South Melbourne FC would like to confirm that construction has begun on our exclusive areas at Lakeside Stadium.
As part of the extensive development, we will be completing our new offices, social club, restaurant / bar, shop and futsal court.
We anticipate completion by early 2017.
Please keep an eye on smfc.com.au and our social media pages as the project continues.
South Melbourne FC is excited to announce its trial period for all female footballers ahead of the 2017 season.
Details are as follows:
Where:
Albert Park Field 13 (Aughtie Drive, Albert Park)
Time Periods:
U12 to U16s -5.30pm – 7pm
16yrs + open age- 7pm – 8.30pm
When:
Tuesday 25 October
Thursday 27 October
Thursday 3 November
Tuesday 8 November
We look forward to meeting you at the trials later this month.
South Melbourne FC would like to confirm that trials for our NPL Victoria boys teams will commence this Monday 10th October in Albert Park (Aughtie Drive, Field 18) for all players not registered with the club in 2016.
For further details please find attached the roster below.
Under 12
Monday / Wednesday: 5.30pm – 7pm
Saturday: 11.30am – 1pm
Under 13
Monday / Wednesday: 5.30pm – 7pm
Saturday: 11.30am – 1pm
Under 14
Monday / Wednesday: 7pm – 8.30pm
Saturday: 1pm – 2.30pm
Under 15
Monday / Wednesday: 7pm – 8.30pm
Saturday: 1pm – 2.30pm
Under 16
Tuesday / Thursday: 7pm – 8.30pm
Saturday: 10am – 11.30am
Under 18 / 20 (Lakeside Stadium – Saturday October 22, 3pm)
Tuesday / Thursday: 7pm – 8.30pm
Saturday: 10am – 11.30am
Note Under 20s trials commence on Tuesday 18th October.
Spring Training and further trials will commence on Monday 17th October for our current NPL Victoria boys squads. To register for Spring Training please visit www.smfc.com.au/2016spring
Our male teams have all now completed their 2016 NPL seasons, following two catch-up matches being played over the weekend. Our Under 16s played out a 0-0 draw with the Dandenong Thunder and our Under 18s beat the same opponent 2-0.
We would like to thank all of the team managers, who have worked together with the SMFC media team during the season to provide the referee’s match record for each round. By doing so, it assists us in keeping data as accurate as possible and to track the progress of all our players through the youth system and hopefully into the first team in the future.
The below table indicates the performance of each of our male NPL teams this season. Congratulations are extended to our Under 13s, Under 14s and Senior Men on their championship wins. All teams bar one finished in the top three of their respective league, showing sustained success across all male age groups in 2016.
| Team | Final Position | Golden Boot Winner | Goals/Games |
|
Under 12s |
Third (17 teams) | L Asani | 23 goals in 24 games |
|
Under 13s |
Champions (17 teams) | H Chong | 29 goals in 22 games |
|
Under 14s |
Champions (17 teams) | K Abdou | 39 goals in 25 games |
|
Under 15s |
Second (17 teams) | K Garrow | 16 goals in 26 games |
|
Under 16s |
Third (17 teams) | E Kolaj | 20 goals in 23 games |
|
Under 18s |
Seventh (17 teams) | R Hawthorne | 17 goals in 22 games |
|
Under 20s |
Third (14 teams)* | Giordano Marafioti / Nashir Hussainy |
12 goals in 21 games 12 goals in 22 games |
|
Senior Men |
Champions (14 teams) | Milos Lujic | 27 goals in 28 games |
* Please note that FFV did not re-schedule the postponed U20s match with Melbourne Victory in July, therefore leaving the team one point behind second-placed Bulleen but having played a game less.
Commiserations to our Under-15s side, who unfortunately lost their final game of the season and therefore lost the NPL Victoria (East) U15s championship on goal difference. Nevertheless, the team had an excellent season and congratulations must go to the coaching staff and team manager Nick Kara.
The NPL regular season has concluded for all our male teams except for the U16 and U18 teams, who play their final game against Dandenong Thunder next Saturday.
Male NPL Teams U16 & U18s (Current Ladder Position with one game to go)
U18s (Tenth): SMFC 5-3 Heidelberg United (Hawthorne x2, Layton x2, Egan)
U16s (Third): SMFC 2-1 Heidelberg United (Loutrakis, Gregory)
Male NPL Teams U12-U15s (Final Ladder Position out of 17 teams)
U15s (Runners-up): SMFC 0-1 Heidelberg United
U14s (Champions): SMFC 3-1 Heidelberg United (Abdou x2, Zeitoune)
U13s (Champions): SMFC 3-1 Heidelberg United (Chong x2, Zampogna)
U12s (Third): SMFC 6-0 Heidelberg United (Asani, Dzadey, Sivritas, Tampakas, Thomson, Own Goal)
Congratulations to our Under-13s coaching staff (led by Daniel Foden) and team manager Allen Wong as the boys secured the NPL Victoria (East) U13s championship on the weekend. Thanks to a 5-2 win at Murray United on Saturday, the boys wrapped up the title and also notched up over 100 goals for the season!
Our boys have scored an enormous 103 goals (conceding 27) from 25 games this year and lead second-placed Box Hill by four points heading into the final round of matches this weekend. We are yet to be beaten in 2016, with 22 wins and three draws from our 25 matches. Yianni Panakos and Hugo Chong are equal top goal scorers for our U13s this season, will they tie for the Golden Boot or will someone claim the honours outright in the final game?
Below are all the scores from our NPL games played over the weekend. Our U12s can’t move from third place and our U13s and U14s have already been crowned as champions of their respective leagues. Our U15s are currently in first place with a game to go and will be crowned champions should they achieve at least a draw in their final game. Our U16s still have a couple of games remaining and can finish as high as second place. Our U18s have struggled this season but with a couple of games remaining can still finish in the top six.
Male NPL Teams U12-U18s (Current Ladder Position out of 17 teams)
U18s (10th): SMFC 3-3 Murray United (Layton, Ahmeti, Garrow)
U16s (3rd): SMFC 2-2 Murray United (Garrow, Gaal)
U15s (1st): SMFC 12-1 Murray United (Papazisis x5, Arriaza x2, Warner x2, Andreadis, Fogel, Kapaklis)
U14s (Champions): SMFC 1-1 Murray United (Cevik)
U13s (Champions): SMFC 5-2 Murray United (Chong x2, Khan, Panakos, Vlogianitis)
U12s (3rd): SMFC 11-1 Murray United (Asani x3, Markovski x3, Durso x2, Swinney, Tampakas, Thomson)
Congratulations to our Under-14s coaching staff and team manager Erik Zimmerman as the boys secured the NPL Victoria (East) U14s championship on the weekend.
Thanks to a 6-0 hammering of Nunawading on Saturday, the boys wrapped up the title with two games to spare and can now enjoy the final few rounds of the season. The team has scored a staggering 126 goals (conceding only nine) from 24 games this year and has an uncatchable nine-point lead over the second-placed Bentleigh Greens. The standout goal scorer has been KJ Abdou with an outstanding 37 goals, the most by an individual player from NPL U12s all the way through to the first team!
Below are all the scores from our NPL games played over the weekend. With just a few games to go, our U13s and U15s are leading the way in their respective leagues and can hopefully secure more silverware for our club in 2016.
Male NPL Teams U12-U18s (Current Ladder Position out of 17 teams)
U18s (10th): SMFC 4-1 Nunawading (Layton x2, Garrow, Egan)
U16s (3rd): SMFC 5-1 Nunawading (Ahmeti, Garrow, Kolaj, Loutrakis, Week)
U15s (1st): SMFC 5-0 Nunawading (Garrow x2, Andreadis, Papazisis, Warner)
U14s (Champions): SMFC 6-0 Nunawading (Zeitoune x2, Abdou, Giannakarios, Reid, Russo)
U13s (1st): SMFC 6-0 Nunawading (Chong x3, Panakos x2, Kapolitsas)
U12s (3rd): SMFC 4-1 Nunawading (Asani x2, Fakos, Sivritas)
Male NPL Teams (U12-Seniors)
Seniors: SMFC 3-2 Oakleigh Cannnons (Minopoulos 18′, Schroen 56′, 68′)
U20s: Season concluded
U18s: SMFC 0-2 Eastern Lions
U16s: SMFC 2-0 Eastern Lions (Ahmeti, Loutrakis)
U15s: SMFC 2-0 Eastern Lions (Papazisis, Garrow)
U14s: SMFC 12-0 Eastern Lions (Abdou x3, Lewis-Hanafin x2, Zeitoune x2, Baker, Cevik, Giannakarios, Lupancu, Zimmerman)
U13s: SMFC 1-0 Eastern Lions (Panakos)
U12s: SMFC 6-0 Eastern Lions (Asani x2, Tampakas x2, Durso, Jong)
(Photo by Mark Avellino)
South Melbourne FC are the 2016 NPL Victoria Champions after recording a thrilling 3-2 win over the Oakleigh Cannons at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. Leigh Minopoulos opened the scoring and a second-half double from Jimmy Rooney Medalist Marcus Schroen gave South a record-breaking tenth State League title.
Eleven goals had been scored in the two league meetings between the sides in 2016 and the Grand Final did not disappoint in that regard, with another five goals added to that total. Minopoulos got the scoring underway after 18 minutes when he ran onto Brad Norton’s long throw-in, cut inside past Anthony Rizk and tucked the ball past John Honos and into the far corner of the net, sparking wild celebrations in the packed grandstand on his near side.
South’s lead lasted for only seven minutes before the Cannons were level through Piemonte, who had been dangerous throughout the opening period of the game. Goran Zoric beat Norton to the ball in midfield and eventually played through Dusan Bosnjak for a shot that saw the ball smash the near post but rebound for Piemonte to smash into the roof of the net.
Schroen was unfortunate to not put South ahead shortly before the halftime break, with two fantastic efforts that hit the post. His first effort was from a free kick outside the area that beat Honos but not the crossbar. Right on the halftime break, a backheel from Minopoulos teed him up to fire a second shot that again beat Honos but smashed the far post and stayed out.
It was third time lucky on 56 minutes when some excellent build-up play from the left side of midfield resulted in Schroen finally putting South ahead. Norton and Nick Epifano combined down the wing, with the latter putting in an inch-perfect cross for the incoming Schroen to head past Honos and swing the advantage back in favour of Chris Taylor’s side.
Nikola Roganovic then made two huge saves – the first from a brilliant build-up and shot from Zoric that he tipped onto the cross, the second from a Piemonte effort that he tipped wide for a corner – that were Championship-winning saves and preserved South’s slender lead.
South had one hand on the Championship on 68 minutes when Schroen got his second of the evening. Tim Mala – making his 100th appearance for the club across all competitions – threw the ball in from the sidelines for Milos Lujic to flick to Minopoulos, who teed up Schroen to take a touch before firing past Honos’ outstretched left hand and into the back of the net. Oakleigh could have pulled a goal back but Mala was on hand to clear the ball before it crossed the line.
Things turned from bad to worse for the Cannons on 88 minutes when centre-half Adrian Chiappetta was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence, however they gave themselves a consolation goal in the third minute of injury time, when Bosnjak controlled Rizk’s ball into the area before a quick turn and shot saw the ball hit the far corner of the goal.
It was too little too late as South celebrated a record-breaking tenth Victorian State League / NPL Victoria Championship, adding to the other titles won in 1962, 1964-66, 1972, 1974, 1976, 2006 and 2014. No other club in Victorian football history has won more top-flight Victorian titles than South, who also shares the most amount of National League titles won as well.
For Taylor and his squad that he has built since arriving at Lakeside Stadium in July 2013, they are giving the South supporters another one of the club’s great eras of continued success. Following an unexpected Preliminary Final finish in 2013, South has won silverware in each of Taylor’s three full seasons at the club:
2014 – NPL Victoria Champions (first past the post);
2015 – FFV Community Shield Winners, Dockerty Cup Winners, Minor Premiers;
2016 – NPL Victoria Champions (Grand Final winners).
For many of the players, it is a second NPL Championship in three seasons and one that has been thoroughly deserved, with the club having to overcome several obstacles during the course of the season. For Taylor himself, he has an outstanding winning record of 70% in league/finals matches for South, with 69 wins from 98 matches.
FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 3-2 OAKLEIGH CANNONS (HT: 1-1)
Goal Scorers:
1-0: Leigh Minopoulos (18′)
1-1: Dean Piemonte (25′)
2-1: Marcus Schroen (56′)
3-1: Marcus Schroen (68′)
3-2: Dusan Bosnjak (90+3′)
South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 2. Tim MALA, 3. Kristian KONSTANTINIDIS, 5. Luke ADAMS, 11. Brad NORTON (C) (77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS 90+2′) / 23. Matthew FOSCHINI, 18. Matthew MILLAR / 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS (14. Chris IRWIN 74′), 17. Marcus SCHROEN, 7. Nick EPIFANO / 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 4. Michael EAGAR, 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 22. Andy KECOJEVIC.
Oakleigh Cannons FC:
15. John HONOS (GK), 2. Adrian CHIAPPETTA (sent off 88′), 8. Dusan BOSNJAK, 10. Dean PIEMONTE, 11. Dimitri HATZIMOURATIS (7. Sean LOVEMORE 70′), 14. Konstantinos STRATOMITROS (4. Dominic D’ANGELO 81′), 16. Anthony RIZK, 18. Steve PANTELIDIS, 19. Goran ZORIC, 21. Abdalla OKUD (6. Ioannis GEORGOPOULOS 70′), 26. Perry LAMBROPOULOS.
Unused Subs: 1. Evan KRALOGLOU (GK), 17. Jacob COLLARD.
SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Marcus Schroen
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 11 September 2016