are very appreciative to have strong South people in our family like him. On the commercial side, Brendon has increased his investment in the partnership, and this is indicative of the growing value our commercial partners are experiencing over recent years”.

Picture: Brendon Davis of AIS Insurance celebrates the 2014 NPL Victoria Championship with his son Josh (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce that Nick Epifano has re-signed with the Club for the 2015 NPL Victoria season.

Epifano arrived at Lakeside Stadium from the Dandenong Thunder during the 2013 Victorian Premier League mid-season transfer window. The quick and highly skilled 20 year old made an immediate impact at his new club by scoring three goals in 13 matches that season, helping South Melbourne climb the ladder and eventually finish as Preliminary Finalists.

His 2014 season was brilliant as he tore apart opposition defences with his blistering speed. Epifano scored five goals in 31 matches across all competitions in 2014 and was involved in many other goals as South Melbourne FC secured the NPL Victoria Championship. Two of his best performances of the season came in both League matches against Hume City on Sunday 13 April (at Broadmeadows Valley Park) and Sunday 13 July (at Lakeside Stadium), where he scored three brilliant goals and could not be stopped by the Hume defenders.

Overall Nick has represented the Club on 44 occasions across all competitions and scored eight goals.

SMFC Football Director Nicholas Maikousis told smfc.com.au “we are delighted to have Nick with us for a further 12 months. He had a tremendous 2014 season with a number of man of the match performaces. We look forward to another big season from Nick as well ”.

By George Triantos and John Kyrou

Sixteen year old Andy Kecojevic has renewed his contract with South Melbourne FC for the 2015 NPL Victoria competition.

The forward had been training with the Senior Squad throughout the 2014 NPL Victoria season whilst playing in the NPL 20s. He was given his debut for the Seniors against the Goulburn Valley Suns on 14 September and did not look out of place, setting up Milos Lujic with a through-ball that eventually led to a penalty kick being awarded to South. Kecojevic is a very promising prospect for the future and the Club moved quickly to sign the youngster for 2015.

SMFC Football Director Nicholas Maikousis told smfc.com.au “We have been very proud of Andy’s progress and development over the last twelve months, and look forward to him continuing his training with the Senior Team next season”.

South Melbourne FC is excited to announce forward Leigh Minopoulos has re-signed for a further two seasons.

A former junior and youth player at South Melbourne, Minopoulos had a stellar 2014 season with seven goals from 28 appearances. He mainly played the role of an impact player coming off the bench to provide Head Coach Chris Taylor with additional attacking options alongside Milos Lujic and Jamie Reed. One of Minopoulos’ finest performances this season was against Port Melbourne at Anderson Reserve on 28 March, when he came onto the field and scored two late goals to give South a thrilling 2-3 win. Overall he has played 32 times for South Melbourne FC and scored seven goals.

SMFC Football Director Nicholas Maikousis told smfc.com.au ” Leigh had a tremendous 2014 season and played a great role coming off the bench. Leigh has been a South boy all his life and we’re glad to see him staying with the Club for a further two years.”

South Melbourne FC advises that Tyson Holmes has departed for another NPL Victoria club.

Tyson arrived at Lakeside Stadium at the beginning of the 2013 Victorian Premier League season. The midfielder represented South Melbourne FC on 58 occasions and scored eight goals across all competitions. He will best be remembered for scoring the winning goal in the 91st minute against Green Gully in the VPL Elimination Final on Sunday 29 September 2013 as South won 1-0.

South Melbourne FC thanks Tyson Holmes for his contribution to the Club over the last two seasons and wishes him well in his future endeavours