Author: SMFC Media

Friday, 27 June 2008 11:17 AM

In what promises to be a tantalising contest on Sunday, South Melbourne plays host to the Preston Lions at Bob Jane Stadium.

South will go into this game full of confidence, having only lost once in its past eight outings and having just come off an unlucky 0-0 draw against the AIS in Canberra. A win on Sunday can see South sneak its way into the top six, a goal that Michael Michalakopoulos’ men are intent on achieving.

In selection news, Steven O’Dor will once again miss the contest, serving his second week of a two-game suspension. Replacing O’Dor in the heart of defence will be captain Rama Tavsancioglu.

In the middle of the park, Stuart Kelly and Scott MacNicol are both expected to do most of the hard work, whilst supporting Fernando De Moraes by pushing forward whenever possible.

Up front, South will go into the game with Nathan Caldwell leading the charge. The tall striker has had a great month of football since returning to full fitness and will be keen to score on Sunday. Joining him up front will be either Hamlet Armenian or Gianni De Nittis, who missed the AIS match due to an injury.

South will go into the game facing a hungry and determined Preston outfit that will be keen to distance themselves from the bottom four in the league. The reigning Foxtel Cup champions have had a difficult year so far on the field, losing key playing personnel as well as championship winning coach Goran Lozanovski, who was replaced by former NSL player and Preston legend John Markovski.

Despite the major player losses, Preston still posseses a team of players that are more than capable in causing South problems throughout the game. One of these players is veteran Johnny Sapazovski. The hard-working striker is a player that Preston will be reliant on in the attacking third, with his experience and ability to score goals on big occasions being something that the Blues will need to be aware of and combat.

The other key player that will need to be negated is the captain Tony Sterjovski, who will provide the Lions with the driving force from the midfield. With the recent loss of Marinos Gasparis, Preston will need Sterjovski to dominate in the middle if they are to win the game.

The final player that South fans will know quite well will be Lou Acevski in the Preston goal. Acevski is one of the best keepers in the state and his performances over the last few seasons whilst at the Lions and before that at Heidelberg have been exceptionally solid. This includes a Man of the Match display last season against South at Bob Jane Stadium, something that the Preston faithful would be wanting him to emulate on Sunday.

Fans are also reminded that no tickets will be sold on Sunday, with everyone needing to pre-purchase tickets in order to gain access to Bob Jane Stadium. South Melbourne members and sponsors are exempt from the pre-purchase and can show their membership cards along with appropriate photo ID on matchday to enter the ground. Kick-off is at 3pm.

South Melbourne FC vs Preston Lions

When: Sunday, June 29th
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Kick-off: 3pm (Under 21s at 12.45pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

South Melbourne
Tommi Tomich (GK), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglu (C), Adam Van Dommele, Shane Nunes, Stuart Kelly, Scott MacNicol, Goran Zoric, Fernando De Moraes, Hamlet Armenian, Nathan Caldwell

Preston Lions
Lou Acevski (GK), Tony Sterjovski (C), Michael Bosevski, Johnny Sapazovski, Nicholas Schwal, Igor Arsovski, Les Anastasiou, Michael Miskas, Robert Dolevski, Chris
Toleski, Blaze Georgioski

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 6
South Melbourne : 3
Preston Lions : 1
Draw : 2

Last Meeting

When: Sunday, March 30th
Where: BT Connor Reserve
Score: South Melbourne 2 defeated Preston 1

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South Melbourne: Draw, Win, Draw
Preston Lions: Won, Loss, Loss

Friday, 27 June 2008 9:59 AM

Last weekend about 60 supporters made the trip up to Canberra to cheer on South against the AIS. While about 30 either drove themselves or flew up, about 30 fans clambered onto a hired coach for the eight hour overnight journey to the capital for South’s first interstate game in four years.

Despite the climate control packing up early on, with frost filling up the windows, the mood was overwhelmingly one of excitement. Highlights of South’s 1990s years were being played on the bus’s DVD player, chants were belted out with gusto, as well as multiple renditions of Frozen Tears’ classic “South Melbourne”. Some people even managed to get some sleep.

The bus arrived in Canberra at about 7am, with a rude awakening for the travelers; it was absolutely freezing. A barbecue on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin saw the fans huddle under one of the park’s gazebos, trying to find some sort of shelter from the cold. A small kick around in one of the sunny spots also helped.

The bus then proceeded towards Canberra International Airport, in the hopes of greeting the team who were due to arrive that morning. Arriving just as the squad was about to leave the departure area, fans mingled briefly with the players, sung a few chants, then preceded for a quick tour of the city.

Arriving at Parliament House, and after having taken the requisite group photos under the watch of the Australian Federal Police, some supporters had a six on six soccer match on Parliament’s front lawn, while more highbrow fans decided to take a tour of the building. This was followed by a long lunch held at the Hellenic Club.

Leaving the Hellenic Club much later than the group perhaps should have, and not knowing exactly where the AIS’ Field 14 was, there was some light-hearted trepidation about missing the start of the game. As it turned out, they needn’t have worried. The game was delayed for some 20 minutes, as there were not enough pegs holding down the Field 14 goals. A shortened game of 40 minute halves saw South have the better of the match in general, but were unable to break the deadlock. The supporters were happy to get a point, but were quietly ruing what might have been.

At the game’s conclusion the players came over and high-fived and shook hands with the supporters, appreciative of their effort to make the long trek up. The supporters then got back on the bus, where much of the trip’s events were already passing into supporter folklore, and eventually the majority got at least some sleep on the way back.

Many thanks to those for organising the trip, as well taking on the driving responsibilities, and to the fans that made the trip unforgettable.

Tuesday, 24 June 2008 2:47 PM

Entry and Ticketing Arrangements for SMFC v Preston Lions
Foxtel Cup Fixture (R19) @ BJS

Following recent discussions with Football Federation of Victoria, Victoria Police, Preston Lions FC, South Melbourne FC and relevant security personnel, all patrons are advised of the following entry arrangements for the upcoming match @ Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday 29th June 2008 at 3:00pm.

Pre Purchased Ticketing Arrangement
This match will be held according to a pre-purchased ticketing arrangement in that tickets will ONLY be made available for purchase by both sets of supporters three days prior to kick off. Tickets will be on sale at the SMFC ticket booths located on the SE side of BJS on the following dates and times:

Thursday 26th June: 11am – 3pm
Friday 27th June: 11am – 3pm

NOTE: No Tickets will be sold on match day

Pre Purchased Tickets will only be available on the following conditions:

1. The patron must provide relevant photo ID to be photocopied upon which he/she will receive one (1) ticket. No multiple sales will be permitted

2. The purchaser of the ticket is the only one who will be allowed to use this ticket upon match day (Not Transferable).

3. Only children’s tickets (U/14) will be available at the ticket boxes on match day provided an adult is present and able to provide proof of a pre-paid ticket.

ONLY Forms of PHOTO ID Accepted
* Current Vic Licences;
* KeyPasses
* Concession Cards
* Passports

SMFC Members and Sponsors
2008 members and sponsors of SMFC are exempt from pre-purchasing tickets yet will be required to supply photo identification upon request. They must also possess and show their current 2008 hard card in order to be issued an admission ticket for the day.

FFV Passes
2008 FFV season pass holders, media pass and other accredited FFV passes are exempt from pre-purchasing tickets yet will be required to supply photo identification upon request. They must also possess and show their relevant 2008 accreditation in order to be issued an admission ticket for the day.

Major Events Act
Patrons are advised that the Major Events Act will apply to areas within and surrounding Bob Jane Stadium in addition to regular FFV Conditions of Entry.

These measures aim to ensure the safety of participants, match officials and spectators.

Monday, 23 June 2008 8:28 PM

By George Kouroumalis | Photo by Cindy Nitsos

South Melbourne and the AIS have played out a tough and committed 0-0 draw in Canberra on Sunday.

In what was a crunch game for both sides, South came into the contest in great form, with the Blues accounting for Oakleigh last weekend by 3 goals to 1. With the confidence and belief behind them, a South win against the young and talented AIS squad would of assisted the away side in propelling itself towards that elusive sixth position.

Having not traveled interstate to play a game in four years, the South Melbourne squad were greeted by in excess of 50 passionate South Melbourne supporters upon arrival at the Canberra airport. These fans had traveled by bus, car and airplane to support the famous blue & whites.

With the game ready to being, the referee had realised that there was a problem with one of the goal nets not being pegged down properly. Because of this error by the home side, the match was postponed for 20 minutes.

In another twist, the referee then opted to make up for lost time by shortening the length of each half by five minutes. This was done to ensure that the South Melbourne players and staff would arrive back at the airport on time.

Once the game finally had commenced, South sprung into life immediately with Hamlet Armenian taking a speculative long range effort in the 14th minute. The shot unfortunately missed the target narrowly.

By the end of the first half, South team was really playing tough football, by fighting for every ball and not giving the young AIS side any openings through a dominant opening period. However the away side could not capitalise on the dominance, wasting a host of half chances along the way.

The second period was almost a carbon copy of the first, with South looking to attack the AIS from the outset. Both Armenian and Fernando missing half chances from inside the area, whilst Sam Poutakidis continued to whip in dangerous balls from the right hand flank.

With the game nearing completion, speedy winger Kofi Danning tried to snatch the game for the AIS. However some solid defending by Adam Van Dommele and Shane Nunes snuffed out the attack before Danning could put a shot on target.

South will now look at getting back onto the winners list when it takes on Preston next Sunday at Bob Jane Stadium. Kick-off is at 3pm.

Monday, 23 June 2008 8:39 AM

Mens
Seniors – South Melbourne FC 0 – AIS 0
Under 21 – South Melbourne FC 0 – VIS 2

Womens
Seniors – South Melbourne FC 1 – Sandringham 2
Reserves – South Melbourne FC 0 – Sandringham 1
State League 3 – South Melbourne FC 1 – Doncaster 6

Juniors
Under 18 Superleague – South Melbourne FC 3 – Springvale 3
Under 16 Superleague – South Melbourne FC 3 – Box Hill Inter 0
Under 15A East – South Melbourne FC 8 – Doncaster 1
Under 14 Superleague – South Melbourne FC 3 – Richmond 0
Under 13 Superleague – South Melbourne FC 7 – Brighton 0
Under 13A – South Melbourne FC 4 – Boronia 0
Under 12A East – South Melbourne FC 1 – Box Hill Inter 0
Under 11 East – South Melbourne FC 7 – North Caulfield 0

Friday, 20 June 2008 10:16 AM

By George Kouroumalis

After a resounding home victory against Oakleigh last Sunday, South will head into Sunday’s game against the AIS within touching distance of the top six.

The recent resurgence up the Foxtel Cup table has coincided with the Blues only losing once in its past seven encounters, with the side playing an attractive and attacking brand of football under coach Michael Michalakopoulos. This was showcased last week in a supreme display against the Cannons, with the Lakeside team dominating the game from the kick-off.

However the job is only half done and the club faces an extremely tough month ahead, beginning this Sunday in Canberra against the AIS.

The Blues will be keen to not only edge closer to sixth position but also avenge a resounding 0-2 loss it suffered against the AIS at Bob Jane Stadium earlier in the season.

South will go into the game with a similar looking side that played against the Cannons last week, with only two forced changes expected.

One of these changes will be the unlucky Steven O’Dor, who was sent off last weekend in his 50th match for the club. O’Dor will be a substantial loss for South, having been in great form over the past six weeks. He will be joined on the sidelines by striker Gianni De Nittis, who sustained a minor leg injury in Round 17.

Replacing the key duo will be impressive newcomer Stuart Kelly, whilst the solid Robbie Wynne is a chance to start in the South back four.

A key task for the back four on Sunday will be to negate the dangerous Jason Naidovski. The hard-working AIS striker tormented South in Round 5, capping off his display with an amazing Goal of the Year contender. He will be joined up front by Kofi Danning, a speedy and elusive attacking player that will run relentlessly at defences for the full 90 minutes. Taking this into consideration, South needs to shut down these two players if they are to win the game.

Kick-off for Sunday’s game is at 3pm, with plenty of South fans making the trip to the nation’s capital to support the club as it strives for a top six position.

South Melbourne FC vs AIS

When: Sunday, June 22nd
Where: AIS (Field 14), Canberra
Kick-off: 3pm

Projected Starting line-ups

AIS
Mark Birghitti (GK), Daniel Mullen, Dane Milovanovic, Richard Greer, Alexander Sunasky, Luke Devere, Kofi Danning, Jason Naidovski, Daniel Taylor, Howard Fondyke, Ante Cicak

South Melbourne
Tommi Tomich (GK), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglou, Adam Van Dommele, Shane Nunes, Scott MacNicol, Stuart Kelly, Goran Zoric, Fernando De Moraes, Hamlet Armenian, Nathan Caldwell

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 2
AIS : 1
South Melbourne : 1
Draw : 0

Last Meeting

When: Monday, 24 March 2008
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Score: South Melbourne 0 lost to AIS 2

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South: Win, Draw, Win
AIS: Win, Win, Loss

Monday, 16 June 2008 1:01 PM

By George Kouroumalis | Photo by Peter Kakalias

In a crucial match for the club, South Melbourne has managed to overcome the obstacle of playing with ten men for over an hour to defeat Oakleigh 3-1 on Sunday at Bob Jane Stadium.

With the club hosting a luncheon prior to kick-off that outlined the future plans for South Melbourne FC, the mood around the ground was quite optimistic leading up to kick-off, with the majority of the crowd keen to see a South Melbourne home win.

The expectant fans did not have to wait long to see the home side hit the front.

After a lovely touch and short run by Fernando, the Brazilian hit a stinging low drive onto the target. To the benefit of South, Oakleigh goalkeeper Adrian Cagalj could not hold onto Fernando’s low bullet like drive, allowing for the ball to fall into the path of the energetic Goran Zoric. With an open goal in front of him, Zoric slammed the ball into the back of the net to give the home side an early 1-0 advantage.

South continued to dominate the game and doubled their advantage when a sublime run by Fernando was rewarded after the Brazilian worked hard to initially latch onto a loose ball with two Cannons defenders around him. He then was able to steer his shot onto the target and past the hapless goalkeeper, sending the vocal home crowd into raptures.

In the 33rd minute, South’s momentum was halted momentarily when experienced defender Steven O’Dor was dismissed in somewhat dubious circumstances. In what appeared to be a hard fought and quite fair contest, O’Dor was a given a second yellow card by referee Hakan Anaz after being adjudged to have pulled on the shirt of his opponent. This meant that the former A-League player would have to watch the rest of the game from the grandstand.

The Cannons could not make use of their one man advantage until the 70th minute when a strong drive by Jonathon Munoz forced a superb save by Tommi Tomich. In an unlucky twist of fate for Tomich, the ball fell to the feet of the well positioned Stellios Drakos, who buried the chance gifted to him. This gave the visitors some hope and belief that they could get a result from the match.

However any hope that the Cannons had was taken away from them with five minutes to play, after a well constructed South move forward culminated in former Cannons player Sam Poutakidis whipping a sublime cross into the area from the right hand flank. The inch perfect cross was played into the path of the oncoming Hamlet Armenian, who had made a powerful run into the area. Armenian then managed to steer his shot on goal and past the goalkeeper to ensure that his side would take all three points from the derby.

The win leaves South only 3 points outside the top six, with a crunch game against the AIS in Canberra next Sunday.

Monday, 16 June 2008 9:44 AM

Mens
Seniors – South Melbourne FC 3 – Oakleigh 1
Under 21 – South Melbourne FC 0 – Oakleigh 0

Womens
Seniors – South Melbourne FC 0 – Preston 4
Reserves – South Melbourne FC 7 – Preston 1
State League 3 – South Melbourne FC 1 – Richmond 2
Under 14B Metro – South Melbourne FC 0 – Pascoe Vale 4

Juniors
Under 18 Superleague – South Melbourne FC 4 – Kingston City 1
Under 16 Superleague – South Melbourne FC 1 – Chelsea 4
Under 15A East – South Melbourne FC vs Clayton (No score available)
Under 14 Superleague – South Melbourne FC 0 – Bulleen Lions 1
Under 13 Superleague – South Melbourne FC vs GSL (No score available)
Under 12A East – South Melbourne FC 1 – Knox City 1
Under 11 East – South Melbourne FC 6 – Mooroolbark 0

Friday, 13 June 2008 7:03 PM

South Melbourne FC will need to regroup after a disappointing draw last weekend when it plays host to the Oakleigh Cannons in a much anticipated and very important derby game on Sunday.

As with the majority of the South Melbourne and Oakleigh clashes of late, this game promises to be a very tight and extremely hard fought affair, with both clubs intent on trying to secure a final six position by the end of the season.

South will go into the contest with Vice-Captain Rama Tavsancioglu returning to the starting line-up. The hard working defensive player will be keen to get back on the pitch after a frustrating month on the sidelines.

He may also be joined by his younger brother Adem Tavsancioglu at some stage during the game, after the former Southern Stars player was signed by South in the recent transfer window. Just like his brother, Adem is a hard working defensive player that can also make an impact in the midfield as well.

The other players keen to make an impact on the match will be midfielders Scott MacNicol and Stuart Kelly. Both players signed from the Cannons in the recent transfer window and will be excited to come up against their former side. In two appearances so far for the club, both players have made an immediate impact throughout the South midfield area, as well as providing valuable support to both the attacking and defensive thirds.

In between the sticks, Tommi Tomich will look to achieve back to back clean sheets, with the tall goalkeeper playing a great first game for the club against Western Suburbs.

Oakleigh however will provide South with a tough opponent that will be intent on denting South Melbourne’s finals aspirations with a win at lakeside.

One of the players that needs to be watched is former South Melbourne championship winning midfielder in Bill Damianos.

In 2008, Damianos has continued to prove himself as one of the most creative and dangerous midfielders in the Foxtel Cup. His vision and ability to provide high quality service to his teammates will be something that South will try and negate.

Joining Damianos in the middle area will be another former South player, Trent Waterson. As with Damianos, Waterson is a very dangerous player and will need to be watched if South are to get the points.

Sunday will also be a day where South members, sponsors and fans will be able to hear about the exciting future of the club through a special “Future of South Melbourne Luncheon”. During this exciting event, State MP Martin Foley will be speaking in depth about the plans for the new Bob Jane Stadium, whilst also explaining how the redevelopment will impact on the South Melbourne Football Club.

Kick-off for the senior game is at 4pm and everyone is encouraged to get behind the side in one of the most important games of the season.

South Melbourne FC vs Oakleigh Cannons

When: Sunday, June 15th
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Kick-off: 4pm (Under 21s at 1.45pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

South Melbourne
Tommi Tomich (GK), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglou, Adam Van Dommele, Steve O’dor, Stuart Kelly, Scott MacNicol, Goran Zoric, Fernando De Moraes, Nathan Caldwell, Gianni De Nittis

Oakleigh
Adrian Cagalj (GK), Adam Ewin, Stelios Drakos, Aristidis Drakos, Felix Rosman, Jonathon Munoz, Trent Waterson, Scott Webster, Bill Damianos, Tex Apostolikas, Juan Nilo.

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 7
Oakleigh : 4
South Melbourne : 2
Draw : 1

Last Meeting

When: Friday, 7 March 2008
Where: Jack Edwards Reserve
Score: Oakleigh Cannons 1 defeated South Melbourne 0

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South: Loss, Win, Draw
Oakleigh: Loss, Draw, Win

Thursday, 12 June 2008 10:14 AM