Category: News

South Melbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of Stefan Zinni from Melbourne City for the 2017 NPL Victoria season.

In his three seasons with City, Zinni took part in four senior matches throughout the A-League and FFA Cup competitions, whilst mainly featuring in their youth and NPL team. Throughout this period, the quick winger managed seven goals and provided a threat every time he went forward.

However, Zinni is remembered around South for his commitment to the club through the SMFC Youth Program. This includes previously playing as a South Junior for eleven seasons, as well as also playing a lead role in our Under 20s in 2014 prior to his A-League move.

The signing of the dynamic 20-year-old ensures that Chris Taylor has another attacking option for the 2017 season, where he is expected to add some speed and quality down the right-hand side of the park. He’s also following in the footsteps of his father, possessing similar traits that Andrew Zinni had when playing NSL football for Brunswick Juventus and Preston as well as the Socceroos.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Zinni was excited to return home. “There is no other way to put it, I’m happy to be home and at a club that has played a large part in my life for over a decade. While I enjoyed my time in the A-League and thank City for the opportunity, there is something exciting about putting on the South shirt and the badge that is familiar with most of my football to date. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully I will be able to add something different to the team. My dream was always to be a South senior player, so to have that chance is extremely exciting.”

Football Director Nicholas Maikousis also shared Zinni’s excitement. “Stefan is a South boy, who has made his way through our ranks and into our Senior Squad. He commenced his football at the club in the Under 8’s, so it’s fantastic to see products of our youth setup beginning to make their way into the first team and forming a large part of our future. We wish him all the best for 2017 and beyond.”

We’d like to welcome Stefan back home to Lakeside Stadium and look forward to seeing him in a senior shirt throughout the season.

South Melbourne FC is proud to announce that it has promoted Youth player Joshua Hodes to the Senior Roster for the 2017 NPL Victoria season.

Hodes was identified by Sasa Kolman three years ago during Pre-Season and has been a standout performer, including winning the Club’s Under 20s Player of the Year in 2016. His performance was also rewarded during the 2016 season by being selected and playing in a senior team match, as well as training with the seniors on a full-time basis.

Hodes is a composed and talented right-back, with not only the ability to shut his opponent down, but to also push forward and attack down the right-hand side of the park. Through the tutorage of his coaches throughout his time with the club, Josh has also gained the confidence to do this at a higher senior level at a young age through his interaction with the senior team.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Youth Director Andrew Mesourouni was elated to see Joshua formally join the Senior Team. “We are all extremely excited to see Joshua formally join the Senior Squad for the upcoming season. While Joshua has joined on a full-time basis, there are also many of our Under 20s players from 2016 who have already joined the Senior Squad for the Pre-Season and will also be pushing for senior team selection throughout 2017. The Club is focussed on its youth and will be giving them every opportunity to experience life as a senior footballer wherever possible. It is a very exciting time for our club, with 5 members of our senior team to date under the age of 20, with Chris Taylor a firm believer also of giving our youth products an opportunity”

When interviewed, Hodes was equally excited. “I can’t thank the club enough for the amazing opportunity. To firstly be given the chance to train with the club in 2016 and then to receive a senior team appearance was phenomenal, but to now be a senior player is surreal. Though the hard work starts now, I’ve extremely grateful and excited to be working with Chris Taylor, Sasa Kolman and the Senior Team.

We welcome Josh to the Senior Team and look forward to seeing him in our shirt once again in 2017.

South Melbourne is pleased to confirm that Ajdin Fetahagić has become Chris Taylor’s third signing ahead of the 2017 NPL season.

The tough centre-back began his senior career with Queensland side Western Pride before signing his first professional contract with FK Velez Mostar in Bosnia. Having spent time abroad, Fetahagić returned home to play with Queensland Lions last season, making 23 appearances and scoring two goals in all competitions.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nicholas Maikousis was pleased to have Fetahagić sign for the club. “AJ is the third Queenslander to join the club for the 2017 season and we believe he will add something significant to our defensive stocks. He’s a big and effective central defender and we hope he can work well with our existing defenders to form a solid unit.”

The 19-year-old arrives at Lakeside Stadium with a winning mentality, having been an integral part of the Lions team who were crowned 2016 Brisbane Premier League Champions.

We welcome Ajdin to the club and wish him the best for 2017 and beyond.

South Melbourne are delighted to announce the signing of Luke Pavlou for the upcoming 2017 NPL season.

The 19-year-old, who plays as a central midfielder, began his Senior career with Queensland side Eastern Suburbs before moving onto the Brisbane Roar youth team, where he made 19 appearances.

After impressing Interim Coach at the time Frans Thijssen, Pavlou was drafted into the Roar’s senior squad, making his debut as a second-half substitute against Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium. He then went on to play with Brisbane City for the 2016 season.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Football Director Nick Maikousis was pleased with the acquisition. “We would like to welcome Luke to the club and look forward to him adding some quality in the middle of the park for us. He comes to the club with national league experience, so we look forward to having him part of the club”.

The Queenslander becomes our second signing of the summer following the arrival of Jesse Daley.

South Melbourne FC would like to confirm the signing of former Brisbane Roar Youth Captain and Young Socceroo Jesse Daley for the next two NPL seasons.

The 19-Year-Old attacking minded midfielder joins the club after a strong season in the NPL Queensland competition, playing a dominant role for the A-League outfit, scoring on 9 occasions in 19 appearances.

He subsequently spent a large portion of the Pre-Season training with the Senior Squad, before opting to move to South Melbourne FC.

Daley will provide the club with another hard working midfield option, whilst also giving the team some additional flair moving forward.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Daley was excited to be joining the club. “It’s great to be in Melbourne and to be given an opportunity with such a big club. I look forward to meeting my teammates and settling into the pre-season ahead of what promises to be a huge 2017. I can’t wait!”.

SMFC Football Director Nicholas Maikousis was also excited about the signing. “We’d like to welcome Jesse to the club and hope he can have an impact in 2017. Looking at his pedigree and form with Brisbane Roar, we are excited to have him part of our club in 2017.”

We wish Jesse all the best for 2017 and welcome him to the SMFC family.

South Melbourne FC is excited to unveil Luvarc as the club’s Major Partner for the 2017 National Premier Leagues season.

As part of the agreement, the Luvarc logo will be proudly displayed on all of the club’s Puma attire (Male and Female), including on the front of the home and away playing shirt of all ages and teams.

Luvarc is driven to create landmark projects and undertake development opportunities that offer compelling investment potential. Luvarc’s developments are marked by an astute response to their environment, providing stylish and serene homes for those who inhabit them. They are always well considered and finished in every detail from concept to completion.

Working with leading architects and consultants who share the Luvarc passion for quality, Luvarc are dedicated to designing inspiring homes that represent the finest examples of contemporary living.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Luvarc Managing Director Louisa Chen was excited for the upcoming season and partnership with the club.. “We would like to thank SMFC President Leo Athanasakis for this opportunity. It is a huge honour for Luvarc to be the next Major Sponsor of a club that is so committed and so passionate in pursuing football excellence. The Luvarc team is excited and overwhelmed by the warmest welcome into the South Melbourne FC family”

South Melbourne FC President Leo Athanasakis was also pleased with the new partnership. “Louisa and her team at Luvarc have shown considerable faith in our club and the South Melbourne brand. We’re excited to welcome our new Major Partner to the SMFC family and we are equally excited to see the Luvarc brand appear on the front of our shirt. On behalf of the entire club, we would like to thank them for their incredible support to date.”

Stay tuned to our website and social media in the coming months for further details regarding the partnership, including unveiling our 2017 Puma apparel range.

South Melbourne FC would like to confirm the following AGM details:

SMH AGM
Tuesday 20th of December 2016

Presidents Room
Lakeside Stadium
25 Albert Road Drive
Albert Park VIC 3206

Time: 7.00 pm

SMFC AGM
Tuesday 20th of December 2016

Presidents Room
Lakeside Stadium
25 Albert Road Drive
Albert Park VIC 3206

Time: 8.30pm

For all members who have not received notification either by mail or email, please contact Desi on email admin@smfc.com.au

South Melbourne FC is excited to announce the winning raffle ticket numbers for the 2016 Club Raffle. The draw was conducted at the SMFC Presentation Night, held at Bayview Eden Melbourne on October 22nd.

4th prize winner of the Ben Q Electro Static Speaker
Ticket Number – 07448

3rd prize winner of the 2 night stay at the Bayview Eden Hotel (with breakfast included)
Ticket Number – 07433

2nd prize winner of the $1,000 Bob Jane T-Marts Voucher
Ticket Number – 08211

1st prize winner of the 2 economy class tickets to Europe courtesy of Air Serbia
Ticket Number – 02587

All winners will be contacted directly to claim their prize.

South Melbourne FC is excited to announce that it has partnered with leading International Sports Brand Puma as our Official Apparel supplier for the 2017 National Premier Leagues season.

As part of the agreement, SMFC will work closely with Puma’s Official Apparel Partner, One Sports Group for all of the club’s requirements in 2017.

SMFC and Puma have a long standing relationship which can be linked back to the NSL, with our back-to-back National Championship winning sides of 1997/98 and 1998/99 proudly wearing the Puma brand.

All of our male and female teams will receive a new custom Puma on and off field apparel for the upcoming season, with Youth Players also receiving a special Spring Training kit as part of their registration.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, One Sports Director Patrick Spagnolo was extremely pleased with the partnership.

“We are incredibly excited to team up with South Melbourne, a great club with a rich tradition and one of the most successful, powerful football clubs in Australia.

Our new partnership with South Melbourne clearly underlines the proud rich tradition of the club’s heritage as well as a determined mission to be the best.

South Melbourne and Puma-One Sports also share a commitment to performance and innovation, together we will deliver to players and supporters an attractive line of sportswear featuring Puma’s most advanced proprietary technologies, innovations and design.

The new Puma kit pays homage to the club’s illustrious history and we look forward to its unveiling very soon.”

South Melbourne FC President Leo Athanasakis was also excited about the agreement. “Puma has a massive presence in world football and we are excited to be aligning our club with such an iconic brand. We will be looking at launching both our on field and off field range soon, with our junior players to receive a training kit for the Spring Training program next week”.

We look forward to working with Puma in 2017 and beyond.