Category: News

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce that it has signed experience centre forward Brittany Thomas for the 2017 NPL Victoria Season.

Brittany started her Victorian Women’s Premier League career at South Melbourne back in 2012 and five years on will make her return to Lakeside Stadium.

After her time at South, Brittany recruited by FC Bulleen Lions for a season before joining Ashburton United where she played for two years. 2016 saw the introduction of the National Premier Leagues and Thomas joined eleven of her team mates from Ashburton transitioning to the newly formed Alamein FC. Brittany was part of a potent attacking force at Alamein helping the club achieve the highest number of goals and goal difference in the inaugural NPLW season, including Brittany picking up a hat-trick against Southern United along the way.

In 2017, Thomas will again be a part of the South Melbourne squad as the club returns to the top-tier of Victorian Women’s football. Speaking to smfc.com.au, Thomas is excited about once again pulling on the blue and white jersey. “South Melbourne is a wonderful club and I am looking forward to playing a role in helping the team reach its potential in 2017”.

Women’s Football Director Gabrielle Guiliano sees Brittany playing a crucial role in 2017. “It is wonderful opportunity to have Brittany return to South Melbourne after all these years. She is a very experienced player having been at the top level of Victorian Women’s football for five consecutive years at four different clubs. Her background, maturity and experience will bring a lot to the squad both on and off the pitch. Her attacking prowess and skills in the final third will suit the attacking style of play South Melbourne is known for”.

We wish Brittany all the best for the 2017 NPL season.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce that it has re-signed Canadian midfielder and 2016 Best and Fairest Winner Natalie Martineau for the 2017 NPL Victoria Season.

Martineau remained at the Club in 2016, despite numerous offers from rival clubs and was subsequently a part of her third championship in a row following our State One triumph in September.

In her three seasons with the club, the Canadian-born midfielder has impressed everyone with her exceptional work ethic and creative play. Natalie was an integral part of SMWFC’s back-to-back WPL Championships in 2014-2015 and continues to provide Coach Socrates Nicolaides with a strong leader both on and off the park.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Martineau was excited about the new challenges ahead. “Just like all the girls, I am excited that we are now back in the top flight of Victorian Football and where we belong. This year was a difficult season, but we enjoyed every minute of it, including the increased exposure through the Club’s media team and transitioning into becoming one club. With this behind us and the fact we are now in the NPL, we all can’t wait to get started for what we believe is going to be a huge season.”

Women’s Football Director Gabrielle Guiliano shared Natalie’s thoughts on the past season. “Natalie showed great loyalty in being part of the Club in 2016 and had an outstanding season leading a very young and inexperienced team to championship glory. As we look forward to 2017, her leadership and class in the middle of the park will add quite a bit once again to the squad”.

We wish Natalie all the best for the 2017 NPL season.

South Melbourne FC would like to wish all of our players, families, members, corporate partners, media, supporters and volunteers a Merry Christmas, and a safe and prosperous New Year.

A reminder that the Club office will be closed from Friday 23 December and will re-open on Monday 16 January 2017.

We look forward to welcoming you back to Lakeside Stadium for another exciting season in 2017, with many new and exciting things happening around the club.

Stay tuned to smfc.com.au and our social media pages for the latest news as it happens ahead of the new season.

South Melbourne FC is excited to announce the signing of Alexandra Gummer for the 2017 NPL Victoria season.

Gummer is currently playing for Melbourne Victory in the Westfield W-League. She will join SMFC at the conclusion of Victory’s season and prior to our Round 1 clash away to Box Hill.

The 24-year-old defender is an extremely experienced acquisition for the club, having played numerous seasons in the W-League with both Victory and Adelaide United. She has also spent time abroad, playing for Doncaster Rovers in the English Women’s Super League.

Gummer also brings added leadership, class and toughness to the squad. Speaking to smfc.com.au, Gummer was excited to join SMFC. “I’m really excited to be a part of South in 2017. South Melbourne is a great club, with great facilities and a great culture. I’m looking forward to joining the club, helping the team to achieve its full potential and hopefully win the league.”

SMFC Women’s Football Director Gabrielle Guiliano was equally excited to have signed such a high-calibre player. “Alex is an excellent addition to the club and we are excited to have another player from the W-League join our senior team. With her experience and leadership, we think she can play a valuable role for us in 2017 and look forward to her joining us once her duties with Melbourne Victory are complete.”

We’d like to welcome Alexandra to Lakeside Stadium and wish her all the best for 2017 and beyond.

South Melbourne FC is excited to announce its first signing with Tiffany Eliadis returning for the 2017 NPL Victoria Women’s Season.

Eliadis is a name that should be familiar with many South fans, having made her debut with the Club as a 14-Year-Old during the 2010 season in the Women’s Premier League. Since then, she has gone on to become one of the dangerous forwards in the state.

Her outstanding performances in a South shirt saw her win the FFV Gold Medal twice and numerous Golden Boot Awards for both Club and Competition, having scored 63 goals in her last three seasons with the club. It was also with this amazing form behind her, that saw Tiffany rewarded with a W-League contract at Melbourne Victory.

Despite moving away from the club in 2016, South’s inclusion back into the top-flight of Victorian Football will see Eliadis return to the place she calls home. Speaking to smfc.com.au, she was excited to be back at the place where it all began. “Words can’t describe how happy I am at the moment being back in a South shirt. I love the club and the people here, so it was a simple decision for me to come home. I can’t wait to get started and hope we can make our mark in 2017 with this fantastic group as we have quite a bit to prove following a year away from the top-flight”.

Head of Women’s Football Gabrielle Guiliano was also extremely excited to have Tiffany back in a South shirt. “Tiffany is not only a quality player but a fantastic person to have back at the Club and everyone is excited see her in our shirt again. Her ability to score goals at the highest level is second to none and we can’t wait to see her running around Lakeside Stadium again in 2017.”

We wish Tiffany all the best for the 2017 season.

South Melbourne FC would like to announce the re-signing of Senior Women’s Coach Socrates Nicolaides for the 2017 NPL Victoria Season.

Nicolaides has played a large part in the club’s success over recent seasons, with the Senior Women winning three titles in a row. The success and style of football that Nicolaides has implemented into our senior women’s team has also filtered down to the youngest female teams and he can be attributed with the progress of our football throughout all of our age groups.

With this in mind, the Club is excited to have Socrates launch us into the new era as our inaugural Women’s PS4 National Premier Leagues Senior Coach.

Many South fans will remember Nicolaides in his time as a young footballer at our club, playing mainly as an attacking fullback. He was the youngest player to make his first-team debut for SMFC in the NSL (two days shy of his 16th birthday), coming off the bench to replace George Campbell against Adelaide City at Middle Park on 13 August 1978. ‘Soc’ made 37 NSL appearances for SMFC and scored two goals but unfortunately his time on the pitch was restricted due to injuries.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Head of Women’s Football Gabrielle Giuliano was excited to have Socrates lead the club during this exciting period. “Socrates has been not just an outstanding coach but a wonderful person leading our club over the past few years and we are once again extremely pleased to have as senior team coach. With a strong squad being formed in the background, we are excited about returning to the top level of Victorian football in 2017.”

We wish Socrates all the best for 2017 and beyond.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of Liam McCormick from NPL Victoria club, Bentleigh Greens.

McCormick joins the club following an extremely successful period with the Greens, where the tough and hard working utility played an integral role in the club’s Championship success in 2015, as well two large FFA Cup performances in 2014 and 2016. He also won the Dockerty Cup in 2016.

Many Football fans would also be familiar with McCormick through Reality TV show Football Superstar, where at the time he won a Youth Team contract with A-League outfit Brisbane Roar.

Speaking to smfc.com.au. Football Director Nicholas Maikousis was excited with our new midfielder. “Liam is a versatile and tough midfielder who will add a large amount to our squad. He was always a tough opponent whenever we played Bentleigh, so its fantastic to have him come to the Club ahead of the 2017 season. As a natural born winner and a ruthless competitor, we can’t wait to see him play in our shirt.”

We welcome Liam to the Club and look forward to seeing him in 2017.

South Melbourne FC would like to confirm its senior coaching structure alongside Chris Taylor for the 2017 NPL Men’s Season.

Chris Marshall will continue his role as the Club’s Senior Adviser, providing Taylor with trusted support both during the week’s training, game day preparation and on match days in the same manner as 2016. Despite the role formally being created in 2016, Marshall has been valuable support for Taylor and the Senior Squad for the past four seasons.

Sasa Kolman will join the Senior Coaching Team for 2017, having returned to the Club following a stint working in Europe. Kolman will be responsible for opposition and match day analysis and assist the club throughout the week also at training. Given his strong connection with our Youth Program, Kolman will also be involved developing our Youth Team players who are making the transition to the Senior Team.

John Kobiela will continue as the Club’s High-Performance Manager in the same manner as last season. John has previously worked with Melbourne Heart, Central Coast, Cricket Victoria, Fremantle Football Club and the Young Socceroos in maintaining elite athlete performance. He will once again work with our players throughout pre-season and throughout 2017.

Bojo Jevdjevic will continue as the Club’s Goalkeeping Coach for a third consecutive season. The former NSL Player will once again work with Nikola Roganovic and Zaim Zeneli in the upcoming season.

The coaches will be assisted by Frank Piccione, who will continue as the Club’s Senior Operations and Team Manager for a ninth season in a row.

James Cole and the team at Kieser Training will once again oversee the medical side of the club in 2017 also. Kieser have been a tremendous supporter of the Club through their Corporate Partnership for the past 3 seasons and we once again look forward to having them a part of the club this season.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nicholas Maikousis welcomed the off-field team for 2017. “We are happy to retain all of our off-field football staff for 2017 and given the way we have operated in 2016, we are pleased with the outcome. We’d also like to welcome Sasa Kolman to the Senior Operations following his stint overseas. Sasa has had a large impact on our Youth Program to date, so we are pleased to have him come across and assist with both the senior and youth sides of the club.”

We wish all of our Senior Men’s coaches the best for the 2017 season.

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of Francesco Stella for the 2017 NPL Victoria season, with the midfielder joining from Norwegian Second Division Club Nest Sotra.

Stella re-joins South 8 years following his initial debut with the club, with the former SMFC Under 21 Player of the Year having already played 19 matches across two seasons in a SMFC shirt. His attacking flair and speed saw him move overseas at the end of the 2009 season, signing for Italian Club Siena.

In recent seasons, Stella has spent time with A-League teams Melbourne Victory and Central Coast, Scottish giants Rangers, as well as Avondale in the NPL Victoria competition.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nicholas Maikousis welcome Stella back to Lakeside Stadium. “We’d like to welcome Francesco back to the club and are excited that we have a player with A-League and International experience join the club for the upcoming season. As someone who understands what it means to play for the club, we hope we can see the best of him throughout the upcoming season.”

We would like to wish Francesco all the best for the 2017 season.