Category: News

  • South celebrate in style

    South celebrate in style

    Sunday, 17 October 2010 7:15 PM

    South Melbourne FC ended its 2010 season with a glittering and successful Gala Ball at Studio 3 in the Crown Entertainment Complex on Saturday.

    Over 150 guests were in attendance to celebrate the Club’s achievements. The event was opened by the Master of Ceremonies, and SMFC Director, Dr. George Triantos who reflected on the achievements and success stories of the season that had just ended with the ground redevelopment, World Football Gala, and the RHB Singapore Cup. Following the opening address, South president Leo Athanasakis spoke about the challenges ahead for the club, with the redevelopment of Bob Jane Stadium and football infrastructure the key to the Club’s success. Furthermore, Leo thanked all the major corporate partners of the Club, miRoamer, Coffex Coffee, Souvlakihut, AIS Insurance Brokers, Antenna Pacific, and the National Builders Group for their generous support throughout the year. In addition, Leo thanked the many volunteers and his Board who have worked hard throughout the year.

    The Sam Papasavas Award, which is awarded for service, dedication, and contribution to the Club, was awarded to George Kouroumalis and Michael Dimoudis. Both have volunteered their time and services to the Club for a number of years through their online, multimedia, graphic design, and use of cutting edge technology to improve the administration of the Club. Michael was instrumental in the re-launch of smfc.com.au, running the club’s online presence for many years, and his multimedia work. George has been instrumental in his graphic design skills improving the membership and merchandise brochures, website administrator and content provider, multimedia through his work on SMFC TV and southRadio.

    Crowd favourite Fernando DeMoraes was acknowledged for his outstanding performance this year with winning the Theo Marmaras Award for Player of Year. It was Fernando’s second award for the year, with the Brazilian maestro also taking out the FFV Player of the Year award in September. Fernando spoke of his time at the club, his favourite goals and matches in the blue and white shirt.

    Tom Kalas, head of the club’s junior program, spoke about the success stories within the junior set up, with most age groups finishing in the top 3 of their respective leagues. The guests were treated to a video showcasing a day at the juniors where everyone had the opportunity to hear from the stars of tomorrow, with Tom paying tribute to the mothers and all the volunteers who have contributed to the success of our junior program.

    The final part of the formalities saw Club legend Jimmy Armstrong take to the stage to discuss his experiences at the World Football Gala, where South Melbourne FC was bestowed the honour of being named Oceania Confederation Club of the Century. Jimmy spoke about the stars of world football at the event and what an honour it was to be one of the club representatives at the event.

    To conclude the formalities, the guests were treated to a video highlights package of all the action from the three matches in the RHB Singapore Cup. SMFC captain Ramazan Tavsancioglu spoke about the team’s performance in the RHB Singapore Cup, the manner in which the team prepared and the challenges it faced. The Master of Ceremonies congratulated Rama and the whole team for their efforts in the RHB Singapore Cup, and thanked the team on behalf of all SMFC stakeholders who were immensely proud of their achievements.

    DJ Johnny Mav took over as his funky tunes saw many make their way to the dance floor and kick up their heels.

    It was a night of great celebration, as the curtain fell on the 2010 season. South Melbourne FC would like to thank its guests for attending a memorable event.

    Stay tuned for details on the 2011 Season Launch event to be held in late February 2011.

  • SMFC earn respect with hard fought 3-3 draw

    SMFC earn respect with hard fought 3-3 draw

    Sunday, 10 October 2010 4:30 PM

    By John Kyrou (in Singapore)

    South Melbourne FC was last night eliminated from the 2010 RHB Singapore Cup following a thrilling yet unlucky 3-3 draw against Bangkok Glass FC in the second leg of the Quarter Final at Jalan Besar Stadium. The draw meant that Bangkok Glass won the tie 6-4 on aggregate and now progress to the Semi Finals of the competition.

    Eddie Krncevic kept the same starting line-up from the first leg and the Australian side started the more stronger of the two teams. Gianni De Nittis missed an excellent chance to give South an early lead but his shot from near the penalty spot trickled wide of Kittisak Rawangpa’s goal. Despite dominating possession and creating several half chances to open the scoring, South could not get the ball inside the net and they were made to pay dearly in the 27th minute, when a mix-up between goalkeeper Stefaan Sardelic and Rhodri Payne resulted in the ball falling easily for Chatree Chimtale to score the easiest of goals and give Bangkok Glass a 4-1 aggregate lead.

    To the enormous credit of the South players, the whole team lifted instead of dropping their heads and gave the travelling South fans something to cheer about with a well taken goal minutes later. Daniel Vasilevski won the ball in midfield, darted into the penalty area and crossed the ball perfectly from the left side for De Nittis to head into an empty net at the back post. De Nittis had been outstanding in both matches playing off Jesse Krncevic up front and he won South a penalty just under 10 minutes before halftime after being clearly brought down in the penalty area. The ever reliable Fernando De Moraes sent Rawangpa the wrong way and incredibly South was 2-1 up on the night and 4-3 down on aggregate. Suddenly there was genuine belief that South could at a minimum send the tie into extra time, however hopes were crushed shortly before the halftime break when Chimtale was left unmarked in the area during a Bangkok corner and he headed a wonderful goal past Sardelic.

    Ignoring the set-back of conceding two sloppy goals, South came out in the second half and played one of the most inspiring 45 minutes seen by an Australian team for many years. Despite the threat of fatigue and needing to chase goals, Eddie Krncevic persisted with the same line-up to begin the half. This decision proved to be the right one, as all eleven players on the field pushed themselves to the limit to create goal scoring opportunities. It was a complete contrast to the second half of the first leg on Tuesday night when South tired and Bangkok pounced to score three times. On this occasion it was all South and the Australian side kept knocking before finally scoring the goal they deserved in the 74th minute. A cross from the right side found De Nittis at the back post and he used his head to score past Rawangpa for a second time. South were now 3-2 up on the night and 5-4 down on aggregate, with 15 minutes and most importantly belief and confidence to try and score again.

    The final 15 minutes threw up all sorts of drama, as South committed bodies forward to try and send the match into extra time. With ten minutes to go, Payne went on a trademark run down the left wing. He beat several Bangkok defenders and nutmegged another before sending a perfect cross into the area. The ball was only cleared as far as De Nittis at the back post and the forward – who was looking for his hat-trick – could not believe his misfortune when he fired a shot that beat Rawangpa but not one of his defenders, who cleared the ball off the line. South had come so close to pulling the aggregate scores level after being 4-1 down but were still a goal behind and with time running out.

    South had left many gaps in defence as a result of throwing bodies forward and with five minutes to go the tie was over when Bangkok scored for a third time. Gbenga Ajayi, the star for Bangkok in the first leg but who had hardly being sighted in the second leg, received a cut-back from the right hand side and rounded Lukmon Anifaloyin before hitting a shot that deflected slightly off Steven O’Dor and past Sardelic. It was yet another cruel goal for South to concede and all but crushed any hopes of a miracle come-back. The full-time whistle was blown shortly after, confirming a 3-3 draw on the night and a 6-4 aggregate victory for the side from Thailand. South were out of the RHB Singapore Cup but had yet again put in another outstanding performance and had won alot of praise from both Singaporean and Thai football lovers.

    Bangkok Glass FC coach Carlos Roberto de Carvalho praised South after the match, adding that “I am not happy with my team tonight. Our opponents set up very well and used their strengths…we are happy to get through but we need to do alot more work.” Eddie Krncevic also spoke glowingly of his players, noting that “we changed things tactically for tonight’s match and it worked. I thought we were the better side tonight and we were unlucky not to win. Bangkok Glass FC is a terrific side and it shows when they still score goals even if they are not playing well. Even though our team is semi-professional, we showed that we can match it with some of Asia’s best. Imagine if my players were full-time professionals”

    South’s 2010 season is now officially over with both League and Cup commitments concluding. After a short break, the players will commence pre-season training over the summer ahead of the 2011 Victorian Premier League season.

    FINAL SCORE: BANGKOK GLASS 3-3 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 2-2)

    (Bangkok Glass FC wins 6-4 on aggregate)

    Bangkok Glass FC
    Kittisak Rawangpa (Klisana Klunklin 93′), Amnart Kaewkheaw, Supachai Komsilp, Panuwat Failai, Thanongsak Pajakkata, Sarun Promkeaw (Sutee Suksomkit 85′), Kunihiko Takizawa, Wichaya Dechmitr, Gbenga Ajayi, Paul Bekombo (Anawin Jujeen 80′), Chatree Chimtale

    (Scorers: Chimtale 27′, 42′, Ajayi 85′)

    South Melbourne FC
    Stefaan Sardelic, Lukmon Anifaloyin, Rhodri Payne, Steven O’Dor, Rama Tavsancioglu (Kyle Joryeff 89′), Daniel Vasilevski, Carl Recchia, Fernando De Moraes, Marinos Gasparis, Gianni De Nittis, Jesse Krncevic

    (Scorers: De Nittis 31′, 74′, De Moraes 37′ pk)

    SMFC Man of the Match: Marinos Gasparis
    Venue: Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore
    Date: Friday 8 October 2010
    Crowd: 931

  • Live Online Audio Commentary. Bangkok Glass FC 3 – South Melbourne FC 3 (Full Time)

    Live Online Audio Commentary. Bangkok Glass FC 3 – South Melbourne FC 3 (Full Time)

    Friday, 8 October 2010 10:11 PM

    South Melbourne FC, with the assistance of the Football Association of Singapore, will be broadcasting the game LIVE on this page.

    Match kicks off at 10.30pm AEST

    Full time here at Jalan Besar Stadium was Bangkok Glass FC 3 – South Melbourne FC 3. Aggregate score was Bangkok Glass FC 3 – South Melbourne FC 3. Full match report coming soon.

  • South Outglassed

    South Outglassed

    Wednesday, 6 October 2010 5:02 PM

    By John Kyrou (in Singapore)

    South Melbourne FC lost the first leg of its RHB Singapore Cup Quarter Final 1-3 to Bangkok Glass FC on Tuesday evening at Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore. Despite taking an early lead through Daniel Vasilevski in the first half, South tired considerably in the second half and were eventually overrun by a very impressive Bangkok side, which has a huge advantage leading into the second leg.

    With the unavailability of Joe Keenan and Sebastian Petrovic, on top of the departures of Peter Zois and Joseph Youssef, new coach Eddie Krncevic decided to show faith and reward several Under-21 players by promoting them to the Senior Team. Stefaan Sardelic was elevated to first-choice goalkeeper, whilst new signings Lukmon Anifaloyin and Jesse Krncevic were given starts.

    With the match technically being a South Melbourne FC ‘home’ match, but with the away goals rule not being applicable over the two legs, coach Krncevic began the match with an extremely attacking line-up, deploying Jesse Krncevic, Gianni De Nittis and Fernando De Moraes up front, with Daniel Vasilevski pushing up for support. The decision looked to have paid off when a lovely build-up culminated in Krncevic teeing a shot up for Vasilevski on the edge of the area and the midfielder hit a beautifully struck left-footed shot past Bangkok goalkeeper Klisana Klunklin’s near post for the opening goal of the match.

    South were certainly the better side of the first half but despite being comfortable on the ball and in possession were unable to add to their lead. Krncevic looked to have been pushed in the back in the penalty area by his Bangkok marker, but despite the penalty appeals by several South players, referee Abas Daud waved play on. The Thai side had become increasingly frustrated at being beaten by the Australian side and began making a number of strong physical challenges. One particular crunching two-footed tackle by Wichaya Dechmitr on Anifaloyin saw the Bangkok player very fortunate not to be given a straight red card by referee Daud. Bangkok eventually slowly crept into the match in the final ten minutes of the first half and South were grateful when Sardelic produced an excellent fingertip save to prevent being lobbed just before halftime.

    The second half was a complete opposite of the first, with Bangkok completely on top and punishing South accordingly. The more the match went on, the more exhausted the South players became. Anifaloyin, who had been magnificent in his debut match for South, was extremely fortunate not to give away a penalty after bringing down his Bangkok opponent. Luckily for South, referee Daud waved play on. The turning point of the match arrived when Gbeng Ajayi was introduced off the bench. Sarun Promkeaw had been an earlier substitute and the two players combined immediately with devasting effect. Promkeaw equalised when he smashed home a cut-back from the left side, leaving Sardelic with no chance. Ten minutes later, Ajayi was given far too much room on the right side and he waltzed into the area before beating Sardelic at his near post. The scoring was wrapped up in the 82nd minute after some dazzling work on the left side by Ajayi, who completely turned Anifaloyin inside out before crossing the ball from the byline and finding Chatree Chimtale, who had no problem in heading the ball into the net. Bangkok had many opportunities to add to their lead but a combination of poor finishing and excellent defending meant the final scoreline remained 1-3.

    Despite a two goal deficit, South coach Eddie Krncevic was upbeat after the match, mentioning that “I saw many positives despite the loss….we played many younger players tonight and they will be much better for the experience. Football is a very funny game, who knows what will happen in the second leg…now it is all about recovery and looking forward to Friday night’s match.” With the away goals rule not counting, Krncevic acknowledged that South is still in with a chance of progressing despite the difficult task at hand. “We have to congratulate our opponent. Bangkok Glass FC is an excellent side with good technical players. We gave it our best shot tonight but it just goes to show the difference between full-time professional players and semi-professional. Having said that, it’s only halftime over the two legs and we will go away and focus on the positives, work on the negatives and be ready for it all again on Friday.”

    The second leg is also at Jalan Besar Stadium and kicks off at 19:45 Singapore time (22:45 Melbourne time) on Friday night. Once again, South Melbourne FC is proud to announce that live audio commentary of the match will be available on smfc.com.au.

    FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-3 BANGKOK GLASS (HT: 1-0)

    South Melbourne
    Stefaan Sardelic, Lukmon Anifaloyin, Rhodri Payne (Bradley Treloar 80′), Steven O’Dor, Rama Tavsancioglu, Daniel Vasilevski, Carl Recchia, Marinos Gasparis (Dimitri Vithoulkas 84′), Fernando De Moraes, Gianni De Nittis, Jesse Krncevic (Kyle Joryeff 77′) 

    (Scorer: Vasilevski 20′)

    Bangkok Glass
    Klisana Klunklin, Amnart Kaewkheaw, Supachai Komsilp, Panuwat Failai, Thanongsak Pajakkata, Anawin Jujeen (Gbenga Ajayi 54′), Kunihiko Takizawa, Peeraphong Pichitchotirat (Sarun Promkeaw 25′), Wichaya Dechmitr, Paul Bekombo (Sutee Suksomkit 87′), Chatree Chimtale

    (Scorers: Promkeaw 60’, Ajayi 70’, Chimtale 82’)

    SMFC Man of the Match: Jesse Krncevic
    Venue: Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore

    Date: Tuesday 5 October 2010

    Crowd: 1,045

  • Live Online Audio Commentary. South Melbourne FC 1 vs Bangkok Glass FC 3 (Full Time)

    Live Online Audio Commentary. South Melbourne FC 1 vs Bangkok Glass FC 3 (Full Time)

    Tuesday, 5 October 2010 7:25 PM

    South Melbourne FC, with the assistance of the Football Association of Singapore, will be broadcasting the game LIVE on this page.

    Match kicks off at 10.45 AEST

    Full time here at Jalan Besar Stadium was South Melbourne FC 1 (Vasilievski) – Bangkok Glass FC 3. Full match report coming soon.

  • Live Online Audio Commentary of Both Quarter Final Matches on smfc.com.au

    Live Online Audio Commentary of Both Quarter Final Matches on smfc.com.au

    Monday, 4 October 2010 3:01 AM

    South Melbourne FC, with the assistance of the Football Association of Singapore, would like to announce that all fans will have the opportunity to follow the Club’s progress in the quarter final matches of the RHB Singapore Cup.

    The Club has organised a live online audio broadcast of both matches, which can be heard on smfc.com.au. Join the southRadio team who will provide live commentary of both exciting matches.

    The schedule and broadcast times for the quarter final matches are as follows:

    First Leg
    South Melbourne FC vs. Bangkok Glass FC
    Tuesday 5th October
    Jelan Besar Stadium
    Kick off 7.30pm (local Singapore time)
    10.30pm (AEDST)
    Live audio broadcast commences at 10.25pm AEDST on smfc.com.au

    Second Leg
    Bangkok Glass FC vs. South Melbourne FC
    Friday 8th October
    Jelan Besar Stadium
    Kick off 7.30pm (local Singapore time)
    10.30pm (AEDST)
    Live audio broadcast commences at 10.25pm AEDST on smfc.com.au

    Go to smfc.com.au, and click on the link provided to catch all the action as South Melbourne FC looks to progress to the semi final of the RHB Singapore Cup.

  • South announce 2010 RHB Singapore Cup Squad

    South announce 2010 RHB Singapore Cup Squad

    Friday, 1 October 2010 10:35 AM

    South Melbourne FC Logo

    South Melbourne FC would like to announce the squad that will be taking part of the 2010 RHB Singapore Cup, as well as the new signings for the club.

    Joining the squad for the Blues will be Jesse Krncevic and Steven Topalovic from the Richmond Eagles and Lukmon Anifaloyin from Fawkner.

    Krncevic will re-join South Melbourne for his second stint having being part of the senior squad in South’s return to the State League in 2005. Regarded as one of the best attacking players in the League, Krncevic will be looked at to provide finishing prowess in the final third.

    Topalovic, a former South junior, is a versatile player that can play through both defence and midfield. At only 20 years of age, he has a reputation of being one of the most effective defenders in the League.

    Nigerian born Lukmon Anifaloyin is a very highly rated and skilled central defender who will be joining the club from Fawkner and is expected to fight both Eddie Cetkin and James Stefanou for duties next to Steven O’Dor in the heart of the SMFC defence.

    As well as these key signings, four of South Melbourne FC’s Championship winning Under 21 squad will also be joining the SMFC senior squad, with Dimitri Vithoulkas, Mackie Simmons, Brad Treloar and George Malliaras all being registered into the squad for the RHB Singapore Cup.

    Leaving the squad and the club are Peter Zois and Joseph Youssef.

    Zois, previously committed to the RHB Singapore Cup campaign, informed the club of his intention to sign with another VPL club in 2011 and would not be joining the team only days before the final registration deadline, leaving the club few options to sign a replacement goalkeeper for the upcoming Quarter Final clash against Bangkok Glass FC.

    Youssef has decided to leave the club due to work and personal commitments. Joseph played 39 games and scored 5 goals for SMFC, including scoring the winning goal against Gombak United in the opening round of the RHB Singapore Cup in May. The club wishes Joseph all the best in his future endeavors and thanks him for his services.

    On top of the loss of both players, Joseph Keenan will also be unavailable for the Quarter Finals in Singapore given his stint with Adelaide United that is expected to conclude in late October.

    South Melbourne FC Singapore Cup Squad

    2. Lukmon Anifaloyin (Defender)
    3. Rhodri Payne (Defender)
    4. Steven O’Dor (Defender)
    5. Daniel Vasilevski (Defender)
    6. Eddie Cetkin (Defender)
    8. Carl Recchia (Midfield)
    9. Gianni De Nittis (Forward)
    10. Jesse Krncevic (Forward)
    12. Bradley Treloar (Defender)
    14. Rama Tavscancioglu (Defender)
    15. Fernando De Moraes (Midifield)
    16. Dimitri Vithoulkas (Forward)
    17. Mackie Simmons (Defender)
    18. Marinos Gasparis (Midfield)
    19. Steven Topalovic (Midfield / Defender)
    20. Nathan Caldwell (Forward)
    21. Stefaan Sardelic (Goalkeeper)
    22. James Stefanou (Defender)
    23. Sebastian Petrovich (Midfield)
    24. George Malliaras (Goalkeeper)
    25. Kyle Joryeff (Midfield)

  • South Melbourne Under 11s perform with distinction at the 2010 Launceston Cup

    South Melbourne Under 11s perform with distinction at the 2010 Launceston Cup

    Monday, 27 September 2010 1:46 PM

    The South Melbourne Under 11s Eye Society team, under the guidance of Coach John Alexopoulos did the club proud with a very credible fourth place in the 2010 Launceston Cup.

    South Melbourne was the only club in the Under 11s draw, as all the other teams were representative squads from various state federations.

    The quality of the team came to the fore with the boys improving with every match culminating with a 3-1 win over the tournament favourites in the final game of the preliminary matches.

    Further praise for the squad came from the referees who voted on a 3-2-1 basis in each match for the best & fairest player award of the tournament, with three South Melbourne boys featuring in the top 5 players of the tournament.

    The Club is extremely proud of the boys’ behaviour, sportsmanship and overall performance which drew praise from the tournament organisers and competing coaches and parents. Furthermore, well done and a big thank you to the travelling parents and grandparents, whose assistance and support made it a wonderful experience for the boys. 

    South Melbourne will be invited back in future years to this tournament as a result of the bonds of friendship created with the North Tasmanian Junior Soccer Association.

    South Melbourne FC would like to congratulate the Under 11s Eye Society team for its achievements and to all concerned that made it a wonderful trip and excellent experience for the team.

  • South Melbourne U16 Tour Of England

    South Melbourne U16 Tour Of England

    Monday, 27 September 2010 1:29 PM

    It is 10pm on the night of 19th August 2010 and after three months of anticipation, the touring party of coaching staff Boyan Mitkov, John Vafiadis, Alex Affanassiev, Mike Karak and fifteen teenagers with stars in their eyes pass through the departure lounge of Melbourne Airport.

    Before boarding the flight, Head Coach Boyan Mitkov called the squad together and reminded them of what was expected of them about representing their club overseas, but most of all to remind them to enjoy the experience the next 17 days would bring.

    Fast forward 27 hours and arrival at Heathrow Airport to be met by a convoy of various vehicles to be transported to their accommodation Derby due to a late change.

    The club’s first opponent on tour was Notts County, one of the founding clubs of the Football League. After a tight and even contest, South emerged with a 2-1 win. The following day, South travelled to Nottingham, where its next scheduled match against the historic side Nottingham Forest. The local side are another major club in English football, who were crowned European Champions for consecutive years in 1979, and 1980, and where the European Cup is displayed proudly in their trophy cabinet. The match resulted in a 2-2 draw for both clubs. It was not the match which was memorable this day but the quality of the facilities of the Forest Academy. An indoor synthetic pitch, two additional synthetic pitches and eight grass pitches that would put the Wembley turf to shame, together with fantastic hospitality from the Forest coaching and support staff.  The generosity shown to the South Melbourne club by our hosts would be a feature throughout the tour. 

    The next stop on the tour was a friendly match against Doncaster Rovers. South recorded its second win for the trip, with a resounding 3-0 win over Rovers. It was a memorable day for young Ben who celebrated his birthday that day and the team was treated on a night out at Pizza Hut.

    The next morning saw the squad visit Sheffield that is the oldest team in England and still remains an amateur club who play football for the sheer enjoyment of the game. The fourth tour match saw South take on Sheffield United where unfortunately the team went down 2-1. The facilities and hospitality afforded to the visiting team were excellent and memorable. 

    Friday was a rest day and a tour of the home of Manchester United, Old Trafford was the highlight for the day. The stadium was nothing short of spectacular and the excitement of the boys was fantastic as they sat in the home dressing room in the places of their heroes.

    On the Saturday, the team took on MK Dons with kick off at 11a.m. The early kick off afforded the opportunity to the young South players to watch Derby County play Queens Park Rangers in the Championship League later that afternoon.

    After its visit to Hull City, the next match on the tour was against Burton Albion. The match was played at a nearby military base, where the facilities were of the highest quality. An excellent game between evenly matched sides ended in a fair 1-1 draw.

    Following a tour of their new stadium, the penultimate tour match was against Chesterfield, where the boys went down to a 3-2 defeat. Once again, the friendliness of the coaches and referee came to the fore and more contacts made for future opportunities.

    The final game of the tour was against Derby County, as their impressive facilities were matched equally by their impressive team. Derby were clearly the most accomplished football team the club had played on tour, as their ability and style were a delight to watch.

    Following the games against Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United both clubs invited the team for a training session where their coaches could further assess the South players.  This was a real sign as to the high regard in which the clubs held Boyan’s team and hopefully more opportunities will follow for some of the South Melbourne squad. It is also a testament to the amazing efforts put in by David for several months in creating so many opportunities for the tour group.

    As they reflect on the tour each team member can be extremely proud of their achievements, and all will be better players and people for the experience. In addition, all the players were a credit to the club they so proudly represented. As time passes it will not be the wins, the draws and losses that will stay in the mind of the team but the experience they enjoyed, the friendships cemented and laughter they shared. 

    South Melbourne FC would like to congratulate all concerned for the successful tour of England, particularly Boyan Mitkov and David Jervis for their efforts.

    Text and photos by: Ian Morella.

    Click here to view the photo gallery

  • Fernando wins 2010 Gold Medal, Zois Goalkeeper of the Year

    Fernando wins 2010 Gold Medal, Zois Goalkeeper of the Year

    Tuesday, 7 September 2010 12:42 PM

    Peter-Zois

    By George Kouroumalis

    Fernando De Moraes has continued an amazing individual week by capturing the 2010 Victorian Premier League Gold Medal for the Player of the Year Award. In a glorious night at the Victory Room at Etihad Stadium, De Moraes was able to create South Melbourne FC history by becoming the Club’s first ever recipient of the medal.

    Despite missing three VPL games due to injury in 2010, Fernando polled three votes in the final game against Sunshine George Cross to win the medal by a single vote over Heidelberg’s Yanni Galanos. Fernando’s season was made all the more exceptional with 13 league goals, which placed him in second position on the league’s Golden Boot tally behind Northcote City’s Trent Rixon. What made this achievement even more remarkable was that his goals came from midfield and that he was also a key contributor in setting up many of South’s other goals.

    In more fantastic news for South Melbourne FC, goalkeeper Peter Zois was awarded the 2010 Victorian Premier League Goalkeeper of the Year award. Zois produced many first-class saves in an individually outstanding season that culminated in seven clean sheets but more importantly several match-winning saves. He was rewarded with his first Goalkeeper of the Year award and now joins former South captain Dean Anastasiadis as the only South goalkeepers to have won this award, with Dean winning back-to-back awards in 2005 and 2006.

    South Melbourne FC congratulates both Fernando De Moraes and Peter Zois on their wonderful individual achievements and hopes that their outstanding 2010 form continues in the RHB Singapore Cup next month and then in the 2011 Victorian Premier League season.

    smfcTV – Fernando De Moraes 2010 Highlights

    smfcTV – Peter Zois 2010 Highlights

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