Category: News

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce the launch of the first School Holiday Clinic for 2013.

These clinics will provide young players invaluable training to improve their skill set and further improve their technique. As part of the holiday football clinics, kids will receive specialist coaching by South Melbourne FC coaches from its elite Youth Development Programme and Socceroo legend Mehmet Durakovic. The clinics are to be held in conjunction with Alphington Grammar and the Golden Boot Football Academy. The kids will also receive lunch and a SMFC pack as part of their participation as well.

The cost of the SMFC clinic for all three days collectively is $220. Numbers are limited, so to reserve your place, please contact the Club on 9645 9797.

Dates
April 8th, 9th, 10th

Venue
Alphington Grammar – 18 Old Heidelberg Rd Alphington
Golden Boot Academy – Mount Waverley and Blackburn campuses

Cost 
$220 (inclusive of GST)

To Register 
Contact the club on (03) 9645 9797 or email the registration form to admin@smfc.com.au

Monday, 11 March 2013 10:40 AM

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce the launch of the first School Holiday Clinic for 2013.

These clinics will provide young players invaluable training to improve their skill set and further improve their technique. As part of the holiday football clinics, kids will receive specialist coaching by South Melbourne FC coaches from its elite Youth Development Programme and Socceroo legend Mehmet Durakovic. The clinics are to be held in conjunction with Alphington Grammar and the Golden Boot Football Academy. The kids will also receive lunch and a SMFC pack as part of their participation as well.

The cost of the SMFC clinic for all three days collectively is $220. Numbers are limited, so to reserve your place, please contact the Club on 9645 9797.

Dates
April 8th, 9th, 10th

Venue
Alphington Grammar – 18 Old Heidelberg Rd Alphington
Golden Boot Academy – Mount Waverley and Blackburn campuses

Cost
$220 (inclusive of GST)

To Register
Contact the club on (03) 9645 9797 or email the registration form to admin@smfc.com.au

Thursday, 7 March 2013 8:50 AM

By George Kouroumalis

South Melbourne FC commenced it’s 2013 campaign on a warm Wednesday night at Lakeside Stadium with a very impressive 7-0 victory against State League opposition Malvern City.

The match was South’s first friendly game of the 2013 season, one month exactly before the Round 1 clash with Green Gully at Green Gully Reserve.

South dominated the game from the outset with Tyson Holmes scoring a hat trick within the opening 30 minutes in his first match for the club. Following on from this, another debutant Renco Van Eeken was on hand to score another double before the break to give South a commanding 5-0 lead.

In the second half South introduced some younger blood into the side, with many faces from last year’s Under 21 side over the past few seasons making their way onto the park. The dominance however continued and twolovely finishes by Hatzimouratis capped off a 7-0 win for the home side.

South’s next pre-season clash is against newly promoted Pascoe Vale this Satuday at Paisley Park in Altona. Kick off is at 3pm.

By Con Dimitrakakis

Ahead of the new Victorian Premier League season starting in April, Club stalwart Fernando De Moraes will be changing shirt number from 15 to 8, in honour of his father who used to wear the number during his playing career.

With the recent retirement of Captain Steve O’Dor, Fernando is the only player remaining from South’s first VPL squad from back in 2005. Fernando arrived from PSB Palestra São Bernado in Brazil to bolster our squad, having seen the Club play in his homeland at the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship.

Since then, Fernando has excelled in the blue shirt, having supplied the cross for Gianni De Nittis to nod in the goal that won the 2006 VPL Championship over Altona Magic, capturing the VPL Gold Medal for Player of the Year award in his stellar 2010 season (which included scoring a goal in the RHB Singapore Cup Quarter Final against eventual winners Bangkok Glass) and picking up a string of Club Golden Boot awards (2006, 2008, 2010) along the way. In all competitions, Fernando has pulled on the South jersey on 173 occasions and found the back of the net 59 times. In League competition only, he has played 168 games and scored 52 goals.

Dimi Hatzimouratis, who wore the number 8 shirt in nine matches last season before succumbing to a serious foot injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season, will complete the swap and wear Fernando’s old number 15 shirt in 2013.

As always, keep an eye on smfc.com.au for more squad announcements in the lead-up to the start of the new VPL season.

Thursday, 28 February 2013 3:38 PM

George Papadopoulos is on the far left of this photo

South Melbourne FC is in mourning following the passing of former midfielder and Hall of Fame member George Papadopoulos at the age of 76.

Born in 1936, Papadopoulos spent seven wonderful seasons at the Club from 1960 to 1966. He was a player in South Melbourne Hellas’ inaugural team in 1960 and played his part in the Club’s first ever Championship team that went undefeated in the Metropolitan League 1 North division (now known as State League 1) and easily won promotion into the Victorian State League that year.

The midfielder then went on to play a leading role throughout the 1960s and was a key member of the 1962, 1964, 1965 and 1966 Victorian State League Championships.

Mr Papadopoulos was also the first South player to score a goal in the old Australian Cup competition, a statistic that will always be credited to him in the Club’s history.

South Melbourne FC would like to extend its condolences to Mr Papadopoulos’ family and friends and thank him for the contribution that he made to South Melbourne FC.

His funeral will be held on Tuesday. 

Wednesday, 27 February 2013 3:51 PM

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce the renewal of its partnership with Beachcomber Cafe for another season, with its logo proudly featuring on the back of the playing shirt for the 2013 Victorian Premier League season.

Located at the St Kilda Sea Baths, Beachcomber goes beyond expectations of a casual cafe experience. Spectacular beach side views, a sprawling outdoor dining area and a gourmet menu mean this restaurant showcases St Kilda’s food culture at its best. Delicious meals are served with a touch of the Mediterranean and set in the perfect location with its uninterrupted view of Port Phillip Bay. In addition, Beachcomber Cafe is open from morning until late in the evening, and is perfect for a morning pit stop, a lazy afternoon or to watch the sun set over the water.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, SMFC General Manager Peter Kokotis commented “we are excited to be announcing that Beachcomber Cafe has renewed its partnership with the club for the 2013 Victorian Premier League season. We hope the partnership becomes a long-standing relationship between both organisations. I ask all South fans and members to get behind our sponsors, and assist the organisations that are committing their support for this great club”.

The 2013 SMFC Jersey Presentation event will be held at Beachcomber Cafe. Details for the event will be released shortly.

Click here to visit the Beachcomber website

Tuesday, 26 February 2013 2:22 PM

South Melbourne FC is excited to announce its partnership with Alphington Grammar for the 2013 Victorian Premier League season.

Established by the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria in 1989, Alphington Grammar School has been designed from its inception to be academically strong, non-denominational and to embrace teaching excellence and cultural diversity. Situated only seven kilomentres from the CBD, Alphington Grammar is accessible by major commuter corridors and within easy reach of inner, eastern and northern suburbs. The school boasts modern classrooms designed for flexible Teaching and Learning programmes with iPad technology and expansive parkland grounds. Naplan and VCE results are impressive for all student cohorts.

Indoor and Outdoor Sports facilities are excellent at Alphington Grammar. The Andrianakos Centre boasts an indoor Multi Purpose Hall suitable for indoor Futsal, Basketball, Volleyball and Table Tennis. There are also 3 Multi Purpose Outdoor courts suitable for Tennis, T Ball and fitness training sessions and beautiful outdoor grounds suitable for all sports.

In what is an exciting move for both organisations, South Melbourne FC will avail Alphington Grammar of the expertise of its elite professional coaches to provide its students and their coaches with training and guidance to help improve their skill levels and competitiveness.

South Melbourne FC will run a focused Holiday clinic Alphington Grammar, with these clinics being available to all Alphington Grammar students in years 5 to 9 and those in surrounding areas in year 5 level and above who wish to participate. Details of the first clinics will be available shortly.

The club will also provide an active role in assisting Alphington Grammar with the promotion of all its events and related marketing material.

South Melbourne FC will also provide ALL Alphington Grammar students with a free junior membership for the 2013 Victorian Premier League season, enabling each student to watch the club participate in all of its home matches at Lakeside Stadium.

South Melbourne General Manager Peter Kokotis was delighted with the new partnership, telling smfc.com.au “we are quite excited to welcome Alphington Grammar to the South Melbourne family. It will be great for the students to have access to elite coaches who will be able to work with the school’s coaches and further develop the football skills of the students. The Club has actively worked with a number of community organisations and working with children to promote active lifestyles through football is fantastic”.

Mr Manuel Pappos, Business Manager at Alphington Grammar said, “ The bond between SMFC and AGS will be a huge benefit for our students as they strive to improve their football skills and develop their teamwork as a whole. The history of SMFC and AGS shares many cultural traditions and values which places this partnership in a very strong position to succeed into the future.”

We look forward to working with Alphington Grammar and hope to continue this partnership for many years to come.

Thursday, 21 February 2013 9:27 PM

South Melbourne FC is delighted to launch its membership campaign for the 2013 Victorian Premier League season – WE ARE SOUTH MELBOURNE!

South Melbourne FC is more than a club. What makes our club so great is not just the long list of great players, honours and successes over half a century. It is that unique DNA that has set us apart from all other football clubs in Australia. There are many facets to the club that makes it so strong:

• the fans who get behind the team and travel all across town showing their tremendous support
• the volunteers who work long hours off the park
• the Football Department that prepares the playing squad
• the players who train hard and play to win
• the junior players in the club’s Youth Development Program who dream of playing for the senior team and the Socceroos

Everyone plays an important role at the club because WE ARE SOUTH MELBOURNE!

The Club continues its focus on generating new members and providing added value to its current loyal membership base. This season, we have continued to further add value to our membership with the addition of the MSAC Sports Hub Flexi Membership FREE to all paid memberships valued at $85. As part of this added benefit, members will be provided with a FREE car parking space for a 12-month period. Furthermore, we have kept the benefits that our members enjoy as well.

Memberships can be purchased online, or simply returning the completed membership application form with your payment details.

With the completion of the new social club, offices, and futsal centre at Lakeside Stadium, there is a no better way to enjoy your football experience

Go South!

View the 2013 Membership Commercial Below

Thursday, 21 February 2013 1:12 PM

By Marissa Tasios

Forgotten striker Nick Jacobs is anxious to return to the field after a serious injury to his left ankle in a school game late in 2012.

Earlier in that week, he had forced his way into the senior line-up in the match against Southern Stars and became a hero when he headed home Phil Petreski’s cross in the 94th minute to win the game for South 3-2.

He is now, however, taking the recovery in his stride and is planning on rehabilitating step by step.

Jacobs was challenged fiercely from the side, half way up his planted leg, as he went to cross the ball. It was then when all of the ligaments in his left ankle were ruptured. In addition, he incurred an avulsion fraction of the anklebone, which required a full reconstruction and repair. As if he didn’t have enough on his plate, he also ruptured the syndesmosis ligament.

The 18 year old required surgery on his ankle, which required a screw and plate fixation. Jacobs was initially unable to bear any weight on his left ankle until some weeks passed. He then underwent another surgery in order to remove the insertions implemented previously.

Since November, Jacobs has been working on a regular basis with Darren Campbell who focuses on the strength and conditioning of athletes, Darren has been guiding his progress since November he emphasises an Eastern philosophy in his training and rehab.

The striker is currently feeling very strong but knows that there is a deal of work to be done on his aerobic capacity and recovery. Speaking to smfc.com.au, Jacobs said “Darren has me beginning to run and we are starting to ramp up more intense weight bearing activities and running patterns”.

Nick’s aspirations for the 2013 season are to return to the field with South Melbourne FC as soon as possible, however, the anxious soccer player is taking the recovery process one step at a time.

We wish him all the best and hope to see him on the park soon.

Nick Jacobs match winning goal against Southern Stars

Monday, 18 February 2013 9:44 AM

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of 26 year old Dutch striker Renco Van Eeken for the 2013 Victorian Premier League season.

Van Eeken or as he’s already been affectionately named around the club ‘RVE’, is a classy left footer who has come to the club directly from the Netherlands, playing for Hardenberg in the 2011-12 season. With his exceptional ball control and pace, as well as his ability to finish, Van Eeken promises to bolster our attacking options for the season ahead.

Upon arriving in Australia, Renco contacted SMFC club officials about a trial with the club and it was after two weeks of impressing at training that coach Peter Tsolakis saw enough to sign him almost immediately.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, SMFC President Leo Athanasakis said “we are delighted to have Renco at South and we are all confident that he will be an asset to the Club”.

We wish Renco all the best for the 2013 season and hope to see him on the scoresheet quite frequently.