Category: News

In a highly anticipated Round 5 NPL Victoria Derby clash against their arch-rivals Heidelberg United, South Melbourne FC showcased a strong lineup with the return of experienced players Javi Lopez and Andy Brennan, bolstering their squad with much-needed experience.

There was plenty of Blue and White in the stands, adding to the electric atmosphere of the match.

South Melbourne FC wasted no time asserting their dominance as they took an early lead courtesy of Harrison Sawyer, who expertly capitalised on a precise pass from Andy Brennan from the right flank.

However, Heidelberg United responded with a moment of brilliance from Joshua Pin, equalising the score just over the 20-minute mark with a stunning long range bomb that left Javi Lopez unable to intervene.

South could have gone into the break in front, where Nahuel Bonada found himself with a chance but his diving header narrowly missed the target.

As the game progressed into the second half, South Melbourne FC had several opportunities to clinch the victory.

Max Mikkola came agonisingly close to putting South Melbourne ahead with a glancing header that struck the crossbar. Mario Barcia also tested the Heidelberg keeper with a powerful long-range effort following some excellent build-up play by Cooper Halfpenny.

Despite a late attempt by Heidelberg’s Josh Pin, who was denied by a brilliant save from Javi Lopez, neither side could break the deadlock. The match ultimately ended in a hard-fought draw, with both teams remaining undefeated after Round 5.

The result ensured that both teams earned a well-deserved point in what was an enthralling encounter between two fierce rivals.

In an electrifying encounter at Petty’s Reserve, South Melbourne emerged victorious in a scintillating battle against Manningham. This marked the first-ever meeting between the two sides in senior football, with Manningham entering as a newly promoted side from NPL 2.

The match kicked off with South Melbourne initially struggling to find their rhythm, allowing Manningham to seize an early advantage. Ben Everson capitalised on a deflection off the post to put Manningham ahead 1-0. The home crowd erupted as Everson produced a moment of brilliance, lobbing the goalkeeper from nearly halfway to extend Manningham’s lead to 2-0.

However, South Melbourne quickly rallied, demonstrating their resilience and determination. Harrison Sawyer initiated the comeback, narrowing the deficit with a well-taken goal. Just before halftime, Nahuel Bonada found the back of the net, levelling the score and injecting renewed energy into the South camp.

Sawyer continued his heroics, rising to the occasion once again with a crucial goal moments before halftime, propelling South Melbourne into an unexpected lead at the break.

The second half belonged entirely to South Melbourne, as they showcased a dominant performance, relentlessly peppering Manningham’s goal with nearly 30 opportunities. Harrison Sawyer completed his hat-trick in style heading in a cross from Marco Jankovic, while Jordon Lampard marked his debut for the club with a clinical finish at the near post, sealing a comprehensive 5-2 victory on the road.

With this impressive win, South Melbourne extended their undefeated streak to four matches at the start of the season, sending a clear message of intent to their rivals.

South Melbourne kicked off their season with a strong performance, despite an early setback when a goal was controversially disallowed despite protests from South players that the ball had crossed the line. Nonetheless, they quickly bounced back as Sawyer capitalised on a loose ball from a Mikkola throw-in, giving South Melbourne a 1-0 lead over the Knights.

The match saw the starting debut of several new faces including Nahuel Bonada, Mario Barcia, Jordon Lampard, and Ross Archibald, with Harrison Sawyer leading the team as captain for the first time since his return to the club.

South Melbourne dominated the first half, creating numerous scoring opportunities and heading into halftime with a deserved 1-0 lead.

The second half proved to be a tighter affair, with both teams testing each other’s defences. Javi Lopez and Chris Oldfield, the respective goalkeepers, were called into action multiple times but both stood firm to deny any further goals.

Despite South Melbourne’s dominance, their best chance of the half fell to Bonada, who was unable to beat Oldfield with a low shot.

In his post-match reflection, Coach Esteban Quintas praised the team’s resilience and ability to see out the result, stating, “We showed plenty of fight and were able to close out the match when needed. I am encouraged by the start and we are looking to build on this performance in the coming weeks.”

South Melbourne’s next challenge will be against Moreland City on Saturday at CB Smith Reserve.

South Melbourne FC is excited to confirm it will be returning to the national stage of Australian football in 2025.

Earlier today Football Australia announced South Melbourne FC as one of the Foundation clubs in the National Second Tier to commence in early 2025.

Club President Nicholas Maikousis said “this has been a long time coming for the South Melbourne family. When national football returns to the shores of Albert Park Lake in March 2025, it will mark the end of two decades of this journey. “

“We have celebrated success in Victoria, but it is time for us to return to our rightful place on the national stage. Our members and supporters expect us to be competing at this level and I’m proud we have reached the point where the current and next generation of South fans can experience it with their family and friends. ”

“Over the last year in particular a small but dedicated group of individuals have been working tirelessly behind the scenes in collaboration with Football Australia to get us to this point. I’d like to acknowledge their efforts together with our board, staff, sponsors and other stakeholders. In particular I’d like to single out the unwavering support of our major sponsor Paul Chiodo of CF Capital.”

“The club will continue its work with Football Australia on the operational details of the new National Second Tier over the coming months. We will continue to share information about the new competition with our members and supporters as it becomes available”.

“Today’s announcement represents the renaissance of a great and historic club. We look forward to celebrating with the entire South Melbourne FC community” Maikousis said.

South Melbourne FC is thrilled to announce the signing of fan favourite Harrison Sawyer ahead of the 2024 NPL Victoria season.

Harrison returned home after an incredibly successful stint in Finland where he was a huge part of Vaasan Palloseura’ 17 game unbeaten streak. The unbeaten run was the catalyst behind Vaasan reaching next season’s European competitions.

In his time with South Melbourne prior, Sawyer was regarded as the premier forward in the NPL after capturing the 2022 Golden Boot and leading the club to the Premiership. Overall he scored 24 times in 42 games with the club.

With a new look squad set to be unveiled alongside Harrison, we cannot wait to see the big forward go another level in blue and white this year.

Welcome home, Harrison.

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce that Esteban Quintas will continue to serve as the Senior Coach for the 2024 season.

Over the past two NPL seasons, Quintas has led the club to 41 league wins out of 52 competitive matches which also includes consecutive Grand Final appearances and capturing the 2022 Premiers Plate for finishing on top of the table.

With the strategic addition of key personnel for the upcoming 2024 season both on and off the park, we are looking forward to another strong campaign under Quintas.

As part of the restructuring of our Senior Football Department, Esteban Quintas will be joined by Agim Sherifovski, a former South player, who returns as our Senior Assistant Coach. Sherifovski brings a wealth of experience from a distinguished career at both National and Victorian levels, as well as also having contributed significantly to both Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City in recent years at senior and youth levels as a coach.

South Melbourne FC is confident that the combined coaching prowess of Quintas and the seasoned Sherifovski will be instrumental in shaping the team’s success.

South Melbourne FC is thrilled to announce the signing for Yagoub Mustafa for the remainder of the 2023 season.

The South Sudanese international joins us following a short spell with Hume City, however many South fans would know him from his time at Bentleigh
where he linked up with Ajak Riak and was a key reason why the Greens were crowned 2022 Dockerty Cup Champions.

He also spent time at Perth Glory in Western Australia’s NPL system before reaching to play at A-League level.

Mustafa brings another attacking option that can play across the front three and combines explosive pace with an ability to score. He joins Luka Ninkovic as our mid season signings which we hope will significantly bolster our attack in the back end of the season.

Speaking to SMFC Media, Football Director Andrew Mesourouni welcomed Mustafa to the club. “Yagoub provides us with another attacking option and he can play numerous roles in attacking third. We look forward to seeing him link up with his former teammate Ajak Riak, new signing Luka Ninkovic, as well as the likes of Max Mikkola, Alun Webb, Andy Brennan, Marcus Schroen and Ali Sulemani in creating a formidable attacking force.”

Yagoub has been cleared to play and will be available for selection from this week’s game.

South Melbourne FC would like to confirm that Luka Ninkovic has signed for the club ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

Luka is a powerful forward who has experience across the top tier of the National Premier League here in Victoria. He joined the club after playing for Bentleigh earlier this year, though many South fans would know him from his days at Heidelberg United where he was part of the Warriors Championship winning squad.

He adds significant depth to our attacking third and will be looking to link up with our other forwards to provide another big target and goal scoring option in the box.

Speaking to SMFC Media, Football Director Andrew Mesourouni was pleased with the signing.

“Luka is a proven goal scorer , technically balanced and strong in the air. An explosive player and a great guy , giving us additional strength up front.”
He will join us in the window and will be available for selection soon after.”

Luka will replace Danny Kim on our roster, with the midfielder departing the club also during the window.